(Clearwisdom.net) Everyone knows that 1+1 = 2. Everyone remembers his/her own name. Even in their dreams everyone knows their name. Why is that? Because it is only too familiar and is always on one's mind.
Cultivation is the same. If we could all memorize the Fa, learn it by heart and assimilate into the Fa, then we would always keep the way of Dafa in our hearts and minds, wouldn't be lost in tribulations, and would be able to walk well on the cultivation path Master arranged for us. Therefore, as Master has told us often, studying the Fa well is the most important thing.
Master said,
"...the Fa is the foundation; it is what's fundamental for Dafa disciples; it is what ensures everything; and it is the avenue by which a human being journeys toward godhood." ("To the Australia Fa Conference")
Master also said,
"A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains."
"As a student, if his mind is filled with nothing but Dafa, this person is definitely a genuine cultivator. So you must have a clear understanding on the matter of studying the Fa. Reading the books more and studying the books more is the key to truly elevating yourself. To put it more simply, as long as you read Dafa, you are changing; as long as you read Dafa, you are elevating. The boundless content of Dafa plus the supplementary means--the exercises--will enable you to reach Consummation." ("Melt Into the Fa" from Essentials for Future Advancement)
My cultivation experiences over the past eight years made me profoundly realize that the more our minds are filled with the Fa, the fewer human notions and attachments we will have. The more Fa we have internalized, the stronger our righteous thoughts, and the more power we have, the easier it becomes to rescue sentient beings.
We know that every word in Zhuan Falun has Master's image, Falun and Buddhas, Taos and Gods from different levels. Master is the Fa. The Fa is Master. Master's Fa has mighty powers. When we read the book we are assimilating into the Fa. If we calmly study the Fa, all the bad things in different dimensions would be dissolved and eliminated. We would know how to look inward and how to eliminate attachments. We would be genuinely cultivating and assimilating to the Fa. Master would be able to help us eliminate our attachments, and thus our own dimensions would become purified. We would hit less road-blocks. Our Fa-rectification path would be wider and wider. As genuine cultivators we should study the Fa well. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to negate the old forces' evil arrangements and overcome difficult tribulations during the brutal persecution.
In March 2000, I went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa, and was arrested and taken to a detention center. Because I had begun Fa study relatively late, I didn't go to the practice site very often and didn't read many of Master's lectures. All I had was Zhuan Falun. I knew Dafa was good and Master was good, and that Dafa was slandered. But I wasn't really clear how to validate Dafa. I also didn't quite understand all of the Fa principles.
While I was at the detention center fellow practitioners recited Fa, Hong Yin and Master's lectures. I followed them and within several days I was able to recite Hong Yin fluently. During my 50 days in the detention center I was able to memorize more than 60 lectures. Through reciting the Fa I understood that Master already told us the persecution situation and told us how to rectify the Fa. Master was already controlling everything. I was shocked. Master is so great! I believe even more firmly in Dafa and have stronger righteous thoughts. I didn't write the so-called "guarantee statement," and walked out of the detention center with dignity. Now I know - if I had not studied the Fa and recited the Fa, it would have been extremely difficult for me to overcome that tribulation. Having memorized the Fa and having the Fa in my heart helped build a solid foundation for me to validate Dafa later on. Now I understand the importance of studying the Fa well.
On December 23, 2000, I went to Beijing again to validate Dafa, and I was again arrested and sent to a detention center. On January 18, 2001, forty-two Dafa practitioners were illegally sent to Harbin City Drug Rehabilitation Center. I was sentenced to three years in a forced labor camp. While at the detention center I fully utilized all the time to memorize the Fa. I was able to fluently recite many lectures, such as "Beyond the Limits of Forbearance" and "Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference." I don't remember how many times I recited those lectures. The more I was able to memorize, the stronger my righteous thoughts became. I had one thought, "I am not going to the forced labor camp." It turned out that of the 42 practitioners, three people were released for medical treatment, and I was one of them.
They sent me back to the detention center. Because I was reciting the Fa every day, my xinxing improved and my righteous thoughts became stronger. I didn't know then how to send forth righteous thoughts. But I was thinking every day, "Master, I will follow you forever, no matter what happens. I don't want anything in this human world. I only want Dafa. I will never be "reformed," even if I have to die."
I thought of many things. Looking back, those were all righteous thoughts. But at that time I didn't explicitly know they were "righteous thoughts." I was only thinking like that. The evildoing guards asked me if I was planning to go to Beijing again. I answered without any hesitation, "I will continue to go until the Fa is rectified."
The evildoers wanted me to write a guarantee statement, but I didn't cooperate. After 108 days, I was able to walk out of the evils' den with dignity one more time.
Looking back, the reason I was able to walk out was because of the power of Dafa. If I had not studied the Fa and memorized the Fa, and had not had the Fa in my heart, where would I get the righteous thoughts? Without righteous thoughts, how could I have righteous actions?
The evildoers would not leave me alone after I left the detention center. Personnel from the police station and my workplace constantly attempted to force me to write the guarantee statement. They assigned collaborators to try to brainwash me, and sent people to monitor me, but I resisted. They said that I was too stubborn and they didn't know what to do with me.
Due to the evildoers' interference I became fearful. I didn't clarify the truth for four months. I eventually realized that this was a wrong attitude, and that I should not be afraid of them. I started studying the Fa more diligently and reading Minghui Weekly. My attachment to fear gradually became weaker. I made up my mind, "I am a Dafa practitioner. I must validate Dafa." Later on I was able to work with fellow practitioners together to validate Dafa.
We established five to six Fa study groups in our area in June 2005, to study the Fa, do the three things well and improve as one body. With further cultivation and raising our realms, fellow practitioners further recognized the preciousness of the Fa. Falun Dafa is the fundamental great law that created the universe, and our lives were created by Dafa. How fortunate we are to have obtained the Fa of the universe and have Master personally saving us!
Master said,
"When all sentient beings treasure Dafa, they are treasuring their own lives and being compassionate to all sentient beings." ("Definitive Conclusion" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
Why don't we memorize this precious Fa? Some practitioners said, "Studying the Fa is as if we are collecting gold. It's much more valuable than collecting gold. It's priceless!" Fellow practitioners all started memorizing the Fa. At the very beginning it was difficult to memorize even one paragraph. The progress was very slow. It made us feel that it might take forever to memorize the whole book. It presented a certain fear of the difficulties involved. Fellow practitioners encouraged one another to not fear slow progress, and that the day will come when we can memorize faster, and that the day will come when we will be able to recite the whole the book. There was just one thought, "Memorize the Fa!"
If you are scared off at the very beginning and give up or stop in the middle you are losing the most precious thing. The old forces would be so happy. They would then have reached their goal of preventing you from memorizing the Fa. Sometimes one would face the situation where you were able to recite a long paragraph, but you would have a hard time with one small paragraph. When this happens, don't get anxious. It might be that you need to read this Fa paragraph again and again, you have some attachments that need to be eliminated, or you might need to understand certain Fa principles. It might also be that on that day your xinxing was not at an adequate level, or that you need to improve in a certain area so you can measure things with Dafa, look inward and eliminate the root problem, and raise your realm.
While I was memorizing the Fa, I kept examining myself using the Fa principles, looking for my shortcomings and eliminating them. It wasn't just for the purpose of memorizing the Fa. A senior practitioner said that simply reading the book was quite different from focusing and reciting the Fa. Through memorizing the Fa, she could truly feel that it was herself studying the Fa. She could truly get the Fa into her mind. She had some doubts before. She was angry at herself as well. Why would she doubt such a good Fa? Isn't this being disrespectful to Master? Her issue didn't get resolved for a long time, and she was bothered by it. After she started memorizing the Fa she never again had this thought, and she no longer has doubts. She has a very good effect when sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth. Her family became harmonized.
Another practitioner went to help her daughter, who had just given birth. She became busy helping her daughter and didn't get a chance to memorize the Fa. After she returned home she got nausea and vomited when she tried to memorize the Fa. The evil didn't want her to do it. She realized that memorizing the Fa could eliminate evil lives and evil factors. She thought, "The evil was scared and tried its hardest to stop me. The more they don't want me to memorize, the more diligent I will be in memorizing the Fa. This means I've done the right thing." Now she is able to memorize the Fa problem-free.
The power from memorizing the Fa is huge. Memorizing the Fa can prevent studying the Fa from becoming a mere formality because one has to stay focused to be able to memorize. It is truly studying the Fa. Only by reading again and again and reciting again and again are you able to memorize it, because you have to remain focused. As the Fa is permeating your mind, you assimilate into the Fa. After assimilating into the Fa, one truly understands the Fa principles of that level, and you are at that level. You have the power of that level and the mighty virtue and wisdom of that level. In the meantime, the bad things in one's dimension are dissolved. Your dimension is purified. The lives at that level would be saved. Master tells us in Lecture One of Zhuan Falun, "...matter and mind are one thing." So as you memorize the Fa and keep assimilating to the Fa, your realm ascends. The process of memorizing the Fa is a process of purification. You receive a great effect when sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth, and are thus able to rescue more sentient beings.
After we understand this Fa principle, how could we not start memorizing the Fa? How could we not work very hard to memorize the Fa? The Fa would become part of us, and the evil wouldn't be able to take it away.
Master said,
"No matter how difficult your environment is, no matter how busy you get, you cannot forget to study the Fa. You must study the Fa, because it is the absolute, most fundamental guarantee of your improvement. I can't meet with every student, especially with the current situation in Mainland China. And under these circumstances where our students aren't able to see me, they can't come find Master whenever there's an issue, so they can only take the Fa as the Master. And in order to enable you to do cultivation practice and improve, I've infused this Fa throughout with every element that can enable a person to improve and ascend through cultivation. As long as you study, any problem can be solved. As long as you cultivate and as long as you're able to understand the Fa from the Fa, there's nothing you can't achieve." ("Fa-lecture at the Fa Conference in Florida, U.S.A.")
Recognizing the importance of studying the Fa and sharing experiences, everyone now has a better understanding of the Fa and can comprehend the Fa from the Fa perspective, and know how to look inward and cultivate every single thought. We have thus formed a cultivation environment to study the Fa and cultivate together. Our xinxing as one body improved gradually. We are all able step forward together as one body to send forth righteous thoughts in close proximity [to any evil] and distribute truth clarification materials. It's no longer difficult to clarify the truth to people face-to-face. We are all willing to do it. We do it from the bottom of our hearts.
The above is my personal experience and understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper.