(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa five years ago. When I read the teachings, I noticed that Master Li, the founder of the practice, always emphasized studying the Fa teachings. If I had questions, other practitioners reminded me to study the Fa more. Every day I read at least one lecture in Zhuan Falun, read Master’s other lectures, and practiced the five exercises.
For three years I did not see any changes in myself and wondered why. Was it because I got drowsy when I meditated or that I was unable to focus when I was reading the teachings? I began to wonder if I was a genuine cultivator. I thought I must not be adhering to Master’s requirements.
Truly Studying the Fa
I was fortunate to find a group Fa study site near my house, and we began to focus on how we could study the Fa better.
At the very beginning of Zhuan Falun is the heading, “Genuinely Guiding People Toward High Levels” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
The word “genuine” or “true” is repeated many times, especially in the first lecture of Zhuan Falun.
Master said,
“Everyone sits here to learn this Dafa, so you must here conduct yourselves as true practitioners, and you must give up attachments.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
“To truly practice cultivation, you must cultivate your mind.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
“Because you want to practice cultivation, we can open for you the most convenient door, and these things can therefore be done for you. Yet they are only done for true practitioners. Of course, some people do not want to practice cultivation and to this moment do not understand it. Accordingly, we cannot take care of them, either. We only take care of true practitioners.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
I looked inward. Was I a genuine practitioner? I felt as though I was still lacking so I became more strict with myself. I focused on every word when I read the Fa. I tried to eliminate all my stray thoughts. If a stray thought surfaced, I would remind myself, “Your main consciousness should dominate, you are studying the Fa.” I would re-read those parts I glossed over. At times, I had to re-read it multiple times because of the strong interference from many stray thoughts. Gradually, this interference began to fade after I understood the purpose of studying the Fa.
After listening to another practitioner’s cultivation experiences I began to send righteous thoughts for 15 minutes to eliminate the negative factors and stray thoughts in my dimensional field. I also began to have new understandings and enlightenments when I read Zhuan Falun. At times, I felt that my thoughts became one with the Fa. I felt differently when I understood the deeper meanings in Master’s lectures. I liked studying the Fa and stopped doing it as though I were just completing a task.
Practicing the Exercises
Master said,
“One with much de has good enlightenment quality. He can suffer and endure physical as well as mental hardships. Even if this person suffers more physically and less mentally, his gong still increases. This is not the case for a person with a lot of the black substance, as he must first go through this process: He must transform the black substance into the white substance. This process is also quite painful.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
What did Master mean by “quite painful?” Could I abide by Master’s standards to suffer and persist? Fortunately, I was able to persist during this process. In the past, I was unable to follow Master’s recorded instructions. After correcting myself, I began to focus on listening to Master’s directions. Thinking back on how I did the exercises before, I realized that it was a reflection of me not respecting Master. As the energy flowed into the palms of my hands during the second exercise, my hands felt very warm. My body felt as if it were getting bigger as I did the third exercise. My entire body felt warm, as if the energy was emitting outward from my fingertips. It felt very comfortable and I had fewer stray thoughts.
I thought of a section in Master’s lectures when I meditated:
“Take a specific case, for example. Let us see how this person practices cultivation. The sitting meditation requires putting up both legs on top of each other for a long period of time. The legs will be painful and numb after assuming the posture. As time passes by, one will begin to feel quite uneasy and then become rather restless. Suffering physically and mentally can make both the body and the mind quite uncomfortable. Some people cannot bear the pain in sitting with the legs like that, and they want to give up by putting the legs down. Some people cannot bear it anymore after sitting a little longer. Once the legs are put down, one’s practice is in vain.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
“The longer you sit, the more intense the exercise and the faster your gong grows. Don’t think about anything when performing this exercise—no thought is involved. From a state of calm enter into deep stillness (ding). But your main consciousness must be aware that you are the one who is doing the exercise.” (Chapter II Illustrations and Explanations of the Exercise Movements, The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)
After reading that, I started to meditate for a longer time. I also went through “transformation of karma” with the pains in my legs getting more intense. I felt karma was being eliminated bit by bit and afterward my body felt more comfortable.
It took several months for Master to eliminate my karma while meditating. Sometimes the pain would only start to occur after 90 minutes into the meditation exercise. I did not emphasize how long I meditated. I would meditate for two hours if I had time during the day, but if time was tight, I’d meditate for 90 minutes.
Upgrading My Xinxing
It seemed that as soon as I stepped out of the house I encountered conflicts—with my family, other practitioners, or colleagues at work. I was troubled and got upset. Many of my attachments surfaced.
Due to the pandemic, my family and I had to stay home. There were many household chores to do and I also had to tutor my daughter in her studies. I did not have much time to study the Fa and that worried me. Dealing with the pandemic, we were all stressed. My husband and I quarreled many times and I knew that this happened because I wasn’t cultivating diligently.
After studying the Fa earnestly, I learned to conduct myself better in accordance with Master’s requirements. I no longer quarreled with my husband. Instead I listened as he talked and I tried to look at the positive side. I learned to be considerate of him and looking inward became something that I did naturally. I was happy to apologize to him and my husband stopped nitpicking about me. He let me prioritize studying the Fa and doing the exercises. Sometimes, he even cleaned the kitchen, prepared meals, and reminded me that it was time to send righteous thoughts. He no longer got upset when he saw me reading the Fa. Our family live in harmony, and we cared for each other from the bottom of our hearts.
My daughter began practicing two years ago. In the past, she was constantly on her computer playing video games, but after she began to practice she became more obedient and even apologized for her past mistakes.
I no longer get angry or upset when I do household chores. While I clean the house, I recite “Falun Dafa is good,” listen to articles on Minghui radio by practitioners recalling Master’s lectures in China, sharing their cultivation experiences, or telling how they are eliminating the culture of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I feel calm and purified.
I also had conflicts with other practitioners. I’d argue about who was right. Then I realized I had a big “ego.” I learned to be more tolerant and no longer felt that I was treated unfairly. I knew I needed to consider others and make up for whatever was lacking. I learned to accept other practitioners’ criticism.
I know Master is eliminating karma and helping me to improve in my cultivation and to improve my xinxing. I would be upset if I did not pass a test well and knew Master would be, too. Upon enlightening to new Fa principles, I’m grateful to Master for unlocking my wisdom.
I feel very fortunate to have found Falun Dafa and do not know how to repay Master except by trying my very best to adhere to the Fa principles. Zhuan Falun isn’t simply a book that I read every day, it is a book that guides me toward higher levels. I have made many mistakes and stumbled in the past.
Master said, “...look for guidance in the teachings as if they were your master.” (Lecture Given at the Conference in Sydney)
This sentence reminded me that I was a cultivator and needed to adhere to Master’s requirements in order to be a “true” cultivator, a genuine Dafa disciple, during the Fa-rectification period.
These are my understandings from reading the Fa. Please compassionately point out anything not in accordance with the Fa.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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