(Clearwisdom.net) I obtained the Fa in December 2007. Once I had read Zhuan Falun I knew that this was the Fa of the Universe, although I didn't yet have a deep understanding.
During the first part of my cultivation I used human notions to evaluate things and thus I didn't look to improve my xinxing according to the Fa standards, and I couldn't cultivate calmly. This caused difficulty and confusion in my cultivation. I was unable to cultivate diligently and in an upright and dignified manner, and there where many attachments I couldn't break through.
I would like to share this experience with practitioners who are going through tribulations. These are my limited understandings. Master said,
"So none of these things are minor, and you should handle them well. Your path is, and I think you've all seen this now, actually very narrow. If you deviate just a little bit you won't measure up to the standard of a Dafa disciple. There's only one very righteous path we can walk on, and we can't deviate even just a little bit, because this is required by history, and required by the lives of sentient beings in the future cosmos. The cosmos in the future can't have any deviation or errors due to your having omissions during the Fa-rectification, so it's important for you to walk each and every step well during your own validating the Fa. It only looks as if it's ordinary. Don't leave any stain or regret on the path that you walk when you validate the Fa and during this period when you establish your mighty virtue. Those can never be erased. Of course, whether it's cultivation, validating the Fa, or clearing away the persecution with righteous thoughts, this affair hasn't ended yet, and before it has ended it's an opportunity for those who haven't done well. If in the end you still don't handle things well, when the end comes you will fail." ("Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan Fa Conference," 2003)
If a practitioner wants to improve, he or she must make a point of studying the Fa diligently and with a clear mind. This is a crucial factor without which it is impossible to assimilate to the Fa.
"When I taught the Fa I told you before about all the problems that might occur during this malicious and destructive examination. It is indeed difficult for those who haven't truly done cultivation to come through this. Now you can see why I've often told you to read the book more, right?! The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
As I understand it, when I study the Fa, it transforms me fundamentally and assimilates my being to the characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Attentively and consistently studying Zhuan Falun achieves this effect.
"Since this is a meeting of assistants, I'll just talk about things related to this. The situation of Falun Dafa's development in various regions reveals that those places have different strengths; they've accumulated a lot of experiences, and they have learned a lot from their experiences in studying Dafa and in cultivation. Since I was home recently--I was in Changchun--I know more about the situation in Changchun. I'll share one thing. Now there's a 'Fa-study upsurge' in Changchun. How is it a Fa-study upsurge? Nowadays other regions consider practicing the exercises really important. Of course, that is really important, it's indispensable in a practice that cultivates both one's nature and life. But in Changchun they make Fa-study even more important. So, every day after they do the exercises they make a point of sitting down to read the book, to study the Fa. And after studying they discuss, they discuss paragraph by paragraph. With time they've started to memorize the book. They thought 'this is something so good' (of course, those are the students' words, not mine), and they thought about how people used to memorize many scriptures even though their meaning wasn't very clear and all of them were pretty vague. Of course, our students had other reasons, too. I'm just giving you the idea. They said: 'Why don't we memorize something that's this good? It requires us to be good people at every moment among everyday people and it enables us to improve, wouldn't it be better if we could memorize it? Then we'll have something we can measure ourselves against at every moment.' That's how they started a 'book-memorizing upsurge.'
"In Changchun there are now more than ten thousand people memorizing the book. What's the situation of their Fa-study now? They sit down and start to study, and they don't need the book--one person recites the book by memory from the beginning, then he stops and another person continues to recite, without making a mistake, and not one single word is recited wrong as they continue to recite. Then it continues, you recite a paragraph, he recites a paragraph, and people go on reciting like this. Later on they started to copy the book by hand. When they make a mistake they start all over again--they hand-copy the book from the very beginning again. What's the purpose? It's to deepen their understanding of the Fa, which really helps the students improve. With such a deep impression [of the Fa] in their minds, whenever they do something they'll be able to hold themselves to a practitioner's standard. It really makes a difference.
"I didn't set these things as requirements for our students. As I just said, many regions have gained a lot of insight from their experiences, which were all helpful. I've also said to the Changchun Assistance Center, 'Your experience should be expanded to the whole country.' Those students improved really quickly after studying the Fa this way, and their levels have been rising really quickly as well--that's bound to be the case. Perhaps a lot of us, since we're cultivating... I can discuss deeper things since those of you present here are assistants and it won't be a problem. Every word in my book is a Falun when it's seen from a low level, and every word is a Law Body of mine when it's seen at a high level--even the component parts are individual ones. It's also different from other books when you're reading out loud with your mouth. Many people have already developed pretty good gong through cultivation, and even the words that they read out loud have images, what comes out of their mouths are all Falun. In other words, our book is not an ordinary book. Of course, people whose levels aren't yet adequate still can't do this. Enabling you to read the book and study the Fa is itself improving you, because we emphasize xinxing cultivation, and having a rational understanding improves a person in and of itself. " ("Suggestions Given at the Beijing Falun Dafa Assistants Meeting," 1994 from Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)
During the first period of my cultivation I didn't concentrate deeply on my Fa study. I read Zhuan Falun often but didn't concentrate fully on the text. I also didn't address this problem seriously. This prevented the Fa from transforming me fundamentally, from disintegrating my human notions, and from raising my understanding.
Having now understood the power of genuine Fa study, I will do my best to place my full attention on the text when reading the Fa, and to read the Fa as much as I can.
After reading the Fa, my xinxing improves. When I don't have a clear mind, it is hard to maintain my xinxing. Therefore, I make it a point to have a calm, clear mind and to have righteous thoughts.
"Ours is a practice that cultivates both nature and life, and the purpose of the movements is mainly to change the benti, meaning, to change our flesh body and the variations of material bodies that exist in various dimensions--this is the main purpose. It also involves [developing] certain supernatural techniques. If you really want to improve yourself, I'd say you have to improve from the Fa. If our xinxing can't elevate then we can't improve from the Fa, and everything else is useless. Why do I say this? It's because if you haven't reached a certain level and your xinxing hasn't elevated, you won't have the gong that determines your level. Without xinxing cultivation a person doesn't have gong. If you want to transform your benti, how do you do this without the reinforcement of this energy? You'll be missing the most crucial thing. You can't transform anything without the reinforcement of this energy. That's why Fa-study is extremely important. I think cultivators should read the book more, and it's guaranteed to help you improve quickly."("Suggestions Given at the Beijing Falun Dafa Assistants Meeting," 1994)
During tests I didn't have righteous thoughts, thus I didn't have the virtue to persevere. As soon as my focus was on righteous thoughts I instantly broke through the obstacles that had held me back all my life. Attachments to sentimentality, comfort, lust, food, anger, zealotry, showing off, and not enduring the pain in the sitting meditation ceased to exist. Once my heart and mind were set on the Fa, I was transformed. The Fa has boundless power and wisdom.
Because of fear and the desire for comfort, during my cultivation I felt uncomfortable if I thought about doing something that was hard to do. As a Dafa disciple, I must constantly maintain righteous thoughts. Fa study strengthens righteous thoughts.
Because I didn't study the Fa with a clear and attentive mind I wasn't able to transform myself fundamentally. I wasted time, and I regret this. I hope that other practitioners seize the moment to study the Fa well. Newer practitioners and practitioners who have not done well should make diligent Fa study their first priority. My understanding is that the Fa can break any attachment and transform people fundamentally no matter how strong their attachments. As long as a practitioner has the earnest, fundamental desire to cultivate Dafa, before the Fa-rectification arrives there is still time left to do this. Be responsible to the future.
"Clarifying the truth is something each and every one of you Dafa disciples must do. I'm telling you this again. Anyone who tries to make excuses for himself and who's never stepped forward is wrong. As for how much longer this tribulation will last, I don't think you should think about these things much. And don't think about whether you can reach Consummation, either, because any desire you have can become an attachment and can be used by the evil. As soon as that kind of thought emerges, the evil might conjure a false image for you, and this will then cause interference. Cherish the present time and make the best use of it--this time is meant for the disciples. While you cultivate, do Fa-rectification, and move yourselves towards Consummation, you also need to save sentient beings; you are creating everything for the future. Everything Dafa disciples do today is extremely important, and the righteous path they take might become a reference for beings in the future. In the meantime, they've laid a foundation in human society for humankind's future way of existence. You know, what's presented on our PureInsight Website is the future humankind's new concepts, and it represents the new humankind's future thinking and correct views. The state, the mercy, the kindness, the purity, the righteousness, and the great forbearance displayed by Dafa disciples during the Fa-rectification period is helping to shape the future society. In addition to Dafa disciples going through the process of cultivation in the current period, there will also be future people obtaining the Fa in a time to come--this undertaking is done in two stages. Originally, the old forces' arrangement was that there would be a total of twenty years, divided into a Fa-rectification period and a period in which the Fa rectifies the human world. During the first ten years, Master would do Fa-rectification and Dafa disciples would cultivate during the Fa-rectification period; during the latter ten years the future people would obtain the Fa. Then it would enter the new era, and at that time the new future would begin. But I've revealed this because things have changed, although not too much. Don't get too happy about this. Those of you who haven't done well, in particular, should know that time is pressing. Don't think about anything else. In everything we do we need to be responsible to the future. Meanwhile, during our clarifying the truth, the future people have truly been saved. In particular, the understanding and support the people outside Mainland China have shown towards Dafa has laid an excellent foundation for their obtaining the Fa and entering the future human society." ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference," 2001 from Guiding the Voyage)
"Having reached this stage in Fa-rectification today, Dafa disciples, Master affirms everything you've been doing during the Fa-rectification. By July 20th of 1999 I had already pushed all of the pre-July 20 students to their positions--I pushed you to your highest positions. I've told you before that your changes start from the utmost microcosm and original nature. Some students felt, 'I'm cultivating so rapidly.' You all felt like that back then. The process of your Consummation and your final elevation in cultivation were both for the purpose of your validating the Fa later on. So if you are someone who studied the Fa well in the period of personal cultivation, you will be doing well validating the Fa and saving sentient beings amidst the persecution; and your body at the surface will be continually assimilating to high levels in the Fa-rectification, and what's left at your human surface will become less and less. But as for those who haven't done well, who have gone to the opposite side, or who don't step forward, we can see that their bodies on their godly-side are dissolving down layer by layer. Of course, this undertaking hasn't been completed yet, Fa-rectification hasn't been concluded, so there's still a chance for you to do well again. Indeed, as long as there's still one day when the persecution hasn't ended, that day is an opportunity. Use it well, do better, come back sooner, and don't miss any more opportunities. Don't dwell on your past mistakes--if you've made mistakes, then do well from now on. Don't think about the things that have happened. Think about how to do well from now on, and become truly responsible to yourself and to sentient beings." ("Touring North America to Teach the Fa," 2002)
What is this cultivation about? It's your being's essence. It's the universe's essence. It is the essence of all creation, existence, people, thoughts, events, actions, matter, time, and history--without exception. It is Truth fundamentally, ultimately, and in its entirety. The Fa is the truth and there is no other truth. What else matters? Righteousness is Truth. Human losses, gains and suffering, and discomfort are the means by which humans gain the truth.
"So just what is Buddha Law? The universe's most fundamental nature, to be True, Good, and Endure, that's the highest expression of Buddha Law, that's the essence of Buddha Law. Buddha Law is expressed in different forms at different levels, and at different levels it acts as a guide in different ways, with its manifestations getting more diverse as the level gets lower. Air particles, stone, wood, soil, steel, the human body--all matter has this nature, to be True, Good, and Endure. In ancient times they believed that the Five Elements form all the myriad things of the universe. And they, too, have this nature--to be True, Good, and Endure. A cultivator can only know the specific manifestation of Buddha Law at the level he has cultivated to, and that's his cultivation Fruition, his level. If you spell it out in detail, the Law is huge. But when you reach its highest point, then it's simple, because the Law stacks up in a pyramid-like shape. Up at an extremely high level you can summarize it in just three words: True, Good, Endure. But as it manifests at each different level it gets extremely complicated. Let's use human beings as an analogy. Daoists see the human body as a small universe. Human beings have a material body, but just having a material body doesn't make somebody a complete person. It takes a human temperament, personality, traits, and a soul to make up a complete and independent person, with individuality. The same goes for this universe of ours: there's the Milky Way and other galaxies, and also life and water, so the myriad things are its material side, but it also has its nature, to be True, Good, and Endure. The particles of every single thing have this nature, and extremely small particles have this nature, too." (Lecture 1, Zhuan Falun, 2003 translation)
To all Dafa disciples, I strongly suggest that you make sure that your thoughts are righteous at all times, and to take this very seriously. Don't be complacent about unrighteous thoughts. We must take Fa study very seriously. We have to study the Fa attentively and diligently. As I understand it, the environment becomes poor in areas where practitioners don't do well in Fa study. Individual practitioners who don't do Fa study well also have problems.
Qing, sentimentality, is a very serious issue which has been tough for me. Diligent Fa study and righteous thoughts can eliminate qing. Nothing else can.
"The steadfast, righteous thoughts of a cultivator transcend all human understandings, transcend all human thinking, and can never be understood by everyday people. At the same time, they cannot be changed by everyday people, because humans are not able to change Enlightened Beings." ("Coercion Cannot Change People's Hearts" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
"There's something else involved in this. As you know, we practitioners have energy in our bodies. By the time you leave this class, 80-90% of you in the class will not only have your health problems healed, but you'll also develop gong, so your bodies carry strong energy. The gong you have isn't proportional to where your character is right now. For the moment your gong is higher--I've raised it for you in one fell swoop--and now you're improving your character. Gradually you'll be able to catch up, and I guarantee you'll catch up during this period of time. That's why we did that ahead of time. So to put it another way, you now have some amount of energy. Since the energy that a true cultivation brings out is pure, and compassionate, all of you sitting here feel a peaceful and compassionate field. In my practice you come through cultivation that way, so I carry these things. As you sit here you all feel that it's harmonious, and nobody has bad thoughts in his mind--the urge to smoke doesn't even come up. Later on as you discipline yourself to live by our Great Law, the gong that emerges in your cultivation will be this way, too. And as your potency continually grows, the radiation of the gong your body has will grow quite powerful. Even if it's not that powerful, a typical person who's within the range of your field, like for example, the people around you when you're at home, you can restrain those other people. Your whole family might be under the effects of your restraining. Now why is that? You don't even have to think, and since this field is a purely kind and compassionate one--it's a field of righteous thoughts--people aren't apt to think about bad things or do bad things. It will have this kind of effect." (Lecture 6, Zhuan Falun, 2003 Translation)
"As for a cultivator, the higher the level he cultivates to, the greater his abilities. This is because the more levels of cosmos he breaks through, the less and lighter matter's weight on his being is, the stronger his innate abilities (supernormal abilities) are, and the greater the number and the more comprehensive are his abilities that are freed. I have taught in the Fa that in Dafa cultivation one's supernormal abilities are developed the most comprehensively because Dafa disciples are to cultivate to higher levels--the higher the level one breaks through, the more he is freed from matter, and he will thus fully demonstrate his innate abilities (supernormal abilities). Dafa disciples have already been bringing their supernormal abilities into full play in Fa-rectification. For instance, while doing Fa-rectification, when the righteous thoughts are very pure, their supernormal abilities are comprehensively utilized. Moreover, with righteous thoughts many disciples are able to use them at will--whatever they want to use, they almost always have it. For example, to freeze those wicked evildoers that persecute Dafa disciples, they just need to say, 'freeze' or 'stay there and don't move,' or point to the group of evildoers, and then they definitely won't be able to move; afterwards they just need to think 'release,' and it will be lifted." ("What are Supernormal Abilities?" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
"The new cosmos is incomparably wonderful and infinitely massive amidst the Fa-rectification, because the entire colossal firmament is made up of tens of millions of incomparably massive cosmic systems, and the great majority of the enormous cosmic systems that have been rectified by the Fa have already entered the new history. At present, the places where the evil is able to do bad things, though, are places that have not been reached by the Fa-rectification's massive changing-force. These are exactly the places where Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts take effect, even though the state of things in these places is also extremely complicated and degenerate." ("The Effect of Righteous Thoughts" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
My understanding of Dafa is limited. Please kindly point out anything that is not righteous.