(Clearwisdom.net) I realized some time ago that I should carry Falun Dafa books with me so that I could read and study the Fa whenever I had time. Studying the Fa more can increase our diligence and lead to a good cultivation state. Recently, I enlightened to some new things.
Before July 20, 1999, I carried Dafa books with me everywhere. I cultivated my xinxing, studied the Fa at every moment and read Zhuan Falun everyday. Due to my efforts, I achieved a wonderful state! No matter which paragraph others were reading, I would know it immediately if they missed any words or misread anything. I knew which lecture and which section they were reading and could instantly turn to the correct page where we were reading. While I was in such an excellent cultivation state, I could read all nine lectures in one day. Upon seeing the first sentence, I could read out the next. It seemed that my mind moved quicker than my eyes.
Regretfully, I didn't memorize Zhuan Falun. After July 20, 1999, I detoured in my cultivation. I packed away my Dafa books and dared not do the exercises. After a short period of time, I forgot the contents of the books. I couldn't even repeat one sentence from the book. I could only remember what I understood then: "Be a good person and don't do bad things." By this time, I even couldn't adhere to this. All the everyday people's attachments to self-interest emerged. Several practitioners who obtained Dafa earlier than I did persisted in cultivation, validating Dafa and clarifying the truth. They also helped me awaken from being lost. Every day we sent forth righteous thoughts together. I sat there, pretending that I was sending forth righteous thoughts, while in actuality my mind was running wildly and couldn't be stilled for even 10 seconds. Although I tried very hard, I couldn't control my mind any time I sent forth righteous thoughts. So I looked for Teacher's Fa lectures about righteous thoughts. The first piece I found was "Eliminate the Dark Minions With Righteous Thoughts." I started memorizing the Fa from this article.
The first sentence of the article is, "With regard to things at present." I spent a whole morning trying to memorize these six words. But I just couldn't. I made up my mind that I must memorize the Fa and continue my efforts. I read these six words again and again. Finally, Dafa's power eliminated the interference and I was able to remember two sentences in the afternoon. I spent more than ten days trying to memorize the article. I memorized everyday and every hour. It took me a lot of time and effort to memorize it well.
After I memorized "Eliminate the Dark Minions With Righteous Thoughts," my mind was able to enter tranquility as soon as I sat down to send forth righteous thoughts. I could enter the state of ding as soon as I finished reciting the formula. The energy was running throughout my body without blockage. My body became very tall and huge. The feeling was very wonderful. At that moment, I realized that I hadn't wasted one second in those 10 plus days. While memorizing the Fa, my everyday person's unclean thoughts were eliminated. The Fa had cleared away all the unrighteous elements in my field. Later, I didn't bother calculating how much time I had spent memorizing the Fa, nor did I pay attention to how fast I was memorizing. It was good enough as long as I was memorizing the Fa with a clear mind. When I had time, I tried to memorize the Fa I couldn't remember yet, and when I didn't have time, I just recited the Fa I already remembered. No matter how busy a person is, his mind can't be fully occupied with what he is doing. Other thoughts are very likely running in his mind as well. It is better to recite the Fa than having the mind occupied by other, unclear thoughts. Even though we are only reciting the same sentence, it is the Fa that is in our minds. What we cultivate is precisely our mind. Teacher and Dafa have given us everything. We are no longer everyday people. Every single thought of ours will have an effect. Every single incorrect thought will make us drop to a lower level and interfere with the validation of Dafa and the salvation of sentient beings or even be taken advantage by the evil. Cultivation is very serious. We must watch every thought of ours. How can we maintain a good cultivation state otherwise?
Even if we can't memorize that much, as long as we memorize some part of the Fa very fluently and clearly, it can help us eliminate the interference, clear our body, and uplift the realm of our thoughts. When we study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts, distribute truth-clarifying materials, and clarify the truth in this state, the effect will be very good. It is the state of a god.
Initially, I always simply read through the Fa, regardless of how much I could understand. I didn't try to dig out or ponder over the deeper meanings, lest I enlightened wrongly about the Fa's truths. This method was very good. Yet I could only enlighten to what was at my level in that way. When I didn't have the time or opportunity to read the Fa, what could I have to guide me? In this evil environment and among the pollution of everyday people, how could I continue to improve based on my own understandings? It definitely wouldn't work in the long run. So we must remember Teacher's original words. This way the Fa will manifest itself when we are experiencing tribulations.
Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the Conference in New Zealand,"
"The greatest characteristic of not being able to understand the Fa within the Fa is due to using the concepts of ordinary people to examine the Fa. Using the concepts of the ordinary humans to discuss the Fa is like talking as an outsider of the Fa. To truly discuss the Fa, by really understanding the Fa from the Fa principles can it be considered the conduct of a Dafa practitioner. Only that can be considered to be striving forward in cultivation. Whatever is said will be different. It is about striving forward in a manner that is steadfastly making progress. Whereas, those not able to discuss the Fa from within the Fa are only holding on to some perceptual understanding, or, like the ordinary person, in just feeling that the Fa is good for the mind. Using the language of the ordinary people to discuss about the Fa is often as such. There is a great difference." (Provisional translation subject to further improvement)
Memorizing the Fa is a very good way to understand the Fa within the Fa.
"The more your mind holds, the faster the change."("Melt Into the Fa" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
While memorizing the Fa, I obtained different understandings towards a single sentence. After I became clear about the Fa-principles, I knew clearly what to do and where to go on my cultivation path when encountering problems. I won't become bigheaded at one moment and drop into depression at the next moment. That is not the state of a true cultivator.
"The understanding of the Truth of the cosmos by students of Dafa cultivation is an elevation that results from rational understanding and experience." (Essentials for Further Advancement II)
True cultivators are very clear about the Fa-truths. No matter how great the pressure is, they can always maintain their xinxing and solidly validate Dafa, clarify the truth and save sentient beings. I once asked a practitioner, "How did you manage to get through all the tribulations all those years?" The reply was very simple yet showed her firm faith, "With the Fa principles that are beyond human beings." She had memorized Teacher's "Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World" before I could read it fluently.
Teacher has been requiring his disciples to study the Fa and study the Fa more, ever since he started disseminating the Fa. And we really have been studying the Fa everyday. Yet how much has registered in our hearts? How much have we remembered? So I decided to persist in memorizing the Fa. When I have the time, I memorize the Fa I can't remember yet; when I don't have time, I just recite the Fa I have already memorized very well. I memorize the Fa while cooking, walking, working, and during breaks at work. I memorize the Fa before I sleep and after I wake up. I even memorize a few sentences during the night when I change my position while sleeping so that all sentient beings within my dimensional fields are being assimilated by Dafa at every moment.