Click on the below-mentioned, numbered subjects:
- Welcome
- What’s Happening?
- Cultivation Is Very Serious
- Defeating "Sleep Demons"
- Making Sure Not to Behave Like Everyday People
- Tribulations Continue When We Fail to Look Inward
- Diligence in Cultivation Comes from Having a Clear Understanding of What Cultivation Really Is
- Enlightening to the Deeper Meanings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
- 1. Welcome
Welcome to the July 2013 Falun Dafa India Newsletter.
As we start July, the dark memories of 20 July 1999 come back to us. Let us not be despondent but look at how Master has given us the strength in the time of adversities. Master has shown us how to turn crisis into opportunity, by clarifying the truth and exposing the lies. The world has seen for 14 years the evil has not been able to crush the unflinching spirit of people of a righteous faith.
We should be steadfast in our path and do what Master expects us to do.
It is important for us to keep our righteous thoughts and clarify the truth to the world.
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 introduced Falun Dafa to 500 B.Sc. students of Jain University.
A presentation was also made to inform the students about the Persecution of Falun Dafa disciples in China.
Hyderabad practitioners went to Mahanadu meeting conducted by Telugu Desam party. Distributed flyers to many political leaders and others.
Introduced the practice to 300 APSP police working in 1st commandant office, Govt of AP. All liked the practice. Distributed flyers and informed them about the persecution.
Practitioners from Hyderabad attended a meeting titled as Prohibition control measures. Distributed flyers to various leaders including a renowned professor, who happens to know about Falun Dafa in China.
Practitioners also participated in a program called RUN FOR CHANGE. Distributed flyers to many people, students, police, ministers and others.
Practitioners attended a meeting on Seasonal diseases and distributed flyers and informed about Falun Dafa to doctors, press and others.
Hyderabad practitioner met the superintendent of Nature Cure Hospital and other doctors. Distributed flyers to doctors inside the premises. The superintendent agreed to introduce our practice during first week of July.
They also met the project Director of Rajiv Vidya Mission, Govt of AP. Explained about Falun Dafa by giving a flyer. She promised to permit us to introduce in one school in July and asked us to meet her then.
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- 3. Cultivation Is Very Serious
By a Dafa practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
Greetings, fellow practitioners. Recently, a number of practitioners in our region were taken advantage of by the old forces and were . I was very sad, but not because of human sentiments. After cultivating for so many years, and coming to the final stage of Fa-rectification, I hoped that fellow practitioners would no longer be taken advantage of by the old forces. As fellow practitioners we should accept others' suggestions and provide suggestions in good faith. Here I would like to talk about the seriousness of cultivation, in order to share with fellow practitioners my understanding.
We have the greatest Master of the cosmos and we all study the same . Each of us should stop and ask ourselves: how much have we believed in Master's words and how much have we done? How much have we truly understood? Is our state of mind towards Master and Dafa still the same as in the beginning with a strong perceptual understanding? Or are we becoming more and more rational and truly cultivating our ? Are more and more Fa principles being revealed to us? Is everything becoming clearer and clearer?
The closer our opportunity to cultivate comes to the end, the more serious our cultivation should become. Some practitioners are still working hard on their careers, are buying houses for investment, are comparing salaries, are envious of others' wealth, and are thinking about politics, love, their children's future, nutrition, living comfortably, etc. These endless things that we worry about are all human attachments. It's not that we can't think about these things. However, isn't this why it's so difficult to cultivate in everyday society? We have to conform to everyday society on the surface while inwardly truly breaking away from the attachments of the human world.
If we spend too much effort on these everyday people's matters, then they become obstacles in our cultivation and cause trouble. They provide a breeding ground for human notions and amplify our attachments while we are not aware of it. Perhaps there are people who have been reading Dafa books for a long time, years, even decades, while still pursuing everyday people's things. Then, they have chosen to be an everyday person. It doesn't matter if you are reading Dafa books every day, if you don't want to give up human attachments, you have chosen to be an everyday person. If you choose to be an everyday person, then you will suffer the consequences of being an everyday person: birth, aging, sickness and death. Everyday people are here to pay back karma and reincarnate after death. If you came here with a mission but did not fulfill your vow, the consequences are very serious. Why do the old forces dare to persecute practitioners? It's because they are taking advantage of these loopholes and vulnerabilities.
There are standards for practitioners and Master said it's okay to give up our human attachments slowly. But eventually we have to completely let go of these attachments. We need to think about what attachments we had before cultivation and how many we have let go of. How much have we given up? Have we honestly thought about it? We can't deceive anyone. That would be like trying to steal a bell while covering one's ears. Everything is clear to heaven and earth. If we don't want to give up human attachments, then we are just everyday people. To truly become cultivators, we have to break through our attachments and give up those human attachments and desires that are blocking us. Whatever notions in your mind that try to make you benefit are all demons.
Some practitioners have heavy human attachments, such as to fame, profit and emotion. They also have strong attachments to comfort. In fact, they are stuck and are still everyday people but they do not realize it.
Master said:
“Our path is narrow. If you go off course ever so slightly, there will be problems. I don’t want to see you experiencing problems, nor do I want anyone to be sliding downward in their cultivation. Even less do I want to see you slack off in your cultivation because circumstances are changing for the better. All of this was brought about by you, and there are still many things that lie ahead—and that will be the case all the way until the day you reach Consummation. You have already passed through the hardest part. What is left won’t be so trying. You just need to do even better with it. The more hopeless things may seem, it’s possible hope will appear right before your eyes. Especially during those times when you are feeling so bored, perhaps you are in fact establishing your mighty virtue. I hope that you can really manage to cooperate well, have strong enough righteous thoughts, look within when you run into things, and be enthusiastic like you were when you first took up cultivation. Don’t be like ordinary people, whose fleeting enthusiasm fades after a few minutes and then disappears altogether.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”) “A human being wants to ascend to a realm that high, and become an Arhat, a Bodhisattva, a Buddha, a Dao, or a God; if a human being with a body full of karma is to become a God, wouldn’t you say it’s a serious matter? Shouldn’t you view these matters strictly with a high standard and hold yourself to righteous thinking?” (“Teaching the Fa in New York City”, Lectures in the United States)
Let us study the Fa well, wake up, and cultivate ourselves according to the Fa.
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- 4. Defeating "Sleep Demons"
(Minghui.org)
Recently I have been constantly interfered with by
"sleep demons" while I was studying the Fa or doing the
exercises. It was very hard to get rid of them. Although I kept sending forth
righteous thoughts every day, I always felt sleepy. I had no way to control it,
so I gave myself reasons to defend my need for more sleep. I have heard that
many practitioners have similar disturbances as well.
One day, I suddenly realized that in places like prisons and labor camps, the
evil cruelly persecutes Dafa practitioners' physical bodies in order to wear
down their firm belief. Fatigue is one of the most insidious methods of
persecution that the old forces have adopted. It is very hard to discern. It
directly prevents us from studying the Fa and doing the exercises. When we send
forth righteous thoughts toward "sleep demons," just like toward the
evil dens, we can eliminate this serious interference.
The following are excerpts from my diary about eliminating the interference
of "sleep demons."
At noon on July 20, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts for an hour and a
half. I was very sleepy, and I fell asleep right after I finished saying,
"Eliminate the interference from sleep demons with righteous
thoughts." After a couple of seconds, I suddenly opened my eyes and forced
myself awake, and again sent forth righteous thoughts. I fell asleep again. I
kept doing this for an hour and a half. I was panting with exhaustion. After an
hour and a half, I felt different. I felt pain in my chest. I enlightened that
this is to get rid of the root of the attachment to "seeking comfort."
At noon on July 24, I again kept sending forth righteous thoughts for over
two hours and it was similar to the first day.
On July 25, in two sessions I sent forth righteous thoughts for about three
hours. When the three hours was almost up, I felt my head enlarge. I felt as if
something burst out through the skin of my head, and the muscles on the back of
my neck became stiff. After that, the skin on my head and the muscles in my face
started to become stiff, and my head shook a little bit. Then, my chest swelled,
and I felt nauseous but could not vomit. After that, I gradually calmed down. My
head was clear again and I did not feel sleepy any more. I enlightened that this
was to get rid of the interference and to get rid of my attachments.
When I felt sleepy again, I thought, "Lie down and sleep for a while. It
might be just a couple of minutes." But I did not. I eliminated that
thought with a strong main consciousness. I insisted on not laying down to
sleep.
On July 26, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts for over two hours.
However, at night, my attachment to comfort overwhelmed me. I laid down at 9:00
p.m. and fell asleep right away. I woke up at 3:00 a.m.
I felt pain in my lower back when I woke up and realized that it was Master
enlightening me that I am too lazy.
Master has endured everything for us. I even could not pass through this
little tribulation. I was irritated. What can demons do to me if I sleep less? I
could study the "Fa" more, do the exercises more, and do the
three things more if I sleep less. This is what demons were trying
to hinder.
On July 27, my status was much better. I used to be sleepy every noontime and
spent the time sleeping. I felt much better today. I did the first four sets of
exercises and studied a paragraph of a Fa lecture. I kept sending forth
righteous thoughts to eliminate the sleep demons after I finished studying the
Fa. I almost don't feel sleepy when I am sending forth righteous thoughts
anymore.
Every day when I send forth the righteous thoughts to eliminate the sleep
demons, I position myself on a slope in the shade in order to avoid going to
sleep. I opened my eyes to send forth the righteous thoughts. There are many
scars that looks like eyes and mouths on the poplar tree in my field of vision.
Every day, I stared at those scars while sending forth righteous thoughts.
Today, I stared at these scars as usual. After I finished sending forth the
righteous thoughts, I suddenly found that the scars that used to look dead,
suddenly looked like they were smiling. I didn't believe it in the beginning and
thought it might be due to my own mind, so I blinked my eyes very hard and took
a look at them again. They are smiling at me and it is indeed different now.
On this night my spirit was in excellent condition. I could concentrate on Fa
study and sleep for only four hours at night.
On July 28, I got up at 2:30 a.m., practiced the exercises, and studied the
Fa.
I used to think that when I felt sleepy, I could resist the need to sleep if
I went out to take a walk. Today I enlightened that I could not solve this
problem from the root with this method because "sleep" is brought out
by the attachment of "seeking comfort." I could eliminate the
interference only by striving forward in the Fa with very strong righteous
thoughts.
The above is about my experience of defeating "sleep demons." I
wanted to share this with fellow practitioners in order for us to strive forward
further. Fellow practitioners, please point out anything incorrect with
compassion.
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- 5. Making Sure Not to Behave Like Everyday People
By a Falun Gong practitioner in Taiwan
(Minghui.org)
I have realized that when I'm in a conflict with someone, I shouldn't try to reason with the other person, or argue about who is right or who is wrong. To argue about who is in the right and who is in the wrong is to measure the conflict with an ordinary person's criteria.
When I study the Fa in a noisy environment, isn't it a test of whether I let the noise interfere with me? When I study the Fa with a group where some practitioners read too fast and others too slow, isn't it testing my forbearance? If I no longer had any attachments, I would be able to focus even if others read too slow or too fast. I must think of other people first and be selfless.
When we clarify the truth and local store or business people stop us in our efforts to tell the truth, we must search inward first. We have to think about whether we have a bad effect on their business. We must ask ourselves if we have an attachment to being hostile that causes us to lose our composure. We must put ourselves in their shoes first. For the sake of sentient beings, including these business owners, we must be governed by compassion and have a peaceful demeanor when we deal with these issues. Meanwhile, I think we may send forth righteous thoughts to eradicate the evil beings that might be at work, so that the business owners won't be manipulated into interfering with our truth-clarification work. By doing so, we show our compassion.
During my trip to Hong Kong, a store owner refused to let me clarify the truth in front of his store and accused me of being political. At the time, I was moved and became excited. Then he started to push me away. I became all the more emotional. In the end, he turned violent and told me to leave. He even tried to stop passersby from listening to what I had to say. Then I suddenly became clearheaded and began to regret terribly losing my composure. I learned an important lesson from this experience. At another scenic spot, I eliminated my attachment to competitiveness and was able to treat the management staff kindly. Therefore, everything worked out well. I was allowed to stay in the location to clarify the truth, but other practitioners were not. I have learned that we must not evaluate an issue based on what it looks like on the surface and we must not argue about who is right or who is wrong. We are cultivators and we are expected to follow a higher level of the Fa. Of course, an everyday person can always find the cause on the surface, but that's usually not the root cause for a cultivator. A cultivator will not be able to solve a problem based on surface issues. It is the righteous path to find the fundamental cause in our xinxing.
The same principle applies when chatting with Chinese people on-line. I must not have any attachment to being belligerent, zealous, or complacent. I have to explain things based on how non-practitioners evaluate things and also consider how they feel. I used to explain issues that I thought people should know. Oftentimes they felt overwhelmed and just left the chat room while I was still talking. Haste makes waste. Now I have realized that I have to consider the level at which Chinese people can understand and accept what I have to tell them. When I face a problem, I have to search within first. I have also realized that things that Chinese people say can be illusions at times, because they are interfered with by the evil beings from other dimensions. Once while I was chatting with a Chinese on-line, he suddenly said something foul. When I asked him about it, he said he hadn't said anything, as though it hadn't happened at all.
We need to use the same principle around our families. I used to argue with my children constantly. I thought I was doing what I thought to be best for them, but they often accused me of lecturing and nagging them. They were irritated and rejected what I told them. Later, I realized that I must show my affection in ways acceptable to them. I had a similar problem with my parents. I used to show my filial piety to my parents in the ways I thought it should be done. I considered myself a model of filial piety, but I finally realized that I should have shown my filial piety in the ways my parents liked. If my parents or my children expect me to behave towards them in a way not compatible with Falun Gong's teaching, I will make my position clear to them. After all, everyday people do not know the heavenly law of cause and effect as cultivators do. I may know what would be really good for them, but I can only advise them to be good. I must not be attached to the result of such family discussions.
When I have a conflict with someone, I have to find the attachment that causes the conflict within me. As long as I am emotionally affected, I must search inward for the root of the problem. I must always remember that the situation would not have occurred if it had nothing to do with me. If we eliminate all of our attachments, even passersby on the streets will smile at us and there will be no conflict at all. After all, Teacher said, "If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
During my recent experience of distributing truth-clarification newspapers in Hong Kong, I learned to search inward for my attachments when few people accepted the newspaper. In addition, I decided that the evil beings from other dimensions must not arrange such "tests" even if I have loopholes because their so-called tests would hamper sentient beings from knowing the truth about Falun Gong. Teacher will make arrangements for me, so I can eliminate my attachments. The evil beings should not have any part in it. When this thought came forward, people started to accept the newspapers.
The process of distributing newspapers is also a process of eliminating my notions, such as looking down on the white-collar class when distributing newspapers, finding it difficult to distribute newspapers at a particular hour, or in this or that location, or thinking it will take forever if the newspapers are distributed in such a manner. I must eliminate all of my notions. When I'm faced with an adverse situation, I must be optimistic and calm and I must not think of the result. I should think only of treating sentient beings with compassion. Thus I persevered in distributing the newspapers and it went very well.
If we end the persecution now, we will be able to save more sentient beings. In the past, I had an attachment to zealotry and started to put on airs when I did a good job in clarifying the truth. Wasn't I aiming to "validate myself" by "doing good deeds in the Fa-rectification period?" In that case, wasn't I hoping the persecution of Falun Gong would continue so that I could satisfy the attachment to proving myself? It is not that we have come to validate the Fa and clarify the truth, rather, we are here because the persecution has happened and we need to clarify the truth about Falun Gong for the sake of saving sentient beings. However, I was using the persecution to validate myself. I didn't even realize that I was hoping the persecution would last.
I should eliminate my attachments in order to save more sentient beings, not to elevate my level. If we despair when we fail to clarify the truth well, the evil beings will cheer, because they were successful in their efforts to hamper our work. If we are truly validating the Fa and saving sentient beings, we will not be moved, no matter what happens to us. Instead, we should try when we have not done well to do what we set out to do and do it well. Meanwhile, we deny the evil beings a chance to exploit our loopholes. In the process of validating the Fa, all thoughts that come from wishing the persecution to last must be eliminated.
My understanding is limited to my current cultivation level. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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- 6. Tribulations Continue When We Fail to Look Inward
By a Falun Dafa practitioner from Heilongjiang Province
(Minghui.org)
Although I do the three things daily, I often forget the Fa principle of looking inward and cultivating inward. Whenever I encountered a tribulation and I needed to pass a test, I did not validate Falun Dafa with my true self, but used my human notions to distinguish right from wrong. I felt wronged.
Several months ago, I suffered serious sickness. My hands were numb and my arms ached. I could not finish the second exercise, and also could not hold the hand gesture of 'large lotus flower' for five minutes during righteous thoughts. I made a promise to Master while crying, "Whether it is eliminating karma, or the persecution of the old forces, neither should affect my sending forth righteous thoughts. I will deny this state totally, and just do what I should do and firmly hold my righteous thoughts to deny all of this." Afterwards, I could do the second exercise, but I still had some resistance in sending forth righteous thoughts. My arms and hands ached and were numb. This was more evident during the Olympic Games, when I was sending forth righteous thoughts with fellow practitioners for forty minutes at a time. After I had finished, my hands would be completely numb. I still kept on sending forth righteous thoughts every hour, eliminating evil beings and factors that persecute Falun Dafa and its practitioners. I maintained the thought that since my cultivation path is arranged by Teacher, nothing could change me or my mind. Thus the symptoms lessened, and I could finish sending forth righteous thoughts each time.
Teacher gave me hints in my dream. The place where I grew onions two years ago became a road, but the onions kept growing with light green leaves and in a line. I realized that Teacher was giving me hints and encouraging me to pass another test.
A while back, I had a conflict with my husband, who is also a practitioner. On my way home one day, I bought two pastries. Since I was hungry, I started to eat when I got back home. I knew my husband would be hungry, so I left a pastry for him. After a while, he came back. When he saw that I had eaten without him, he was upset. He uttered some unpleasant words. At that time, another fellow practitioner was also at my home and witnessed the scene. I thought I had cultivated well since I did not argue back.
I was not holding myself to the high requirements of a cultivator. Although I was not fighting back, I could not let it go in my mind. I did not upgrade at all. As a cultivator, one should have "no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy." ("Realms", Essentials for Further Advancement) I did not pass this test well. Another incident happened the next night. My daughter's room has a door that is equipped to have double layers. Since it was getting cold, my daughter asked her father to put the second layer on. Since there was a lot of dust on the door, he held the door and asked me to clean it. I said, "Let's do it tomorrow and do it thoroughly." He got angry and started shouting. Reacting to him I said, "Why should I do everything as you say?"However, I went ahead and cleaned the door. He kept on complaining and got very angry. Seeing his behavior, I laughed. However, he became angrier and insulted me. I thought, "Why does he behave like this, getting angry at such a trivial thing? I should look inward."
When I failed a test, another one would follow. I thought about why I was laughing at him when he was angry. It was not compassion, but bad human notions. As my righteous thoughts came out, his anger went away immediately as if nothing had happened. What happened in the past two days was related to my xinxing. I had to look inward and cultivate myself. Whatever happens to me is related to me.
The next morning during breakfast, I remembered again the unfair things which happened between my husband and me. Since I had not completely given up various emotions like attachments to competition, hatred, anger, jealousy and selfishness, they came to test me again. I had cultivated for six years, but still had a tendency of protecting my self-interest. I sent forth righteous thoughts, rejecting and disintegrating it. It was not my true self, but various notions and a false sense of self. After distinguishing right from wrong, I was clear again. I "poured the dirty things out of the bottle", and upgraded my xinxing. The distance between me and my fellow practitioners has been eliminated. I felt very happy.
Encountering conflicts is a good opportunity to upgrade our xinxing. We should cultivate our own minds solidly. Cultivators should consider things in reverse of what ordinary society does. Misfortunes are good things. The laws inside the three realms are the opposite of the universal truths.
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- 7. Diligence in Cultivation Comes from Having a Clear Understanding of What Cultivation Really Is
By a Falun Dafa practitioner in China
(Minghui.org)
I had some thoughts after reading a sharing article (http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2012/9/22/“站在整体之外谈整体”-263049.html), and would like to respond to the practitioner who wrote this article. Whether a person can be steadfast in his cultivation and keep up with the Fa-rectification process is not determined by the environment or whether he is getting help from practitioners who are diligent. I'd like to share my experience and understandings based on the to help others raise their levels. Let's clearly understand what cultivation is, the purpose of cultivation, and its true manifestation; then we can be steadfast in our practice, do the well, and keep up with the Fa-rectification process. We thought that Falun Dafa was good when we first learned the exercises. Because most of us could feel or see the miraculous power that Dafa and Master had on our physical bodies, we became Dafa practitioners. Many of us who learned the practice became healthy, had a positive understanding about Dafa, and were deeply grateful to Master. With a heart of gratitude, we did what Master asked us to do. When Master said we should study the Fa more, we studied the Fa more and recited the Fa. For some, it became a formality, and their minds did not really change. Many practitioners did not know what needed to be changed or how to change it. Therefore, they measured their cultivation progress based on the amount of Fa they recited and the time they spent doing the exercises. When they talked about a practitioner who was diligent, they often mentioned that he could meditate for a long time and recite many Fa lectures, and everyone thought that he cultivated well. When the persecution started, many practitioners who could recite the Fa well and meditate for a long time stopped cultivating. I'm not saying that reciting the Fa is without use. What I am saying is if they do not understand Dafa rationally and merely practice superficially, or use it to show off, then they are wrong. That is why when they were persecuted, their human notions kept them off the cultivation path. I'm not sure if I have explained things clearly enough. Only after having a clear understanding of what cultivation is about can we truly cultivate. For example, I was frustrated because I was unable to recite when I was . One day, another practitioner was brought to the detention center, and she could recite the first lecture of Zhuan Falun. I was very excited and asked her to recite the lecture. Actually, before I was detained, I had just finished reciting Zhuan Falun. However, by the time I memorized the latter part, I had forgotten the beginning. So after I finished reciting the entire book, I could not remember everything. We practiced the exercises together in the mornings for several days. Maybe Master was pointing things out to me. Once I inadvertently opened my eyes and saw her doing the third exercise. She was moving her hands in a counter-clockwise direction. I paused for a moment and noticed that the direction of her hands was incorrect. I pointed out her mistake, and she said she had been doing the third exercise like that since 1997. She added that practitioners in her group did the third exercise the same way. Knowing that she did not want to accept my suggestion, I asked her in which direction the hands of the clock moved. She responded by moving her hand in a clockwise direction. I shared with her that Master said the hands should move in a clockwise direction four times when doing the third exercise, and she agreed. I suggested that she do it the correct way. I'm not speaking ill of the practitioner. I just want to point out that she didn't even know that she had been doing the exercise incorrectly after more than ten years of cultivation. It seemed as if she had not been paying much attention to cultivation itself. When we talked a few days later, she said when her husband had finished the farm work, he would offer his feng shui expertise to others to make extra income. He would also pay his respects to heaven and the gods on the first day of the Chinese New Year. She added with disdain, “I don't believe in gods.” I was shocked and in disbelief. A Dafa practitioner who does not believe that gods exist? I asked her, “If that is the case, why do you practice Falun Gong?” She replied, “I practice Falun Gong to obtain a healthy body. I can carry 100 (Chinese) kilos of fertilizer up the hill and not feel tired. I cultivated some lands around the mid mountain area, and every year I harvest about six to seven thousand kilos of corn to feed the hogs.” I almost fainted and thought, “So she practices Falun Gong to obtain blessings.” I asked her, “Then why do you send forth righteous thoughts for practitioners who are illegally detained?” She replied, “Other practitioners have told me that if I don't do that, then no one would help me if I were persecuted.” I thought that her righteous thoughts would not carry much power if her intention was based on that reasoning. I asked her if she knew what cultivation was all about. She bluntly replied, “I don't know.” I continued, “Do you know the end result of cultivating in Dafa? Do you know what consummation means?” She said she didn't know. I shared with her, “The reason a human cultivates is to become a god. The end result of cultivating in Dafa is to transcend ourselves from the principles of the old universe; assimilate to the principles of the new universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance; become the great lords and kings of the new cosmos; and be enlightened to the higher truths. I'm quite surprised to find out that you have been practicing for more than ten years but do not believe in the gods.” I don't know how many practitioners share this state of mind, but I understand that many people are not true cultivators. Over 20 days later, the practitioner was released from the detention center. I began to look inward to see if I understood the true meaning of cultivation and how to elevate and walk the path righteously. After practicing in Dafa for so many years, I asked myself, “Was I a true cultivator?” Master looks after us and sees clearly what is on our minds and in our thoughts. With Master's guidance I was enlightened to recite “Cautionary Advice” from Essentials for Further Advancement. I would recite it several times a day and I obtained a different understanding each time. Gradually, I was able to distinguish human notions from Fa principles. I understood the meaning of “...as an ordinary human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years...” and was able to recognize human thinking. And when faced with tribulations, I was able to look at the problem with righteous thoughts and was not trapped in human logic. Because Master saw my righteous thoughts, I was able to break through the old forces' arrangement and walk on the path that Master had arranged for me. Although the path was treacherous, I was able to pull through. Under the protection of Master and the righteous gods, I was not moved while being detained and thought and acted with righteousness. After reciting “Further Understanding” from Essentials for Further Advancement, I realized that the most important thing for a practitioner was to upgrade . Because validating the Fa, to save sentient beings, and speaking out against the persecution are all based on our cultivation, only when we raise our levels are we able to accomplish the mission of saving sentient beings. I think that having a better cultivation environment is not that important, because cultivation is about cultivating the heart, which can be done in any environment. Inside the detention center, practitioners are not allowed to talk to each other and thus cannot help each other. We are not even allowed to look at one another. So how can we raise our levels in such a harsh environment? I realized that as long as we do everything according to the Fa principles, we are able to raise our levels. Master said, “The above are the two reasons for not being able to increase gong. Without knowing the Fa at high levels, one cannot practice cultivation. Without cultivating one’s inner self and one’s xinxing, one cannot increase gong. These are the two reasons.” (Zhuan Falun) Therefore, in cultivation, we must look inward, work on our xinxing, and truly raise our level by putting things into practice. When we study the Fa, the Fa principles will point things out and guide us when we encounter tribulations. We must use the Fa principles to guide our thoughts and actions so that when we run into problems we will know what to do. Everyone's path is different and there are no role models for cultivation. Thus, when encountering problems, asking other practitioners is not much help. Looking outward for answers will not help us elevate ourselves or get out of the detention center. We must follow the Fa principles to look inward and this should not become a formality. We need to find our human thinking, notions, and attachments, and distinguish the “things that were formed deep in our bones over thousands of years” from our true selves. How do we learn the Fa at high levels? We should study the Fa more, learn about the traditional Chinese culture, and read the to eliminate the influence of the Party culture and its atheist theory. Mainland Chinese practitioners are deeply poisoned by the Party culture and blinded by atheism. Many of them who are not diligent or who used to practice do not believe that gods do exist. They know that practicing the exercises can improve their health, but they do not really believe that humans can cultivate into immortals. They also don't believe in karmic retribution. When they were being persecuted and were not miraculously released, or when they suffered tremendously and did not see any blessings, they stopped believing in Dafa and gave up the practice or became lax at cultivation. These are all manifestations of not having a clear understanding of cultivation and thus not realizing that cultivation is solemn. Master has been lecturing about the truth of the universe and telling us the kind of glory that will be ours when we consummate and the fate of those who fail to cultivate. But many practitioners have not taken it seriously and have treated Master's compassion lightly. They have ignored Master's cautionary words and have taken things for granted. If practitioners do not think of themselves as true Dafa disciples, then Master cannot do much about it, and the old forces will drag them down. Master can only take care of true cultivators, and when practitioners choose to stop cultivating, then there is nothing Master can do to help them. However, compassionate Master has given former practitioners many chances to come back. If practitioners are able to come back, they should treasure the opportunity and truly cultivate to raise their levels. Merely distributing fliers and clarifying the truth will not work, because everything is based on our understanding of the Fa principles. Those who have come back to Dafa and those who are still not diligent should not do the three things in an attempt to compensate for their past mistakes. I suggest that they calmly study the Fa as much as possible. This way, they can raise their understandings based on the Fa principles. Master said in Zhuan Falun, “As long as you practice cultivation and make up your mind to practice cultivation, you will recover all of what you have lost.” Many practitioners do not have a clear understanding of cultivation. The biggest problem is that they cannot truly look inward to find their attachments and are unable to look at things based on the Fa principles. They may have done a lot of Dafa work but are unable to catch up in their cultivation. Master has reminded us many times that our cultivation is the most important thing. Since I truly elevated my understanding, I'm able to see that Zhuan Falun teaches us to cultivate into Buddhahood and consummate to our highest fruit status level. In my understanding, the persecution of Dafa practitioners also plays a role in helping practitioners to consummate. For those practitioners who don't know how to be diligent, you can study Essentials for Further Advancement and Essentials for Further Advancement II repeatedly. Several years ago, a practitioner shared with me his thoughts on the meaning of Essentials for Further Advancement: the books give us the secret of how to be diligent. Master has given us the secret of cultivation, and we will not be confused as long as we study the Fa often. In regard to the concept of “one body,” I think that as long as we are cultivating, whether we are diligent or not, whether we have the correct enlightenment or not, Master does not treat us differently. We are the ones choosing the path. Whether we do well or not, are steadfast or have given up, we are not cultivators as long we are standing outside of the “one body.” How can we clearly understand the essence of cultivation if we do not cultivate? I would like to share a fact with you all. Many of the prison guards who are in charge of “” practitioners have read Zhuan Falun and other Dafa lectures. But Master has not treated them as practitioners. Although they have read the books, no one has changed their life paths for them. They will become ill or run into problems when it is time, because they are unable to see the Fa principles. We are able to learn the Fa, and Master has been treating us as his disciples. So how could we not treasure the opportunity? Let's be diligent, fellow practitioners, and let us encourage each other with Master's words, “So how can Dafa disciples--who are to achieve the Attainment Status of a being who is saved by Dafa and who have the most convenient cultivation way--not be even more diligent when they are given this most glorious honor of Fa-validating cultivation in a brief cultivation period that passes in the blink of an eye?” (“The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be”) These are my understandings; please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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- 8. Enlightening to the Deeper Meanings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
By a practitioner from Shanxi Province
(Minghui.org)
I began practicing Falun Gong 13 years ago. I study the as much as I can every day and I try to remain deeply focused. The more I study the Fa, the more I discover how profound the boundless Fa is. I’ve recently been studying the Fa even more diligently and my understanding of the Fa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance has deepened. When I look back, I wonder, “Did I really put the principles into action?” Master said, “It has been four years since I began teaching Dafa. Some students’ xinxing and level of realm have improved slowly; they remain at the perceptual stage in their understanding of me and Dafa, always being grateful towards me for the changes in their bodies and for the manifestation of supernormal abilities—that is an ordinary human mindset. If you do not want to change your human state and rationally rise to a true understanding of Dafa, you will miss the opportunity.” (“Cautionary Advice” from Essentials for Further Advancement) In the beginning of my cultivation, I realized that I shouldn't pursue understanding the Fa to improve my health or to attain supernormal abilities. Only by consistently studying the Fa was I able to understand the profoundness and deeper meanings of the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Master said: “What is the Buddha Fa, then? The most fundamental characteristic of this universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is the highest manifestation of the Buddha Fa. It is the most fundamental Buddha Fa.” “As a practitioner, one must then conduct oneself by following this characteristic of the universe rather than the standards of everyday people. If you want to return to the original, true self and move up in cultivation practice, you must conduct yourself according to this criterion.” “As a practitioner, if you assimilate yourself to this characteristic you are one that has attained the Tao—it’s just such a simple principle.” () Master also said: “Dafa is in perfect harmony: If one separates the three characters of 'Zhen-Shan-Ren,' each still fully contains Zhen-Shan-Ren.” (“A Brief Explanation of Shan” from Essentials for Further Advancement) I had a shallow, superficial understanding of the three words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I understood them with human emotions. It took me a long time to gradually understand their inner meanings, accept them, and measure my every thought by these principles. Now, whenever I think of the three words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance or say to people that “the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are good,' I feel the three words are very sacred and I can experience the profoundness and boundlessness of their inner meanings. When I first read Zhuan Falun, I fervently agreed with the Fa principles of eliminating desires and attachments and cultivating my speech. I was ready to put these principles into practice and cultivate myself according to the Fa. But I just casually read them like kids recite one, two, three, four. They sounded and looked familiar to me, but I didn't try to understand their inner meaning so I could not experience their real power. I accepted the principle of “Shan” (Compassion) first. Dafa teaches me to be kind to people, think of others first, do no harm, and become a truly good person. Before I started to practice Falun Gong, I was kind and didn't argue or fight. But in everyday society, if you are a good person, you are seen as rather useless, or a softie. When I started to cultivate, I understood from Master's Fa why we should be kind, how to be a good person, and how to become a good person with dignity. Dafa is truly good. From then onward, I didn't care what others thought of me. I didn't fight for personal interest at work, in society, or at home. I treated everyone the same and helped others as much as I could. At the same time I also realized that real compassion was not simply doing everything for others. If we want to be kind and be responsible to people, we should tell them the true facts about Falun Gong and ask them to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to ensure good future. We should lead predestined people to learn Falun Gong and study the Fa. This is genuine compassion for others. My shallow understanding of Ren (Forbearance) was that I would suffer loss or look like a coward if I practiced it. Gradually my understanding of Ren changed. Master said: “As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at—you must be tolerant.” “How can it be taken as being cowardly? I say that it is a reflection of great forbearance and an expression of strong will. Only a practitioner can have this heart of great forbearance.” (Zhuan Falun) I came to understand that Ren was the key factor for improving , and that if I wanted to improve my xinxing, I should practice Ren. Though I tried to make my points in family conflicts and sometimes I still blamed others. I didn't practice Ren, nor did I look within. I could not even put up with things superficially, and my heart was wounded many times. I knew that Ren was not in line with killing or arson. Ren was being responsible for sentient beings. When in conflict, I should look within first, but at the same time I should point out other people's shortcomings amicably and be truly there for them. My realization of Zhen (Truthfulness) came last, and I hadn't been doing well with regard to Zhen. For a long time I was puzzled about practicing Zhen. I thought it was very hard to be truthful. When I was late getting home after doing the , I would think of all sorts of excuses to satisfy my family. But actually I was lying. I knew it was not right and I should face it with righteous thoughts because practitioners don't lie. When my family members asked me where I was, I would say that I worked extra hours at the company. One day when I was studying the Fa, I suddenly knew what I should do. We cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and we shouldn't tell lies. We shouldn’t encourage people to remember, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” while we ourselves tell lies. How would they view practitioners if they discovered we were lying? Influenced by the CCP's Party culture, we are inclined to lie or find excuses. We should eliminate the Party culture from our hearts and let go of human notions. We should act righteously to more effectively validate Dafa. Some practitioners have been and interrogated. When the police demanded to know where they obtained Dafa materials or asked for other practitioners' information, those practitioners were puzzled as to how to answer without harming other practitioners. When the police pounded the table and asked, “Don't you practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Why don't you speak the truth?” Some of the practitioners then thought, “We practice truthfulness and we shouldn't lie,” so then they told the police practitioners' information. Yes, we practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. But there is also Compassion and Forbearance within Truthfulness. For example, if an insane person threatens you with a knife and demands that you tell him where a certain person is, if you tell him the facts, he might kill that person. In the face of his threats we should practice forbearance and persuade him to become quiet and not to do things in a rush. We should help him solve the problem rationally to avoid a bad outcome. So as practitioners we could tell the police, “You are asking me to sell out my fellow practitioners and tell you where the materials came from. If I tell you, you will persecute them. I then would have helped you do a bad deed, because it is a great sin to persecute the kind cultivators of Falun Gong. There are many examples of people incurring retribution after hurting Falun Dafa practitioners. The persecutors have been sued in many countries all around the world. You will not escape legal retribution. So according to the principle of Shan (Compassion), I will not tell you. We should measure everything with the Fa.” Master said: “I am a person who will not say what he does not want to say, but what I say must be true.” (Zhuan Falun) Some practitioners simply refused to reply to the questions. They only sent forth righteous thoughts and related the facts about Falun Gong. They didn't say anything or sign anything. That is easy to say but hard to do. It was difficult to do that in that dangerous environment. But if we really understand what “Truthfulness” is we will not feel puzzled and do what everyday people expect us to do, thus making an irremediable error. One day in my work unit all the employees were asked to complete a form with questions like, “What is your belief, when did you join the organization, and what activities have you participated in and organized,” etc. The purpose of this form was to weed out those who put their faith above the CCP. Employees who believed in Christianity and Buddhism didn't dare to tell the truth and put down “no belief.” Master said: “Getting arrested is not the purpose. Validating Dafa is what’s truly magnificent, and it is to validate Dafa that you step forward. Since you step forward, you should try to succeed in validating the Fa—this is the real purpose of stepping forward. When the evil ones ask whether you practice Falun Gong, you may ignore them or use other ways to deflect their questions. Don’t voluntarily let the evil take you away.” (“Rationality” from Essentials for Further Advancement II) So I put down “no belief.” Later, when the Party secretary where I worked, who knew I practiced Falun Dafa, called me in and asked me with a smile, “Why did you reveal the truth when completing the form?' His underlying meaning was that I, too, told a lie. I told him that Falun Gong was not a religion and we are merely practicing exercises and trying to be good people. He didn't say anything. On another occasion, when I told him that Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, he said, “We cannot always tell the truth. Here I have some forms to report you, but I didn't complete them.” At the time I was not very clear on the Fa principles in this regard, and was thus unable to clarify the truth to him further. I should have told him, “Yes, we talk about truthfulness, but we also consider if it is in line with compassion and forbearance. What you did was a good deed. It was not a lie. You will be greatly blessed, as you didn't persecute good people.” When I enlightened to the Fa principles of Truthfulness, I discovered how powerful the Fa is. Whenever my mind wanders when sending forth righteous thoughts, I can become focused again when I think of cultivating “truthfulness,” because whatever we do, we have to be truthful and shouldn't just treat it as a formality. When I go out to clarify the truth in bad weather, or I if only have limited time and don't want to do it, I tell myself that we practice Truthfulness, and that whatever we do, we should do it conscientiously. Only with strong righteous thoughts can we save sentient beings. I’ve achieved very good results with these deeper understandings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Please kindly point out anything incorrect.
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