Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What’s Happening?
- A Few Misunderstandings Regarding Searching Inward
- Without a Sincere Attitude When Studying the Fa How Could One Talk About Obtaining the Fa
- Diabetes Disappears After Looking Within
- Don't Slack Off Practicing the Exercises
- When Many Troubles Rain Down at Once
- Why We Fail to Look Inward
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the February 2014 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
One month in the New Year is over and hope we all do better in our cultivation and live upto the vows that we have made to Master. Let our resolve to do better not be hollow but we should treasure and cherish what we have got in this lifetime and work towards improving ourselves.
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."
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- 2. What’s Happening?
Practitioners from Bangalore made a presentation to a large audience at the Dignity Foundations Annual Program. Almost everyone present participated in learning the First Exercise. They were told about the Persecution of Falun Dafa disciples in China. Many people knew about it and they showed a lot of concern and wanted to know what was being done to end the pesecution.They also showed interest in more follow up programs.
Practitioners from Bangalore participated in the Book Fair at Mangalore where they had a stall. There was a good response from the locals and many Dafa Books in English and Kannada were purchased by the visitors to the exhibition. Many people wanted to know where they could learn the exercises.
Practitioners from Kerala participated with a stall at the local Book Fair. The response was good and practitioners have already started doing the follow up, instructing people about the exercises in small groups. Many people got to learn about the persecution and were visibly moved.
Practitioners from Delhi, Noida and Mumbai took part in the Surat Book Fair managing to get a stall in the last minute. The response was good and many people were keen to learn the exercises.
Practitioners from Hyderabad continue with unflagging spirits to be at the 45 day Numaish All India Industrial Exhibition which concludes on 15 February. The exercises are demonstrated and flyers are given to people who visit the Book Fair. On Holidays the crowds are huge and it is a good opportunity to introduce Dafa to such large crowds and also inform them about the persecution in China.
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- 3. A Few Misunderstandings Regarding Searching Inward
(Minghui.org)
Every cultivator knows about searching inward, but there are some misunderstandings about the issue, and as a result we have failed to truly use this Fa-treasure well. This in turn has caused us to be stagnant in our cultivation for a long time. The following are some of the misunderstandings that I have noticed:
1. Looking outward in disguised form
Very often we hear some practitioners saying in their sharing, “I looked within myself when I encountered this problem. I looked inward quite a few times but could not find anything. Of course there must be something that I could cultivate regarding the matter. While looking inward I found so and so may have some attachments.” This is no different than looking outward.
Although on the surface it appears that he/she was sincerely looking within, in the end they still found fault with others instead. Even though what they said sounds quite nice, it is very much like the bureaucratic tone in the Party culture, such as: “Oh yes, as a leader, I should bear the responsibility, but... ….” The next several sentences are all about how others have not done right.
2. Telling the other party to look inward
We often run into conflicts with other cultivators, and many tell the other party that what happened is no accident, and that they should look within and so on and so forth, as if it has nothing to do with themselves and they do not need to cultivate any more regarding the matter. Everything is for the cultivation of the other party.
3. Looking inward conditionally
Such behavior appears like this: If you won't look inward, I won't either.
Sometimes, when conflicts occur, neither party involved is willing to calm down first to look inward. They wait until the other party starts to look within, and then they remember that they should search inward as well. They behave as if whoever looks inward first is losing something. Such behavior is looking inward conditionally.
4. Looking inward in order to solve a problem
Some people say, “I have looked inward and have found where I have fallen short. How come the conflict still remains unresolved?” It seems that the reason they look inward is because they want to resolve some everyday people's conflicts instead of making a fundamental change in themselves and truly regarding the conflict as a good opportunity to elevate. They look within for the sake of resolving some problems amongst everyday people.
5. Looking inward with big and empty talk
When problems or conflicts occur in an area, very often some people will say in their sharing: “Let's see if we have some problems as one body; the situation is like this because we all have shortcomings.” There are still people whose cultivation states are not good and often say that, “We're having problems as one body, as a result my cultivation state is not good either.” On the surface, they seem to be looking inward, but in fact what they say is very shallow and without substance. Naturally, one cannot improve by behaving this way.
The above are a few misunderstandings I have noticed with regard to looking inward. I myself have also fallen short in this area. Then, how can we truly search inward?
I feel we should first of all measure ourselves against the Fa. If we compare ourselves with other people, we are bound to feel that we are better in certain areas than others, and it will be very hard for us to find our own shortcomings. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. If we use our strong points to compare with others' weak points, we'll never be able to see our own shortcomings and won't be able to improve either. When we measure ourselves with the Fa and require of ourselves according to the Fa, we will see that as long as we are cultivators, we will always have shortcomings and there will always be gaps. When we see our gaps and try to catch up, we will make continuous improvements.
Secondly we should look within with a pure heart, without any added conditions. We must not put too much stress on objective factors, such as others are not good, the environment is not good, this person is not reasonable, it is not my fault that we did not do well in that, I'm at the end of my tether, my life is so miserable, this thing is so unfair to me, etc. Interfered with by these things, some people stop looking inward. It's true that there are many objective factors, but these are precisely there for us to use to cultivate ourselves. Even in the face of enormous difficulty, we must cultivate ourselves and search inward
Searching inward is not a slogan or a form, but a precondition for cultivators to improve and elevate. Not only should we find our own shortcomings, we should also resolve to relinquish them, and only then can we say we have completed a cultivation action.
The above are some of the misunderstandings regarding searching inward that I have noticed. I used to have similar problems and some practitioners around me also had similar problems. That's why I wrote this article so that we can remind each other.
Let us now study a paragraph of Master's Fa teaching together,
“Whenever you encounter problems you should each look inward to search for the cause within, regardless of whether you’re to blame or not. Remember my words: Regardless of whether the problem is your fault or not, you should look inside yourself, and you will find a problem. If the matter has absolutely nothing to do with you or doesn’t involve any of the attachments you should break, then that thing would rarely happen to you. If you didn’t have an attachment the problem wouldn’t have come about. I have to be responsible for your cultivation. Any problem that happens to you, around you, or among you is most likely related to you, and there is something for you to get rid of. No matter whether it’s your fault or not, when my Law Bodies are having you remove your attachment, they don’t care whether it’s your fault or another person’s. As long as you have an attachment, they will try everything to have you run into problems and have you recognize the attachment that makes you fall short. Yet you’re still looking around, “This isn’t my fault,” or you’re still thinking, “I’m protecting the Fa.” Meanwhile, the other person is thinking, “I’m protecting the Fa.” In fact, the conflict occurs because you probably each have faults of your own.” ("Lecture at the Conference in Europe" on May 30 & 31, 1998, in Frankfurt, Germany)
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- 4. Without a Sincere Attitude When Studying the Fa How Could One Talk About Obtaining the Fa
By a Korean practitioner living in China
(Minghui.org)
My wife and I participate in a local group Fa study. We noticed that someone came late on two occasions. Every time someone is late, whether it's opening the door or walking in and out, these things cause some interference to those who are studying the Fa. Some practitioners check who is coming in while reading the Fa at the same time. Some go to the washroom during Fa-study. There are also those who can't help but look up to see which practitioners go out or come back. Their main consciousnesses are not focused on Fa-study. There are also some practitioners who check the time while studying the Fa and some will check how many pages are left while studying the Fa There are even those who fall asleep or who are very drowsy. I noticed that there are many practitioners who are easily interfered with by some “small trivial things” while studying the Fa and they can't completely concentrate when studying the Fa. Sometimes cell phones ring during Fa study. Others then look in the direction of the ringing cell phone. Though I concentrate when I study the Fa, I also have a limited attention span. I realize that this is a very big interference in Fa-study. Not long after, another cell phone starts to ring. I can understand that their phones are on because they're coordinators. They have a big workload with many things to attend to. Lots of people contact them. Yet I always have a feeling that this is not serious enough when it comes to Fa-study. Plus it distracts others and makes them unable to seriously study the Fa. I remember Master once said: “For example, to avoid interference while you study the Fa, you can switch your phone to "voice mail" mode.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference”) My understanding is that unless it is something extremely important, Fa-study shouldn't be interfered with by any thing. There is another common phenomenon. Many practitioners consider 10pm and 11pm as additional set times to send righteous thoughts. Therefore when 10pm and 11pm are approaching, we will suddenly stop Fa-study and start to send righteous thoughts. After that we continue with Fa-study. We are encouraged to do this because when many practitioners send righteous thoughts together at every hour, the power is immense. We are told that we therefore shouldn't miss this opportunity. What's more, when the four set times for sending righteous thoughts that was recommended by Minghui.org are missed, they can be made up at these two hours. My personal understanding is that there is no problem with sending righteous thoughts as many times as possible. However, if it interferes with Fa-study, I don't consider this acceptable, especially during group Fa-study. By doing this it's very easy to distract one's attention and to cause problems with earnestly studying the Fa. Plus, I have a feeling that this is not being sincere to Fa-study. In my opinion this is a serious problem which affects the three things that Master asks us to do. We all know that studying the Fa is not to follow any particular routine or formality. Yet I still have a feeling that many practitioners consider Fa-study with the same attitude as when they read an ordinary textbook. They don't look at Zhuan Falun with a serious attitude; they don't cherish it as the real Buddha Law. I also know that some practitioners are busy making truth-clarifying materials while they listen to Master's recorded lectures at the same time. I believe that if we study the Fa, whether listening or reading, we should do so wholeheartedly. Our main consciousness must commit to one discipline. Think about it, if Master is lecturing on the Fa at the podium, however some practitioners down there are making truth-clarifying materials, some are doing this, some are doing that, isn't not very disrespectful toward Master? We should think about what kind of an attitude we would have when listening to Master lecture on the podium. Then, we should also be mindful and adopt the same attitude when we study in the Fa study group, or anywhere in fact. Some Fa-study groups start studying Fa-lectures at different Fa conferences right after they finish studying one chapter of Zhuan Falun . Then everybody will go out to clarify the truth. The time is arranged in a very compact way. Of course this gives an impression of diligence. However there is a feeling that though everybody has studied the Fa in this way for many years, some practitioners are still unable to study the Fa deeply enough, nor can they digest what they just studied. From studying the Fa, I was enlightened that if we do not have a serious attitude towards Fa study by following Master's requirements, then we cannot obtain the Fa when studying the Fa, and that it's no different from wasting time. What's more, not only won't we be able to obtain the Fa, but our levels will even drop. Below are some quotes from Master's lectures in relation to Fa-study: “You will encounter many tribulations during the course of practicing cultivation. As long as you study the Fa earnestly, you can overcome any difficulty. As long as you study the Fa earnestly, answers found within the Fa can solve any hard-to-untie knots in your heart, or any hang-ups. This Fa encompasses how to be a human being as well as how to be a heavenly being. I’m also telling you how to be a Buddha, Dao, God, and even a god in still higher realms. How could the Fa fail to eliminate your hang-ups? How could the Fa not open your mind? How could the Fa not resolve your problems? It can do all of this.” (“Lecture at the First Conference in North America”) “But I think that as long as you seriously read the book and seriously learn it, when you don't understand something Master's Law Bodies will give you hints and have you understand. But there's one thing: when you study the Fa, don't do it while holding on to some attachments. You have to calm your mind and be truly studying the Fa. Don't study with some purpose in mind. When you study the Fa, you can't let your mind wander or think about other things while studying the Fa. You can't do that or you'll learn nothing. When you study the Fa, just study the Fa. No interference should be able to affect your Fa-study.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at Metropolitan New York Fa Conference”) “The most prominent manifestation of this is the severe persecution many students face as a result of their strong human mindset and lack of righteous thoughts. The solution is to without exception make studying the Fa a priority and to study the Fa diligently. This Great Law is able to rectify the colossal firmament and allows people to cultivate to Consummation-shouldn't you treasure an opportunity as rare and precious as this? And this is an opportunity that will be gone in an instant!” (“Shed The Human Mindset” (Comment on a student's article, September 1, 2005)) “But when you squeeze in time for study there's a problem that's apt to come up: you can't calm your mind, and if you can't calm your mind, you're in fact studying in vain and wasting time. If you're going to study, you need to set aside everything else that's on your mind, keep your mind steady, quiet your mind, and truly study. Even if you just study a few paragraphs [this way], it's better than reading the entire book with a restless mind. When you study the Fa, you have to absorb it.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students”) “Reading the book cover to cover contributes tremendously to your improvement.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe” (May 30 & 31, 1998 in Frankfurt)) “What’s best for you is to have a set time for studying the Fa. Studying the Fa together is the form that I have given to you. But, you must be diligent about studying the Fa, and study often, and only then can you not lose your bearings, can you walk your path correctly, and do well what you should do. Don’t alter the manner of studying the Fa. Simply read it straight through. Don’t go and start something different, trying to be novel. I think it’s human thinking that leads people to pick and choose which part of the Fa to study or to come up with a new approach to Fa-study.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference”) “This is especially true with Fa-study: you really need to study the Fa with utter seriousness. Do you know what has become of Fa-study in many places? In some areas it has lapsed into a formality. When some people read Zhuan Falun they are not concentrating, but rather, thinking about other things, and not able to focus their attention on cultivation. It thus amounts to wasting time. And not just wasting time—instead of it being the time when they are to be elevating, they are using their minds to think over issues and things that they shouldn’t concern themselves with, and thus, not only aren’t they elevating, but on the contrary, they are often dropping in level. If you don’t study the Fa well, there are many things you will not be able to do well.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference”(July 16, 2011)) “You must study the Fa well, for that is the fundamental guarantee that you return to your position. (Disciples applaud) This isn’t just something that I casually thought up: what Master is imparting to you is the Fa of the cosmos. What I just said was to tell you that you absolutely must not slack off in your cultivation, you absolutely must not slack off in your Fa-study, and that you definitely must do it with all due sincerity. If previously you didn’t study well, you definitely should, once you leave here today and having heard Master address this again, really earnestly study and cultivate, and not let your mind wander. (Disciples applaud) ” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference”(July 16, 2011)) Master has told His students everything patiently and earnestly. It's just that some students do not pay enough attention and are blocked by their own human mindsets. As far as the three things that Master requires is concerned, many practitioners in my area are very persistent in doing them. Whether it's sending righteous thoughts, clarifying the truth, doing the exercises or studying the Fa, everybody is persistent in doing these things with great effort and is very diligent, all not wanting to lag behind. But there is still a feeling that their understandings of the Fa is not solid or deep. Some still have very strong human notions. Normally speaking it shouldn't be like this given the long period of cultivation. Plus it gives me an impression that it's a reflection of not being solid enough when it comes to looking inward. I therefore believe that the problem many of us share is not lack of Fa study. The problem is not studying the Fa seriously. The Fa can break all delusions. Only when we truly and continuously study the Fa and obtain the Fa can we not be deluded by demons and assist more practitioners to be diligent in cultivation together. Above is my personal understanding at my level. Please point out anything inappropriate.
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- 5. Diabetes Disappears After Looking Within
By a practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
I started practicing Falun Dafa in July 2002. Over the past ten years, I've dealt with numerous bouts of sickness karma, however, no matter how sick I felt, I did not take any medicine. Thanks to Master, I now have a healthy body. I knew all along that my good fortune was the result of practicing Dafa. I am very thankful to Master!
I'm So Fortunate to Learn Falun Dafa
In 2001, I lost my job and had to look for temporary work. My health was so bad at the time, that I couldn't even climb a flight of stairs! After my neck became swollen, I went to the hospital for a checkup. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, an incurable disease that required me to take medicine every day. I was only 40 years old at the time and the news hit me like a thunderbolt. As far as I was concerned, my life was over and utterly meaningless. In addition, I had lost my permanent job, so seeking medical treatment was out of the question. I felt like a withered flower and was always in a terrible mood. Several times, I even considered committing suicide.
In July 2002, my mother-in-law, who was a Falun Gong practitioner, suggested that I start cultivating. “Only Master can save you!” she said. She gave me the book, Zhuan Falun, and taught me the exercises. Within one month, not only had my hyperthyroidism disappeared, but other diseases, as well. I felt extremely lucky to be Master’s disciple! I was so happy!
Witnessing Miraculous Things
Many miraculous things have happened to me since I started on the path of cultivation. One day, while I was doing the standing exercise, I saw through my Celestial Eye that I was standing atop the earth, looking down. At that time, the earth looked so tiny. I was able to view this scene for several days.
Another time, while I was practicing the exercises, my MP3 player stopped working. However, I could still hear the exercise music from afar. I was so excited; I knew that Master was encouraging me.
Once, when I was doing the first exercise, I felt my body flying through many layers upon layers of universes. There were also many other miraculous things that happened to me.
Casting Off Sickness Karma
In the first half of 2012, my vision was very blurred, thus I was unable to read. In addition, I could not move my legs and my heart beat very quickly. My weight steadily dropped and I got thinner and thinner. A family member sent me to the hospital for a checkup. I was diagnosed with diabetes. I knew my xinxing had dropped considerably, as my mind was not focused on the Fa. I felt like my life was in extreme danger. I spent an inordinate amount of time watching Chinese Communist Party TV shows instead of doing the exercises and reading the Fa. Thus, the old forces took advantage of my loopholes and persecuted me.
Master said,
“With human beings… when a being can obtain the Fa today in history, it’s no ordinary thing—he’s so fortunate! But as soon as he loses the Fa, do you know what he faces? It’s really horrific, because when he fails to fulfill the major responsibilities and the huge missions that were bestowed upon him, then, accordingly, that’s like the inverse of a being’s Consummation, and he will truly have to enter the gate of no-life. You folks can’t just go and abandon a person without trying hard enough. No matter what kind of mistakes someone has made, or what kind of a person he is, I still want to give him a chance. Of course, in human society there are, after all, a number of people who aren’t good enough anymore, so just let them be. Today I’m mainly saying that our Dafa disciples need to do better, and we should cherish those who have obtained the Fa.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference”)
I realized that I had not cultivated solidly, nor had I treasured the Fa. Instead, I was attached to seeking a comfortable ordinary life. However, Master told us to look within, and as soon as I did, I experienced the magnificence of the Fa. We need to look within, especially when we are going through bouts of sickness karma. Only by doing this can we improve ourselves.
Master told us, “…If you do not change the human logic that you, as an ordinary human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years, you will be unable to break away from this superficial human shell and reach Consummation. … ” (“Cautionary Advice” from Essentials For Further Advancement)
I realized that I am a Dafa disciple and Master is beside me. No matter what agreement I may have signed with the old forces in the past, that agreement is now null and void. We should never acknowledge the old force's arrangements! I only walk the path arranged by Master. Everything of mine is decided by Master.
During the course of looking within, studying the Fa, and practicing the exercises, my diabetes symptoms completely disappeared, without me even realizing it. I appreciate that Master did not give up on me and allowed me to cultivate again. My gratitude toward Master is hard to express in words. I will do the three things very well and return home with Master!
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- 6. Don't Slack Off Practicing the Exercises
By Chu Yuan
(Minghui.org)
I have benefitted greatly by reading for a few hours every day the articles from the 9th China Fahui on Minghui.org.
I haven't diligently practiced the exercises for over a year and rarely participated in the morning exercises. I would intermittently do a few exercises in the afternoon or evening. I felt very tired every day because I neglected them. When I went back to my dorm room I just wanted to lie down. I felt anxious but after doing better for a couple of days, I would slack off again. I dreamt many times about doing the exercises but I just couldn't go through the motions. Sometimes I dreamt that the weapons I shot to the evil were very weak when I eliminated the evil and the evil wasn't intimidated.
For the past couple of weeks I have continuously read experience sharing articles. I have been moved by the righteous thoughts and actions of my fellow practitioners and at the same time felt worried about my own cultivation and shortcomings, particularly after reading, “A Young Practitioner Strives Forward and Assimilates to the Fa,” (9th China Fahui on Minghui.org.(http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/12/10/136589.html) The article was like a sword that cut through the illusion and my anxiety, and all that remained was Dafa. I made the connection and became determined in my own mind to truly cultivate. I wanted to break through my current circumstances. I had to study the Fa more. I had to fill my dimensional field field with the Fa, and eliminate all deviant notions.
Master said,
“A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains. All of what a person sees with the eyes and hears with the ears are: violence, lust, power struggles in literary works, struggles for profit in the practical world, money worship, other manifestations of demon-nature, and so on. With his head filled with these, this kind of person is truly a bad person, no matter what he appears to be. A person’s behavior is dictated by his thoughts. With a mind full of such things, what’s a person able to do?” (“Melt Into the Fa” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I really loved to watch television and read books, especially historical and mystery novels, when I was young. The bookstore was my favorite place. The past few years I've especially enjoyed reading novels and have downloaded many from the internet. I often felt deep regret that I had wasted time after reading them. I deleted the novels that I downloaded. Soon I downloaded new ones, read them, regretted it and then deleted them again. This cycle repeated many times. I went through the same cycle with movies, particularly western science fiction and thrillers. I downloaded, read, erased and downloaded new ones. I became trapped in human attachments, suffered and drifted along with the tide. Although I still did the , I wasted too much time in reading novels and watching movies. Sometimes I came across wonderful scenes in a novel or movie, and didn't send righteous thoughts at the designated times. I rarely read Dafa books. I became more exhausted. These things seriously interfered with my doing the three things well.
I have read so many novels and watched so many movies, filled with violence, lust, and people vying with one another. I don't know how many notions and toxic substances I have formed within my dimensional field. I need to completely get rid of them. They are in stark contrast with the Fa that Master has taught. Master to please help me, your disciple, to remove these bad substances.
The first thing I did was to get rid of the novels and movies that I had stored on my computer and USB drives, in order to guarantee that my exterior dimensional field was clean and pure. Previously I stayed in the office to kill time for about half an hour after morning reading. Now I grab this time, run back to my dorm room and study the Fa. Even though it's very little time, it helps me to melt into the Fa. Other students listen to music while they study. I listen to . I don't relax at noon but use the time to study the Fa more and read experience sharing papers by my fellow practitioners. I squeeze in more time in the afternoon to study the Fa. In the evenings, after class, I visit the Minghui website. I read until it's time to send forth righteous thoughts at midnight.
I usually don't rest at noon. If I go to sleep after midnight and wake up by 5:50 a.m., I'll only sleep a little over five hours. If I join the morning exercises at 3:50 a.m., I won't get much sleep. This notion has interfered with me doing the exercises. The time is tight, yet I study the Fa a lot. My mind has gradually calmed down. I have begun to break through this notion. I insist that I get up and do the early morning exercises.
A few days ago when I was doing the second exercise, the Falun Standing Stance, I compassionately told the sentient beings in my dimensional field, “I didn't emphasize the importance of doing the exercises before. I really hurt you and interfered with your assimilating to the Fa. Now I will follow Master's teachings. I will take doing the exercises seriously. I will follow Master home. I hope that all of us will assimilate to the Fa together.” As soon as I had this thought, my whole body shook and I felt a warm current course through my body. Tears of compassion silently bathed my face. One thought filled my mind, “I'm not doing the exercises just for myself, it is for the sentient beings in my world, This body isn't just mine. I have no grounds, nor the right to be lazy. I can't let the selfishness that I developed postnatally influence the sentient beings in my world.”
After I developed the habit of getting up early to do the exercises, I was no longer anxious and my spirit wasn't listless. On the contrary my mind was really clear and I was one hundred percent energetic. At the same time I saved more time to study the Fa and tell people the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution.
I was finally able to do the early morning exercises with Master's blessings. Thank you Master.
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- 7. When Many Troubles Rain Down at Once
(Minghui.org)
When
Master talked about being able to endure the toughest hardships of all in
Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun, he told us about a person who had so many
troubles sudden unemployment, an elderly parent hospitalized, a son involved in
a fight, a spouse having an affair, and more. He also said we would not
necessarily have such troubles, but xinxing"
conflicts are no easier to endure than these kinds of things. Reflecting upon my
experiences over the last few days, I was just like the person Master talked
about. All the troubles came almost at the same time creditors calling, my
mother's illness, my husband becoming unemployed, my son having bad grades, my
daughter's demands, fellow practitioners staying away, and myself also
experiencing symptoms of sickness.
I had borrowed tens of thousands of yuan to build my
house. Included in my debts was a debt of 3,000 yuan to my brother. However,
this brother unfortunately was diagnosed with a very difficult to cure heart
disease. He spent more than 100,000 yuan and no cure was in sight. I hastened to
put together all the money I had and finally got 3,000 yuan to pay my brother
back. I only had a little more than 100 yuan left. After paying the debt, I felt
completely relaxed. I thought that now I could study the Fa peacefully.
Unexpectedly, my 80-year-old mother called early the next morning and told me
that her leg hurt so much that she could not walk. She received a drip at the
hospital and wanted me to look after her. There was a humming noise in my head
it was just like someone was hitting my head with a stick. I realized that this
was interference. I started to send forth righteous thoughts. I told my mother
to recite Falun Dafa is good in her mind. With blessings from benevolent Master,
my mother started to improve. But then, my husband received a call from his boss
saying that the company business was not in good shape because of the world
financial crisis, and my husband had to stay home for a number of days. (My
husband was a driver for a private store owner.) In fact, he was facing
unemployment. My family depended on his income for food. I didn't know how to
deal with this sudden loss of income. Then, my son told me after school, Mom, my
teacher wants you to go to the school to have a meeting because my Chinese
grades dropped from top marks to the bottom on my mid-term exam. I had
previously taught at my son's school. Everyone there knew me. What would
everyone think of me?
With so many things suddenly appearing, I also started to
have abnormal reactions a toothache, backache, chest pain, and more. In
addition, my daughter started using foul language, saying it was my fault she
was suffering so much. All this occurred within three or four days; it was all
so sudden and unexpected. However, I remembered Master's teaching,
"Whatever you experience during your
cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you
are cultivating. (To the Chicago Fa Conference)
Isn't that true? At the beginning, I was not moved when
the economic persecution started. I thought I could go through it with Master's
help. Sure enough, my cash flow turned a corner again and everything was moving
in the right direction. The interference caused my mother's illness, dragged me
away from Fa study and the three things, and preoccupied my mind. However, my
mother broke through the difficulty by reciting Falun Dafa is good. Since then,
my mother has not interfered with my practicing Falun Dafa because she has seen
Dafa's beauty in me I have cultivated for ten years, I have good health and I
have saved countless amounts in medical expenses. Also, like thousands of other
Dafa practitioners, I am kind to others, and do not care about fame or personal
gain. I am always considerate of others first. I do not mind how much I lose.
Witnessing this for herself convinced her.
The interference wanted me to suffer economically and have
my husband lose his job. Actually, this was not a big deal. Maybe having another
job would improve his income. No matter what happens, I can always go through it
because I have Master, Dafa, and righteous thoughts. Whoever or whatever impedes
my truth-clarification will surely be eliminated.
In the process, I also looked inward. I found the deeply
hidden attachment of being sensitive to reputation. Then, I put everything
aside, and open-heartedly walked to the campus where I had worked. I found my
son's teacher. The young teacher said that my son was not good at listening in
class. I told her that my son was obsessed with computer games and did not spend
a lot of effort on school work. I had on several occasions pulled the plug or
hidden the mouse, but it proved useless. It was necessary to convince his heart.
I took advantage of this meeting and tried to educate him. So, the meeting was
not a bad thing. It exposed my own attachment, and I also got an opportunity to
educate my son.
In hardship, I was still cheerful and I did not dwell on
those things. I studied the Fa when I should have. I sent forth righteous
thoughts when I should have. I clarified things when I should have. I memorized
the Fa when I should have. Nothing could intimidate me! At the same time, I
denied the evil persecution, found my own attachments, and then eliminated them.
Is there anything that is not good? Actually, all the arrangements by the evil
interference are futile, and they are nothing in the face of a true Falun Dafa
practitioner. Disintegrating evil and following Master is our only true path.
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- 8. Why We Fail to Look Inward
(Minghui.org)
Looking inward has been a requirement
since the very beginning of our cultivation, and has been
emphasized time and again. I think it is a way to find out whether
we are real cultivators. When there is a conflict, we should always
look within ourselves for a reason regardless of who is right or
wrong based on appearance. You are a real practitioner when you are
not fooled by appearances. Every practitioner knows about this
method, and when it affects others, the picture is clear. However,
when it affects ourselves, the tendency is to look at the other
person for a reason.
I know of a couple who are cultivators. They have held an
opinion of their mothers-in-law ever since they began cultivation
practice. Both are confident that the other side is wrong. Thus,
there are many unhappy occasions leading to a negative impact on
Dafa. It is true that based on human reasoning it appears that the
other side is wrong, but practitioners should not use human
notions. He should look within for an attachment that may have
caused this unhappy event. Why is it that these conflicts continue
to exist? Is my level of consciousness high enough on this
particular issue? Is it a karmic debt that I should pay back and
then let go? The point is that we need to consider a problem from
the viewpoint of a practitioner, not an everyday human being. This
is the only way to resolve a problem.
Master told us to look within. This precious method is a problem
solving tool. When there is a conflict, it is an opportunity to use
this tool, find the real cause, and resolve the conflict. Once the
conflict is gone our character automatically improves. We are
cultivating in this secular society, so we must balance our actions
in our families, our jobs, and our dealings with society. We are in
fact applying the to balance our actions and improve our
character. A successful improvement in our character is a true
validation of the Fa. It also adds to our virtue. Such improvements
in our character will also earn the respect of everyday people.
When I face a problem in my practice, it takes time to work out
the right solution. It may take several trials. A case in point is
while doing the sitting exercise, fellow practitioners often told
me that my hands were too low. Although I didn't respond
negatively, and exercised patience, my mind remained disturbed. I
felt that my hands were usually in the right position and I
wondered how they knew about my hands since their eyes were
supposed to be closed. How could they be practicing with their eyes
open and watching someone else? I finally realized that all this
was irrelevant. The situation unfolded this way because I didn't
like to hear criticism. Master wanted to remove this negative
attachment from me so that my character could be improved. When I
reached this understanding my entire body warmed up and I felt very
much relaxed.
In short, conflicts present themselves to help us move forward.
Why don't we like it? Master explains in "Cautionary Advice" from
Essentials for Further Advancement,
"If you do not change the human logic that you, as an ordinary
human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years, you
will be unable to break away from this superficial human shell and
reach Consummation."
Master told us that the logic used by human beings is the
opposite of what it should be. Hence, in any given conflict we
should not use human logic to judge which is the correct way.
Actually, cultivating involves letting go of all human notions.
Holding on to human notions blocks our cultivation. Things will
improve for us when we let go of our human notions.
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