PureInsight | June 21, 2004
[PureInsight.org]
Tong: Guo Zhitong
Bei: Guo Zhibei
Tong: We are sisters. My name is Guo Zhitong. I am fifteen years old this year and am the older sister.
Bei: I am the younger sister, Guo Zhibei, and I am eleven years old.
Together: We have been cultivating in Falun Dafa for six years already. During those six years, our mother has constantly reminded us that we are both cultivators.
We are both very happy to be Falun Dafa practitioners, and very happy to be under Teacher's guidance and protection. We also feel very fortunate to be little Dafa disciples during the Fa-rectification period. Every time we join Falun Dafa's team in a parade we feel proud to be walking under the Falun Dafa flag!
Every member of our family cultivates in Falun Dafa, including our maternal grandmother, our father (although he doesn't participate in group Fa studies), our mother and the two of us. Some of the topics that we often discuss at home include how we need to be truthful, compassionate and tolerant and how we need to look within ourselves to remove our attachments. We also discuss how we need to study the Fa, practice the Falun Gong exercises, to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to the world's people; and that we need to rid ourselves of every attachment, among other things.
Tong: This year in particular, mom is watching me like a hawk. She interferes with my everyday life, my choice of friends, my outfit, my hobbies, my manners, and other things concerning me. Nothing goes unnoticed and uncommented on by mom. I often raise an objection saying, "I want my freedom and respect." Mom assured me repeatedly, "I will give you freedom. I will respect you, particularly since you are a cultivator, but you are still young. You are still undergoing puberty. The decadent world can very easily affect you. If I allowed you to slip away for just a second, you might accept those degenerate notions and concepts immediately. So, I have to look after you carefully to prevent you from creating any loopholes in your cultivation."
Bei: Mom says that practitioners should lead a simple, natural, grounded and sensible life. Current teenage fashions are immoral. Nevertheless, mom will sometimes let my sister have her way, and let her purchase trendy and stylish apparel because my sister has promised to govern her style as best as she can. We are not allowed to watch television at home, unless we have to watch for school homework. There are also certain other restrictions and parental controls for the use of and access to the Internet.
Tong: To fight for my freedom on these issues, I frequently have intense debates with mom. Most of the time my attitude during these negotiations is sincere, but occasionally I can become excited and emotional. Afterwards, mom will usually make as many compromises as possible. I think it is because she trusts me. She sees that I am really trying to keep my promises. For example, I try to wear minimal make up and try not to wear tops that exposes my belly or belly button. Take another example: For the second year I wanted to compete in a marathon. My mother didn't approve of it at first, since I would need to spend two hours each day, training for it. She thought I should use the two hours for Fa study instead. I promised her that I would increase my Fa study time, that I will never neglect my Fa study because of the marathon practice, and that I would become even more diligent in Fa study. She gladly agreed.
Bei: Yes, my sister has endless negotiations and reach compromises with mom [because she is the oldest child.] I don't have such privileges because I pretty much have to follow my sister's steps. I study the Fa whenever my sister studies the Fa. When I was younger, mom would ask my sister to take care of me and ask me to mind her. Now that I am older I share household chores when I'm not busy with my schoolwork, such as wiping the table, mopping the floor and washing dishes. When I'm busy with schoolwork, mom won't ask us to help with the housework, but she always asks us to study the Fa every day, regardless of the amount of our schoolwork.
I have eliminated much of my attachment to sleep in order to keep up the daily morning Fa study. My mom or sister wakes me up at 5:30 a.m. every day and I will almost always climb out of bed with a long stone face. Mom often reminds me when I'm fully awake that it is improper to wake in the morning "with an attitude," because that doesn't conform to the principles of Truthfulness Compassion and Tolerance. I am doing much better now. I don't find it painful to get out of bed in the early morning, and I no longer give my mom the long face. I am happy about my improvement, and I am happy that I can study the Fa with my sister for two hours daily. We study the Fa for half an hour in the morning and study it some more after we return from school in the afternoon. We also study the Fa when we have free time at school. I was used to be a picky eater before I obtained the Fa. I used to eat lots of the foods I liked, and hardly touched the rest of the food on the table. Mom said it was a reflection of my selfishness. She said that I should not only eat the foods I like and leave the rest to others. It is far from the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance to push what I do not want on others and to expect them to forbear it. Mom asks me to compare myself with those young Falun Gong practitioners in China who are living in poverty and danger. Many of them have little food on the table everyday. Needless to say, they do not have any choice of food. She often reminds me about eliminating my attachments to my favorite foods.
Tong: I would like to talk about my cultivation during track practice and the marathon, as well as my Fa study. Because Master says there is not much time left, we have increased our daily Fa study from 15 minutes to half an hour, forty minutes, one hour and now two hours. I have been competing in the marathon category for two years. Every few weeks we are in a competition with students from other schools. I have held the marathon championship title for two years. During one particular race I deeply realized the importance of giving up our attachments, as Teacher has always taught us. During one race, a girl from another school was neck and neck with me. We seemed to be on the same level of stamina and speed. The total course was 3.1 kilometers. During the race, she was always two steps ahead of me and I could not pass her, no matter how hard I tried. When I veered to the left she blocked the left, and when I ran to the right she blocked the right. As we were approaching the finish line, she was still two steps ahead of me. I thought, "It's OK if I get second place. I've tried my best." So I gave up my attachment and kept running. But, three feet before the finish line when I was still behind her, somehow I miraculously got ahead of her, one step and then another step, until I reached the finish line. In less than one second before the finish line I got ahead of her. It was indeed a miracle. I realized right then that giving up my attachment must have been the key that altered the outcome of the race.
My mom thought of stories about our cultivation practice to help us prepare for this experience-sharing paper. We didn't mention anything about our Falun Gong exercise practice because we often fail to keep up the practice. We didn't participate much in calling the Chinese people to clarify the facts about Falun Gong either. Mom said we must arrange the coming winter break better to do the Three Things well, including studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the facts about Falun Gong. We both send forth righteous thoughts at least once a day. Mom asks us to send forth righteous thoughts during recess at school and to cultivate ourselves at all times. Nowadays, we send forth a kind thought, "You will be saved" to everyone that walks past us.
Reference:
[1] ClearWisdom.net: Pedals of Peace Bike Ride Leaves Washington DC, en Route to Chicago to Expose the Persecution of Teenagers and Children in China (Photos)
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/12/29/25129.html
