Breaking Through Difficulties in Cultivation

Ireland is a free society where we can practise our spiritual belief freely and where we are also supported, to an extent by the police and government when we carry out our appeals and public activities. Our environment is very different to that in China we have no threat to our safety, for western practitioners our families and friends are at no risk when they associate with us.

From the experience in my cultivation the forces against us manifest within us, in our thoughts and our actions. A time ago I thought my cultivation was too easy, the sharp pain of tribulations had left and I didn’t have many conflicts with others. I thought I was doing a lot of things to help Teacher in the Fa-Rectification as my every waking moment (I thought) was for Dafa. After a period of time I started to look at myself more closely and found many things that where short of selflessness and altruism. I travelled to Russia, China, Denmark, Switzerland in the first 9 months of the year, each time it was at great expense as I am merely a master’s student, I borrowed heavily to go each time and then would spend the next few months paying back what I had borrowed. When it came to the time to safe guard Dafa in the US and Mexico I did not have the money paid off for Denmark how could I go to the US, I decided with a little complacency to stay and do righteous thoughts at home. When I reflected on my self I asked, “why could I not go this time?”. I found the answer through reading an article an clearwisdom.net, “following Master for 10,000 miles”, I learned of how frugally my fellow practitioners lived in order to travel around and learn the Fa [Law and principles of Falun Gong] of the cosmos from our benevolent Teacher. On thinking about this, I noticed how frugally some of my fellow practitioners in Ireland were living, some practitioners wondered how other practitioners who don’t make a lot of money manage to travel to so many places, I think I know the answer. Now when I go to spend a penny I think of others first, I go days with out spending any money knowing that I might get the opportunity to use it to rectify the Fa or pay back the money I borrowed off others. Later I enlightened to a level of the Fa taught by Teacher, that what ever a Dafa disciple needs to clarify the truth he will have it”.

As practitioners in the Fa-Rectification period we are very busy, we are lucky to be in this environment where the more we help our benevolent Teacher the more we suffer, how else can we show our pure righteous faith in the truth of the cosmos, as Teacher has told us we should “Cherish the present time and make the best use of it—this time is meant for the disciples.” (Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference). Irish people are very kind and considerate but like everyone (besides disciples) in the cosmos they are guided by the old principles and arrangements. When we tell the media or government bodies the truth about the situation in China they are usually very supportive. It is not enough to merely tell them the facts, we must follow a completely righteous path, do the three things we are supposed to do well. Teacher teaches us in “Also in a Few Words” Essentials for Further Advances (2): "Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos’s Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples’ rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil...”

I have often found that I do not have enough time to do all the things I wanted to do to help Teacher rectify the Fa, this according to my understanding was caused by attachments. Teacher teaches us in Lecture 9 of Zhuan Falun [The main text of Falun Gong] “When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible. If you can actually do it, you will indeed find.” After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!” This made me realise I don’t need to worry about getting things done, just keep trying to do the impossible and if my heart is righteous Teacher can help me. But my heart must be righteous.

Sometimes I get caught between finding the correct path amongst the difficulties and end up in long tribulations. These difficulties, invisible to everyone but myself, make my heart heavy and my Dafa work less fruitful. Because in my own heart I know I have not enlightened to a short coming my heart is preoccupied by it, my field becomes smaller and I become unaware of the bigger picture and the suffering of others. I have found this is the main way that the interference manifest themselves in my cultivation, through my thoughts and what I have not cultivated away. I realise I must be completely strict with myself, in work, with my family, while doing Dafa work, sending forth righteous thoughts or studying the Fa. I must be strict with myself and hold myself to the standard of a practitioner. No word or sentence in the Fa can be neglected in order for my cultivation to be noble and upright.

In recent months the Irish group has had some difficulties and tribulations amongst ourselves and through these things and reflection on myself I have realised many things in the Fa. I have realised that the only way to improve is to look inward. I enlightened to a root cause of conflict in myself is always having an answer to somebody’s criticism of me or even having an answer to everything said to me, instead of listening with a calm heart and reflecting on myself in a timely manner. Teacher has taught us “This is especially true for those students who stepped forward late, or who've stumbled, or who haven't kept up -- you should study the Fa a lot, listen to criticism more, and hurry to catch up” (Teaching the Fa at the Washington DC Fa Conference). Teacher has taught us Immense Tolerance in Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun: “Someone has said, ‘If tolerance is practised to such an extent, everyday people will say that we are too cowardly and too easily taken advantage of.’ I do not call it being cowardly. Think about it, everyone: Even among everyday people, the middle-aged or older people and those with high-level education also exercise self-restraint and refrain from disputing with others, not to mention our practitioners. How can it be taken as being cowardly? I say that it is a reflection of great forbearance and an expression of strong will. Only a practitioner can have this heart of great forbearance. There is this saying, “When an average person is humiliated, he’ll draw his sword to fight.” For an everyday person, it is only natural that if you swear at me I will swear at you, and that if you hit me I will hit you back as well. That is an everyday person. Can he be called a practitioner? As a practitioner, without a strong will and self-restraint, you will not be able to do this.” All fellow practitioners have good understandings, and all fellow practitioners want to participate in Fa-Rectification, we are assimilating ourselves to Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance at different levels, helping each other to keep up pace with Teachers Fa-Rectification.

Through writing this article and thinking about how to write it I have realised that I am still behind in Fa rectification. I have failed to tell others of the grand feats a Dafa Disciple in the present stage of Fa-Rectification, sharing them with you for encouragement and support and basking in the glory of Dafa and Teacher. Instead I have been largely confined to my own realm and talking about enlightenments of myself. I am determined to break out completely of my self-cultivation and do better and validate the righteousness of Dafa with my actions and deeds. Through writing the article I have exposed more shortcomings to myself so I thank you for giving me this opportunity.

Thank you Teacher, thank you everyone.