Eliminate the Notion of Getting Old

(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. Back then, I was very sick with hypertension and heart disease. I nearly died several times due to heart attacks. Dafa renewed my life, and I’m now in my 70s.

After I read the Fa for about three weeks, and before I even learned the exercises, I felt light and airy, as if floating when I walked.

When I went through the first body purification, I experienced fever, chills, headache, and body aches. I went to bed, and when I woke up my mother-in-law was preparing dinner, so I got up to help. I felt great, not sick at all. Since then, whenever my body went through purification, I knew it was good and didn’t treat it as a sickness.

I recently met a friend who is about my age. She said, “You don’t walk as briskly as you used to. You have to accept that you’re getting old.” I was surprised, and looked inward to find out why she said this. When I thought about why I recently began walking slowly, I suddenly realized that the old forces fooled me.

I recalled that my chest sometimes hurt for days if I walked fast or did some physical work. So I slowed my pace and did less physical work. The old forces used this method to affect my cultivation and validation of the Fa.

My friend’s words made me realize that when things were going okay, I tended to relax and let my guard down. Maybe Master saw that I didn’t realize my mistake and enlighten, so he used my friend to remind me. If I become attached to comfort without realizing it, I’m falling for the old forces’ trap. As Dafa disciples, we should remind ourselves that we are cultivators and not restricted by age.

Master said,

“Many of you have the heart to truly attain the Tao, which, of course, is the purpose of cultivation. The ultimate goal of cultivation is to attain the Tao and complete cultivation. Yet some people have limited time left in their lives. Their years for living are numbered and may not be enough for cultivation. Our Falun Dafa can solve this problem and shorten the course of practice. Meanwhile, it is also a cultivation practice of mind and body. When you continually cultivate, you will constantly prolong your life. With consistent practice, your life will be constantly prolonged. Those elderly people with good inborn quality will have sufficient time for practice.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)