Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What’s Happening?
- My Understanding of “Zhen”
- The Key to Good Experience Sharing
- Learning How to Cultivate After Many Years of Studying the Fa
- The Lesson of No Second Discipline is Very Important
- Some Thoughts on Inaccurate or Even Wrong Exercise Movements
- Some Experiences In Studying the Fa
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the June 2013 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
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 various cities participated in the Book Fair at Ahmedabad where a stall was booked. The week-long Book Fair was a good opportunity for people from various cities around Ahmedabad to learn about Falun Dafa. Thousands of Fliers were distributed everyday and people were also informed about the ongoing persecution in China. Some local people were enthusiastic about starting a practice site and efforts were made to start a practice site and hope it will soon be established.
Practitioners from Hyderabad participated in a 2km run for ‘Let us Vote’. Fliers were distributed to the AP Chief Election Officer (IAS), police, other officials, The Press and the public present.
Practitioners met the asst. commandant of Special Protection Force, Govt. of AP in their head office and with his consent, introduced Falun Dafa to the Force inside the State Secretariat and High court and distributed fliers. The Force liked the practice and asked practitioners to introduce the practice to the force inside state assembly soon.
Hyderabad practitioners also met Joint collector of Hyderabad and explained about the practice by giving her the flier.
Practitioners from Hyderabad attended the meeting of 2557th Buddha Jayanti organized by The Buddhist Society of India and distributed fliers and explained about Falun Dafa to many visitors including the Supreme Court justice, leaders, officials and others.
Practitioners from Bangalore have been making an effort to meet and clarify the truth to Chinese students from Mainland China, in different colleges in Bangalore and those visiting a Chinese restaurant where the restaurant owner has a positive attitude towards Dafa.
Practitioners from Pune held the Falun Dafa Introduction session in one of the MNC where employees learned the first exercise also.
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- 3. My Understanding of “Zhen”
By a Falun Dafa practitioner from China
(Minghui.org)
I planned to distribute some truth-clarifying materials on my way to work today. Last time I walked down a certain road, I saw a policeman staring at me and I became very nervous. Today I didn't want to take the same road and wanted to walk on another road. But I found there was a problem with me. I felt nervous because I was afraid and had some concerns. I realized that my “concerns” and “fear” were against the universe's characteristics. The word “Truthfulness” came into my mind. I suddenly realized that my hesitation and fear were signs that my belief in the truth was not firm enough.
Master said:
“Wavering is also a type of attachment, an attachment of being unstable—it’s also an attachment.” (“Suggestions Given at the Beijing Falun Dafa Assistants Meeting” from Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa).
Suddenly I understood a layer of the Fa: in the universe, if beings only assimilated to “compassion” and “forbearance,” that was not enough. We should be true to our basic nature and free from the influence of outside evil, low level substances, and deviated elements. That is also the cornerstone for the eternal existence of life in the universe. During my cultivation in this lifetime, there must be cultivation factors in this regard. This is a process to test whether a being can uphold the truth, stick to his righteous belief, not be confused by false external images, and not waver or be influenced by human attachments and notions. It is a process of seeking “truth” in cultivation.
My mind suddenly opened up—as a matter of fact, the human world and everything at the lower level are not truth. Because of our own attachments due to selfishness, fear, and other concerns, we have made them real. Those things are generated in lower level spaces and human beings become more attached to them once they exist. If we regard our attachments as our true selves, this is not cultivation of “truth.” Only when we break through acquired attachments and notions can our true nature be revealed and we can then return to our true selves.
I came to understand this layer of the Fa. We should firmly believe what Master said: “This is because the principles of Dafa prohibit it, as the nature of the universe governs everything.” (“A Brief Explanation of Shan” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
Master was teaching his disciples to keep their true nature and return to their original true self. I knew theoretically that attachments and notions were not myself. But I didn't realize that they were actually the obstacles that prevented me from assimilating to the universal characteristics of “Truth-Compassion-Forbearance.” The process of eliminating them was the process of protecting my future life from deterioration and destruction. I regarded falsehoods as reality and acquired notions as myself, and they then governed my mind and actions. How could I cultivate truth?
I realized that all hindrances, tribulations, karma, and interference of any kind are caused by ourselves. They come into being because of our attachments, wrong notions, and understandings, and we must get rid of them in our cultivation. We have to free ourselves from acquired notions and deviations. With Master's help in the Fa rectification period, we can really change the defects in our innate, original life. That is assimilation to the universe's characteristics and assimilation of our indestructible body to the universe's truth. Then we can become immortal.
I quickly eliminated the notions that had interfered with me. Now I only listen to Master and do the that Master requires us to do. I became steady and sound in my heart. I no longer wavered or hesitated. I sent forth righteous thoughts while I walked. I cleared out my bad thoughts and the interference from other dimensions. I was able to complete the job without any hesitation.
This is my understanding of the Fa principles on my level. The Fa principles of “Truth-Compassion-Forbearance” are harmonious. That is my understanding of “Truth.” Please point out anything inappropriate.
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- 4. The Key to Good Experience Sharing
By a Falun Dafa practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
After studying Essentials for Further Advancement, I came to realize that practitioners' experience sharing should be based on encouraging others, so they can improve in the practice. In other words, the purpose of experience sharing is for practitioners to better study the , do the exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, and clarify the truth.
For example, I stopped doing the exercises for a while. After sharing with other practitioners, I realized that there were others that were in a similar cultivation state. Seeing so many practitioners having the same problem as I, I felt that I was not alone.
“It's not just me, I guess it's fine,” I told myself. After quite some time it occurred to me that this attitude was very wrong. I talked with fellow practitioners and decided to do all five of the exercise sets daily. After persevering in doing the exercises, my attachment to laziness was gone. I was able to send righteous thoughts at midnight and no longer suffered sickness karma. I shared my experience with fellow practitioners and encouraged them to do the five exercises on a regular basis. A veteran practitioner said to me, “A young practitioner like you can do all five exercises daily, while I can't. I don't want to be left behind and have to progress more diligently.”
Another example is clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. After talking to fellow practitioners, I found out that some practitioners did barely any truth clarification. I again fell into my old habit, thinking that I was not alone, “It's not just me, many others are like that. I can put it off.” I kept dragging my feet by following others habits. Then, I improved concerning this part of the Master asked of his practitioners and shared with others. My sharing also helped a number of fellow practitioners to be more diligent in clarifying the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong.
I have learned from my experience. Now, when I share with practitioners, I look within based on the Fa. For example, I talk about how I realized my shortcomings based on the Fa and how I improved my . Concerning the shortcomings I still am settled with, I talk about practitioners who do well in this aspect and how they do it. If I have nothing to share, I listen to other practitioners recount how they improved in their cultivation.
The key to good experience sharing is to talk about how one eliminates one's human notions and improve based on the Fa. I should not bring up my shortcomings for the sake of being honest, but simply from the basis of not doing well to avoid preventing others from advancing.
One more thing: we must avoid boasting and showing off during experience sharing.
“Study Fa, obtain Fa,
Compare in studying, compare in cultivating,
Examine each and every deed,
Accomplishing is cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation” from Hong Yin)
I also wish to tell fellow practitioners that the knowledge of Fa principles and discussions can't replace true cultivation.
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- 5. Learning How to Cultivate After Many Years of Studying the Fa
Article by a Dafa practitioner from Mainland China
(Minghui.org)
Some of my recent experiences allowed me realize what “searching within” and “cultivation” mean, which enabled me to experience the power of “harmonizing the Fa as one body.”
I used to work outside of my hometown. I thus had very little contact with fellow practitioners from home, nor did I have much contact with the practitioners there. I cultivated alone, rarely had any conflicts, and I felt my cultivation state was pretty good. One time, I suddenly had the thought of wanting to go back to my hometown and joining the other practitioners. By Master's plan, within a few months, I found a job in my hometown. Just as my work was going smoothly, one of my partners was doing something detrimental to our business. I was very anxious but did not know what to do, because he was affecting me and Dafa. I eventually developed a hatred for this partner, as he had given up his integrity for the sake of profit. I was unable to see this incident clearly from the Fa, and I was not in a good cultivation state. Even though I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil behind my partner, I had no compassion, and as a result, my righteous thoughts had no effect.
At that time, I was able to feel the intensity of the war between good and evil in other dimensions and its effects on my human side. As I was complaining about my partner to my family, I blurted out, “It isn't easy for him either!” I immediately had tears in my eyes and had much less hatred toward my partner. I realized that Master was pointing out that I should look at things from the other person's perspective. I realized that we need to “Treat all beings with kindness.” (“Righteous Gods” from Hong Yin Volume II) Next I saw the words, “Myriad evils weeded out, myriad beings brought to life.” (“Pause to Think” from Hong Yin Volume II) I understood that the evil is behind this problem, that my partner is also a victim. I should use righteous thoughts to save him. I shared my thoughts with fellow practitioners and asked them to help with sending righteous thoughts.
My heart felt a lot lighter without the hatred. One afternoon, I saw many “little people” in front of me when I was sending righteous thoughts. They were running from left to right, and as I took a closer look, those “little people” were all images of my partner. I knew that they were being saved and felt relieved inside. My mind came back to a state of calmness and I had a deeper understanding of “compassion.”
Soon, my partner's attitude changed and our business followed our original plan. From this incident, I learned that what may seem like a conflict between people should not be treated as an ordinary matter. Instead, I need to look at it according to the Fa and resolve it with righteous thoughts. I also felt the power of practitioners acting as a whole body.
Little did I know, that was just the beginning of more upcoming conflicts! In the new company, a majority of the employees were recruited by me from my previous workplaces. I thought that my job would go smoothy since I knew almost everyone there. Surprisingly, in the next few days, some of my trusted colleagues turned ugly because of their competitiveness, and blamed me for everything. I was saddened. At that time, I only recognized my attachments to “emotion,” and did not learn anything more based on the Fa. Later on, a colleague got promoted to be my supervisor. I used to supervise him and he was not even a good worker. He then pushed me around at work. He blamed all the failures on me and claimed all the credit. Even one of my old friends went to him to spread rumors about me. My other colleagues gossiped about my situation as well. Some said that I should stand up for myself, and some said that I was the one that brought in the bad influences. My working environment became chaotic. I would have a good day if my supervisor was not at work, and my heart would feel heavy whenever I thought about him in the morning before heading to work.
I knew there must be other reasons beyond what appeared on the surface. I wanted to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate it, but did not know what to eliminate and negate, as my righteous thoughts had no effect on the situation. I still could not figure out the reason: what have I done wrong? How can they treat me like this! I was enduring the pressure at work while searching for the cause of all my troubles. For a period of time, I had severe headaches, and I could not push myself to send righteous thoughts. Just when I felt hopeless, “Disciples’ righteous thoughts are strong Master has the power to turn the tide” (“Master-Disciple Grace” in Hong Yin Volume II) appeared in my mind. I suddenly felt relaxed. Master was pointing out to me that all these will pass. I needed to see my troubles with righteous thoughts and cultivate myself.
I remembered my fellow practitioners' sharing about “searching within,” so I gave it a try. I understand that “one's appearance reflects what's within” means that the outside environment is a reflection of one's inner state. Therefore, looking at my surrounding environment would help me find the causes within myself. I can find them and look at them according to Dafa, and then either eliminate or harmonize them. Once I had the wish to “search within,” Dafa showed me the essence of my troubles as I was reading “Realms” from Essentials for Further Advancement:
“A wicked person is born of jealousy. Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself.”
As I read the word “jealousy,” my heart moved. Was this it? Aren't my colleagues' arguments about compensation and work distribution based on jealousy? Furthermore, selfishness is what lurks behind the jealousy.
After sharing with my fellow practitioners, they agreed that the problem was jealousy. Through sharing, we realized that jealousy was not supposed to exist in our dimension. We should not accept it and let it interfere with Fa rectification, and we should eliminate it right away. Once I could see it clearly, the heavy feeling in me disappeared, and my anger toward those around me disappeared, too. Instead, I took pity on those who were being manipulated by jealousy. At the same time, I understood that I can only purify myself once I let go of my ordinary human mentality. Then my supernormal side will emerge.
I studied Master's Fa about reincarnation as a group. As I thought about my colleagues and me, I cried. I understood that they came to this world with me for the Fa. It does not matter how their human side treats me. I still have to treasure them, because their human sides are not their true self. I am the one who needed to see things clearly!
In the following days, even though my environment did not change much, my heart was lightened. I understood that since I was not being proactive about cultivation, Master used the old forces to awaken me and push me forward. Through the actions of the people around me, Master allowed me to see all the impurities in my dimension that needed to be cleared away, for instance placing blame, competitiveness, starting trouble, saving face, looking down on others, mind games, etc. All of these were mindsets formed in ordinary human society in the past. They were being expressed through me, but they do not represent my true self.
What happened later furthermore enabled me to understand the seriousness of cultivation. By chance I saw the salary information of all the employees in my company. The figures were actually inaccurate, but I thought they were real at the time. My heart was moved, as I saw that my boss had lowered my salary and raised others without telling me—this was so unfair! Once I had this thought, my heart started to turn. I suddenly realized, “My jealousy is back. This is the root of the problems!” I thought that I did not have “jealousy” in me anymore, but apparently it was still deep inside of me, waiting for a reason to emerge. Jealousy is everywhere. No wonder Master talked about it separately in Zhuan Falun. On the surface, I might have appeared benevolent, but I was not able to truly feel happy for others when they had done something good. I was awakened. I was so far away from true purity. I must pay attention to my every thought, and find the elements that are not based on the Fa and eliminate them, thus purifying myself.
In the quiet night, as I was reading fellow practitioners' sharings and thinking about my recent experience, I had the strong desire to eliminate all of my attachments and find my true self. I thought about several people who had “hurt me the most” in my life. I cried again. I had no resentment in me, instead, I felt thankful and close toward them. I again experienced the power of compassion, as I recognized that mercy is a natural expression of gods, not humans. I used to think very hard about how to do things to be merciful, but now I know that I would know what to do once I improved my own level. Without elevation, actions on the surface must be controlled by human thinking. I understood that to cultivate, one does not need to worry too much about what is on the surface, but instead we should strive to understand the Fa and elevate our level. I knew that through my colleagues, I had elevated myself in the Fa and should thank them. I am thankful for Master's arrangements to bring them near me since none of them are from the local area. During this short period of time, I know that Master had eliminated many bad elements in me, and thus my body and heart feel very much relaxed now.
My experiences in the past year deeply moved me. After “cultivating” for so many years, I actually did not know how to cultivate, and I have just learned to “search within” after sharing with fellow practitioners. I feel both regretful and fortunate, because I am finally benefiting from “searching within.” Are there still fellow practitioners who are stuck in the conflicts of right and wrong, do not know how to “search within” and use our higher level mindset to take care of and control human level conflicts? I hope that my limited understandings can be of some use for fellow practitioners, in their efforts to let go of complex human thoughts, accept our “enemies,” and be compassionate to human beings. We need to elevate ourselves within everyday conflicts, find our true selves and save sentient beings.
The time is tight but our road is long. I know that I still have a lot of attachments to let go of and countless lives to save. I thank my fellow practitioners who shared thoughts with me again and again to help me understand the Fa. I also hope all of my fellow practitioners will let go of the human ideology and accept others, understand fellow practitioners with compassion and not get separated from the one body and lose this cultivation opportunity.
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- 6. The Lesson of No Second Discipline is Very Important
By a Dafa practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
In Master mentioned an elderly woman who levitates from one bed to another. The woman's name is Ms. Xiao, and at the time she was 84 years old. Everyone called her Ma Xiao.
In August 1993, Master came to Guizhou to organize the third class of teaching the . One night during the class break, several elderly practitioners sat on the floor to the right front of the podium to practice crossing their legs in the double lotus position. They talked and laughed while trying to sit in the lotus position. Master came down from the stage to see how they were doing. I also went over and stood next to Master. Master encouraged them to continue the exercises and to not be afraid. Everyone was saying that they could not do the lotus position. Master pointed to Ma Xiao and asked her to try it. While trying to cross her legs Ma Xiao said, “Look, I really can't do it.” She rolled over as she pulled her leg up. Master smiled and said to her, “Don't be afraid. Try again. You can do it.” After she was urged twice she still didn't dare to try it again. I said to her, “Master told you to try again. You can rest assured. If Master says you can do it, then you certainly can do it.” She was still skeptical while trying to cross her legs and said, “I just tried and I really can't do it.” However, before she finished her sentence, she was able to successfully sit in the lotus position, and she did it pretty well.
Ma Xiao was surprised, and said, “How strange. I couldn't pull it up a moment ago. Now my legs are soft as noodles. I can cross my legs easily without trying.” She was extremely happy. Shortly after, I heard from Mr. Jiang, the director of the assistance center that Ma Xiao floated from one bed to another while doing the sitting meditation. She said at the time, her only thought was, “My slippers are still in front of the other bed and I have to go back.” So she floated back.
We can see that Ma Xiao made quick progress practicing Dafa. She was the first practitioner in Guizhou to levitate while doing the sitting exercise.
At that time Zhuan Falun had not been published yet. There were few practitioners who had a tape recorder or tapes of Master's lectures. Practitioners basically did not have the concept of studying the Fa, so their understanding of the Fa principles was very limited. There were many people who could not distinguish between the Buddha Fa and Buddhism. Although Master had taught the Fa of “No Second Discipline,” many people did not pay attention to this teaching.
The people who used to go to temples with Ma Xiao saw her health greatly improve after she began practicing Dafa. So they came to ask her to go to the temples again. Because they misunderstood, they thought Falun Gong was also Buddhism and they felt it didn't matter which practice they followed. Ma Xiao was also a certified lay Buddhist and she began practicing Buddhism again. About a month later, she was hit by a car. After staying in the hospital, not only did she not recover, her condition worsened. Persuaded by fellow practitioners, she came back to Dafa. Very soon she recovered. Her old friends saw that she was fit again and could climb mountains and go to temples, so they again pulled her to practice Buddhism. She could not refuse them and mainly because of her poor understanding of the Fa principles, she again went to temples with them and left Dafa again. Less than a month later she became sick. This time she was never able to stand up again. What a serious lesson! The issue of no second discipline is extremely important! [Editor's note: Ma Xiao did not suffer retribution because she stopped practicing Dafa, but rather, it was the case that when she abandoned Dafa, she was no longer under the protection of Dafa. The problems that befell her were simply part of her regular course of life, which had been altered as long as she was a Dafa practitioner.]
In the the Chinese Communist Party is said to be an evil cult. Practitioners in China still cultivate, live and save sentient beings in the evil party's environment. The evil party uses every opportunity, various methods and all propaganda to spread its evil things. We must constantly be careful. Do not inadvertently fall into the evil party's trap and violate the principle of “No Second Discipline.” Be very, very careful.
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- 7. Some Thoughts on Inaccurate or Even Wrong Exercise Movements
By a Dafa disciple in China
(Minghui.org)
I noticed long ago that the exercise movements of many practitioners, including those who started cultivation practice in Falun Dafa before 1999, are not only inaccurate but sometimes completely wrong. After coming across a Minghui article talking about exercise movements, I’d also like to share my thoughts. I recall when we first started our group exercise site in 1996, we were all very strict about following Master’s instructions to do the exercises. After all, we also had the responsibility of teaching newcomers the movements. Back then, we often practiced in front of mirrors and/or together, so it was easier for us to see where we were off track. We then figured out how to correct our mistakes, reminding each other to make sure our exercise movements were accurate. Because of our high standards, most newcomers had no trouble doing the exercises correctly. All this changed after the persecution began in 1999. Since everyone was forced to practice the exercises on their own, no one else was present to point out any deviations in our movements. Little by little, our exercise movements became inaccurate and were no longer relaxed, slow, and smooth. Without encouragement and supervision from fellow practitioners, many of us slacked off and even did the exercises incorrectly all the time. When some practitioner occasionally pointed out our inaccuracies, not only were we not grateful, but we complained that this practitioner was just going down a dead end. After all, who could do the exercises exactly the same way as Master? The veteran practitioners’ attitude certainly influenced newcomers, and nobody seemed to be happy to be corrected. At that time, Master just published His article “Immutable” (Essentials For Further Advancement). Master pointed out: “As a cultivator, you should practice cultivation in an open and dignified manner and look at the larger picture. How could it possibly be that everyone’s movements are exactly the same, without any slight differences? Don’t focus your mind on such trivialities. The exercise movements are a way to help reach Consummation, and they are certainly important. But instead of going down a dead end, you should devote more effort to improving your xinxing.” After studying the article, we enlightened to the fact that we should not pay too much attention to each and every aspect of our exercise movements; we should be focusing on improving our instead. We felt it was a waste of time to organize practitioners to practice just a few movements just to make sure they were accurate. Looking back now, I realize that “not going down a dead end” does not mean we should neglect paying attention to the accuracy of our exercise movements. I suggest that we distinguish among different levels of our exercise movements: “Exactly the same,” “inaccurate,”“wrong,” and “gravely wrong.” It is certainly a grave concern if someone altered Master’s movements and then taught them to newcomers. “Exactly the same” means every posture and movement is exactly the same as Master does it. “Inaccurate” means slight differences when it comes to how one’s movements are relaxed, slow and smooth versus how fast one does the exercise. “Wrong” means failure to follow Master’s instructions and the movements are totally off. Below I briefly summarize the incorrect movements I’ve noticed among our local practitioners. All the instructions are cited from “The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa.” The First Exercise: Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands “The first exercise is called Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands. You have to stretch and relax the body when doing this exercise. When you stretch, the whole body is stretched gradually to its limit—even to the extent that you feel as though you are splitting into two people. The body stretches as if it becomes very tall and large. No thought is used. After stretching out to the limit, the body is to relax abruptly—you should relax right away once you stretch to the limit.” Many people however just hold out their hands without stretching at all. When some practitioners do stretch their hands, they do it very fast when, in fact, they should stretch gradually. We have two veteran practitioners, who started the practice before 1999, but they still do it incorrectly and refuse to listen to us when we point out their mistakes. When it is time to relax the body, some practitioners tend to move so abruptly that their bodies shake. Some new practitioners also have this problem. Apparently they were never taught the proper way to stretch in the first place. Some people have trouble with one of movements called “Hands Pointing to Heaven and Earth” (Zhangzhi Qiankun). While turning their hands in opposite directions as required, somehow they don’t know how to do it correctly. To help everyone, I cite the instructions here: “Starting from Heshi, separate the hands about 2 to 3 cm (1 inch) (Figure 1-6) and turn them in opposite directions. Males, turn the left hand (females, turn the right hand) towards the chest and turn the right hand forward, so that the left hand is on top and the right hand is on the bottom. Both hands should make a straight line with the forearms. Then, extend the top forearm diagonally upward (Figure 1-7). Have its palm facing down and as high as the head. Keep the other hand in front of the chest with the palm facing up. After the top arm reaches the proper position, push the head upward, press the feet downward, and stretch the entire body to its limits. Stretch for about 2 to 3 seconds, then relax the entire body abruptly. Return the top hand to the front of the chest and form Heshi (Figure 1-5). Next, turn the hands in the opposite directions from the first time, so that the opposite hand is on top and the hand that was on top before is underneath (Figure 1-8). Extend the top hand and repeat the previous movements of the bottom hand (Figure 1-9). After stretching, relax the whole body. Move the hands in front of the chest to Heshi.” The Second Exercise: Falun Standing Stance Regarding how to hold the Law Wheel, the instruction reads, “Have the fingers of the hands pointing towards one another, with a distance of 15 cm (6 inches) between them. Form a circle with the arms. Relax the whole body.” Some people, however, fail to have their fingers point towards each another. They have their fingers point downward or outward instead. The instruction also reads, “Holding the Wheel in Front of the Head” (Touqian Baolun) – Start from Jieyin (the conjoined hand position). Slowly raise both hands from the abdomen, separating them in the process. When the hands are in front of the head, the palms should point towards the face at eyebrow level (Figure 2-2).” I have found that many practitioners raise their hands to the wrong height, either too low or too high. In addition, Master taught us to “Form a circle with the arms,” but many practitioners fail to form a circle at all. The Third Exercise: Penetrating the Cosmic Extremes One movement in the exercise is called, “Turning the Law Wheel With Both Hands (Shuangshou Tuidong Falun) – After the ninth two-handed gliding up and down movement, move both hands downward past the head and over the chest until they reach the lower abdominal area (Figure 3-7). Turn the Law Wheel with both hands (Figure 3-8, Figure 3-9). The left hand goes inside for males, and the right hand goes inside for females. Keep a distance of about 2-3 cm (1 inch) between the hands and also between the inner hand and the lower abdomen. Turn the Law Wheel clockwise 4 times to spin the energy from the outside to the inside of the body. While turning the Law Wheel, keep the hands within the area of the lower abdomen.” Some people are not turning the Law Wheel with both hands. Instead, it appears they have one hand revolve around their other hand. It’s hard to describe the deviation, but you would know they’re not doing it right when you see it. The Fourth Exercise: Falun Heavenly Circulation The instruction reads, “Separate the hands from Heshi. Move them downward to the lower abdomen while turning both palms to face the body. Keep a distance of no more than 10 cm (4 inches) between the hands and the body. After passing the lower abdomen, extend the hands downward between the legs. Move the hands downward with palms facing the inner sides of the legs and, at the same time, bend at the waist and squat down (Figure 4-3). When the fingertips get close to the ground, move the hands in a circle from the front of the feet, along the outside of the feet to the heels (Figure 4-4). Bend both wrists slightly and raise the hands along the backs of the legs (Figure 4-5). Straighten the waist while lifting the hands up along the back (Figure 4-6).” Many practitioners have difficulty moving their hands in a consistent manner around their body. The Fifth Exercise: The Way of Strengthening Supernormal Powers Some practitioners fall asleep during their meditation; many also doze off during sending forth righteous thoughts as well. Final Observation Many practitioners casually move their hands around or look up at the clock even before the conclusion of a set of exercises. As I see it, they are adding extra stuff into Master’s exercise movements. If it is absolutely necessary to finish the exercises early, I suggest that they can do them at a faster pace, of course, without compromising the accuracy of the movements. There are other manifestations of incorrect exercise movements. I suggest that we watch each other practice the exercises and point out inaccuracies whenever we notice them. We should not misconstrue Master’s words about not going to extremes, in an attempt to cover up our mistakes.
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- 8. Some Experiences In Studying the Fa
A Practitioner from Massachusetts, U.S.A.
(Minghui.org)
Several months ago, because of being busy in doing Fa-rectification
work and a lack of clearly understanding the importance in studying the Fa, my
pace of Fa-study had become very sluggish. I couldn't study the Fa with a calm
mind. Sometimes I even couldn't finish one lecture a day, not to mention
practicing the exercises. Therefore, I was in very poor state. I felt tired. I
felt unsatisfied in doing ordinary work as well as Dafa work, and sometimes I
encountered troubles. The worst was that many human notions that I thought I had
gone through during my cultivation came back again. Although righteous thoughts
could play a certain role, I still felt I couldn't root out all the interference
I encountered and the attachments that appeared again.
In the past, when I was in a better state, I would study two lectures of the
Fa in the morning with fellow practitioners at one study group and one lecture
in the evening at another study group. At that time, I read Zhuan Falun
so fluently that my mouth could read faster than my eyes. It seemed that I had
merged together with the Fa. It was also very easy to do Dafa work as well. I
didn't realize it was because of my intensive Fa-study that the Dafa work could
be done so smoothly. Moving to a new area, in the new environment, since I was
the only practitioner in that area, I had been doing both spreading the Fa and
clarifying the truth to Chinese people. I studied the Fa much less, and as a
result, the state I mentioned above developed. Thinking it over thoroughly, I
finally realized the reason behind it was that I did not devote enough time to
study the Fa. I immediately had the thought to resume reading three lectures
every day, and was eager to begin.
After sharing with a fellow practitioner from a neighboring state, we decided
to study two lectures of the Fa together in the morning and one lecture in the
evening on our own. His company was very close to my home. Everything seemed so
natural and was arranged that way. We started our daily schedule of studying
three lectures. Since the Fa-rectification work couldn't be held up, we slept
less in order to study the Fa more.
On the first day, my fellow practitioner had a hard time waking me up at 6:00
a.m. I felt very sleepy when we started to read the Fa since I'd gone to sleep
late the previous day. After the second page, I began to wake up and became more
clearheaded. I became more invigorated as the reading continued. That day when I
was at work, I felt very serene and compassionate, and felt the Fa inside of me.
My relations with fellow colleagues became more harmonious. The wonder and
sacredness of the Fa often made me silently recite Master's poem "Falun Dafa is
Good." It's hard to describe how wonderful and serene I felt in my mind. I had a
deeper understanding to Master's poem "Mighty Virtue," "Dafa never leaves the
body, Heart contains Zhen-Shan-Ren; A great Arhat in the world, Spirits and
ghosts fear the most." (HongYin, unofficial translation)
At the 2003 Los Angeles Conference, it was an honor for me to listen to
Master again. As soon as Master appeared on the stage, I began crying. There are
no words to describe the mighty benevolence of our respected Master, the mighty
wonder of Dafa and how fortunate we are to be "under the greatest mercy since
the beginning of Heaven and Earth and under Buddha's infinite grace" ("Fa-Rectification
Period Dafa Disciples" from Essentials for Further Advancement II) I
never felt so moved like this before. It was the period of intensive Fa-study
that made me deeply understand the sacredness and the solemnness of the Fa, and
the might and benevolence of the Fa. My belief and respect of Master and the Fa
deepened.
It seemed that my manager at work had not been satisfied with my work
performance. The reason on the surface seemed that my new work field was not
what I had studied in school, and I couldn't quickly figure it out. In fact it
was the old forces taking advantage. Looking inward, I found a notion of
irresponsibility toward my work. I always tried to avoid more work and was
anxious to go home to do Fa-rectification work. It seemed I was diligent in
cultivation, but that was an omission. Although I found one of my omissions, the
environment at the work remained the same. Although it improved a little after
exchanging experiences with fellow practitioners, I still felt it was difficult.
Until one day, about two weeks later when starting the intensive Fa-study, just
after finishing the reading, I suddenly recalled Master's words, "Work is work.
Cultivation is cultivation. But your xinxing improvement through cultivation
will be reflected in [your handling of] specific issues at work" (Fa-Lecture
at the Assistants' Fa Conference in Changchun) Thinking of myself, I
realized I mixed up work and cultivation and therefore was not clear what was
the job responsibility. I tried never to offend anybody at work, so therefore
some of the work was delayed. My state of mind changed after I enlightened to
the principle. And with more Fa study, the work environment around me became
more harmonious and purified. My manager's attitude changed for the better.
My wife worked in another state. She is involved in much Dafa work and often
works very late. With a bit of a mentality of the pursuit of comfort, she
couldn't study the Fa and practice the exercises regularly. She felt exhausted
for a long time. We all felt we should have a breakthrough and helped to
motivate each other after we decided to strengthen the Fa-study, "Share in
learning and share in cultivation"("Solid Cultivation," Hong Yin) At the
beginning, my wife had a hard time waking up even with two alarms. So I called
her to wake her up. She started to study three lectures of the Fa per day also.
My wife told me that she treated the Fa study as homework before and often felt
sleepy while reading the book. It would take her one and half hours to read one
lecture. After strengthening her study, she is now able to calm down easily and
read three lectures in two and a half hours. Fa study is no longer treated as a
job, but is done out of a desire from deep in her heart.
Soon another practitioner began to join her in the mornings. Together they
send forth righteous thoughts at 5:00 a.m., read two lectures of the Fa,
practice for one hour and then go to work. In the evening, they read one more
lecture together again. Both of them feel very energized. My wife only sleeps
two or three hours every night but is full of energy. She also feels it is
easier to do things than before. The other practitioner and I also felt we
should strengthen our exercises as well. Otherwise, with an ordinary body, it
would be hard to persist in our study and study the Fa with a calm mind.
Therefore one week ago, we started to practice the exercises for an hour and
study two lectures of the Fa after we send forth righteous thoughts at 5:00 a.m.
If every Dafa disciple can study the Fa more and study with a calm mind, what
state would the Fa-rectification be in as a whole?
Let us remember Master's words, "No matter how difficult your environment is,
no matter how busy you get, you cannot forget to study the Fa. You must study
the Fa, because it is the absolute, most fundamental guarantee of your
improvement... As long as you study, any problem can be solved. As long as you
cultivate and as long as you're able to understand the Fa from the Fa, there's
nothing you can't achieve." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.")
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