(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher said in Why Doesn't Your Gong Increase with Your Practice? (Zhuan Falun, Lecture One):

"You must cultivate your inner self and not pursue things externally" and "There is still another reason for failing to increase gong. Namely, without knowing the Fa of high levels, one cannot move up in cultivation practice."

I used to have some deeply hidden thoughts of looking down upon ordinary people's problems, thinking that I was a cultivator and ordinary people's morality was way too low. My feelings were mixed with disappointment.

Looking back, I realize that this was not a good attitude for compassionately saving people. If my energy field is strong and righteous enough, I can suppress anything unrighteous. I probably encountered people displaying unrighteous behavior because I had similar problems or even worse. On many things that I had difficulties with, I had ordinary people's thinking. However, when I started to look within and cultivate my inner self, significant changes occurred. I believe that this is because all things are arranged for Dafa practitioners.

I also used to think that the statement about not knowing the Fa of high levels had nothing to do with my own cultivation, as I, as a Dafa disciple, had learned the fundamental Great Law of the universe, and only those following minor paths would have this problem.

Later, I realized that unless I could study the Fa with all my heart, my understanding would remain very superficial. For example, it was like a task everyday to finish reading certain pages of the book or the lectures. I even felt that how much I read was how much "protection" from the Fa I would get, and that I would correspondingly not have problems.

But how much Fa did I really take in? Sometimes I am tired and at other times I can't achieve a peaceful mind while reading. If I dealt with these problems and realized they were another form of interference, I would be able to eliminate the interference. But if I don't deal with these problems, is it my main spirit that is studying the Fa? If not, the Fa of higher levels cannot be revealed to me.

I understand more and more that cultivation is a serious matter. Efforts on the surface are acceptable for ordinary people's work, but cultivation is all about one's heart. One can't cut corners in the heart. Getting rid of attachments is nothing one can cheat on, either.

Please point out anything not in line with the Fa.