(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Falun Dafa for more than 17 years, but I had held on to one attachment for a decade. I thought it was very difficult to let go of this attachment, but I did not realize that this notion was a serious impediment which prevented me from progressing in cultivation.
I studied the Fa diligently and practiced the five exercises daily without fail. I also took part in clarifying the truth. Although I was very diligent in cultivation, I did well at times but stumbled on other occasions.
This went on until recently when I made up my mind to eliminate this attachment. On a trip back from Hong Kong, I was detained by customs and taken to a room because I did not have a document. The officer subsequently realized it was a mistake, and I was released.
Although on the surface it seemed that someone had made a mistake, I told myself that I should look at it from the perspective of a cultivator. I should find where I needed to improve. It was then that I finally gathered the resolve to break with this attachment. It was unlike in the past where I told myself that I could cultivate slowly and still keep the attachment.
I don't want to talk about this attachment any further because it was nothing. I had completely removed it in Hong Kong. When the attachment appeared to influence me, I told Master, “Don't worry, I can do it! I've already detached myself from this bad thing.”
Thinking back, it seems that removing human attachments isn’t difficult. When I sincerely want to improve, Master will take the bad substances away.
As I progressed in cultivation, I kept understanding more principles as I read the Fa. This encouraged me to spend more time reading. I felt myself becoming immersed in the Fa and improving rapidly. I studied Master's conference lectures every day as well as two lectures of Zhuan Falun. I then memorized one lecture of Zhuan Falun. I felt it was sacred, and that I was extremely blessed to be able to study the Fa. In addition to sending righteous thoughts at the global set times, I found time to send righteous thoughts outside these times. I often participated in clarifying the truth on the Internet as well.
Since eliminating the attachment, I found myself improving overall. I used to have other bad thoughts but these were also eliminated. I'm now able to utilize my spare time to do the three things efficiently.
I also now find it easier to get people to accept the truth about Dafa. Some people even ask me to teach them Falun Dafa after agreeing to renounce their membership in the Chinese Communist Party. Some ask me to be careful and praise me for my courage to follow my belief.
I now realize that holding on to my attachment for so long was a major obstruction to my cultivation. Indeed, it was as Master said in Zhuan Falun:
“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.”
I gained a lot by simply letting go of my attachment. Master said:
“In fact, when many of you can’t pass the trials that you encounter, it’s all because you drag along and can’t give up the petty things of human beings. The trials will be prolonged as a result. If you can truly sever the attachment and take the path that you want to take, everything will change.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Canada”)
After practicing cultivation for more than a decade, I never imagined that I could return to the state I was in when I first began cultivating. It might seem impossible to let go of every attachment, but if we truly want to cultivate it won't be that hard. Only by doing what Master asks of us are we being responsible to ourselves. I'm deeply grateful for Master's infinite grace.
