Cherish the Opportunity of Fa-Rectification, Walk Each and Every Step with Perseverance

In Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference Teacher said,

"You should cherish this predestined chance. There really won't be a next time. In the future you'll see the terrifying image of the Fa-rectification that lies in history's past. Some Dafa disciples really have performed poorly -- one moment they were doing quite well and the next they weren't. Actually, even when gigantic cosmic beings witnessed the power of Fa-rectification they were truly shocked."

These words touched me deeply. Looking back at the path of my cultivation, it so closely resembled what Teacher stated, "one moment they were doing quite well and the next they weren't." When I strode forward diligently, I set high a standard for myself, and each day I studied the Fa calmly, sending forth righteous thoughts, clarifying the truth with assurance. Then I could truly feel my whole body was in a godlike state. But often times I would revert to a state of being laid back, or even stalling, after a period of diligent progress. I could no longer guarantee studying the Fa on a daily basis, I could not maintain tranquillity while sending forth righteous thoughts, and I would find various ways to excuse myself from participating in truth-clarifying activities. When I found myself in such a state I would quickly adjust and recover to the diligent state again. However, I have missed many valuable opportunities, and some of them will never exist again.

Like a car travelling on the highway, it accelerates for a while, then decelerates or even stops, then starts and accelerates again. Even though it is moving forward, running in such a state cannot match the progress made by another moving forward at a steady pace. The time to cultivate during Fa-rectification is limited. How much time is there for me to vacillate between cultivating with diligence and stalling without making progress? If I truly follow such a way, can I shoulder the responsibility in the future?

I realise now that I lack the resolve to be steady and sure in my cultivation. I can never accomplish any tasks with perseverance. Regardless whether clarifying the truth by phone, on-line chatting, or otherwise, I always started well, but never continued with persistence, making diligent progress within a short period tends to improve and enhance my cultivating environment, making it more harmonious and relaxed. However, my attachments of relaxing and slacking off often reared their ugly heads in such an environment. When I made progress and became experienced in clarifying the truth, then my attachment to complacency would pop up. On top of all this, I had such a slack demand on myself, and easily forgave my shortcomings, which made each of my remaining attachments become a stumbling block to my progress. Looking back, I felt my cultivation path was not solid and steady.

I felt that raising my levels steadily and solidly, and accomplishing each task with persistence were what was lacking in me, and must be built up through my cultivation. These are also critical factors for each of us as a practitioner.

"So before the Fa-rectification is over you should seize the time that's left and solidly do well in every single thing that a Dafa disciple should do. That's how you should proceed on this path toward the future and toward what's the most magnificent; you can't miss any single opportunity, or go awry with any step." (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Vancouver, Canada, in 2003)

Let us treat each opportunity as the last opportunity; never letting ourselves off easily; cherish every opportunity to study the Fa; cherish each opportunity to clarify the truth to people in this world; cherish every opportunity to exchange experiences with fellow practitioners; and start from the very minor tasks right in front of us. Let us walk each step well with perseverance and do not create further regret along our path of cultivation. I will start to demand this of myself from now on. If Dafa requires me to achieve this high standard, then I must reach it.

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200307/22167.html