(Clearwisdom.net) Before the persecution of Falun Dafa, we would do the exercises outside at practice sites in the mornings, and practitioners could ensure having enough time for practicing every day. However, since the persecution started, we have lost our public cultivation environment. We now carry the great responsibility to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. For various reasons, many practitioners feel that they don't have enough time to do the three things. Therefore, some practitioners pay less attention to doing the exercises, and can't ensure making the time for practicing them every day, and may even practice them only once every few days.
In my opinion, there is no excuse for overlooking the exercises. Neglecting to do the exercises due to not wanting to deal with fatigue or pain may be caused by interference from the attachment to comfort. When we do the exercises, one's legs may be in pain and the arms may be sore. In summer we may feel it is too hot and in winter too cold. It is suffering that causes discomfort. However, cultivation eliminates karma, and so we have to suffer. How could we use excuses to avoid such a great opportunity? We should remove the attachment to comfort as quickly as possible. Diligently practicing the exercises every day is one way to eliminate this attachment.
Overlooking doing the exercises means we are not following the path arranged by Master. If we are not following this path, then we are walking the path arranged by the old forces and acknowledging them. Falun Dafa is a cultivation practice of mind and body, so we cannot emphasize only one aspect while overlooking the other one.
As practitioners need to form good relationships with their family members, manage social relationships, do their work better, study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts and handle all kinds of everyday things, time is very tight. We also wholeheartedly devote ourselves to letting people know the facts about Falun Dafa and saving sentient beings. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to ensure having enough time to do the exercises. Many practitioners reduce their sleep time in order to have enough time to validate the Fa.
When Falun Dafa was first introduced to the public, many practitioners emphasized doing the exercises at the expense of studying the Fa. In almost every lecture, Master emphasizes the importance of studying the Fa. As practitioners began to understand the Fa more, we began to attach greater importance to studying the Fa. However, some practitioners then only concentrate on studying the Fa. When it was time to do the exercises, they make the excuse that Master told us to pay attention to studying the Fa. This problem is there because some practitioners have not studied the Fa well. Practitioners should follow Master's requirements, study the Fa and do the exercises well. By replacing the exercises with studying the Fa, how could one say that he has studied the Fa well?
In terms of personal improvement in cultivation, we should strictly follow Master's requirements by both cultivating ourselves and practicing the exercises.
