(Minghui.org) When I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996, I only knew that Dafa is good and that I should persist in cultivation until the end so I can go home with Master. The simple phrase “being a good person” is, in reality, not easy to do. I had many human notions when I began practicing, including atheism, the theory of evolution, and various modern, distorted ideas.
Through studying the Fa, I gradually let go of many attachments, yet my understanding of cultivation remained rooted in a human perspective. I sought personal benefits and failed to grasp the true meaning of cultivation. As a result, whenever I encountered major tribulations or serious tests, I often failed to pass them. I repeatedly stumbled, yet each time I stood back up. Master did not give up on me, and the Fa awakened my true nature. I now understand that there are no shortcuts in cultivation. Only through sincere and diligent cultivation can one find the path home.
I’d like to tell you about my cultivation experiences.
Enduring hardship and eliminating karma are blessings. Master is expecting me to handle things with divine thoughts. I realized that whenever I encounter a test, if I can pause and reflect on which attachment I should let go of, the situation will naturally move in a positive direction.
A year ago, my mother, a fellow Dafa practitioner, experienced a severe sickness karma tribulation and was admitted to hospital. I stayed with her to take care of her, which gave us the opportunity to memorize the Fa together. My older brother and sister also took turns helping, yet they directed all their frustration and anger toward me. No matter what I did, it was never right. I reminded myself that I must demonstrate kindness and not argue or hold grudges.
One morning, after I had taken the night shift, my brother arrived and erupted in anger simply because I moved my mother’s cell phone from her bedside table to somewhere else. I knew I needed to endure his behavior, yet I still felt uneasy in my heart. The next day, my sister came and brought up the matter of administering my mother’s medication. She claimed that I hadn’t followed the doctor’s instructions and unleashed another storm of criticism.
This criticism caused me to reflect: why was this happening and what aspect of my character was being tested? I realized that I carried strong sentimentality. I also had a competitive mentality, an inability to accept criticism, a desire for recognition, resentment, jealousy, and a tendency to be defensive and suspicious. The problem was within me. With such an impure energy field surrounding me, it was natural that they felt uncomfortable. I began removing those corrupting elements. The situation improved noticeably, although I could still sense lingering remnants. My interactions with my brother and sister remained strained.
After my mother was discharged, she went to stay at my younger sister’s home. All four of us siblings gathered at her home for a meal. My older brother once again began finding fault with me, one thing after another. By the third complaint, I felt as though I had reached my limit. All the resentment I suppressed surged to the surface. I argued with them and became so upset that I burst into tears. My brother smiled and said, “I’m helping you cultivate.” His words made me realize that I was wrong.
When I later reflected on what happened I felt that my brother’s unkind behavior was helping me repay my karmic debts. Instead of looking inward, I looked outward. Worse, I allowed a rigid concept to form in my mind, fixing him with a certain type of image. A truly kind person would not view things this way. I had been overly guarded, afraid of being taken advantage of, and heavily attached to personal gain. His behavior was a reflection of my behavior. After I realized this my resentment dissolved. My brother had been unintentionally acting that way in order to help me cultivate.
I admitted my mistakes. I did not understand what it meant to cultivate myself. This experience exposed my attachment of using Dafa as a means to seek worldly benefits. Their behavior was not intentional, yet I failed to regard suffering as a good thing and I failed to see conflicts as opportunities to improve. When problems arose, I still reacted with human notions rather than divine thoughts. I felt I let down the people around me. Because of my shortcomings I caused them to have tribulations. I should be grateful to those who created these difficulties, as they motivated me to cultivate diligently, to review myself unconditionally, and to let outcomes unfold naturally.
Last June, my mother moved from my older brother’s home back to my younger sister’s. My brother’s name came up during a conversation between my younger sister and me. She suddenly became furious and brought up grievances from long ago, growing angrier with each memory she recalled. I quietly listened, but I wondered how to advise her to resolve this deep resentment. After returning home, I continued thinking about her resentment and a thought struck me: she was close to me, which meant the resentment she had must exist in my dimensional field so I was the one still harboring resentment. It was not her issue but mine. I needed to reflect more deeply. Only by rectifying my inner self could the outer environment become peaceful. I resolved to eliminate these corrupt substances completely, including being guarded, suspicion, and resentment.
The next day, when I visited my younger sister again, she seemed like a completely different person. She even encouraged me not to hold resentment and to focus on others’ good points, saying that our brother endured many difficulties. I was happy. By rectifying myself, those around me were also rectified. My younger sister even took the initiative to join my mother in studying the Fa. She was truly beginning to practice. I was deeply moved. I realized that my failure to cultivate hindered her from obtaining the Fa. Cultivation is truly profound and wondrous.
I continued to examine myself deeply and found several attachments. After I was persecuted twice, I still had fear. Both persecutions were directly associated with my fear. I still held emotional attachments to my husband and I could not study the Fa freely at home. Regarding my mother’s sickness, I clung to the beliefs of modern medical science and tried to resolve her issue using ordinary human methods. I also continued to have notions influenced by atheism and the theory of evolution, which prevented me from placing complete faith in the Fa. In fact, every tribulation is a process of eliminating karma, so it’s a good thing. I have Master and the Fa, so I should have no fear. I came from the divine but the old forces imposed these corrupt substances on me. I’m a practitioner so I should only follow Master’s arrangement. I should treat everyone with compassion and focus on offering them salvation.
I resolve to study the Fa earnestly and truly assimilate to it, to cultivate myself well, to rectify everything that is not upright, to diligently do the three things, including studying the Fa, sending righteous thoughts and clarifying the facts, and to honor the solemn vows I made.
I am deeply grateful to Master!
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.
Copyright © 1999-2026 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
Category: Cultivation Insights
