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My Understanding of Fa Study, Exercises, and Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts

January 24, 2004 |   By a Dafa Practitioner in Hebei province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) All Dafa practitioners study the Fa, but there are big differences among our attitudes towards Fa study. I feel that we must have a pure heart before we can calmly study the Fa. The purpose of Fa study should not be to solve problems or to fulfill certain expectations. The Fa-rectification has progressed to the present stage, so we must examine our attitudes, seriously look inside ourselves to discover all of our impure approaches, and eliminate all selfish ideas towards Fa study.

When we study the Fa, it is as if we are listening to Master's lecture in person, and we should not have any selfish goals mixed in with this. It should simply be our natural wish, from the bottoms of our hearts, to study the Fa, in which all of our lives are rooted. We started learning the Fa and cultivating because our original, true selves became distant and unfamiliar. Our true selves are created by the Fa. Since this opportunity has been given by Master, we should naturally assimilate to the Fa and follow our Master's teachings. We should not pay too much attention to formalities, such as how many hours we study in a given day, or how many pages we have read ¨C Fa study is not a chore. Yet we should be demanding of ourselves, to live within the Fa, and to not tolerate separation from the Fa even for a second. Sometimes when I deviate from the Fa, I feel as if my life will become desperate and uncertain.

I have noticed that some Dafa practitioners who are doing Fa rectification work are so busy with their work that they overlook Fa study and raising their level through self-cultivation. This is truly not a small problem. It is not only a time management problem, but in fact shows that they do not really understand the Fa, and are still following basic human notions. There appears to be a phenomenon here: Some practitioners who have special talents or who have been working on important Dafa projects have been arrested and detained by police. This makes some other practitioners who are doing the same kind of Dafa work feel great pressure. Is it true that those working on important Dafa projects will be very easily arrested? I think that the main issue is that these situations are caused by the individual problems of practitioners. Master and Dafa have given some practitioners special talents, to enable them to play an important role during the Fa rectification period. We must improve our mind nature, otherwise it is very easy to become lost or confused by false phenomena. While focusing only on Dafa work, we can be easily moved by our personal interests or achievements. We can forget our fundamental mission, neglect learning and assimilating to the Fa, and stop continuously upgrading ourselves. However, all of these things are the basic premises and safeguards to aid us in fulfilling the age-old arrangements that we made!

I want to talk about exercises. For a long time my mind wandered while I was doing the exercises. I was not paying attention to Master's instructions, and just focused on finishing the exercises with the standard movements. Gradually it became clear to me that this was not right. Why have thought karma and messy negative thoughts prevented me from listening to the instructions? When I became clearer and clearer, I realized the profound meaning of the word "Master." I noticed that while being a practitioner in the Fa rectification period, I am being deeply honored. Master personally leads us through the exercises with his instructions, and I should follow every gesture with respect and deep concentration. As a result, when I practice now, my mind does not wander, my thoughts are tranquil, and my emotional state is calm. Now I can see that some other practitioners have a similar problem when doing the exercises. Sometimes it's easy to think that we are only practicing exercises, but in fact they are "The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa," the gestures that embody deep meaning of the Fa.

When sending forth-righteous thoughts, much of the time we pay attention only to the form, and neglect the quality, or the correct point of view for sending forth the righteous thoughts. The key is to try our best to define our focal point through following the Fa, and to act according to the requirements of Fa rectification. We need to continually find our remaining attachments and loopholes, and continuously upgrade ourselves. Our minds will become more and more righteous, and through this the quantity of our righteous thoughts will also increase. However, if we send forth righteous thoughts only from our personal standpoint, only think about the basic requirements, worry due to not wanting to be left behind, only pay attention to the form of sending forth righteous thoughts, or neglect the improvement of our mind nature, that will not be enough. We will be easily satisfied with ourselves for following the routine of sending forth righteous thoughts according to time schedules, and not realize the disparity that can exist between form and quality, and in the end becoming bogged down in our cultivation.

My personal understanding is that when we send forth righteous thoughts, we should eliminate the evil elements within all dimensions of Dafa practitioners. Dafa practitioners are one body. Our fields should join together, and within this dimension, we should coordinate among ourselves. If it's possible, we should study the Fa and practice together, exchanging our understandings of the Fa and improving together. We should encourage the practitioners who have gone astray to return to cultivation, and support those who have not stepped forward or who are just beginning to step forward in becoming more steadfast. We should give further encouragement to those practitioners who have had many tribulations due to their attachments, and to those who are being persecuted in the prisons. They need our help and support. We should do this with initiative, and should show them our biggest compassion. I understand that this is what we have to do: We should send forth righteous thoughts together to eliminate all evil elements within all dimensions of Dafa practitioners.

1-8-2004