(Clearwisdom.net) From October 24 through November 2, 2005, seven Falun Gong practitioners, including both newcomers and veterans, held a nine-day Fa study class in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Because the Turkish translations of Teacher's Fa lecture videos are not yet available, practitioners read Zhuan Falun instead.
Over the 9 days, practitioners read one lecture each day. Everyone read a paragraph in turn. It took about two hours to read one lecture. Throughout the reading process, practitioners found answers to questions which had puzzled them before, and they improved their understanding of Dafa's principles.
While reading the 14th paragraph in Lecture 1, under the section, "Why Doesn't Your Gong Increase with Your Practice," the practitioners read:
"For instance, when someone swears at you among everyday people, you do not say a word and feel very calm; or when someone throws a fist at you, you do not say a word and let it go with a smile."
One of the newcomers said, "Is this possible?" A practitioner who had read the book three times said, "Why not? You may try it yourself. Continue reading from here. It says,
'Your xinxing level is already very high. So as a practitioner, what should you obtain? Aren't you going to obtain gong? When your xinxing is upgraded, your gong will increase.'"
This newcomer said, "I only thought that I must resist when being bullied by others."
Through continuously reading the book, this new practitioner realized the importance of "emphasizing de (virtue)" and the relationship between loss and gain. She said she had never heard of this or thought of it before.
After several days, all of us understood the relationship between loss and gain and the principle of how de could be transformed into gong. For example, where "ye" (karma) is concerned, because they had been influenced by the local religion, at first they did not think that they could have karma at all. As they kept reading Zhuan Falun, the practitioners gradually came to accept its principles. They understood that selfishness is bad and that an everyday person's competitive mentality is not good. They understood that one's life has dropped down from a high dimension level by level, and that we have fallen to this level of human beings due to our attachments and selfishness. Being lost in hardship and striving for selfishness, people create karma and hence suffer illnesses and tribulations. They also came to understand that it doesn't work for anyone to practice Falun Gong for the purpose of curing illness. Instead, one should suffer a little tribulation to resolve some karma as a way to pay back the debts we owe. One should upgrade his xinxing to transform his de into gong, and pour out the dirty things in his mind. He may then have his illnesses completely cured and upgrade himself to a higher level.
When we first started to read, a newcomer read the words:
"Some people always seek to treat illness..." (Lecture 2)
"Yet it cannot be done if you want to cure illnesses and go after either this or that as an ordinary person, and I will be unable to help you" (Lecture 3).
She said with confusion, "But we are only coming here to cure our illnesses!" A veteran practitioner told her, with a smile, to keep reading. After reading the fifth lecture, she came to understand many points made in the book and gradually calmed down. She said, "Removing the attachment in my mind to curing illness is something that requires much effort. Since I always thought of myself as a patient with a certain kind of disease before, I emphasized being cured, taking medicine to such an extent that it became a part of my life. From the bottom of my heart, I relied on medical ways to cure illness. Falun Dafa is a completely new way to think. It is so miraculous, so profound."
Another practitioner said, "After I starting practicing the exercises last year, many people told me that I had a rosy complexion. I also became energetic and active. Because of these positive things I experienced, this year I became attached to curing my illnesses and to becoming more youthful. I even thought, 'I have practiced for one year now. Why is my illness not cured? Why have I not become younger looking?' Now I have understood that one must upgrade his xinxing and emphasize de in order to have his illness truly cured. One must let go of attachments and the mentality of pursuit to ascend to higher levels."
Another practitioner who has read Zhuan Falun four times said, "After reading the book where Teacher talks about repaying karma and requiring His protection to truly ascend in cultivation practice, I experienced some frightening events (although my life was never harmed or in danger). I actually had two car accidents. Once when it happened, my husband was beside me, and the next time, my son. In both accidents, no one was hurt and there was no damage to the cars. We would hear a loud bumping noise when the two cars collided, and our bodies would feel the strong vibration, so when we got out of the car and saw that nothing was damaged, all of us felt strange and surprised. The other car's owners said with concern, 'This accident is really strange. Nothing was damaged! I thought it was such a serious collision; I was worried for your safety. It is too strange. Thank God for his blessings!' The bystanders also thought it was unimaginable. I felt no fear at all and thanked Teacher for protecting me. I used to be the kind of person before that would shake whenever I heard others quarreling. Now, facing this car accident, I remained calm with my heart unmoved. This had never happened before! Falun Dafa has changed me so much!"
"Ten years ago I had a chronic disease in my cervical vertebra. When I was reading Zhuan Falun, it began to surface again and I felt a little scared. After letting go of this attachment to fear, my neck pain gradually disappeared. I continued reading Zhuan Falun without going to the hospital, and my chronic disease was cured without any medical treatment."
A woman who is a teacher said, "I became gentle and soft after practicing Falun Gong. In the past, I often felt alone, cold, detached, stiff, and my body always felt uncomfortable for no reason. I could not sleep well. Both my body and mind had lost their balance. I now feel that I have a peaceful heart that always remains calm. I am able to care about others. I have no pains and illnesses at all now."
The practitioner teacher shared another story. She said that she was aware that practitioners had practiced the Falun Gong exercises together for at least half a year. Since the practice time in the morning is often changed after contacting one another, people would ask for her phone number in order to inform her of the practice time. She said that she answered evasively several times without giving out her number. Although others felt it was strange, they stopped asking her. After reading Zhuan Falun for several days, she realized that practitioners are all good people and that what is said in the book is teaching people to be kind and to emphasize virtue. She then trusted others and set her mind to rest. On the day we finished reading the fourth lecture we needed to contact each other by phone since the location and time for the group practice would change. She happily offered her phone number of her own accord and said, "Don't leave me uninformed." Dafa made her trust other practitioners.
Another practitioner shared, "One year after my husband died I had lost my balance completely. During that year, I looked like a sick person, lying around at home and immersing myself in grief so much that I could not extricate myself from the sorrow. My face was wan and sallow, my hair gradually began to turn white and I often stared at nothing. After practicing Dafa for only one month, I changed. Every day from morning to evening, I no longer want to lie down, and I never feel tired. My mind is active, and I am willing to contact friends again." She now looks like a healthy and beautiful young lady in her thirties. She also noticed this change herself. Only last year she really looked like an older woman in her fifties.
After gradually coming to understand the principles of the Fa, the practitioners came on time every day to study, and did their best to eliminate any interference by arranging their housework, jobs and engagements so that they did not conflict with the study of Dafa. After the nine-day Fa-study class, those newcomers' xinxing improved so much that it was as if they were flying upwards. They all understood that practicing alone without studying the Fa and upgrading xinxing does not upgrade one's level, and one's illnesses will not be cured, either
During the nine days of studying the Fa, xinxing conflicts appeared among practitioners. As they came to understand more of the Fa's principles, they gradually eliminated their competitive mentality. They removed the phenomenon of not humbly letting other people go first. As they read the fifth lecture, any competitive phenomenon disappeared.
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