Cultivation Requires Perseverance

While Dafa disciples have walked through these years of hardship and tests during the Fa-rectification period, some fellow practitioners, including myself, have slacked off in many aspects of cultivation, even though I clearly understand Master's words,

"The closer it gets to the end, the more you cannot let up; the closer it gets to the end, the better you must study the Fa; the closer it gets to the end, the stronger your righteous thoughts must be." ("To the Canada Fa Conference," 2007)

I have been doing the three things, but usually after a period of time of diligent advancement I start to slack off. Then when I meet other practitioners I say with regret, "I have not been seizing the time recently." When I look inward I can find a pile of attachments, including the attachment of complacency, the attachment of seeking an easy life and comfort, the attachment of fear, etc. Although I have been trying to get rid of these attachments, my cultivation state has been going back and forth, from being diligent one moment to slacking off the next. Feeling disappointed with my cultivation, I often say to myself, "Why in the world do I have so many distracting thoughts rooted in various attachments? Why can't I keep my righteous thoughts all the time?"

The day I wrote this article I studied the Fa, and read

"That's how cultivation is--when you constantly recognize your shortcomings you are improving yourselves, but how to strengthen your resolve is the most crucial thing for you to walk well the path that's ahead of you." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference").

Suddenly I realized a big problem. I have a lack of resolution and confidence in myself and my cultivation. It also helped me enlighten further and deeper on the seriousness of cultivation. When we continually improve our understanding of the Fa by studying the Fa, and when we continually realize our shortcomings, we will do better. True cultivators should get rid of their attachments as soon as they surface. More importantly, we need to have perseverance, have faith in ourselves, and continue to do well without slacking off again. Our willpower, endurance, and ability to suffer hardship are all to be cultivated. When there is a period of slacking off and one is in low spirits, we should be alert and understand that this is exactly the moment when the righteous (Buddha nature) and the evil (demonic nature) are battling in our own dimension. It is also the time when we make our choices. It is completely up to us what path we choose. If we can study the Fa a lot and study it well, unconditionally look inward, keep up our righteous thoughts, cultivate with determination and resolution, no test or tribulation cannot be conquered.

Cultivation requires resolute perseverance. Teacher, please rest assured that I will do well and move forward on my cultivation path.