(Minghui.org) I am often very moved when I see young practitioners in school who are doing well in cultivation practice. I know that it can be challenging for us young practitioners to stay on track, especially regarding studying the Fa and cultivating ourselves. Below are some of my experiences.
I always had fair skin until I started high school, when acne began to appear. I had many pimples on my face and they spread to a large area. At that time, I did not have access to Minghui and there were few young practitioners around me who were diligent. So I did not know what to do.
Someone told me the acne was caused by eating spicy food. But I have been eating spicy food since I was a young child and never had a problem until now. I heard about other potential causes of acne, but I wasn't convinced. In the end, I attributed it to a low quality facial cleanser. After trying various brands of facial cleansers, however, the acne got worse.
Seeing no improvement, I was frustrated. Finally, I gave up on the cleansing products and began to do the sitting meditation.
After about half an hour, my mother came in and was surprised, “Your face is okay now. The acne is gone!” I did not believe her and continued meditating. After finishing the meditation, I looked at myself in the mirror—my face was smooth and clean, without any pimples.
Master knew that I had to let go of the attachment to my appearance and helped me. Thank you, Master.
Back in high school, students were assigned to clean different parts of the school every Friday. Everybody, from the teachers to students, took it very seriously. My homeroom teacher assigned me to clean the area near the blackboard. Due to high traffic and frequent use, I had to wait for others to finish their cleaning assignments before I could start working on it.
Since I was also a member of the school newspaper editorial board which met every Friday after the general cleaning, I asked my teacher if I could switch jobs with someone so that I could finish my cleaning work sooner and get to work on the newspaper. The teacher agreed and told another student to switch with me.
Not long after that, one day this teacher told me the area near the blackboard was not cleaned well enough, so our class was deducted points during the inspection. I tried to explain to her that it was another student's responsibility, but she did not listen, “It was your job according to my records.”
I was shocked and upset. I felt wronged. Why did this teacher and the other student treat me unfairly? Now, everyone would think that I was a troublemaker.
After some time, I realized that I am a practitioner and that I should not have forgotten that. After all, going through xinxing conflicts is part of our cultivation and I need to take this opportunity to improve myself instead of complaining about others. At that moment, all those negative thoughts suddenly vanished, as if nothing had happened. I learned what it means to let go of attachments.
Many young practitioners such as myself have been following adults, taking them as role models. As a result, our understandings of the Fa could come from other practitioners or experience sharing articles on Minghui, instead of from our own hearts. When issues arise, however, we might see gaps in our cultivation.
To solve this problem, I have been memorizing Zhuan Falun over the last few years. Occasionally, because of work or life, I slacked off and did not spend time memorizing the Fa. I would then feel pessimistic and depressed, and was not able to focus my attention even when reading the Fa. In fact, I could feel barriers between myself and the Fa, which made me frustrated and pained.
On the other hand, I was clear that the only way to overcome this difficulty was to calm down and really concentrate on memorizing the Fa. In the evening, I strengthened my main consciousness and the situation improved. As I continue to memorize and recite the Fa, my negative thoughts dissipate without my noticing it. Then my mind becomes clear and I feel peaceful and comfortable.
In addition, I think we young practitioners should also do the exercises. That is part of our cultivation and we should do it well.