(Minghui.org) The persecution of Falun Dafa is ongoing. Unfortunately, there seems to also be a growing tendency for sickness karma or enlightening on an evil path to occur in practitioners. I want to talk about my understanding of these problems.
There is no doubt that the persecution has been imposed on us by the old forces. I think that there are two major reasons why this has occurred. First, practitioners' loopholes give the old forces reasons to persecute us. Second, we acknowledge the arrangement of the old forces due to an unclear understanding of Fa principles.
If we truly study and comprehend the Fa, our attachments become fewer and fewer and our righteous thoughts stronger and stronger. Once you are clear about what to do, you can walk out of the old forces' arrangements and do exactly what Master wants you to do. So why can't some of us attain the Fa even though we read the Fa every day?
Understanding Dafa Is Critical
Our understanding of, or attitude toward Dafa determines the purity of our minds as we study the Fa. So understanding the Fa principles is critical. Some practitioners may disagree with me and say that every practitioner understands how important Dafa is. However, I don't think this is the case. The actions of some practitioners show that they don't truly know what Dafa is. These practitioners read the Fa without thoroughly comprehending the words.
Master has talked about how practitioners should treat the Fa many times. When talking about Zhuan Falun Master said:
“In other words, it appears to be a book in this human dimension, but it is not like this when viewed in a different dimension. It is the Law of Heaven.” (Teaching the Fa at the Eastern U.S. Fa Conference)
I realized that I had been treating Dafa as an ordinary book, instead of the Law of Heaven.
Master said:
“Let me give you an example. In Buddhism, it is said that every phenomenon in human society is illusory and unreal. How are they illusions? Real and concrete physical objects are placed right here, so who would claim that they are false? A physical object’s form of existence appears like this, but the way it actually manifests is not.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)
I realized I could not attain the Fa if I only understood it from a human being's perspective.
My attitude toward studying the Fa changed when I understood this principle. One day I sat upright with my legs crossed and, holding Zhuan Falun, said to Master: “Thank you Master for passing this Dafa to your disciples. Thank you Master for everything you have done for your disciples.”
I had tears in my eyes and felt Master's great compassion. I felt I wasn't reading a book—I was listening to Master teaching his disciples. Every sentence was Master's teaching and I listened humbly. I did not notice anything around me, even my body. I only felt that I was learning Master’s Fa.
I deeply understood that how we treat the Fa determines how we study the Fa, and this determines the extent to which the Fa will be revealed to us.
Studying the Fa with Notions
Recently, I found that some practitioners, including myself, have been studying the Fa with notions. For example, I would treat different chapters differently. I liked to study the sections on “Improving Xinxing” and “Whoever Practices Cultivation Will Obtain Gong,” but I didn't pay attention to “Zhuyou Ke.” I was more willing to study Master's teachings in various lectures and thought they were at a higher level; but was unwilling to study Zhuan Falun. Isn’t this treating the Fa with notions?
People in some study groups socialize casually before reading the Fa. They read faster if they don't finish reading when the time is up. How can they comprehend the Fa with such a casual attitude toward Dafa?
Some time ago, I felt anxious because I couldn't see the principles of Dafa. I saw that other practitioners improved when they memorized the Fa or copied the text by hand. I started memorizing the Fa too, however, this did not change my understanding. I realized I was looking outwards instead of inwards. I had used reciting the Fa as a method to upgrade my cultivation state.
Studying but Not Putting the Principles into Practice
Some practitioners are no different than ordinary people when they put down Zhuan Falun. Some practitioners may say such practitioners separate Fa study and cultivation practice. I’d say they didn't attain the Fa at all when they studied it. They were just reading the words. If we really comprehend the Fa, it will wake us up when we encounter problems.
Why can't some practitioners remember the Fa when they encounter problems? It is because there is no Fa in their minds at all. These practitioners were reading the book with human notions, so they could not attain the Fa.
Another reason some practitioners don't improve after studying the Fa is that they don't put the principles into practice and improve their xinxing.
We may understand that the Fa principles were given to us by the Buddhas, Taos, and Gods behind the Fa, however, we must reach a higher realm before they can demonstrate the Fa of that realm to us. I deeply understand this in my own cultivation practice. The Fa would let me know a new layer of Fa after I removed an attachment. Once I rectified myself and improved again, another layer of Fa principles would be revealed to me. I improved myself in this way.
Studying the Fa but Not Saving Sentient Beings
Dafa disciples’ cultivation today is no longer purely personal cultivation. We are connected with the Fa rectification. We have the sacred mission of assisting Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings. Because of this, there are principles in the Fa to guide us on how to save people. Those who do not tell people the facts about Falun Dafa and thus save them, cannot improve themselves.
Why don’t some practitioners validate the Fa and save people? I think they either haven't really attained the Fa, or they did not keep up with the Fa rectification process.
For a period of time, after I read Master’s teaching given in various cities, a strong desire arose in my heart to clarify the truth and save people. I felt in my heart that people in the world are precious and that they were really suffering. During that period, I talked about Falun Dafa with compassion and people quickly accepted what I said.
Unaware of Interference
Recently, there were some distractions when I studied the Fa. I tried to reject them but couldn't see any effect. One day, I realized that these thoughts were actually interference by the old forces, and they interfered with my Fa study in this way. In fact, it was another form of persecution. Doesn't it destroy Dafa disciples if they cannot study the Fa? Isn’t this persecution? It is in fact the most evil persecution. I started to eliminate these thoughts from the perspective of denying the arrangements of the old forces. The distractions soon disappeared.
Notions Interfere with Fa Study
Fellow practitioners in China have been soaked in Communist Party culture for so many years. Party culture was created by the old forces specifically to eradicate traditional Chinese culture. We will not be able to understand Dafa with a mind full of Party culture. For example, one day I read what Master said,
“Even though it may have cultivated for nearly a thousand years, a little finger will be more than enough to crush it.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
I found I was reading this paragraph with a strong sense of competition and arrogance. How can I obtain the Fa if I have this mentality when I study the Fa?
I realized that when we study the Fa, we should read without any notions. We should not have an expectation of what we will attain from reading the Fa. It is enough to read without notions and just understand the surface meaning of the sentence. The Fa will let you know when it is time for you to be enlightened.
Master said,
“Actually, all that is not aligned with Dafa and Dafa disciples’ righteous thoughts has been caused by the old forces’ involvement, including all the unrighteous factors in you. This is why I have made sending forth righteous thoughts one of the three major things that Dafa disciples do.” (“On the Waves Stirred Up by the Article About Assistant Souls”)
I suddenly realized that Dafa disciples could be prevented from attaining the Fa because of the old forces’ arrangements. This is the most fundamental and substantial persecution of Dafa disciples. Those practitioners who haven’t obtained the Fa for a long time should be alert and not accept such persecution.
This is my personal understanding at my stage of cultivation. Although my understanding may not be comprehensive, I think it is fundamental to study the Fa well. It will cause a lot of issues if we don't study the Fa well. I think studying the Fa well is the foundation of doing the three things well.
Master said:
“Of course, all of this could be achieved only by Dafa and Dafa disciples. Therefore, in order to be able to do even better, studying the Fa well is the only way for you to do better and complete this historic mission.” (“Dafa Disciples Are Fulfilling Their Missions”)
How can we study the Fa well? Only when we treat Dafa righteously, can we study the Fa well. On the other hand, only when we study the Fa well, can we improve our understanding of Dafa. They are complementary.
Please correct me if there is anything inappropriate in my understanding.
Category: Improving Oneself
