Making a Clean Break from Superficiality

Firstly, I’d like to thank Master and all fellow practitioners for providing me with the opportunity to tell you about my insights. Although I have been practicing for several years and have attended many Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conferences, this is the first time I have shared my own experiences. I would like to talk about a topic, which, in my opinion, is very important for steadily advancing in our cultivation.

For about two years I suffered from a problem which would not allow me to increase my level. It manifested when I became increasingly reluctant to practise the exercises, to participate in Falun Dafa related projects and when I abandoned more and more projects that I was currently working on. At first, I blamed lack of time although this turned out to be just an excuse. I distanced myself more and more from Falun Dafa. As I took less time to read the Falun Dafa teachings, I also found less time for other things. In the end, days passed when I asked myself what I had done the previous day, I realised, to my surprise, that I hadn’t accomplished anything.

Now I again notice that I’m making progress. I have realised that I have to break away from the surface level which means that I have to do whatever I am doing not simply because it is my duty but from a righteous understanding, participating in the projects for the right reason. This is often easy to say but may be difficult to put into practice. From my own experience, I know that it is easy to slide into a downward spiral and to simply continue the same way we did before the start of our cultivation. Only when we understand the Fa (the Law; the teachings of Falun Gong) can we do everything from the heart and behave as true practitioners.

I used to use or read about expressions and phrases such as “to be within the Fa” and to “act like a practitioner” without really understanding what they truly meant. Just as I used to think that I knew something about Christianity – but only after practising Falun Dafa did I understand the true meaning of the words and stories of Christianity. In fact, it is quite easy to stay in the Fa and to act like true practitioners. We simply have to do what Master has told us again and again: Read the book more. Every day that passes when I haven’t read the Falun Dafa book, Zhuan Falun or any of the supplementary teachings, I notice that I’m distancing myself further from the Fa and it becomes harder for me to do anything for Falun Dafa, such as the exercises or to study the Fa. However, when I try to study the Fa every day, I experience a change of heart. I still have trouble getting started but once I turn on the exercise music or get the book to read, I notice how happy I start to feel.

There is a saying about ‘doing something from the bottom of our hearts.’ I have noticed that some of the everyday sayings we use without thinking, actually contain a deeper meaning. ‘To do something from the bottom of our hearts,’ has a deeper meaning because it implies that we do it gladly. If we are not happy to take part in a certain task, we will often find that our projects are unsuccessful and that our activities lack manpower. If time is pressing, we often fall into everyday people’s patterns and we do our tasks simply because we have to. Viewed from the surface or when other people are watching us, there is no difference but in reality the difference is huge: If we do not perform our tasks from the bottom of our hearts, we are not gaining the mighty virtue that a practitioner should gain, since we aren’t participating with the mindset of a practitioner. Only when we start fulfilling our tasks from the bottoms of our hearts are we practising cultivation. Whenever I do things from the bottom of my heart I can accomplish a lot and it won’t be any trouble. On the contrary, I even enjoy doing it. However, when I notice that I am feeling uneasy about a certain project and that it causes me stress and aggravation, I have to look inside and find out why I am feeling this way. More often than not, I find that I have approached my task as a regular person in order to finish it as quickly as possible – I have only participated superficially. At the same time, I have forgotten that my tasks are not simply work but also part of my cultivation. Then, I have to change my approach.

Even when our approach looks reasonable viewed from the outside, it is not so when viewed from a higher level. We have to break through the superficial levels. We have to include our hearts in everything we do and in everything we discuss with others. I often find myself starting a certain task while thinking: “I really don’t want to do this!” I will do it anyway because it is expected of me or because I would be embarrassed not to attend a group activity, etc. However, lately it has often happened that I am looking forward to a task such as writing this report. It doesn’t feel like a duty, which is expected of me or which someone asked me to do. Rather, I feel the need to share my experiences with you, a need that comes from the bottom of my heart in order to allow you and myself to mutually benefit.

In addition, I now have a better understanding that that there is only one cultivation path for us which is to listen to Master’s words. We have to do the Three Things required of Falun Dafa practitioners as much as possible: First, to study the Fa; secondly to eliminate the evil using righteous thoughts; and finally to awaken people’s Buddha nature and save all sentient beings by informing people with the correct facts about Falun Dafa and the persecution. Sometimes when my thoughts chase each other and I despair of having too much to do, not knowing where to start, I remember the Three Things. Somehow I understand that if I can just do the Three Things, I don’t have to worry. Without pressures of uncertainty, I can undertake tasks with the correct mindset, which also allows me to truly touch other people’s hearts. If we are unable to reach other people’s hearts, it will be difficult to enable them to see the truth, thus there is a chance that they won’t be saved.

Once, after we demonstrated the exercises at our information booth, one passerby told me that he had heard the music from far away and that our energy had drawn him in, telling us that he was unable to tear himself away until we had finished the exercises. This made me realise how important our heart is in everything we do. This includes our personal cultivation, as well as Falun Dafa related projects. If my heart is not in it, I cannot achieve inner tranquillity, I am not able to move my hands correctly during the exercises, I open my eyes, etc. The people who are watching can sense this lack of tranquillity. On the other hand, if I do the exercises with my whole heart, I become tranquil inside and out, allowing the on-lookers to feel my tranquillity and energy.

I hope that in the future we can do better in our cultivation achieving the powerful effect of acting as one-body. I also hope that we can do the Three Things we are supposed to do from the bottom of our hearts so that we can save more sentient beings and allow more people to see the beauty in Falun Dafa’s principles, Truth, Compassion and Tolerance.

Finally I want to thank you for your attention.