(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 15-year-old Dafa disciple practicing cultivation with my mother. Though my cultivation path is bumpy, I keep growing into a small lotus. I feel proud and fortunate to be a young disciple.

When I was ten, I heard Mother tell Grandma about Dafa and the persecution and witnessed the magic of Dafa. I said to my mother, "I also want to do the exercises." I was a wayward, disobedient, and rebellious child. I knew what my parents told me was right, but I still did not want to listen to them. Empowered by additional cultivation, I follow Master's teachings, "Zhen-Shan-Ren is the Sole Criterion to Discern Good and Bad People." (Zhuan Falun)

I gradually learned that we should treat everyone kindly and look inward first when we encounter problems. Dafa has changed this rebellious child into a good girl.

The environment in the schools in mainland China is bad. Romance novels are everywhere, and students like to wear strange clothes. Nevertheless, I keep my faith as a young Dafa disciple. I abide by Master's requirements and have not been affected by those bad things. More and more of my classmates want to be friends with me. They say that I am optimistic and straightforward and have inherited the fine traditions of our nation. I know this is the power of Dafa, but I have not told my classmates the truth about Dafa because of fear. That is selfish. I am afraid they will not believe me, not listen to me, or even report me. But I will overcome this misconception and do what I should do.

Father has always been against my cultivating with my mom due to the CCP's slander and lies. He caught me once when I was sending righteous thoughts. It created a family dispute and increased Mother's cultivation difficulties. This experience made me comprehend the importance of raising my level to [deal with] the changes in our family environment, the importance of keeping righteous thoughts, and Fa study. Only when we study the Fa well can we keep strong righteous thoughts, do right, raise our levels during tribulations, deny the persecution, and offer people salvation.

It is important for every disciple to validate Dafa. I usually add more tribulations to myself because of my reckless remarks. As Master teaches us, cultivation includes two parts: first cultivation, then exercises. I do not do well in minding my speech. I usually ignore other people's feelings when I say things. This shows my lack of compassion, because minding my speech is a kind of cultivation. I even get angry sometimes when others point out my shortcomings. I recognized the seriousness of my problem when I studied "Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan,"

"Others can't say a critical word about him, he can't take any criticism, and even if he does something wrong he won't hear a word of it. How could that work, though? How is that being a cultivator?" ("Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan," 2006)

This problem has already become less, and I feel deeply repentant for my past behavior.

I often help my mother do things to offer sentient beings salvation, like folding brochures and putting VCDs into covers, always doing such things with strong righteous thoughts because I believe these thoughts are so powerful they will bring the power of compassion. When I saw a man taking the materials we put in the newspaper box, I could not help but cry. I felt sincerely happy for him. I know what touched me is called "mercy."

I know I have not done well enough and I am not yet a mature Dafa disciple, but I will continue my efforts and keep to my path. When I slack off, I will strengthen my righteous thoughts.

I hope all young Dafa disciples will advance together and be worthy of Master's expectations. We need to be responsible to the beings who entrusted their hope in us. Do not cause Master to worry about us, and be worthy of our title: young Dafa disciple.

Fellow practitioners, please compassionately point out anything inappropriate.

01/16/2010