Eliminating the Attachment to Sleep and Becoming More Diligent

(Clearwisdom.net) Master says,

"Right now every minute and every second is crucial. If you miss out during this period of time, you miss out on everything. History won't recur. The history of the cosmos and the Three Realms have gone through so many, long, long years--what have all the beings been waiting for? What are they all here for? For exactly these few years! Yet there are [Dafa] students who are squandering their lives during these few years, not seizing the time. And yet you are shouldering such huge responsibilities for all beings and for history!" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")

For a long time, due to studying the Fa and doing the three things, I have not practiced the exercises. I even tried to find excuses for myself in Master's Fa. I sleep for eight hours every day. During this critical historical moment of saving sentient beings in the universe, I was obviously being irresponsible in for sentient beings and myself. Continuing in this behavior was damaging to myself and sentient beings.

Until one day, when I read a fellow practitioner's article on the Minghui website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom), in which she mentioned that she only sleeps for two hours every day and she still feels that there isn't enough time. I was suddenly awakened. I absolutely believe the fellow practitioner's state. But how could she do it and I could not? I shared my thoughts with my mother (also a practitioner). Her direct answer was that I was not diligent enough in practicing the exercises, so my body could not be fully refined.

Later I read this:

"Question: Is it that as you cultivate to higher levels, you sleep less?

Teacher: That's not the case. It's related to the changes and elevation of the particles intrinsic to your thoughts. But it does happen periodically. The matter I just talked about also involves this factor. At the surface you will return to the normal state when the well-cultivated part of you is separated from you. That's what you will experience all the way until you Consummate. All of this allows you to live like regular people. Yet your human side will become weaker and weaker. And if you hold yourself to high standards, perhaps you will conduct yourself among ordinary people better and better. That's the way it is." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Switzerland," 1998)

I tried to understand what Master meant by "related to the changes and elevation of the particles intrinsic to your thoughts." I recalled my deeply rooted human notion that one has to sleep for eight hours per day. But even after I tried to eliminate this attachment, I still was not able to reach a perfect state in doing the exercises. Continuing to examine myself, I found that I have too many things on my mind when practicing the exercises. I cannot reach the state of "Shenshen Heyi" (Join the Mind and Body Together) as Master requires. My thought was that: as long as I practice the exercises, it should be good enough.

Master says, "Gong is the Law, and the Law is gong, for mind itself is matter." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston") It's just like when we study the Fa: if we have other thoughts on our minds, how can we study the Fa well? How would the Fa manifest its greatness to us and help us improve? After I realized this, every time I practice the exercises now, I strictly follow Master's requirement of "Shenshen Heyi" (Join the Mind and Body Together), eliminate human notions and thoughts and stay focused. After doing this for two days, my state improved greatly!

In this process, I also clearly realized that in fact, sleeping is also a desire and an attachment. Sleep makes a person's body relax, and also can help people escape the troublesome things in the human world. But laziness can destroy sentient beings and ourselves. Therefore, we should cherish this greatest opportunity and this historical moment that will never come again, to successfully fulfill our prehistoric vows.

Now, I have arranged my time this way to practice the exercises. In the morning, at 4:50 to 5:50 I practice the first four exercises; at 5:55, I send forth righteous thoughts for 35 minutes and wash up. At night, at 10:50 to 11:50, I practice the fifth exercise; at 11:55, I send forth righteous thoughts for 35 minutes and I then go to bed. I only sleep for about four hours per day and I feel great. I will continue to be more diligent and spend more time and effort on validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. I will cherish this great historic moment--every minute and every second of it! I will do well the "three things" Dafa practitioners are supposed to do so I can be worthy of the title of "Fa-rectification Period Dafa Disciple."

Chinese version available at http://minghui.cc/mh/articles/2008/8/15/184111.html

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