My Cultivation Path

My name is Robert and I am a practitioner from Belgium. I was born in Poland, into a humble family in the countryside. From a young age, I suffered from many health problems, which often led me to reflect on the meaning of life. Despite enduring much suffering, I always knew that I was here for a reason, that I had an important mission, and that ending my life prematurely was never an option.

I searched for my own path—something to which I could devote myself wholeheartedly.

After completing my education in Poland, I worked in various professions and lived in several countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Today, I live in Belgium.

The Beginning of my cultivation

At that time, I worked in a chicken slaughterhouse, eleven hours a day, six days a week. My body became increasingly exhausted, as did my mind. I fell ill more and more often, and each illness seemed more severe than the last. Eventually, I reached the limits of both my physical and mental endurance. Dark thoughts began to arise more frequently, but I felt responsible for my family, my wife, and my children. I knew I had to change something. I had to find the true purpose of my life.

I found someone who offered guidance through affirmations and personal sessions, so I regularly traveled to Poland and England.

One day, my wife was given a Falun Dafa flyer. She told me that it might be able to help me. That flyer always traveled with me, even though I had never gone looking for it. Every time I opened my bag during a trip, it was there.

The guidance sessions did not bring the results I had hoped for, so in the meantime I began reading more and more about Falun Dafa. During one session, the man suddenly said that my entire body was sealed off and that there was nothing he could do. At that time, I had no idea why it was like that.

I believe it was in August 2011 that I decided to give Falun Dafa a try. I still remember that moment very clearly.

From the moment I started studying Falun Dafa, Master was already protecting me. That is why my body was sealed off to that man, making it impossible for him to do anything. This surprised him greatly.

During an online session, just as we were about to arrange another appointment, my computer suddenly shut down. I restarted it and reconnected, but exactly the same thing happened again. After restarting it a second time and reconnecting, we simply said goodbye without scheduling another session. I knew this was no coincidence.

Purification of the body

After I began cultivating, my illnesses gradually disappeared: migraines, psoriasis, rheumatism, varicose veins, and high blood pressure.

My wife still occasionally talks about that period because she saw me stop taking all my medication. She watched me very closely. She later told me that in this period she was terrified, because our family depended entirely on me. If anything had happened to me, we would have had no income.

It was a difficult period that lasted two to three years. I knew I could not give up, so I endured it patiently. At the same time, I was shocked by how polluted my body apparently was. I often thought: If this small portion that I’m enduring now is already so painful, then how enormous must my karma be?

One particular tribulation kept returning and always followed the same pattern. It began with severe pain in my upper abdomen, and it felt as if there was a heavy ball inside my body. Every time it happened, the pain was intense and completely incapacitated me.

If it happened while I was at work, I immediately stopped working and rode my bicycle home. As soon as my wife saw me, she knew exactly what was happening. She would take me to a room where I endured the tribulation. Sometimes it lasted two or three hours; sometimes eight to twelve hours. This went on for years.

At that time, I did not truly look inward to discover its cause. I simply gritted my teeth and endured it. Later I changed jobs and began working shifts. From then on, these tribulations only occurred on my days off.

However, one time, the pain did not disappear even after several days. I could no longer eat and could only drink very small amounts. After three days, I realized the situation was becoming serious and I asked fellow practitioners to send righteous thoughts for me.

The next day I felt a bit better and returned to work. But my condition was clearly visible because my eyes had begun to turn yellow, and others noticed. I felt this was not a good situation. I did not want anyone to develop a wrong impression of Falun Dafa, so I went back home.

Over the following days my condition continued to deteriorate. I was no longer able to do the exercises. The next day I asked my wife to bring me headphones and a tablet so I could listen to Master’s lectures.

My wife asked me when I intended to call a doctor or an ambulance. The thought of ending the suffering in that way was tempting, but I told her that she could call an ambulance only if I lost consciousness.

Standing at the boundary between life and death, I thought to myself that even if I were to die, I would still continue cultivating. But I also worried about my family. Later I realized that worrying is an attachment I need to let go of.

Eventually, I fell asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up, I felt well. The pain had disappeared. It took several days before my strength returned. The yellow color of my skin also disappeared after a few days. I had lost between five and eight kilograms.

Later, when I truly looked inward, I realized that I had not been cultivating diligently and that I had taken many things too lightly. From that moment on, I resolved to send righteous thoughts at the designated times because, until then, I had not met that standard.

Some time later I asked my wife what she had been thinking during that period. She looked at me and said: “I hoped you wouldn’t give up.” I understood that these were not merely her words, but also Master’s encouragement.

Continuing Cultivation

After several years, I gradually became less diligent in my cultivation. I did not take my attachments to YouTube, lust, and food seriously enough.

On the one hand, I could clearly see that I was slacking off, yet on the other hand I was unable to break through it. I studied the Fa less and less. At first there were occasional days without studying; later there were even weeks, not to mention neglecting the exercises.

Last year I received a warning for the first time. It was the same pain as before, but this time it lasted only a few hours. Even then, I still could not truly improve my cultivation. One part of me felt desperate, while another part remained arrogant.

A few weeks later, the same tribulation returned, but far more intensely. Terrible pain struck my abdomen and head. As I writhed in agony, I pleaded with Master to save me.

The pain lessened, but it was still almost unbearable. I began listening to Master’s lectures, and every word penetrated deeply into my heart.

One night I felt that Master was standing beside me, protecting my life, but that I had to endure the pain myself because I bore responsibility for it.

I began sending righteous thoughts. At first I was not even able to sit upright, but after several hours my condition gradually improved. Each time I sent righteous thoughts, I felt a little better. After several days everything had disappeared. Shortly afterward, the yellow color of my skin also vanished.

Only then did I truly realize that cultivation is an extremely serious matter and that I must control and eliminate my attachments.

During a certain period of my cultivation, I frequently had dreams in which I failed to meet the standards of a practitioner, especially concerning lust and desire. Sometimes I woke up unable to distinguish reality from illusion. To keep myself from becoming confused and to judge the situation correctly, I kept reminding myself: “Everything Master teaches is true. That is an absolute truth for me.” Because of this thought, I never lost myself and was able to pass through those dreams.

At the beginning of my cultivation, I completely abstained from sexual desire. Within a few months this led to serious conflict in my marriage, so I had to find a proper balance. However, because of my strong attachments to pornography and desire, I often swung from one extreme to another.

Over time these fluctuations became smaller, but thought karma still managed to interfere with me. Only after the second major tribulation did I fully realize that I must never underestimate the seriousness of this attachment.

I began sending righteous thoughts and seriously reflecting on the Fa’s principles concerning this issue. I thought to myself: If I am cultivating toward the realm of a Buddha, how could a Buddha possibly remain dependent on desire?

After a relatively short time, this attachment lost its attraction, and thought karma appeared only occasionally. Even now, however, I still struggle with diligence. I sincerely hope that I will not disappoint Master in my cultivation.

This is the first time I have officially shared my cultivation experiences with others, but it certainly will not be the last.

I have had many other experiences that I once considered unimportant. However, after reading other practitioners’ experience-sharing articles, I realized that this is not the case. It is valuable for us to share our experiences so that we can help one another improve, just as the experiences of others have helped me.

Thank you, Master.
Thank you, fellow practitioners.

(Submitted at the European Fa-Conference 2026)