(Clearwisdom.net)
Master said,
"The cultivation practice form that I have left for Dafa disciples ensures that disciples can truly improve themselves. For example, I ask you to do the exercises as a group in parks in order to form an environment. This environment is the best way to change the surface of a person. The lofty conduct that Dafa disciples have established in this environment--including every word and every deed--can make people recognize their own weaknesses and identify their shortcomings; it can move their hearts, refine their conduct, and enable them to make progress more rapidly. Therefore, new students or self-taught disciples have to go to the practice sites to do the exercises." ("Environment," Essentials for Further Advancement)
Years of group Fa study has every participating practitioner agree that attending group study assures us that we will do the three things well.
Group Fa Study Has Helped All Practitioners Improve
No matter how well a practitioner cultivates, it only concerns him or herself. All practitioners have improved as a whole; improving as one body is what Master wants. Master does not want to leave out a single practitioner. In my opinion, group Fa study is a way for older practitioners and for those who only got a limited education or lack sufficient enlightenment quality to study the Fa and share understandings with others. It helps them to improve together, so as to keep up with the advancement of Fa rectification and do the three things well, without obstacles.
Group Fa Study Helps Us Keep Up with the Advancement of Fa-Rectification
We have kept up group Fa Study in our area. At the same, every practitioner gets Master's lectures and articles, "Minghui Weekly," and truth-clarification materials on time. Through sharing our understandings and experiences, every practitioner has been able to keep up with the advancement of Fa rectification. Moreover, we were able to strengthen each other's righteous thoughts, remind each other of shortcomings, and help each other understand the Fa and improve quickly.
After studying Master's "Lecture to Australian Practitioners," we came to realize that we could no longer ramblingly clarify the facts, because we are fighting to rescue people from the old forces, and time is running short. We have all felt Master's earnest hope and immense compassion through studying the lecture.
After sharing our understandings, practitioners have quickly realized the importance of clarifying the facts systematically and with perseverance. Based on our situation, we realized we should cover all the surrounding villages where there are no practitioners. Although we had distributed truth-clarification materials in those areas before, our success in encouraging people to make the "three withdrawals" (withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Party and its two youth organizations) was limited, and difficulties still exist. We realized we had to do it systemically and on a large scale.
Practitioners understood the importance. We formed small groups of two or three practitioners each and began clarifying the facts and persuading people to consider quitting the CCP in those surrounding areas.
Group Fa study is the key to persisting in our effort. With mutual encouragement and help, practitioners' understandings have improved holistically, and truth-clarification groups have been active at this writing.
Each truth-clarification group meets at its own preferred daytime location and sets off to do truth-clarification and encourage people to make the three withdrawals. In the process we run into all kinds of people, exactly like Master has mentioned in Zhuan Falun: some are supportive and some negative; some want to learn the practice right away, and some take you to their home to persuade their family members and neighbors to do the three withdrawals, whereas some refuse to listen to anything at all.
Group Fa study allows practitioners to understand that every truth-clarification occasion is a battle between good and evil. We should use our righteous thoughts to eliminate the evils that are controlling people and treat people with compassion. We should look at people's good side and not be moved by their bad side, holding the thought, "I came here to and will offer you salvation!"
No matter what kind of people or what kind of behavior we run into during the day, we take what has moved our hearts and exposed our attachments to the group Fa study at night. Cleansed by Dafa's pure energy field and helped by fellow practitioners, our human thoughts are removed, one after the other, and more steadfast righteous faith and righteous thoughts are what remain. All practitioners have improved in the pure and harmonious environment of group Fa study.
Group Fa Study Has Helped Us Form One Body
Fa study lets every practitioner understand the importance of letting go of selfishness and cooperating with the group, and we are better able to handle things based on being responsible for others, for the one body, and for the Fa. Our group has formed a body that is indestructible, like diamond. During the five or six years of our group Fa study, none of the practitioners have fallen behind or suffered persecution. We have steadily walked the path Master had arranged for us, and firmly done the three things that we are supposed to do, quietly fulfilling our prehistoric vows.
Because of the solid foundation laid by years of group Fa-study, when problems arise, every practitioner in our group can understand it from the Fa with righteous thoughts and righteous actions. No one is swayed in any human way. In my understanding, when an entire group has righteous thoughts and righteous actions, who can touch it? Then the persecution has really turned into illusion.
Group Fa study and group practice is the very best cultivation practice form that Master has arranged for us. Let's not aim too high, and do not go after sensational and heroic things. Cultivation practice is a long, tempering process that requires steadiness and cannot be achieved in a few days, as Master has said. Persistence is the key. Keep on doing group Fa study and improving your xinxing, and nothing can stop you from righteously walking the path that Master has arranged for you.
Master has told us that the number of people in need of being saved is still enormous. Let's all persist in group Fa study, walk righteously the path that Master has arranged for us, and in the limited time frame, use our righteous thoughts and divine thoughts, each of us bearing the strength of several men, to fight to rescue people and fulfill our grand mission bestowed upon us by Dafa, and not let Master down.
April 13, 2009