(Clearwisdom.net) Because I am young, I didn't have any illnesses before cultivation. From Teacher's lecture, I heard that "cultivation" comes before "practice." I misunderstood that. I only paid attention to "cultivation," and didn't value "practice." When I was busy, I would not do the five sets of exercise for a long time. I often worked in fits and starts. I thought I spent a lot of time studying the Fa and was keeping up with the Fa-rectification progress.
Until one day my little sister asked me how come I looked so old. I had already noticed that problem. I thought it was probably because I did not cultivate well due to my attachment to looking good. Before I started cultivation, I had dry skin. Maybe it's a tribulation Teacher had set for me. I thought my skin would improve as time passed, so I did not pay any attention to it. But I noticed now and then that I was different from fellow practitioners. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun: "Those practices that cultivate both mind and body make one look very young in appearance, and one looks quite different from one's actual age." Although I am just over 30, the skin on my face is so dry that it flakes off, and I have more wrinkles than a person my age should. I am a cultivator yet I have the opposite phenomenon to what Teacher said? I thought I was keeping pace with Fa-rectification and doing well. Isn't this an attachment of complacency? I felt sleepy all day long, spent a lot of time sleeping, and got tired easily from doing very little. I heard that some fellow practitioners spend very little time sleeping every day. Compared with them, I have wasted a lot of time. I didn't do the exercises, so my body transformed slowly. I didn't have any energy, not to mention the fact that I wasn't saving sentient beings to complete my pre-historical promise.
I realized that doing the exercises is very important--it involves the fundamentals of cultivation. I also realized that I was not being strict with myself and understood the seriousness of not listening to Teacher's words--both very dangerous. I further realized the importance of participating in the morning exercises at 3:50. I previously thought that not participating in the morning exercises was my personal business. I talked to other practitioners, and there are some young practitioners who do not value practice and are in a situation similar to mine. This is also one of the reasons I wanted to write this article.
I think that participating in the morning exercises is not just one's personal business. In the environment of Mainland China, some practitioners get used to doing things alone and feel good about it. As the environment becomes increasingly liberal, why is morning exercise at 3:50? Some say that it is a reminder to practitioners who do not value practice. Some say it feels like group practice before July 20, 1999. Some give other reasons. Actually, as Fa-rectification has progressed to today, there is an overall coordination and harmonization issue. When there are fewer evil elements, why are fellow practitioners detained, or persecuted to death in some areas? There exists division, conflict, and even mutual exclusion among practitioners and regions. Although we don't talk about it, we view our actions in different ways. "Minghui Weekly" has a column: "Disciples learn from each other, Overall improvement." It is not just about how well individuals cultivate. Each of us is a particle of Dafa. Let's put aside personal issues, think as one body, harmonize Dafa, and harmonize the overall body. What Teacher wants is to see the whole process. How do we think and act? When we do not actively participate in the morning practice at 3:50 or when we find all sorts of reasons and excuses not to participate in morning practice, isn't that not putting aside personal stuff? Actually, in the several years after July 20, 1999 (when the persecution began), everyone had his/her own cultivation environment. Who had the same environment as others? Cultivation is serious. Insisting on personal issues can cause interference and even losses to individual cultivation and saving sentient beings. I am not accusing fellow practitioners. Actually, I myself am far from doing well.
We support Teacher rectifying the Fa. We know how difficult it was to reach where we are today. In this more and more open environment, let's do well the three things in the limited time left. Let's do well at every step. Let's live up to Teacher's compassion and salvation. Whenever I think about Teacher's enormous sacrifice for us and sentient beings, I cannot keep my tears from falling. Out of responsibility for fellow practitioners, I have shared about my understanding. I would appreciate corrections if there is anything inappropriate.