Overcoming the Demon of Drowsiness

By Falun Dafa practitioner Xiao Jing

(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I gained some new understandings about overcoming drowsiness. One night when I was copying the Fa, I was overcome by drowsiness. I could not keep my eyes open and my brain felt like it was wrapped in a thick layer of cotton. I felt extremely uncomfortable and wanted to lie down to sleep. At that very moment, I had an idea and spontaneously decided to ask Master for help. I asked for Master to strengthen His disciple's thoughts so that the evil could be eliminated. I wanted to study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts instead of sleeping. Then I repeated my request several times and could feel the thick layer of substance around my head dispersing. Soon, I was back to normal and felt energetic. It was just as Master says in Zhuan Falun,

"Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master. It is good enough if you have this wish. It is the master who actually does this, as you are simply unable to do it."

Through this experience, I understood that every aspect of our daily lives is determined by how much we believe in Master and the Fa. You will be rewarded according to how deeply you believe.

One practitioner says that if she feels sleepy during Fa study, she simply goes to sleep. After she wakes up, she will study the Fa well and the effect is very good. However, listening to her story, I think that she does not cultivate at all because she does not cultivate her will. If you strengthen your will instead of going to sleep, you will strengthen your master consciousness and build your confidence that you can conquer the demon of drowsiness. Although the effect may not be optimal at the time, if you have conquered the demon of drowsiness, you will have more time to study the Fa in the future and you will accumulate more merit. Master says in "Teaching the Fa at a New York Meeting" in Falun Buddha Fa Lectures in the United States:

"Sleep itself isn't a demon. It's a factor such that humans must rest. This is also one of the things, the factors, that make up the universe. But as a cultivator, if you sleep during cultivation it can play the role of a demon, keeping you from cultivating. It isn't a demon itself, but it can play that role. But on the other hand, it also has the effect of strengthening your will. Don't you need to cultivate your will? You need to strengthen your will, and restraining it is strengthening your will--it's also cultivation. Feeling sleepy while doing the exercises is itself also an effect of thought karma."

Only through increasing Fa study can we remove our attachments. As genuine cultivators, we must believe in Master and the Fa under all circumstances. My level is limited. Please point it out anything incorrect with kindness.

December 13,2006

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/12/15/144629.html

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