(Minghui.org) I have cultivated in Falun Dafa for more than two decades, but it is a shame that I only made a real breakthrough with looking inward these past few years. I would like to share some of my cultivation experiences from 2025 with fellow practitioners.
When my daughter was old enough, I helped her learn to study the Fa. As a child, she had a gentle temperament and did well academically. I know these blessings all came from Dafa. She was successfully admitted to an excellent university, and went to study in another city.
Being away from home, my daughter gradually became immersed in society, and got in the habit of playing on her phone, staying up late, and getting up late. She stopped reading the Fa and only listened to the audio lectures while at university. When she came home during the holidays, she rarely studied the Fa, and my encouragement had little effect on her. After she started university, she only copied Hong Yin VI once, as far as I can remember.
Seeing my daughter drift further and further away from cultivation caused me heartache, and I felt helpless.
Looking Inward as My Daughter’s Cultivation Declined
I reflected on my own shortcomings that may have contributed to my daughter’s state, and realized that I had not truly guided her. We had only studied the Fa together, but rarely shared about improving xinxing. In fact, I had not genuinely understood how to cultivate myself. I mistakenly thought doing Dafa work was cultivation, and even took that as a measure of whether one was diligent in cultivation.
Due to the influence of my own state, my daughter’s cultivation also remained at a superficial level. Therefore, when no longer under the supervision of an adult practitioner, it was not surprising that she gradually lost interest in cultivation and her state declined amid ordinary society.
In the past, I had always focused on my daughter’s shortcomings. Finally, as I truly looked at myself, I realized that I had failed to see things from her perspective and to put myself in her place.
From the time my daughter started primary school, she was faced with various tests. One was being required to wear the Young Pioneers’ red scarf in primary school; another was joining the Communist Youth League in high school. At the time, she handled things very well and lived up to the standard of a cultivator. Even when her teacher asked why she had such good grades yet still had not joined the Youth League, my daughter honestly explained her faith. Perhaps, because her xinxing had met the standard at her level, the teacher not only showed no prejudice toward her, but also advised her not to discuss it with classmates in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.
In addition, one time I was arrested while clarifying the truth, which put tremendous pressure on my daughter as well. She was still very young, and her understanding of the Fa was not deep. On top of that, today’s society is filled with dazzling distractions and temptations. How could my daughter possibly resist them?
During that summer school holiday, I shared my new understandings with my daughter, and said, “You are such a good girl. I failed to guide you well, and I’m truly sorry. I feel deeply ashamed.” As I spoke, my voice choked with emotion. This time, my daughter finally agreed to study the Fa.
Though she agreed, the resistance was still considerable. She still could not stop watching videos on her phone—whether walking or sitting down, the phone was always in her hand. I reminded her several times, but she could not bring herself to pick up the main Dafa book, Zhuan Falun.
I put the book on the table in front of her with a smile and said, “How about memorizing Lunyu instead?” Then I went to send forth righteous thoughts. Afterwards I asked her, “How many paragraphs have you memorized?”
She said, “All of them.” So I tested her. Sure enough, except for a little hesitation in the final paragraph, she recited the first three paragraphs fluently, word for word.
I encouraged her, saying: “You’re really amazing! You must cultivate yourself well, and your future will be truly bright indeed.” My daughter had not memorized the Fa for several years. But when I cultivated myself and looked inward, she also began to change. It is a pity that I really had not known how to properly cultivate before.
There was another situation I had to look at as well. My daughter had started dating a boy who was a high school classmate. His family circumstances were ordinary, and his degree of education was not as high as hers. At first, I did not think too much about it. I felt that even if his family was of modest means, the two of them could still build a decent life together through their own efforts.
But I began to feel uneasy when I heard that other people’s children had found excellent partners, either from wealthy families or their boyfriends earned a lot of money. I felt somewhat sorry for my daughter. My daughter is nice-looking and well educated, so she surely should find someone more well matched.
For some time, my heart was filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I felt that my daughter was someone who valued loyalty and affection, unlike many young people today who mainly pursue material enjoyment and place too much importance on money. On the other hand, I worried that her future would be difficult with this young man and that she might not be happy.
After deeply looking inward several times, I realized that this mentality also reflected my fundamental attachment—the pursuit of a happy and comfortable life.
I first began practicing Dafa because I felt that life was full of suffering. I did not want to continue the cycle of reincarnation in the human world anymore. I wanted to transcend this mortal realm and seek liberation in eternal life.
When I shared with fellow practitioners about how I had entered the door of cultivation, they even said my intention was quite pure, as it was not driven by the pursuit of healing illness. In reality, however, behind that thought was an attachment I had not yet recognized—a desire for ease and comfort.
Later, when I studied Master’s article “Towards Consummation,” I came to see my fundamental attachment more clearly. After understanding the principles of the Fa, I realized that my daughter’s life is not something I can control—it is determined by the amount of virtue and karma she carries. All I can do is let go of my own attachments in accordance with the requirements of the Fa. Everything else is arranged by Master.
Although I understood the principles, that did not mean my attachments were truly gone. Through changing my way of thinking, my current mindset is that everything concerning my daughter is in Master’s hands. As long as our family environment supports her cultivation, that is sufficient. I should let things take their natural course.
No matter how well one lives in the world, it lasts at most a hundred years, passing by in an instant. But forgetting the great vow one made before coming here would bring everlasting regret and remorse.
I hope that in the future, through studying the Fa and practicing genuine cultivation, I can relinquish my attachments, develop stronger righteous thoughts, and do better. I also hope to present a good cultivation state to sentient beings who have a predestined connection with me, so that they can see the beauty of Dafa and be saved by Master.
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Category: Improving Oneself
