(Minghui.org) Improving one's character is the most important aspect of Dafa cultivation, not simply enduring hardships. But while we study the Fa, do the exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts, perhaps we could be inspired by the spirit of the following two ancients.
Sun Jing
The story of the scholar Sun Jing, “Hanging Hair Over the Crossbeam,” can be found in the ancient book Taiping Yulan, a large encyclopedic text commissioned by the imperial court of Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song Dynasty and compiled between 977 C.E. and 983 C.E.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, also known as the Later Han [25 C.E.-220 C.E.], a young man named Sun Jing studied very hard. Because he would easily fall asleep during the night, Sun Jing thought of a way to keep himself awake. He tied one end of a rope to his hair and tied the other end of the rope over the crossbeam in his room. If he fell asleep, his head would fall forward, and the rope would pull his hair. The instant pain would wake him so he could continue studying. Sun Jing ended up becoming one of the famous strategists of his time.
Su Qin
“Stabbing the Thigh with an Awl” is the story of the famous strategist Su Qin in Zhan Guo Ce – Qin Ce Yi (Strategies of Warring Kingdoms – Qin Strategies Volume 1).
When Su Qin was young, he did not possess much knowledge. He traveled to many places, but none of the nobility were ever interested in him, and his great aspirations were not taken seriously. With angry determination, he thus decided to put forth great effort to read more books and enrich his knowledge. He studied very hard each day and until very late into the night. When he was so tired that he could not remain awake a moment longer, he would stab himself in the thigh with an awl. The pain would instantly make him clearheaded, and he would pull himself together to continue studying.
Borrowing from the Spirit of the Ancients
These two men had such strong willpower and drive to achieve their aspirations. Shouldn't we, Falun Dafa practitioners of the Fa-rectification period, have the same willpower in our cultivation and in assisting Master in Fa-rectification?
Of course, improving one's xinxing in cultivation is the most important aspect of Dafa cultivation, rather than simply relying on enduring hardships. But while we study the Fa, do the exercises and send forth righteous thoughts, couldn't we borrow a bit from the spirit of these ancient people?
Some practitioners appear very energetic while doing ordinary things but quickly doze off when they pick up a Dafa book. Some practitioners have even dropped their books on the floor after they fell asleep during group Fa study. And a great many practitioners' palms droop while sending forth righteous thoughts. In another dimension, a battle between righteousness and evil is taking place, and only Dafa disciples of the Fa-rectification period have the honor of participating in it. During this great battle, how could you fall asleep? This is purely a question of willpower. If you cannot even keep your palm from drooping during righteous thoughts and you fall asleep while reading the Fa, not only the old forces but even the righteous gods will jeer at you and not respect you. You have been entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of helping Master to rectify the Fa. Are we not even able to muster the willpower of these ordinary people who went to such extreme lengths to stay awake to study?
Fa-rectification has come to the final stage. The practitioners who obtained Dafa before 1999 have now cultivated for about 20 years. In theory, they understand how to study the Fa and look inward. But in real life, a certain percentage of practitioners suffer manifestations of sickness karma, and some have lost their flesh bodies. Studying the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts are not merely tasks to complete, and cultivation cannot become a mere formality.
Master told us very early on,
“As I said, superficial changes are for others to see. Whether or not you can be saved depends on the change and ascension of your own heart. If change does not occur there, you cannot improve and nothing can be achieved.” (“Dafa Cannot be Used” in Essentials for Further Advancement)
The most prominent issue now is whether we can be diligent like we were when we first began to cultivate, or whether we become less determined and allow demons to interfere with us.
A fellow practitioner shared in an article that there are many things in cultivation that require persistence. The practitioner suggested we ask ourselves every day if we have “done the five exercises, sent forth righteous thoughts all four times, and studied the Fa with proper concentration for two hours? Did we rescue fellow practitioners with righteous thoughts? Did we clarify the truth to others? Did we look inward to let go of human notions and selfishness? Did we maintain the state of a cultivator? Did we display the beautiful image of a Dafa disciple? Did we restrain our emotions and suppress our selfishness and distracting thoughts? Did we pass on virtuous information? Did we harmonize with the group and make the best use of our abilities? Did we suppress different pursuits of comfort, such as gluttony, oversleeping and indulging in leisure activities? Did we truly cultivate ourselves at work and complete all our tasks conscientiously?” We need to ask ourselves if we are truly able to achieve all this.
Some things from traditional culture lay a foundation for our cultivation, and some things remind us of the fundamentals of high moral standards. We are the protectors of the universe, so how could we be inferior to ordinary people?
For those practitioners who have slacked off in cultivation, now is the time to be diligent again and really start making progress all the way until Consummation.
Category: Improving Oneself
