(Clearwisdom.net) I'd like to discuss how to study the Fa well. Falun Dafa practitioners display a wide array of states of being, from selfishness to unselfishness. Our Teacher said in a Fa lecture:
"In the past, in whatever we were doing you would think, 'How can I study the Fa well? How should I work for Dafa? How can I improve myself? How can I do better?' You always felt that you were learning Dafa, rather than that you were a part of Dafa." ("Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America)
Today practitioners are different.
"No matter what you do for Dafa and no matter what it is you're doing, you are placing yourselves in Dafa instead of thinking about 'I want to do something for Dafa' or 'I want to improve myself in this way or that way' as you did before. No matter what you do, you aren't thinking that you're doing something for Dafa, about how you should do things for Dafa, or 'how can I do things well for this Fa.' Instead, you are placing yourselves in Dafa. Like a particle of Dafa, [you feel that] no matter what it is, you should just do it." ("Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America")
In this lecture, Teacher talked about the difference between doing individual and group Fa study and the effects of each. My understanding of this teaching is that if it is only the individual that studies the Fa well, then only the state of the individual is good. If all the practitioners in a group can think from the perspective of Fa, the future will be unimaginably bright. Teacher asks us to reach a realm where we are unselfish. We should also reach this realm when we study the Fa. In the past, I had a good state of being during Fa-study; there was no interference. However, recently I have experienced one form of interference after another. When my husband comes home he often says, "Why are you so selfish?" He has a very busy work schedule and frequently goes away on business trips for one or two days. If I study the Fa alone at home while he is away, he is unhappy when he comes home. However, when I study the Fa with a group of practitioners, my husband isn't that way. Although we still have conflicts, I can quickly look inside myself for the omission. Teacher said:
"That’s because whoever the karma falls on, that’s who feels the pain." (Zhuan Falun)
I came to a realization on the meaning of the word "selfishness" from this circumstance.
Teacher said in "Harmonizing with Fa"
Buddha’s light illuminates everywhere,
Propriety and justice are perfected and illuminated.
Together, wholeheartedly strive upward,
The path ahead is bright.
In this teaching, the two words "propriety" and "justice/righteousness" stand out. If one wants to be unselfish, one must adhere to "righteousness." Before the persecution of Falun Dafa started, we often studied the Fa in a group and did the exercises together. I could feel my body and soul were moving closer to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Many practitioners could understand other practitioners' perspectives on the Fa. After the group study environment was lost, although we could still study the Fa and do the exercises, I felt the overall progress in cultivation was not as fast as when we practiced as a group. We are now in the environment of Fa-rectification. This environment is still not positive. However, if every practitioner wanted to create an environment similar to what comes from practicing as a group, it will not be difficult. If everyone has the mindset to study the Fa well in order contribute to the group, instead of only obtaining something from group study, selfishness would not exist. If one only thinks about how to enhance oneself, a person will not be able to upgrade his or herself. Amidst our busy schedules, we must always think of others. We must wholeheartedly study the Fa, upgrade ourselves, and strive forward, which in turn will benefit others.
The Fa belongs to all the sentient beings in the universe not to an individual person. The boundless Fa and boundless compassion are creating unselfish lives in the new universe. Let us mend our omissions, perfect ourselves, and let our lives become unselfish!