Cultivation Story: Learning to Sit in the Lotus Position

When I started to practise Falun Gong in 1997, I could not sit in the lotus position (both legs crossed). I could only sit in "half-lotus" with one leg crossed, and my knee was high in the air. I admired those veteran practitioners sitting with both legs crossed. My younger brother was practising Falun Dafa too. Whenever he came to see me, I asked him to sit on the knee that was sticking up. However, once he sat on my knee, my body leaned to the left.

After a month, I still couldn't sit with both legs crossed. Then my mother sent a message asking me to come to her. My father had died, and she was living alone in our rural hometown.

When I arrived, my mother cried and said: "Your uncle's family encroached on our inherited land." I would have fought with them before I practised Falun Dafa, but now I understand that karma exists in all social affairs. In addition, I remember what our Master said:

"As a practitioner the first thing you should be able to do is not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at--you must be tolerant."(Zhuan Falun - core text of Falun Gong teachings)

I persuaded her to take it lightly and to remember that it is only a small portion of land. I told her to let him have it because we don't plan to build a house in our hometown.

Just as Master had said, when that trouble arrived it was really painful, and it was hard to treat myself as a practitioner. However, once you truly regard yourself as a practitioner and recall what Master said, you will pass the test.

"When it is difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do it," (Zhuan Falun)

I passed this test.

When I was meditating that night, I suddenly felt that I could lift my right leg into the lotus position. I sat with both legs crossed for over half an hour. When I woke up the next morning, I felt as if I was covered in a cloud of white light. It is hard to describe how comfortable I was.

Since then, I can sit with both legs crossed.