(Minghui.org) Boen is 13 years old and has many cultivation stories that might inspire other young Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioners. I shared them with my local Fa-study group, and they encouraged me to send them to the Minghui website. I hope they will benefit other young practitioners.
“Why Do I Need To Practice?”
I have seen many young practitioners whose parents urged them to cultivate. When they were older, some became defiant. Watching children lose their opportunities and predestined relationships with Dafa is heartbreaking. I think the most important thing is to have children understand why they need to practice. Only when they understand the true meaning of cultivation will children willingly practice and cultivate.
When my son, Boen, was still young, I would read him cultivation stories of great Buddhas like Shakyamuni and Milarepa. I did this so he would know what cultivation is and have respect for Gods and Buddhas. I also integrated cultivation values into his daily life. For example, whenever he met with a tribulation, we would study the Fa together and abide by Dafa’s principles by looking inward for shortcomings.
One day, I asked him, “Why do you cultivate? Aren’t you envious of other children who do not practice? Their lives are more comfortable than yours.”
Almost instantly, he said, “I want to go home with Master. I want to return to where I came from. As comfortable as ordinary people feel, they still have to reincarnate and suffer.”
Master said,
“Material wealth does not come with birth, and neither will it go with you after death...” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
My son said, “You might live comfortably this life, but you may not be comfortable in your next life. Ordinary people are lost in this big dye vat and are forever fighting for personal interests. They think they are happy, but in reality they are suffering. If one cannot repay their karma in this lifetime, then in the next lifetime, they will suffer even more. Only by cultivating can we break away from the cycle of reincarnation. I remembered you telling the story of Shakyamuni. Although he was a prince and enjoyed endless glory and wealth, he still had to go through birth, old age, illness, and death. After becoming determined to cultivate and becoming completely enlightened, he was set free.”
Boen said, “At times I have an ordinary person’s mindset, thinking that cultivation is full of hardship. I felt it was unfair since other children did not go through this. However I remembered the story of how Milerepa’s master told him to move stones and build houses. Even though Milerepa’s back was covered with blisters from moving stones, he did not complain even once. After numerous years, Milerepa finally cultivated to become a great Buddha. This story inspired me to be more diligent in cultivation and also reminded me that I still need to eliminate karma.”
Master said,
“In the human world nothing is constant. You can’t bring anything along when you are born nor take anything away when you die. Nothing can be taken along. Only cultivation is different. Once you have obtained the Buddha Fa, you will have obtained it forever. You can take this with you when you are born or when you die, so it is the most precious. Giving people the Fa is better than anything else.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in the Midwest-U.S.”)
I knew that Boen truly wanted to cultivate and that he needed to attend Fa study and practice the exercises every day. Whenever he slacked off, I reminded him and he got back on track. Though he is in his teens, I was never worried for him. When encountering an issue, we studied the Fa together and looked inward. Other practitioners told me that I was “lucky,” but deep down I knew that this was Dafa’s immeasurable grace.
Participating in Truth-Clarification
When Boen was young, I brought him to Dafa activities such as distributing truth clarification materials, collecting signatures and promoting Shen Yun. Though he was very willing to go, he never knew the true meaning behind what we did.
While we were home during the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus pandemic, Boen and I watched the movie Coming For You. It talks about how the main character obtained Dafa, practiced cultivation and was then subjected to the brutal persecution.. My son was very moved, and he seemed to have a deeper understanding of cultivation. As he was watching the movie, my son kept saying, “Dafa is truly miraculous. The bad guy has become a good guy, Dafa is truly powerful.”
My son also started to cry when he saw the main character being persecuted. The next morning, he woke up early and joined our group practice. In the past, Boen would move around while doing the mediation exercise for 30 minutes. After watching the movie, Boen entered into the state of tranquility and meditated for an hour. After breakfast, he helped me vacuum the floor and clean the house. He also paid his respects to Master and said, “I am very grateful to Master. I will be more diligent and follow Master home.”
My son said, “Mom, if I were in China, I would do exactly what the main character in the movie did and go to Tiananmen Square.”
I asked, “Aren’t you afraid of the police? They might beat you and detain you.”
He said, “No, I am not afraid. If all practitioners are afraid, then there won’t be anyone to clarify the truth. Even though it is dangerous, I know this is what I should do. This is my responsibility.”
We decided to place information about the CCP virus published in the English Epoch Times on doorknobs. Boen helped us by placing the newspapers in plastic bags. As we were watching the sequel to Coming For You, he said that the Chinese Communist Party is bad and Falun Dafa practitioners are very brave. We who live outside China should clarify the truth more often.
We went to distribute the materials the next day and Boen was very fast. He finished hanging 100 newspapers and came back for another batch. This was three times more than I distributed. When he got home, he said that his legs were sore. I asked if he wanted to rest and call it a day. However, not only did he want to read the teachings with us, but he also wanted to wake up at 5:30 am the next morning to practice the exercises.
Remaining Diligent
Boen read the teachings and practiced the exercises every day online. One time, he was reprimanded by his father and was made to do many chores. I was worried that he won’t be able to finish all of them, so I asked if he wanted to study the Fa that night. He said, “Don’t you know cultivation is very serious? You cannot just skip a day of Fa study and do whatever you like. I need to study the Fa even if I have to miss my bedtime. This is an important matter. Please also wake me up at 5:15 am tomorrow because I need to practice the exercises.”
The next day, I did not wake him up because I wanted to let him sleep in. However, Boen set his own alarm and woke up to join us in time to practice the exercises.
Sometimes I slacked off and did not wake up in the morning to practice the exercises. I would procrastinate and tell myself that I would do them in the afternoon, but I never did. One morning, Boen told me about a dream he had.
In the dream, he went to a summer camp and met a little practitioner. That little practitioner said if he did not wake up to practice the exercises, he would not find the time to practice it during the day. Boen agreed and said, “Me too.”
When he woke up, he enlightened to the fact that Master was telling him to persist in practicing the exercises. He still did not wake up the next day. My husband became very frustrated and said, “Boen, why are you so lazy now?”
In the past, I was the one who woke Boen up to practice the exercises, and my husband would always tell him to sleep in. Now, my husband was waking Boen up. When Boen and I heard what my husband said, we both laughed. Boen said, “I know Master is enlightening me again. I will wake up to practice the exercises tomorrow!” From then on, he woke up every day and practiced the exercises.
I believe that every little Dafa disciple has their own story. It is hard for children to be in a diligent state at all times. Cultivation is a long and arduous process. Master said,
“Cultivate with the heart you once had, and success is certain.” (“Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day”)
It is truly hard for both children and adults to remain diligent. We need to walk steadily on this path of cultivation, maintain our righteous thoughts, and abide by Dafa’s principles. We will encourage each other and improve together.
Thank you, Master!
