(Clearwisdom.net) In a city in northern China there is a group of young Falun Dafa practitioners who were all born after 1999. If you ask them how long they have practiced, a nine-year-old will tell you, "nine years." Some children will say, "I started practicing when I was zero years old." Their grandparents or parents introduced them to Falun Dafa.
It is difficult even for grown-ups to persevere in practicing Falun Dafa in the difficult environment in China. How do these children manage to do it? Since, unlike adults, they are not able to study the Fa daily or increase their Fa study, how do they know how to practice? They cause the adults around them to worry because they are often mischievous, just like ordinary children.
Adult practitioners worked hard to create a cultivation environment for these young children during a winter vacation. A few enthusiastic practitioners organized a place where these children could study the Fa and do the exercises together. At the end of the vacation, those of us that had worked with these young disciples regarded them in a new light, with increased respect.
The children spent the entire day together during that vacation. They came to the classroom early in the morning and memorized Hong Yin and read Zhuan Falun for an hour and a half. Then they studied reading and writing for an hour and a half. They didn't take any breaks. Their time was tightly scheduled. Some children couldn't stand it it and were restless. In the beginning the teacher in charge of the class would repeatedly remind them to pay attention. Gradually the children were able to sit still and the teacher seldom needed to give them any warnings.
They practiced the exercises for an hour in the afternoon. In the beginning it was really strenuous for many of the children. The teacher encouraged them with Master's words,
"When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it."(Zhuan Falun)
By the end of the week many of the children's ability to endure had improved. Some children experienced the beauty of the exercises. There was a small disciple that was particularly restless, but when it came to doing the exercises he really concentrated. He said that he was able to calm down and felt wonderful doing the exercises. He was really happy doing them.
More than 20 children participated in the class. Their ages ranged from the first to the sixth grades. It was a very intense study period for these young students. The adult practitioners that taught them were moved to tears and said that these young practitioners were really amazing. They were able to endure such a tight time schedule and they attended every day. It was very cold that week with temperatures less than -20° C. Some children took a bus by themselves every day to class. While they were studying the Fa, their classmates were still tucked away, warm in bed, at that early hour. The practitioner mothers who had come to help said that the energy field in the classroom was really good. The children were quiet, whether it was studying the Fa or doing the exercises. The mothers could feel the purity of their hearts.
There was one non-practitioner mother who was very moved by her child, a young Falun Dafa disciple. Afterwards, she said she should read Zhuan Falun.
These small disciples were not only able to endure physical hardships, but they were also able to improve their xinxing. They were able to share what they had learned from practicing. They talked about the areas where they had done well and where they were lacking in their cultivation. They spoke very politely, much like small adults.
Whoever says that children cannot practice should hear how clearly these young disciples state: "We are young Falun Dafa disciples and practice according to the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance."
