(Clearwisdom.net) In our district, we specialize in planting corn. Every autumn, we are very busy harvesting the corn. So at the end of each day, we are sleepy and exhausted.
Because they were so focused on bringing in the harvest, some practitioners separated their cultivation from their job. They stopped studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts and did not have time to clarify the truth. They concentrated on the autumn harvest and only resumed their cultivation after it was over. They took off about a dozen days to recuperate from the heavy work and then they resumed their experience sharing and the group Fa-study. Some practitioners were unable to regain their state of diligence after the harvest. This happened every year and they thought that this was normal. Actually, this is not normal and this is precisely the old evil forces taking advantage of our loopholes. The old evil forces are trying all ways and means to stop us from doing the three things required by Master. When we separate our cultivation from the harvest and allow it to disrupt our cultivation, this is precisely taking the path arranged by the old evil forces. Our cultivation is affected and the saving of sentient beings is affected.
If we arrange our time more wisely and place the Fa as the fundamental basis and starting point, we will be able to set right the relationship between cultivation and the autumn harvest. If we treat the autumn harvest as the path that we should walk and a tribulation that we have to pass, if we treat the autumn harvest as a test of whether our cultivation is steadfast and solid, it would as Master said in His Fa, "Only in the most complicated crowd of people, or in the most complicated environment, can you cultivate to high levels." (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun) If we handle the relationship between cultivation and the autumn harvest well, wouldn't we be achieving high gong in this complicated environment where it is both full of hardship and tiring, mixed with having to overcome attachments to gain, family conflicts, and the physical state of our bodies? If we are able to meet the requirements of the Fa and study the Fa well and able to do the exercises with a tranquil state and send powerful righteous thoughts, as well as thinking of using all means to save sentient beings in this complicated environment, aren't we achieving high gong? If not, then we should also make use of this opportunity of autumn harvest to check ourselves and see which attachments have yet to be eliminated and get rid of them when they are exposed. Then we can improve in the process.
I have an example. We have a pair of practitioners who are a mother and her daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law shared with her mother-in-law, and suggested that they try to make a breakthrough this year during the autumn harvest. They would wake up early and absolutely guarantee that they do the exercises in the morning. They would also send forth righteous thoughts and do their Fa study. Then on the way to the fields, they would clarify the truth to whoever they met and urge the person to renounce their CCP membership. After discussion, they managed to do what they both agreed to do. In the end, they managed to harvest all the corn easily before the snow and furthermore they did not feel the aches in their arms, legs and mid-sections as in previous years. Their harvest was orderly and they managed to keep up their cultivation as well as saving sentient beings.
The above sharing is a suggestion for fellow practitioners to face the problem and address it, instead of avoiding it. Cultivate oneself during tribulations and save sentient beings.
