Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What�s Happening?
- Some Thoughts on how the Fa impacts our thought process
- Clear Out the Notion of "Self" with Righteous Thoughts
- Recurrence of Sickness Karma May Reveal a Lopsided View of Dafa
- Completely Eliminate the Old Forces' Influence in Our Thinking
- Where There Is True Understanding of the Fa, There Is Real Letting Go of Oneself
- Breaking Through Individualism is also Not Acknowledging the Old Forces
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the January 2009 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
We hope with the curtains coming down on 2008, we will come out of the recession and put an end to the scourge of terrorism.
Wish you a great 2009 where you gain a better understanding of the Fa and be more steadfast in your cultivation.
In this issue, we have a compilation of experience-sharing Articles gleaned from Clearwisdom that always shine through because of their insights and fine quality of sharing. It is important to read the Clearwisdom, Pureinsight and other Dafa sites. We make an effort to select Articles from the Archives which people don�t go back to and are relevant even today. Contributions are welcome from practitioners.
Heshi! Hope, you like the selection of Articles and gain some new insights!
Note: "All the contents in this newsletter - except for quotations and excerpts of writings of the founder Mr. Li Hongzhi - are only ideas and experiences of practitioners and do not represent Falun Dafa in itself."
Top
- 2. What�s Happening?
Practitioners in Mumbai have been busy doing the follow up on teaching the exercises at the Times Foundation, Nalanda Centres. (Click on article below for more details)
India: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Art Exhibition Held in Mumbai (Photos)
Practitioners in Bangalore have been invited for organizing Falun Dafa exercises at Annual Sports Day and Annual School Day at various schools.
Top
- 3. Some Thoughts on how the Fa impacts our thought process
A compilation of thoughts from Indian Dafa practitioners
Over the years as a cultivator, I have observed that when one is diligent in Fa study and the practice, one can be aware of major transformations in the thought process. And in my understanding, these transformations are the shifts or elevations in one�s levels.
A practitioner shared that when she becomes more clear-minded and rational in her thinking, she is in better control of her emotions. Hence it becomes easier to handle xinxing tests. She added �I have seen in my case whenever I get into the compulsive habit of worrying or being a nit-picking perfectionist (which is an attachment), I try to be a witness of my thought process and I can then become more relaxed and tranquil�.
Another practitioner said she does not feel like socializing or meeting friends who indulge in gossip or scandals. She said she feels most comfortable with practitioners but her family felt a little uncomfortable with her becoming a �social recluse�. Most fellow practitioners said they too get the same kind of feeling and the common understanding was that, this was part of the cultivation process and a refinement of our thinking. Practitioners agreed that since we have to cultivate while living in society, we need to put up a front of being like an everyday person but distance ourselves from everyday people�s stuff.
An observation made was that when one is impulsive in one�s speech, it is because one is not aligned to the Fa and that shows gaps or omissions in one�s cultivation.
Very often practitioners have mood swings and plunge into deep regrets for having been rude to other practitioners or try to justify their speech and actions. Highs and lows are part of the cultivation process. And when one is aware of the lows one can make an effort to refine and do better the next time.
As Master says in Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005:
���Even if shortcomings have shown themselves in one way or another, the fact is, that�s going to be the case for any cultivation form, because on every path there are those who fail midway � all that is normal. Under the tests that the human mind is put to, a state will come about in a cultivator when understanding born of both divine and human thoughts are present and collide. When human thinking gains the upper hand, that person bends towards humanness; when divine thinking and a person�s righteous thoughts gain the upper hand, he heads towards godhood.�
It is important to distinguish thought karma from normal incorrect thoughts. Some practitioners suffer from �persecution complex� where they feel they are abused and taken advantage of � in their work situation as well as by their family. A practitioner suggested that even from an everyday person�s point of view they should ask themselves why do they always have to be a �victim� of circumstances? Why don�t they have genuine friends and colleagues they can count on? Why don�t they get along with the family? An honest answer will expose a lot of their attachments which they are not willing to let go. The biggest attachment being that of �ego� or one always being right! One does not like to be exposed with warts and all.
Talking about the thought process, if one is aspiring to be Gods and go back to one�s true self, one should also be thinking like gods and not ordinary mortals. A practitioner said, in his understanding if he is thinking like a God, he should be able to identify thought karma and distinguish which thoughts are not himself.
In excerpts from Touring North America to Teach the Fa, March 2002, Master explains this aspect:
� It�s not easy for ordinary people to distinguish interference coming from thought karma. If a cultivator is not diligent and doesn�t look for the fundamental motives behind his thoughts, it�s also going to be hard for him to tell. Why aren�t some people able to eliminate thought karma over a long period of time? It�s because they don�t try to distinguish which ones are theirs. Why do we ask to cultivate your self? You should first of all eliminate bad thoughts through cultivation. The reason you are able to get rid of those bad things is that you don�t acknowledge them as you; this is extremely crucial. Because you don�t acknowledge them as you, you can then eliminate them. Actually, they aren�t really you. They are the various kinds of notions, or even karma developed from the things you�ve done after birth-they�re those sort of things. But people usually treat them as part of themselves��..
They treat those post-natal formed things as part of themselves or even believe that it�s the best stuff. Whatever a person wants is up to him, and only when you don�t want this stuff can it be eliminated for you.
�.. It is very difficult for a new student to identify thought karma and distinguish which thoughts are not himself� You can use Dafa to judge. Actually, none of the bad thoughts are you. If you are able to do this, you will distinguish them: �Oh, this thought isn�t good and should be eliminated. I should get rid of it. I shouldn�t think like that.� This in itself is eliminating it. Do you think that those who do bad things, want to do things like that and are born to do that? It�s because their post natal acquired wrong notions have grown stronger and stronger, and their notions have turned around and taken control of them, so they become like that.
In many of the recent Fa conference Lectures, Master has very compassionately reassured practitioners who have self-doubts if they are cultivators and encouraged them to step up and be steadfast in cultivation.
To conclude on a subject that is vast and profound, please treat these as impressions and understanding from various practitioners at different levels.
Top
- 4. Clear Out the Notion of "Self" with Righteous Thoughts
By a Dafa practitioner in China
(Clearwisdom.net) Because of our selfishness, we generate many thoughts, words and deeds to protect and defend ourselves. This is an expression of our notion of "self." Recently, while sharing experiences with fellow practitioners, I suddenly realized another form of our notion of "self:" being attached to our own views on everything.
During the course of studying the Fa and practicing cultivation, we practitioners elevate our minds and realms, and our perspectives on everything improve as well, becoming closer and closer to the truth. However, as we are still cultivating amidst everyday people, we still more or less have human mentalities. Thus, we are likely to hold fast to our own understanding, forming a notion or even an attachment. This new notion of "self" or attachment will hinder our continued improvement, yet it is hardly noticeable, and we may magnify it unwittingly. Consequently, a new attachment will develop and become another obstacle to our improvement in cultivation.
These notions of "self" manifest in such areas as forming opinions toward fellow practitioners, either good or bad; being attached to one's own way of doing things and turning a deaf ear to different opinions; being attached to one's understanding of the Fa at a certain level, or even regarding oneself as superb; feeling delighted and pleased with oneself, or demanding others to do this or that, etc.
We should keep our main consciousness strong, maintain righteous thoughts at all times and study the Fa diligently, so that our minds will always be pure and clear. Only when we continue to discover and eliminate our newly developed notions of "self" during Fa-rectification can we do well in the things we ought to do.
The above is my personal understanding. Please point out anything improper.
Top
- 5. Recurrence of Sickness Karma May Reveal a Lopsided View of Dafa
By Dafa practitioners in Qinghai Province
(Clearwisdom.net) Recently some practitioners have experienced recurrence of "sickness karma," which has caused an adverse effect in the environment around them. There are different types, and we would like to share our view on a few such cases in our region.
We believe that the so-called "recurrence of sickness karma" some practitioners experience has something to do with the way they clarify the truth and their understanding of the Fa. Some practitioners often refer to themselves when clarifying the truth, saying that they used to have very poor health and suffered from numerous illnesses, and that all the illnesses disappeared after they took up cultivation practice and now they enjoy very good health, and so on and so forth. At the time, what they said had a good effect in promoting the Fa, in clarifying the truth and validating the Fa.
However, their understanding of the Fa has failed to keep up with the progress of the Fa-rectification, or for some perhaps their understanding of the Fa has stayed at the level of perceptual knowledge, or possibly they only use one way to clarify the truth and have an attachment to the health improvements they experienced. When they get hold of certain truth clarification pamphlets, they tend to focus on the pursuit that, "One can gain good health and turn bad luck into good if they keep saying 'Dafa is good,'" and consequently, they have failed to demonstrate the beauty and the solemnity of Dafa through their own pure energy field.
With the same truth-clarifying materials, other practitioners are able to achieve very good results in their truth-clarification efforts, thus enabling everyday people to think of Dafa when in a critical situation and to develop righteous thoughts. However, some practitioners could not let go of the attachment they had developed after their illnesses disappeared. Their understanding of the Fa has stayed at this level for a long time and they have been taken advantage of by evil factors.
In recent years, some practitioners have shown serious recurrence of sickness karma, which led to doubts in those to whom they had clarified the truth. Some people even thought that practitioners had lied to them. Because of this, these practitioners developed a desire to ask Master to cure their "illnesses." When the sickness karma became serious, they used their human notions in their hearts to negotiate conditions for their cultivation with Master and used all kinds of excuses to ask Master to eliminate their "sickness karma."
They have failed to enlighten, and in a maze of ordinary society and when the evil targeted their weaknesses and enlarged their human notions, they began to complain about Master and Dafa. Amid their family members' concern and pressure, they went into hospitals for treatment. After they were discharged, they were still not clearheaded and were confused about whether it was the power of the Fa or the medicine that had cured them, or whether they were helped by the righteous thoughts from fellow practitioners or the care from their family members.
When they found it hard to "endure" the "sickness pain," these practitioners who were surrounded by evil could not remember Master and Dafa, and even if they thought of Master and Dafa, all they could think was asking Master to eliminate their pain and to save their lives. These practitioners did not have strong righteous thoughts when the evil attacked them and they still clung to their own human notions, and they failed to view the situation from the perspective of the Fa. They treated what they were experiencing as sickness, and when they found it hard to endure the pain and the misery that were similar to the symptoms they used to suffer before cultivation, their righteous belief became less firm. After they were discharged from the hospital, they knew that their "illness" was not cured and yet they could not find anything wrong with their xinxing or their understanding, so they began to blame everything and everyone by themselves.
One practitioner encountered an unprecedented attack from the dark minions just before he began to do some Dafa work. He was in such pain that he rolled back and forth in bed, and the symptoms were very similar to a type of disease of everyday people. During his suffering, the dark minions cut him off from other Dafa practitioners, to the point where he could hardly remember Dafa, and at the same time, they kept sending everyday people's thoughts into his head, such as how he should have the problem treated and how to arrange for things around him.
Then a thought came to his mind: This is not right. He was aware that the evil dark minions were interfering with him so that he could not do any Dafa work. This meant that the task was very important. Even if he still had shortcomings, the dark minions were not qualified to test him or interfere with him.
At the beginning when he found it hard to bear the pain, he called Master in his heart to help him, but the pain did not diminish. He then found his selfishness. He had a desire to gain when in a difficult situation. This thought was not pure enough. When he endured extreme pain, he tried to keep his state of mind and looked for the base for his righteous thoughts. Finally, Master's words came to his mind. He kept reciting the Fa and let go of his desire to reduce the pain. He sat up to send forth righteous thoughts, then, with great pain, he got out of bed and began to do the exercises with a shaking body. He tried to do every movement properly along with the music, and gradually the pain subsided before he knew it.
After he finished doing the exercises, he began to listen to Master's lectures, and the pain disappeared gradually without him noticing it. The whole incident lasted four hours, from the beginning of the attack until he completely recovered.
For fellow practitioners who still think they are being bothered by "sickness karma" and are still complaining, doubting and wavering, they should carefully check their understanding of Dafa, realize what kind of belief and thoughts are truly pure, and have no further omissions.
Top
- 6. Completely Eliminate the Old Forces' Influence in Our Thinking
(Clearwisdom.net)
Many times in Fa-lectures, Teacher has mentioned the old forces. We know based on Fa principles that the old forces are elements impeding Fa-rectification and meant to be eliminated during Fa-rectification. Then, what are the old forces?
In the past I always thought of the old forces as evil beings that did damage to Dafa who had nothing to do with me. Later through studying Teacher's new articles and reading fellow practitioners' experiences and understanding on Clearwisdom, I realized that the old forces are all the elements in the universe that, in their lengthy existence, have become warped and impure after they deviated from the Fa. Our Dafa disciples' own attachments and selfishness are also manifestations of the old forces. The old forces exist not only externally but also within our bad thoughts and notions. Therefore, our conduct and xinxing that are the expression of and motivated by our selfishness and attachments are very similar to the bad behavior of the old forces during Fa-rectification.
Take myself as an example, previously I thought that I had a pretty good understanding of the Fa and had enlightened to many Fa principles. I was very perceptive and keenly aware of fellow practitioners' attachments. However, quite often I was not very tolerant of others' attachments and even treated the practitioner with disdain. Teacher has told us repeatedly that we should look inward whenever we come across problems, but I stubbornly thought that I had insight into others' attachments because I understood the Fa well. Later I realized that this was actually a manifestation of my limited capacity to tolerate others. Recently I was shocked to find out that my attitude towards fellow practitioners was similar to the old forces' treatment of Dafa disciples.
In reality, the ability to discern others' attachments and problems is not indicative of one's attainment in cultivation, nor are the knowledge of and the ability to talk about many Fa principles. Those old forces can see clearly Dafa disciples' attachments and know many Fa principles. The key is one's attitude and actions upon seeing others' attachments, which is a reflection of one's xinxing level. The old forces' reaction is to nit-pick, castigate, and take pleasure in our misfortune with cruel indifference while being devoid of kindness. So long as their requirements have not been met, they could not care less if Dafa disciples were destroyed. This manifestation reflects exactly the disposition of their xinxing. Meanwhile, Teacher always deals with our attachments with patient and compassionate guidance, sincere words and earnest wishes, and treats our difficulties with understanding. When we don't do well, he feels sympathy for us while encouraging us to do better in the future. He also bears a great deal on our behalf.
Among fellow practitioners, the inability to tolerate each others' attachments, or underscoring others' attachments while disregarding their cultivated side, or discounting someone totally just because of his attachments, are all in reality manifestations of one's xinxing that is under the influence of the old forces.
In fact, we know that we Dafa disciples as a whole still have many attachments and omissions in our xinxing, and we have not done well enough in many respects. Teacher sees them clearly and has also pointed them out. But why did Teacher say time and again in many Fa-lectures that Dafa disciples were magnificent and remarkable, and affirmed repeatedly what we had done? It is my understanding that although we still have attachments, Teacher places more importance on our hearts, our determination to cultivate, the entirety of our lives' journey, and our courage to cultivate in Dafa firmly amidst tribulations. Also, Teacher makes allowances for the reality that it is impossible to let go of all the attachments that had been formed through the many lives in our numerous reincarnations overnight. Therefore, Teacher does not make demands but instead bears a great deal in order to give us enough time to cultivate. He treats the difficulties and pains in our trials and tribulations with understanding, and continuously teaches the Fa to us, in order to guide us through the problems in our cultivation, truly taking into account everything for our benefit from our perspective. Therefore, I think we should also treat our fellow practitioners with a compassionate, tolerant heart, using our kindness to understand each other.
All of the above xinxing problems I mentioned resulting from the influence of the old forces have manifested themselves in my cultivation and that of my fellow practitioners close by. I would like to expose them to enable all of us to see through them and recognize them as a part of the old forces' arrangement, so that they can no longer hide in Dafa disciples' bodies.
Top
- 7. Where There Is True Understanding of the Fa, There Is Real Letting Go of Oneself
By a Falun Dafa practitioner from China
(Clearwisdom.net) I knew in the past that I should act according to Teacher's words and not otherwise; but as time went on, when my righteous thoughts were inadequate, I still committed wrongdoings even when I knew clearly that they were wrong. I realize now that what Teacher has taught us is the Fa - not ordinary people's instructions or orders. Only when I understand the Fa well can I have sufficient righteous thoughts.
For instance, Teacher has taught us to endure. The leaders of my work unit often criticized me, and when it got to be too much, I couldn't bear it anymore. Actually they criticized me for two reasons: One was because of my competitiveness; the other was because of my reluctance to hear unpleasant things. I used to take some measures to please them and sometimes deliberately made them feel that I was not at all happy with them. The results often turned out to be negative.
I had a bad temper, with a reluctance to endure any test. I dealt with problems as if I was not a practitioner. Due to inadequate Fa-study, I was unable to view them as a practitioner. This was, in fact, my resistance to deal with my own tribulations.
I understand now that the reason the "True Insanity" method is applied to those who are lost in the maze but with missions in the human world, is to let them endure many hardships so that they can be purified and quickly return to their origin. In the eyes of gods, whoever endures more hardships and suffers more tribulations, is in fact being taken care of by gods, and the gods are actually good and kind to this person. Using everyday people's ways to deal with those who are unkind to me could not solve the problem, and even when it appeared solved, my own karma was still there, as I had neither upgraded my xinxing nor improved my understanding of the Fa, so the tribulation would occur again.
I read a story about Teacher before. Teacher once bought a bowl of noodles at a restaurant and found it too salty. Teacher then told the waiter very gently that it was a bit salty, but the waiter turned very angry and blamed Teacher. Teacher didn't say a word and ate his noodles quietly.
Before, I couldn't let go of my anger inside and complained about those around me who were unkind and treated me unfairly. I feel so light now, as I have a true understanding of the Fa at a certain level and anger has been replaced by forgiveness.
Top
- 8. Breaking Through Individualism is also Not Acknowledging the Old Forces
(Clearwisdom.net) The old forces have made many, many arrangements. From everyone's individual environment, family factors, from the time of our birth through adulthood, in the formation of our temperaments, thinking, concepts, and so on, there is nothing that is not arranged by the old forces.
Their motives in so doing are, firstly, their so-called offer to let us acknowledge, in this Fa-rectification period, their arrangements and their tests, in order to "temper" us to maturity. Secondly, within this period they could make use of the special characteristics that they had arranged for us to smoothly control us to completely follow the requirements that they had taken pains to meticulously arrange at every level so as not to throw into disorder what they had arranged; thus they achieve their aims.
As Dafa practitioners, we know that we must not acknowledge anything that the old forces have arranged. We do not recognize the old forces. This must be reflected in our actions and conscious thoughts. Because the arrangements by the old forces are so meticulous, they are not easily discernable. We can therefore easily become complacent and unintentionally or unconsciously conform to the arrangements of the old forces.
All of us have our own concepts and temperaments. Only those who cultivate like us are able to alter them. Because we are immersed in the midst of humanity, if we do not study the Fa well, we can easily utilize our concepts to deal with problems and adversely affect our work in Dafa. To do well, we must overcome them and alter them.
Sometimes we hear fellow practitioners say that they like this, dislike that, or that during the day they cannot study the Fa well and must study at night; or within a certain period, they do not feel like reading the books, but only wish to listen to the audio tapes, and so forth and so on. Is this the correct way we should be thinking? Can these be arranged by the old forces?
If we are blocked and restrained to the extent that we cannot even study the Fa diligently because of our individual sentiments, concepts of goodness or evil, etc., we will no longer be able to smoothly cooperate and coordinate with fellow practitioners in our Dafa work. This is to submit to the arrangements of the old forces. Dafa practitioners must "break through individualism," break through the individualism arranged by the old forces, see through them, not acknowledge them--then we can achieve a new life within the Fa. Our every thought and consideration must come from the Fa. When doing Dafa work and in the manner we treat Fa-rectification, we must have this clear and sober understanding.
We must pay close attention to our every thought and consideration. We must be aware of breaking through the forms of base thoughts, sentiments, concepts, laziness and desire for ease and comfort and so on. It is crucial that we are not only cultivators in society, but we must have correct expressions of righteousness, as these are of utmost importance to our being clearly and consciously assimilated into the Fa, and in the validation of the Fa.
In " Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference" Teacher stated: "Speaking from another angle, my disciples, when the old forces are able to do what they want to do, isn't that because you've silently consented to what they want to do?" "Now since you're practitioners, if in this tribulation you can manage to not acknowledge the old forces' arrangements, then you've made it through. And those who haven't done well, in essence, aren't you acknowledging the old forces' arrangements? Once you acknowledge them isn't it like you're part of their group? Because you haven't done well amidst the persecution it's caused instability among the practitioners and aggravated the persecution, so aren't you, too, adding fuel to the fire and helping the evil? Negate them, completely negate everything of the old forces!"
Let us be more steadfast and wiser in the last portion in our path of Fa-rectification.
Top
|