(Clearwisdom.net) I am speaking from personal experience when talking about the subject of studying the Fa to obtain the Fa. A cultivator must study the Fa in tranquility, because a cultivator will only obtain the Fa when he respects the Fa and cultivates solidly. We must know that we study the Fa if we wish to cultivate ourselves and only then can we elevate our xinxing and cultivation level. Sometimes Teacher only needs to provide one or two examples to impart His profound Fa. The Fa is boundless. At every level, a cultivator will be able to enlighten to the Fa that may guide his/her present cultivation, provided that he/she enlightened to the Fa from the Fa. If a cultivator enlightens to the Fa principles with a human mind, he/she will enlighten along the wrong path.
The Fa is harmonizing. Based on my perception, practitioners who have steadfast faith in Teacher and the Fa have a very different experience when studying the Fa, because they do not look for what they want the Fa to teach them, based on their attachments, or look for a certain cultivation state that some other practitioners have experienced. Some practitioners heard that the Fa holds profound meaning and they pay special attention to look for those meanings when studying the Fa. When they failed to obtain the hidden meanings in the Fa, they were disappointed or even skeptical of the Fa. If you elevate your xinxing and cultivation level, you will naturally enlighten to a higher level of the Fa and change your understanding of the Fa. When that happens, you won't wait until Teacher prompts you to study the Fa. You will, instead, make time to study the Fa.
I obtained the Fa on April 25, 1999. At the time I had only a copy of Zhuan Falun and no other Falun Gong books. I felt that Zhuan Falun was not an ordinary book. I couldn't find a single bad word in it. Why did the Chinese Communist regime forbid the Chinese people from practicing Falun Gong? Someone at the top level of the Chinese Communist Party must have made a mistake. I stopped practicing Falun Gong for about two months. After much deliberation, I decided that I should follow Zhuan Falun and cultivate myself. I would see if anyone would dare to meddle with my freedom of belief. Later I got in touch with fellow practitioners and read Teacher's new articles that spoke of the Fa-rectification period and articles at the Minghui website [Chinese version of Clearwisdom]. It was not until then that I realized what was going on. Meanwhile, I learned that tens of thousands of fellow practitioners had gone to the State Appeals Office in Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong.
I studied the Fa solemnly and finally realized what it means to step out and validate the Fa. Fellow practitioners and I started to post important facts about Falun Gong on the streets. Shortly afterwards, we decided that we ought to go to Beijing and validate the Fa. We were arrested for exercising our constitutional right to appeal to the government. We were imprisoned and physically abused during the illegal detention, but released within six days. I know we were quickly released because we had come to validate the Fa and we had no fear. After we returned to our hometown, I began to study the Fa diligently. As I continued to enlighten to the Fa, it was smooth sailing for me to produce and distribute materials that contain important facts about Falun Gong. A more important reason is that I firmly believed that there is nothing wrong with me telling people what Falun Gong is really about [despite the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ban on Falun Gong.]
Each time I studied Lecture Seven of Zhuan Falun, I noticed that Teacher says one should cultivate "in an upright and dignified manner" three times in the passage about no killing and about Sakyamuni telling his disciple to clean up the bathtub. We are cultivating in a righteous Fa and we are supposed to act in an upright and dignified manner. In my eyes, the evil is nothing more than bugs and ants. I shall eliminate those evil beings in other dimensions that attempt to stop me from assisting Teacher in His Fa-rectification and in saving sentient beings. Everywhere I go, I send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all the evil elements from other dimensions, as well as everyday people's negative thoughts about Falun Gong and the CCP's poisonous lies about Falun Gong that fill people's heads. I'm doing this so that Teacher's compassion will be passed to their Main Spirit. I also send out a compassionate thoughts towards people to have them remember "Falun Gong is good." After sending forth righteous thoughts for a long time, it has become almost like a self-running mechanism because I never forget to send forth righteous thoughts. When I distribute materials containing facts about Falun Gong, I keep sending forth righteous thoughts at all times. When a person is walking toward me from afar, I have already eliminated the bad elements before he comes near me. Hence, a person usually responds positively to me when we pass each other. Sometimes I carry the truth-clarification materials in a white tote bag. If I send out a thought to make them invisible, people will not notice what I am carrying. I go out to distribute materials whenever new ones arrive, even on those so-called "politically sensitive days." For the past few years, fellow practitioners and I have always returned home safely after distributing the materials, due to Teacher's compassionate protection.
Teacher has taught us about "Using at Will." I apply it to my truth-clarification work. I use righteous thoughts at will to save sentient beings. Teacher said,
"It is very easy to manipulate an ordinary person's mind." ("Spirit or Animal Possession" in Lecture Three of Zhuan Falun)
Even if it is the evil from other dimensions that manipulates an everyday person to do bad deeds against Falun Gong, practitioners can eliminate the evil elements behind him and suppress his demon nature. This way we will save him and prevent him from committing crimes against Falun Gong and its practitioners. Lately I went to distribute truth-clarification materials in a place with a security camera. With righteous thoughts and righteous actions, I didn't believe that the security camera would function in the presence of a supreme divine being such as me. It would only function in the presence of an ordinary person. As soon as I put down the materials, a saleswoman immediately picked up one copy and read it. It was not until I had selected the vegetables and asked her to weigh them for me that she reluctantly put it down. The world's people indeed long to know the facts about Falun Gong because of their knowing side.
I think that practitioners should step out and save sentient beings in an upright and dignified manner. This will enable us to awaken sentient beings faster. Why do I say so? A few years ago, my daughter said, "You practitioners always distribute materials in a secretive manner. This is the reason why many people toss them away without even reading them. Why don't you do it in an open manner?!" What she called "an open manner" translates into the "upright and dignified manner" that a practitioner should have. Now I agree with my daughter. If every practitioner steps out and explains the facts about Falun Gong to people in an upright and dignified manner, the world's people will understand and accept the facts about Falun Gong a lot faster.
The Chinese Communist regime has been suppressing Falun Gong for such a long time, but people continue to practice Falun Gong. They will come to the conclusion that Falun Gong must be really good. Also, we have distributed a lot of materials over the past few years. People must have questions they want to ask. For example, it says in the materials that many practitioners have been tortured to death and many practitioners were killed for their internal organs, which were sold for profit. People may want to ask us if these are facts or not. They might be skeptical since the CCP does not dare to commit such atrocities in broad daylight; but these are the facts about the CCP's crimes. With this in mind, we must explain these facts to people face to face.
It is helpful to review the following passage of the Fa. Teacher said:
"If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able to do this, evil will of itself no longer exist. All of you are already aware of the principle of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition. If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
The Fa taught me that I must cultivate myself well in order to do the Three Things Teacher requires of us. Later I kept reciting, "Stop the Evil Acts with Righteous Thoughts" for a long time. In addition, I worked on my courage to step forward and distribute materials. In the end, I have truly become fearless. As a cultivator, I must attain this requirement sooner or later. After all, Teacher said,
"[...] what I want are disciples who practice cultivation in an upright and noble manner, magnificent Gods who are unshakable and solid, like diamond." ("Drive Out Interference" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
In my humble opinion, we will elevate our cultivation levels quickly as long as we study the Fa diligently, understand the Fa from the Fa, and govern each and every one of our thoughts, ideas, words, and acts according to the Fa. Some fellow practitioners have said, "I am worried that my righteous thoughts might not work." Actually, the difference between a human being and a divine being lies in one thought. It all depends on what you think. If you always think of yourself as a human being, you will stay at the level of a human being. If you enhance your level from the Fa and conduct yourself as a divine being, you will reach the level of a divine being. Naturally, you will follow the requirements for a divine being.
Cultivation is a solemn matter. A cultivator is allowed to be diligent and not allowed to relax. For a period of time, I spent a lot of time babysitting my grandson and did not have time for housework or for the Three Things required of Falun Gong practitioners in the Fa-rectification period. Due to the interferences, I didn't have time to do anything except babysit my grandson. I even went along with and accepted the interference. For a few days I did not study the Fa or practice the exercises. I even comforted myself by telling myself that I would make up for it once I had time. I then realized that the more I procrastinated, the less time I had. When I picked up a Falun Gong book, I would fall asleep almost immediately. But I didn't feel sleepy at all when I did other things. This wouldn't do. I decided to study the Fa standing up, but I still fell asleep. I decided to study the Fa kneeling down, but I still fell asleep. Then it suddenly dawned on me that it was because of my lack of diligence that I encountered this problem. It was not until I arranged time every day to study the Fa that this problem disappeared.
All of us must cherish time. If we improve our understanding on the Fa, we will realize that Teacher has imparted the Great Law of the universe. Given my understanding of the Fa, it would take only a wave of Teacher's hand to eliminate all the evil and unrighteous beings. But Teacher is compassionate towards every life. Teacher cherishes every life. This is the reason why Teacher gives each life an opportunity to choose its own future. Teacher also gives each Falun Gong practitioner opportunities to establish his/her mighty virtue and time to cultivate himself/herself. We practitioners in China should seize the time and improve our understanding of the Fa in order to stop the persecution as soon as possible. What we practitioners say will determine the outcome. Once we attain righteous understanding on the Fa, the evil will self-destruct and we will save more sentient beings. We should heed Teacher's words:
"I just don't believe their consciences are irretrievably lost." ("For the Good of the World")
This is my understanding on studying the Fa diligently. Please kindly point out anything erroneous. I thank Teacher for His compassion. I also thank fellow practitioners for sharing their cultivation experiences and insights that have helped me move forward in my cultivation.
