(Clearwisdom.net) A couple of practitioners in our region recently died due to not understanding the test of sickness karma. When tribulations arise or during personal conflicts, some practitioners still have been unable to differentiate between our own cultivation and the old forces' arrangements. The end of the Fa-rectification is rapidly approaching, yet we have not matured sufficiently, nor have we saved enough sentient beings. This poor state of affairs is caused by not really understanding how to cultivate in our daily lives and this, in turn, causes a lack of cooperation and coordination in our group. The following summary is from our group sharing.
1. We Realized We Were Just Going Through the Motions While Studying the Fa
Master said,
“Don't just go through the motions when you study the Fa. You should study with a concentrated mind, and you must really be studying.” (“To the Australia Fa Conference”)
Our compassionate Master has been teaching us in Fa lectures again and again in order to help us understand and assimilate to the Fa better so that we can walk well the path of cultivation in Fa-rectification. If we don’t enlighten to the high level law through Fa study, we will not reach our predetermined levels of consummation.
Some practitioners in our region simply go through the motions while studying the Fa, regardless of whether they are reading in a group or alone. They can read more than one lecture through very quickly, yet they only pay attention to the surface level of the words and, as such, do not enlighten to the Fa’s higher meanings at each level.
Some practitioners do study Zhuan Falun every day, but cannot recall the general idea of what they have just read. Any practitioner reading the Fa without the required concentration of mind will be unable to understand the Fa’s deeper meanings. Frankly, by reading the Fa this way, the laws of higher levels will not be revealed even one bit.
Group Fa study is a cultivation form given by our Master.
“You can use the format of group discussions, where people learn from each other and share and discuss with one another. We require that you do it that way.” (Zhuan Falun)
After Fa study, instead of talking about our truth clarification projects first, we should follow Master's requirement and share our understandings on the Fa with each other. This way our xinxing has a chance to improve. Only after sharing on the Fa should we proceed to our talk about Dafa work because only then will our cooperation and coordination be much improved, as our one body will have elevated in the Fa.
Some practitioners do not measure themselves according to the Fa but instead look up to practitioners who read the Fa well. Someone said, “Practitioner A can recite Zhuan Falun, so A must know the Fa very well.” In reality Practitioner A mixes personal cultivation into the period of Fa-rectification cultivation. When encountering tribulations, A thinks of outside interference only and does not understand that he/she needs to look inwards first. We study Zhuan Falun, so it will guide us through our cultivation. Being able to recite the words, but not genuinely assimilating to the standards of the Fa, will not produce the right fruit in our cultivation.
The origins of many practitioners are very high; therefore, we have to break through to a very high level to reach the origin. As we study the Fa diligently, we shouldn’t hold the one understanding at the same level for too long. In some study groups, practitioners have become used to not compassionately pointing out shortcomings that they see in practitioners. By always keeping the atmosphere at a comfortable level, the goal of group-Fa-study is lost.
2. Some Problems in Our Region
Master said,
“Study the Fa and gain the Fa, Focus on how you study and cultivate, Let each and every thing be measured against the Fa. Only then, with that, is it actually cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation” in Hong Yin)
It took the death of a fellow practitioner in 2010 from sickness karma to make me understand that, as a group, we had failed in the fundamental requirement of looking inwards at all times. Because we failed to look inwards, whenever something was not right, the tribulations become ever bigger until a fellow practitioner died.
Example 1: Suffering from tremendous pain, Practitioner A died in 2010. This was a new practitioner who began to practice very early in 2010 and had played a great part in making truth clarification materials at our production site. The practitioners around him/her were very sad and looked inward, trying to find understandings based on Fa. They realized that Practitioner A had not studied the Fa according to Master's requirements and sometimes, more often than not, did things with a human mindset rather than as a practitioner based on the Fa principles. Even though A did plenty of work for the site his/her xinxing cultivation was not solid enough. As long as we fail to cultivate ourselves solidly and mix in human notions with cultivation, the law of the cosmos will constantly restrain us and we will head towards the old force arrangements of destruction.
Example 2: Practitioner B put lots effort into Fa study and saving human beings, yet harmonizing his family did not go well. When B was distributing flyers telling the truth about Falun Gong, his neighbor reported him to the police. From then on he was under surveillance and, in order to avoid further persecution, he became homeless. He began to look for jobs in other cities, but as he was suffering under extremely poor living conditions he was unable to find work. Sometimes the local police questioned him about his identity, yet his faith in the Fa and in Master was strong and he kept doing the three things solidly so was not further persecuted. While studying the Fa one day he enlightened to a hint from Master that he ought to walk the path arranged by Master and not the path by the old forces. He just realized then that he should go home. Then, when he returned home with the righteous mind of a practitioner, everything went smoothly.
Master said:
“If a person is completely in the Fa no one can touch him.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
3. Raising to a Higher Level as One Body
There are quite a few elderly practitioners in our region who are nice at a human level but who don’t keep up with the progress of a Fa Rectification disciple. Since success in their cultivation relates to the extension their lives, staying at the same level could cause some of them imminent danger.
Some of our fellow practitioners are still suffering from sickness karma, as the evil old forces are using our shortcoming to interfere with and destroy us as a group. The practitioners with illnesses shouldn’t lose courage, while the practitioners around them can support them with righteous thoughts instead of blaming them.
Sharing with practitioners from within the Fa and helping them to look inwards for the answers while we also do the same will improve this situation and negate all old force interference.
Master said:
“With a lot of things, when everyone cooperates with each other they'll go better. I hope that you can focus less attention and energy on who has done well and who hasn't, who's good and who's bad, or how this or that person is--focus all of your attention and spend all of your energy on validating the Fa. (Applause) When all of you can cooperate with each other and do well in the things to validate the Fa, that's when you establish your mighty-virtue. When you are commenting on who's good and who's bad, gods won't even look you straight on.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students”)
Master's words shocked my heart. Master and the Gods have exposed the human attachments blocking our way. On the path of cultivation, we should support each other, and not hurt each other, otherwise we could be easily dragged down and our cultivations would be destroyed. By carrying these human attachments, the whole body is in a state of separation. These attachments are obstacles keeping us from assisting Master in Fa-rectification. Dear Practitioners, Master’s Fa-rectification is imminent. Please do not be bewildered any more. Genuinely study the Fa and please do not treat the principles Master taught us as everyday human notions.
