(Minghui.org) Master told us,
“You all know that wherever I meet with students, I always talk about one subject, namely, I tell you to read the book more and study the Fa more. Even though you all know I’m going to talk about it, I will still discuss it, because if you want to improve in Dafa, reading the book and studying the Fa is of utmost importance.” (Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia)
Falun Dafa practitioners put their hearts into studying the Fa, understanding the deeper meanings and cultivating themselves based on the Fa. Those who are not focused on cultivating themselves often only follow the formality of Fa study, so they have trouble improving their xinxing.
I didn’t cultivate myself diligently for a long time. Even though I studied the Fa every day for 20 years, I did it to complete a task. I failed to understand the true meaning of the Fa. I often dozed off while reading the teachings, meditating, or sending forth righteous thoughts. I can’t say that I did any of the three things well.
I didn’t know how to cultivate myself solidly, much less look within. I treated myself as an ordinary person and enjoyed life’s worldly pleasures. I couldn’t let go of my attachments. I failed to pass tests in my cultivation and did not realize those were opportunities Master arranged for me to improve my xinxing. Years passed, and my tribulations got harder and harder. I almost gave up cultivating—it fills me with dread when I think about that now.
Fortunately, a fellow practitioner helped me. She studied the Fa with me every day. I gradually picked myself up and realized my mission as a Falun Dafa practitioner. After we finished reading Master’s lectures from around the world, I realized that my xinxing had improved and I had fewer attachments. The practitioner suggested we memorize Zhuan Falun. She’d made this suggestion before, but I couldn’t keep it up. She’d memorized the Fa once herself, while I hadn’t moved forward.
I made up my mind to memorize the Fa with her this time. It was hard from the very beginning. It took me a long time to memorize one sentence. I moved on to the next sentence after memorizing one, no matter how long it took. I finally finished memorizing the book once after nearly a year.
As we memorized and studied the Fa every day, we noticed how we were changing. We used to chat about everyday life when we were together, but now we often chat about how to improve our cultivation, how to understand the Fa, and how to pass our tests.
She and I memorized the book for the second time and then the third time. We also copied the Fa together. Sometimes, we carefully wrote down a sentence after reciting it, paying close attention to every stroke. Due to our influence, several fellow practitioners also started to memorize and copy the book. It’s great when we can collectively cultivate.
When the other practitioner praised me for my quick progress, I said, “I thank Master for not giving up on me, first of all. Secondly, I thank you for all your help these years. I couldn’t have made any progress if you hadn’t encouraged me.”
My xinxing improved as I memorized the Fa. Now I can quickly catch bad thoughts, identify what’s behind them, and reject them. Now I see the opportunities Master arranges for me so I can improve. I asked myself, “What do I want as a Falun Dafa practitioner? An ordinary person’s life? Of course not. I want to cultivate myself to reach consummation and follow Master to return to my true origin. Therefore, I must let go of my attachments sooner or later. I might as well do it sooner than later. Otherwise, I won’t be able to return to my true home.”
I passed one test after another easily and finally experienced what Master taught us,
“Doing the exercises isn’t hard in its own right, and there’s nothing hard about raising your level in and of itself. They only say it’s hard because they can’t let go of their human thoughts.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun, Translation Edition (Feb. 2003, North America))
Studying the Fa well is the prerequisite to doing the three things well. It improves our ability to clarify the truth.
One day as I was cleaning my store, a man came in and then left. I regretted missing the opportunity to clarify the truth to him and begged Master to give me a second chance. An hour later the man returned. I was thrilled to see him. He asked me why I was so happy. I said, “I have something important to tell you! Can you spare a minute to listen?” He said yes. I told him the facts about Falun Dafa and asked him if he had ever joined any Communist organizations. He didn’t say anything.
I said, “Who today cares if you live or die? Only Falun Dafa practitioners tell people the truth while risking their lives. Some of us have been arrested, tortured, and even killed for our organs.” Tears came to my eyes. “I only hope you won’t be implicated when the Chinese Communist Party collapses. I wish you safety and a bright future! It doesn’t cost you a penny to quit using a nickname.”
He smiled and said, “Sure! What else can I say, since you have told me all this?” He told me that several practitioners had offered to help him quit in the past, but he didn’t. “I was touched by you today,” he said.
I said, “That’s because we have a predestined relationship on this issue. See, you left but came back. Thank Master for his arrangement!” He nodded and smiled.
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Category: Improving Oneself
