(Clearwisdom.net) I am in my 70s and have retired from my job. During our cultivation in the Fa-rectification period, Master asks us to do three things. These three things are to study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth. I would like to share some understandings of how to do the three things well in the Fa-rectification period.
Study the Fa Well
In the article "Seeking Discipleship with Teacher" in Essentials for Further Advancement, Master said:
"A person who truly cultivates will gain things naturally without pursuing them. All of the gong and Fa lie in the book, and one will naturally obtain them by reading Dafa. Those who learn it will change automatically, and they will already be in the Dao when they read the book over and over again. Teacher will certainly have Law Bodies (fashen) safeguarding them quietly. With perseverance, they will certainly achieve Righteous Attainment in the future."
Regarding Fa-study, Master also said, "A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains." In the same article, Master said,
"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" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Master has emphasized the importance of studying the Fa in every lecture. I obey what Master asks us to do, and I regard studying the Fa as essential. I study the Fa in various ways, such as reading, studying, memorizing and transcribing it. I make a plan for myself to study both the older lectures and new articles. Every time there's a new article, I study it several times carefully, so as to follow the progress of Fa-rectification. Otherwise, I will include articles from the most recent year in my plan for Fa-study. I read the Essentials for Further Advancement often. However, the main Fa to study is Zhuan Falun.
Reading is the main way for me to study Zhuan Falun. I also transcribe and memorize Zhuan Falun. My habit is to read out loud. This makes it easier for me to maintain my concentration and not fall asleep. We need to guarantee time and a process for studying the Fa. I study Dafa in the afternoon. At four o'clock in the morning, I get up to do the exercises and send forth righteous thoughts. In the morning I study the articles and lectures from Master and do other kinds of work. At noon I take a break for 20 to 30 minutes. My mind is clearer and can stay focused more easily in the afternoon. The effect will be better if one can study the Fa with a pure mind. Basically, I study all of Zhuan Falun once every three days. If there is any delay, I will catch up within the three days. Thus I study Zhuan Falun a total of ten times each month. (It may not be the case when I am away on a trip or on a visit abroad). I have put pressure on myself to follow this plan, so I am not lazy about Fa-study anymore. It has become easier for me to follow my Fa-study plans. Since July 20, 1999, I have studied Zhuan Falun more than 700 times. Since I am retired, I have much more time to study the Fa than practitioners who must go to work. However, I still always feel there is not enough time. Every day I get up early and go to bed late. I am never lazy and I try to use every minute and every second. Because we should do all of the three things well, our time must be planned well. When it comes time to do something (like study), then I ought do that. I try not to let one thing interfere with another; and this ensures that I do what I should.
Studying the Fa can purify our bodies and minds. As the Fa comes into our minds, bad things from the human world are pushed out and eliminated. Continuing to study the Fa over a long period of time can facilitate our letting go of human attachments and desires and finally assimilate to Dafa. If one can put much time into Fa study, one will not have time to take part in everyday things. Bad factors will not take advantage of you. One will not be polluted. The evil will not find anything to take advantage of either. One will have no (or fewer) tribulations or hardships. If there are tribulations or hardships, they will be nothing for a cultivator who is assimilated to Dafa. Regarding the situation of the evil persecution, although there were some interferences and tribulations, I could always break through and be safe in the end. The reason why I was able to go through it steadily and safely is because of Master's benevolent protection, the benefits from much Fa study and sending forth righteous thoughts. It is because of the effects of divine might. We should truly study the Fa, study the Fa,
Send Forth Righteous Thoughts
One of the effects of sending forth righteous thoughts is eliminating evil; the other effect is strengthening our righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Master taught us to send forth righteous thoughts and use supernormal abilities because we are cultivating in the Fa-rectification period. My understanding is that, when we are sending forth righteous thoughts, we are giving orders to our supernormal abilities. If the orders are given clearly, our supernormal abilities will be executed. In earlier lectures, Master asked Dafa practitioners all around the world to send forth righteous thoughts together to eliminate the evil.
Before clarifying the facts or handing out materials, we should send forth righteous thoughts. In my doing so, I have thought: "I am a Dafa disciple, a cultivator who will cultivate into a god or Buddha. I am now using the image of an everyday person to do the things that gods do in this human world. I am clarifying the facts and saving sentient beings. This is the greatest effort, and no one should interfere. Those who interfere are committing a crime. Let my divine power and abilities clear the environment around me. All the places I have been should be clean, and no dark minions, rotten demons, evil factors or the evil specter of the Communist Party can take advantage. Master's Law Body, please reinforce me and let me successfully give out the materials and come back home safely."
Regarding distributing materials in crowded places, I always send forth righteous thoughts for the sentient beings. It is to eliminate the dark minions, rotten demons, evil factors or the evil specter of the Communist Party that control their minds. I do this so the sentient beings can awaken as soon as possible and accept the facts of Dafa and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. When I am at an appropriate place to put fliers such as at a parking area and there are people standing around, I send righteous thoughts for them to go away, and then they leave soon afterwards. Once, when I was giving out fliers, there was a plainclothes policeman on patrol walking straight towards me. I sent righteous thoughts: "Go away, go away, don't interfere with the righteous things I am doing!" After he walked to several steps in front of me, he suddenly turned around and walked away.
In April and May of 2006, when I was reading Master's (then) new lecture from February 26, 2006, in Los Angeles again and again, I began to get some pain in my bones. Initially, I did not pay any attention to it. I did not treat it with righteous thoughts or send forth righteous thoughts towards it. I did not look within myself either. The pain became more and more serious. When I could no longer bear the pain, I started to take it seriously. However, it did not improve. Then I read:
"Whatever level you cultivate to will be your level, and if in the end it appears that you can rise no further, that situation also bespeaks of interference from old-force factors." ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles" on February 25, 2006)
I thought that I may never cultivate to a higher level. That's what made me fall down. Although I was thinking like this, I did not want to. I asked my fellow practitioners to help me to come to a better understanding. As they heard my understanding, they all denied it and said I was not a practitioner like that and that I should cultivate with a mind of cultivating to higher and higher levels. Some of them said that my thoughts were not righteous and that I had some misunderstanding. Some said: "Just look inside yourself. You have to treat it with righteous thoughts and send righteous thoughts against it. We all will help you."
I increased the time for sending forth righteous thoughts. I thought, "I am a Dafa disciple. I have a Vajra's indestructible body. There is no more sickness to suffer. The appearance of sickness is an interference by the evil. It's an illusion. I do not acknowledge it, and I am eliminating all the dark minions, rotten demons, evil factors or the evil specter of the Communist Party that are trying to make me sick. Eliminate all of them!" I also asked Master to help me to find the reason. Later, I had three successive dreams. When I examined the dreams, I realized that all the three things were going well and that I had an attachment of being overjoyed. However, I was not aware of the attachment and the evil took advantage of it. Finally this test was over. If I had not gotten benevolent protection and a hint in my dreams, if I did not have my foundation of Fa study, if I did not get help from my fellow practitioners, I would have had a larger fall. From this lesson, I enlightened to the importance of righteous thoughts and sending forth righteous thoughts. We should never relax in sending forth righteous thoughts! Sending righteous thoughts is a Fa weapon to eliminate the evil. We should use the Fa weapon that Master has given to us.
Clarify the Facts with Diligence
The material sites in our area are working very well. They are safe and stable. Our materials are given out on time. Later, small material sites blossomed everywhere. The larger sites divided into small ones. Also, many practitioners have established family material production sites in their homes.
I initially used the form of writing letters to clarify the facts. However, my writing speed was too slow. Then I started to learn to type. Although I was not very fast, as I finished one document, I could make many copies of it. Since then, I have also chosen some appropriate information from materials on a larger site and edited and printed it. Some of the materials that have comprehensive information include: "Dafa All Around the World," "Benefits of Mind and Body from Cultivation," "The Facts of Effects in Healing and Fitness," "Dafa is Being Persecuted," "The Evil Communist Regime Tells Lies to Slander Falun Gong," "The Facts of the Cruel Persecution," "Facts of Good is Rewarded and Evil Provokes Retribution" and "Stories of Gaining Benefits from Taking the Dafa Amulets." Later the Nine Commentaries and its contents exposing the evil secret concentration camps that are killing Dafa practitioners were added. Sometimes I chose some prophesies. I also made Dafa amulets.
I made truth-clarifying materials and distributed them myself. When other practitioners needed materials, I gave them a supply. Once, a practitioner who lives in another area gave me feedback after taking some of my materials. The practitioner had put material and a Dafa card in front of her neighbor's house. A man in his 70s lives there. His son is the chief of the public security bureau. The old man took this material with him and visited the practitioner later. He happily said, "I got a valuable thing. Let me show you!" The practitioner then replied, "Then give and show it to others." The older man answered, "It's OK to show them, but I will not give it to them. This is a valuable thing. I need to have it to ensure my safety." One evening I was out distributing materials. When I was on my way back home, I saw two men picking up the truth-clarifying materials bag I just distributed. One of them said, "Let's look inside." They read the instructions on the bag first and then opened it. However, the light was too dark and they could not see clearly. They said, "Let's go home and take a look then." They quickly put it back into the bag and took it home.
I think that making materials with diligence attracts sentient beings and can be more effective. It can move their hearts and let them believe that they can be saved by following what is stated there. It seems that making materials with diligence can make the materials be better accepted and understood. Let us open up the wisdom we have gained from cultivating in Dafa and make materials with information that the sentient beings would love to see and know. Let us save more and more sentient beings. This is our responsibility.
Feb 25, 2007
