PureInsight | August 31, 2006
[PureInsight.org] (United Kingdom Experience Sharing Conference, 2006)
My name is C. and I come from Oxfordshire. I have just turned 16 this
year and have been practising Falun Dafa with my mother for 7 years. I
decided to write an experience sharing article on my cultivation as a
young adolescent disciple to share the problems I have been faced with
as a teenager and how I overcome them.
As every young practitioner grows up, their parents encourage their
children to practise along side them. Practising as a child is not easy
as many may already know. We do not find the exercises particularly
enjoyable or studying the Fa pleasurable. Most little practitioners
would very much prefer to go outside to play. However, we all know that
we must fit time in for cultivation every day in our daily routine. It
was hard for me to accomplish these simple tasks every day as I became
lazy and procrastinated instead of doing what I know I had to do.
Instead, I busied myself with the telephone and computer as many
ordinary teenagers do. Eventually there came a time when I realised
that I had not been cultivating solidly as a practitioner should do.
Realising this problem was the first step to improving my
self-discipline. Opening Zhaun Falun,
I decided to read carefully and tried to concentrate very hard on every
single word. That's when I came across the topic of thought karma,
which reminded me that it was not my own thinking tempting myself to do
something else. Today, I still find it hard to freely go and study the
Fa or exercise but with a little encouragement from my mum and fellow
practitioners, I'm glad to say that I'm gradually improving.
Clarifying the Truth to my Peers
Next on the to-do list, is to clarify the truth frequently. The
majority of my life is spent at school, so it is hard to always go out
and Hong Fa regularly with my mum. So I came to the conclusion that I
would clarify the truth right where I was, at school. Obviously, I
would not disrupt the lesson by doing so but I would clarify the truth
to my peers by telling them about recent parades or Hong fa activities
I had participated in and why I went. Telling my friends about my faith
is not easy, as you can easily be dismissed and the conversation would
move on. From experience, I have discovered that touching upon the
subject every other day can gradually increase their knowledge about
Falun Dafa and raise awareness.
When going to friends' houses at the weekends or holidays, my mum
always encourages me to take along a copy of the "Nine Commentaries" for
their parents to read. This also is a method I have been using to
clarify the truth to those around me.
Alcohol, Drugs and Cigarettes
Today, human moral standards are spiralling down so much that the issue
of alcohol, drugs and cigarettes regularly hits the assemblies at
school. As a practitioner, I know these are bad and would do no good in
helping along my already arduous cultivation. However, the subject is
not ignored by my friends who are very much willing to try. It saddens
me when I see my friends are being carried down by the declining moral
standards but I know that I cannot change their minds, and I can't take
their cigarette or alcohol from their hands. Being a friend, I can only
put forward my own opinion.
Everyday teenagers today like to host parties and it is during this
time when their demonic nature starts to show the most. They like to
sneak alcohol in for underage drinking, they like to smoke and
socialise intimately. I have been to a few of these events but found
myself quite uncomfortable by the atmosphere of cigarette smoke and
drink. However, I do occasionally turn up to such parties, as in the
past I have been able to inspire some of my everyday friends to not
drink as they have realised that my opinion is much stronger than the
peer pressure around us. I stay there to help my friends maintain their
dignity and socialise but do not join in their smoking or drinking
activities.
I have at times been tempted to drink but have not as I like to keep my
righteous thoughts strong and resist but I'm also lucky as my close
group of friends enjoy encouraging me not to drink or smoke and no
longer tempt me. Some friends do not drink excessively anymore as they
have seen through my actions that things can be better without the
confidence boosters.
Reputation and Popularity
For those who have seen the classic teenage films, reputation can be
extremely important to most in school. It is vital for everyday
teenagers to maintain a good reputation with others to make themselves
feel good and for popularity. As a practitioner, I hold little
importance to this matter but still keep a good reputation with
everyone otherwise I would be excluded from groups and not be able to
clarify the truth to everyone.
To be popular today, teenagers require one boyfriend and lots of
friends and since moral standards have declined, sexual intercourse
between the couple does come across the mind. Alike the alcohol issue,
I cannot tell my friends what to do but again put forward my opinion of
how I think it is wrong for sexual intercourse to be introduced before
marriage. My friend's have accepted my view and admire my loyalty to my
faith and my courage to resist temptation.
However, as a teenager myself, I have been tempted by boys in the past
and present. My view on this matter as a practitioner and a teenager is
that I will not accept a boyfriend unless he understands why I do not
have sex before marriage and that I would treat him no more than a good
friend.
My cultivation has these standards as it is hard to keep it untainted
by everyday people's issues. I am aware that most everyday teenagers
believe that their life can be fulfilled by materialistic things
without the need for spiritual guidance; therefore, I try to help those
around me see the benefit of Falun Dafa as this is the true fulfillment
of my life.
