(Minghui.org) In Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe, Master said,
“As gods see it, however, excessive ease and comfort for humans are not good things. They increase karma and make karma accumulate. And without clearing karmic debts, a person will eventually go to Hell. Even his life will be annihilated. In the old days, you Westerners knew about this principle, and older people understood the principle too: To endure a bit of hardship is all right and not a bad thing, as it’s a good thing to temper oneself in a tough setting. They all understood this.”
From this and other lectures from Master, we should be able to cultivate diligently and fulfill our mission. Otherwise, the attachment to comfort will impede or even ruin our cultivation.
I know many practitioners have tried to take every opportunity to tell others about Falun Gong and the persecution in China. For example, an elderly practitioner was preparing to go out to distribute materials on a rainy day when his son suggested he stay at home and rest for the day. The practitioner told his son, “The rain cannot stop me, I will be fine. Look, do you stay at home instead of going to work when it rains?”
Another practitioner, 75, lived in a studio apartment and her husband watches television most of the time. In order to study Falun Gong books, she had to stay in the kitchen area and read under a dim light. But things worked out—she was able to recite Zhuan Falun from memory 15 times. She also spends a great deal of time talking with people and debunking the hate propaganda from the communist party.
When we first started to practice, we may have realized how precious this practice is and become very determined. But if cultivation requires endurance and perseverance, can we do it for decades like the two practitioners above?
Probably not. In fact, this could be one reason that a large number of practitioners have slacked off in their cultivation practice. For many practitioners who have been persecuted, including those who have lost their lives, seeking comfort could be a contributing factor.
There are many ancient stories in which intellectuals or sages forsook material interests for their missions. Such a tradition is somehow neglected or overlooked in this contemporary society. But we Dafa disciples should be clear on who we are and what we are doing.
I have seen some practitioners spending lots of time and money shopping and traveling. They are not diligent doing the three things and often get up late in the morning. In the name of conforming to the everyday society, they are sometimes very picky with their diets.
In another dimension, I saw some old forces take advantage of such attachments and give pills to these practitioners to weaken their will power.
Of course, if we have everyday family members we should not go extremes. But in any case, we should be clear about what is important and how we should prioritize things.
Otherwise, when the Fa-rectification ends and when we try to justify whether we have fulfilled our prehistoric vows, it would be too late for us to regret our behavior.