(Minghui.org) I seldom got up to do the morning exercises at 3:50 a.m. because I just couldn't get up that early. I tried many times but I simply couldn't get up earlier. This past March, I began getting up to do the morning exercises with Master's help. I want to share my experiences to encourage those who have trouble getting up early.
Master said, “Any type of habit that you form is in fact a material product.” ("Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan") I now have a deep understanding about Master's teaching on this.
My habit of sleeping late was both a mental and physical reaction: I felt sick and wanted to sleep. This feeling came from being carsick when I was young. When I became carsick I would vomit terribly the entire time I rode the bus, especially the long distance bus.
It got so bad, I would feel carsick several days before I took a long distance bus, and I would become very sick the next morning. At that time the only thing that helped was to avoid getting up early. Gradually, this became a habit and I would feel carsick whenever I got up early.
After I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996, I overcame this bad habit. I got up early every day to participate in the group morning exercises. However, my bad habit was still there and it would influence me sometimes. For example, I still had to struggle when I got up in the morning. After July 1999, I lost the environment of group exercises and stopped getting up early.
I began sleeping late and getting up late, and I felt very bad. I knew this was wrong. My health also got worse. For example, I often felt dizzy and tired. When I did the second exercise, my hands felt great pressure and my legs could not support my body for long. I realized that this attachment to sleep had turned into a tribulation.
In March of this year, I decided to change this situation. I looked inward for my attachments, and found that I was afraid of hardship and getting up early. Were these attachments to comfort? Why couldn't I get rid of my attachment to comfort? Then I remembered why I began practicing. I started cultivation practice because I wanted to get rid of the pain in this world and to enjoy myself in the future. I suddenly realized that I hadn't let go of my fundamental attachments. I had told myself that my suffering and diligence were temporary. Comfort and joy would be the status of life. My thoughts were so wrong. I decided to eliminate my laziness and the attachment to comfort. The first thing I should do is to get up early.
The next day I got up at 3:50 a.m. to do the exercises. I reminded myself that even if I did vomit, I would not put down my arms while I did the exercises. I was prepared for a big battle. However, my nausea soon stopped. I felt the uncomfortable substances leave my body and I immediately relaxed. This never happened before! I knew Master helped me when He saw my determination. After that I never felt uncomfortable, and my tribulation had ended. Once again I experienced how amazing practicing Falun Dafa is.
Afterwards, I understood that determination in cultivation practice and changing our notions is very important. In the beginning I begged Master to help me pass this. I read an article on Minghui about a practitioner sharing similar experiences, and then I met a few fellow practitioners who shared with me their experiences of getting up early. I was determined to get up early and I found Master's arrangement for me was to help me get rid of this attachment. I also felt the seriousness of cultivation practice.
When I got up the next day, the blood that had been in my urine for years disappeared. Within two weeks, I could feel the bad substances on my back which made me want to sleep disappear and I became energetic. After a couple of months, I felt that my heart was as pure as jade. I no longer felt that doing morning exercises was suffering. Instead, I enjoyed doing them a lot.
I let go of my laziness and attachment to comfort as well as the desire of lust. I felt the wonderfulness of living without attachments.
We can all make breakthroughs as long as we are determined, and it isn't as hard as we imagine. As long as we recognize and change our notions and we are determined, Master will help us. The part we do is very little.