(Minghui.org) A month ago, while memorizing “The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be,” I realized that interference from various human notions prevents some practitioners from speaking with the public about Dafa and exposing the persecution. To break free, one must eliminate these so-called notions.
Deeply Rooted Notions
When we talk to accomplished and experienced people, don’t their notions sometimes obscure their ability to see the facts? When we clarify the truth to them about the persecution they may have difficulty accepting what we say.
They either cling to the belief that seeing is believing, thinking they are realists and they don’t believe in the principle of retribution, or they seem accommodating and agreeable on the surface, only to forget everything they said the moment they turn away.
Due to persecution by the old forces most practitioners have endured great hardship. Driven by the need to survive and various family responsibilities they often focus on working hard to earn a living.
While it’s true that without hard work, one cannot survive, this “hard work” mentality has unknowingly weakened practitioners’ resolve to progress in their cultivation, and many are trapped in various notions. I often observe fellow practitioners in this situation: they do the three things, yet their human notions still seem so strong.
A month ago while I memorized, “The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be,” I suddenly realized these notions were deeply embedded in our minds. I saw this in my fellow practitioners, but I was no different! I’d like to tell you how I eliminated some of my notions.
Struggling With a Stubborn Notion
Unless I took a nap every afternoon I felt groggy. I tried to change this habit a few years ago. At the time I didn’t see it as a habit, but I failed. So, I just kept doing what most people do and took an afternoon nap to feel refreshed.
While memorizing the teachings I realized that needing a nap in the afternoon is a common notion among ordinary people. As a cultivator I should eliminate my notions to ultimately break free from being human. I decided to let go of the notion that I need a nap every afternoon.
Shortly after I ate lunch one day I started feeling sleepy as usual. In the past, I would have laid down and slept soundly for over an hour. I decided to meditate instead but after only half an hour I felt so sleepy that I couldn’t keep my head up—it felt like it weighed a ton. I tried reading the Fa but the sleepiness persisted.
Usually when I felt sleepy while studying the Fa I grit my teeth, pushed through, and after about ten minutes, I was alert and kept reading. This time the sleepiness was much stronger and completely beyond my control. My entire body felt numb and unresponsive, and my head involuntarily leaned against the wall as I fell asleep. Sometimes I collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.
The sleep was deep and restful, but because my intention was not to sleep, I woke up after about half an hour. I tried to resist the urge to go back to sleep, and this pattern continued for 10 days. Initially, I thought I would break this habit in a few days but this notion was extremely stubborn.
After about 10 days I reduced my sleep from one or two hours to just 30 minutes. I usually waited until I couldn’t hold out any longer before falling straight into a deep sleep. I reminded myself that I shouldn’t take naps anymore.
I recalled the cultivation stories I read about practitioners in the past, such as those during the time of Shakyamuni, who would only sleep for two or three hours in the latter half of the night, spending the time beforehand meditating, reciting and reading the scriptures, and begging for alms. I’m a Falun Dafa practitioner. So, why was I less diligent than those practitioners in ancient times?
This time, I was determined to completely break my habit of napping and kept pushing forward. I hand copied the teachings and gradually reduced my nap time to about 10 minutes. Still not satisfied I continued to work at it. After a month I succeeded. I haven’t napped for two weeks and I’m no longer sleepy in the afternoon. This shows how stubborn our human notions can be. As long as we study and memorize the Fa and persevere, we can eliminate our notions.
So, what about all my other notions? Although Master Li allows us to keep some notions to ensure we can live in the human realm, all notions that bolster our attachments must be eliminated.
Of course, everyone’s situation is different. I am not preaching against taking naps. I am sharing my experiences and encouraging other practitioners to examine their human notions. Do they surround us without us noticing? Shouldn’t we proactively break these notions that we’ve become accustomed to?
For me, skipping my afternoon nap was just the beginning. Repeatedly reciting “The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be” helped me realize that people’s so-called experiences are actually holding me back, and they are even permeated with Chinese Communist Party culture. For example, “When speaking to others, only say small portions of what you think; do not reveal your true feelings,” “Always prepare for the worst in everything,” “Don’t criticize others if you haven’t done well yourself,” and “Wait until you’ve improved yourself before sharing your cultivation experiences.”
Our notions are ways of protecting ourselves from harm. These stubborn, so-called life experiences have trapped the Chinese people for thousands of years, leaving us in an endless cycle of highs and lows. As a Falun Dafa practitioner I must break free from all these so-called life experiences, complete the three tasks Master requires, and return with Master.
I’ve also broken free from the notion of “wait until you have cultivated well before writing your experiences.” The process of writing is about looking inward. I feel that the strong faith and openness I had when I first obtained the Fa return.
When I read Master’s teaching:
“Actually, if you think about it, the cultivators of the past didn’t dare to slack off for even a second, and that was when it took an entire lifetime to complete the journey. So how can Dafa disciples—who are to achieve the celestial rank of a being who is saved by Dafa and who have the most convenient cultivation way—not be even more diligent when they are given this most glorious honor of Fa-validating cultivation in a brief cultivation period that passes in the blink of an eye?” (“The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III)
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a deep sense of guilt arose from the bottom of my heart. In the past, I read this passage casually, but that day, I deeply understood that Master was eager for us to improve, and I felt his immense compassion. There is no reason for me not to make progress!
These are my insights at my current level; please kindly point out anything not in line with the Fa.
Articles in which cultivators share their understandings typically reflect an individual's perception at a point in time based on their cultivation state, and they are offered in the spirit of enabling mutual elevation.
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Category: Cultivation Insights
