(Clearwisdom.net) Before July 20, 1999 (when the persecution of Falun Gong in China first started) some practitioners had the perception that one's cultivation level was synonymous with the length of time one spent in sitting meditation. Then, after July 20, practitioners in China had much discussion about being illegally arrested on Tiananmen Square, persisting in cultivation while being detained in a forced labor camp, and going on a hunger strike to protest the persecution in forced labor camps and prisons.
For example, many practitioners believed that they could only reach consummation after they had been arrested and put into police vehicle, that the improvement in cultivation would be faster when one was being locked in a forced labor camp, and that only by going on a hunger strike could one show one's strong determination and stop the persecution. By doing those things, the improvement in cultivation and the effect of curbing of the persecution that fellow practitioners saw indeed existed.
However, I personally feel that the fundamental reason behind the improvement in cultivation and the curbing of the persecution did not lie in how many hours one spent in sitting meditation, whether one had been illegally arrested and put into the police vehicle by the police while validating Falun Gong, or whether one had gone on a hunger strike after being illegally detained to protest against the persecution. The reason why some practitioners had placed so much emphasis on these things was because they were limited by what they could see with their eyes on the surface level. Perhaps in their minds they still saw the form of old cultivation ways as important. They did not fully understand the immensity of Dafa and the immense power of cultivation in Dafa.
During the ceremony in Beijing in January 1995 where Master's book Zhuan Falun was first published, Master said,
"The closer to the central Great Way and Dafa cultivation, the simpler the cultivation is--cultivation is pretty fast when its essence is grasped. We are bringing people along rather quickly. Why is it so fast? Some students' changes and the growth of their gong are just unbelievable. Had you not attained the Fa, you might not have been able to go beyond the level of qi in your lifetime." ("Teaching the Fa in Beijing at the Zhuan Falun Publication Ceremony" from Zhuan Falun Fajie - The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
Many practitioners had the experience when they first stated cultivation that they quickly elevated above the level of within-triple-world. It was faster than riding a rocket. This elevation could never be attained by simply suffering hardships. Instead, it was attained by elevating one's "xinxing" according to the principles and requirements of Dafa. The improvement in the body and the environment quickly occurred because of one's concentrating on the fundamentals of "elevating one's xinxing," studying the Fa, searching inward, and with the actual elevation of one's xinxing. Likewise, the changes in the other dimensions were also overwhelming. This could be witnessed by all in the cosmos. It was only that the human eye could not see. Human beings did not know and were not aware.
During cultivation we need to eliminate karma, and this requires one to undergo suffering and endure tribulations. However, we are also undergoing tribulations and suffering during Fa study, during our daily practice of the exercises and meditation, everyday frictions and tempering xinxing, while being considerate of others, and while validating and spreading the Fa. We can do all these well with our own initiative and with a clear mind. We do not need to intentionally do things without conforming to ordinary society's living conditions, such as studying the Fa and practicing the exercises for a long time, being detained by lawless personnel, enslaved and tortured by them, and even persecuted to the point where we cannot do the three things.
Master said,
"The growth of this gong really is unbelievable, because we are cultivating while grasping the essence and cultivating by focusing on the mind. This is the most important, and that is why it is extremely fast. Those that cultivate in the mountains, as with some monks, cultivate over a long period of time, suffer a lot of hardship, and they think that their cultivation advances because of the suffering involved. Actually, it is because over a long period of time they slowly wore away the things they were attached to among ordinary people--only then could they improve. Right from the beginning, we cultivate by targeting people's minds. Your attachments of jealousy, elation--all kinds of attachments--we target these things in your cultivation, and it is these we get rid of during cultivation, so it is very fast." ("Teaching the Fa in Beijing at the Zhuan Falun Publication Ceremony" from Zhuan Falun Fajie The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
Some practitioners would sit in meditation for as long as six to seven hours a day. They felt that during meditation they could elevate their xinxing. However, the elevation of xinxing did not depend on the length of time in meditation. During hunger strikes, fellow practitioners suffered a lot and eliminated a lot of karma. However, it was not because the suffering was great and their power to withstand suffering was strong that they regained their freedom. The elevation of xinxing occurs with just one thought; it occurs in a split second. It is not a "marathon." The "marathon" happened because practitioners had human attachments and perceptions that they did not let go off. They held on to their fame, interests, and sentiments, and they caused the suffering to be prolonged.
Modern day human beings have deviated thoughts and actions, and aspects in practitioners that have not assimilated to Dafa are also deviated. A lot of deviated thoughts and actions are fundamental and one cannot even detect them easily. Thus it is very difficult to change. For this reason, the old evil forces have used many vicious methods to "beat out" the righteous thoughts from the practitioners. In fact, even if the practitioner could not see one's deviated thoughts and actions for a long time and one was arrested, as long as the practitioner functioned according to the requirements of Dafa and Master, this is the most effective, and the change is the fastest.
Then what has Master taught us? Master said,
"Pause for a moment of self-reflection,
and increase your righteous thoughts
Thoroughly analyze your shortcomings,
and progress with renewed diligence"("Rational and Awake" from Hong Yin Volume II, Translation Version A)
Master gave us a ladder to heaven - the book Zhuan Falun. This Fa encompasses the whole cosmos. Master also gave us the two Fa-rectification verses, and asked us to "use righteous thoughts to turn the tables on the bad people and stop the persecution." ("Stop the Evil Acts with Righteous Thoughts")
Since it is the case that the closer to the central Great Way, the simpler the cultivation is, we must embrace the central Great Way. Even if we do not understand that much, we should act according to the requirements clearly spelled out by Master. We should not hold on to our stubborn perceptions and the things arranged by the old evil forces; this would be taking ineffective and slow ways, taking detours.
As I understand it, since we are cultivating Dafa, we should act according to the standards of Dafa. We all can read the books of Dafa, and understand the meaning of words in the books. Thus there is no question of not knowing (unless we have not repeatedly read the Fa as Master has asked us to do). Since we know what Master has asked of us, all we have to do is have enough faith and the courage to act in accordance with the Fa. Once we let go of our attachments, we will be able to do so. Once we are able to do so, then we can experience the wonderful and extraordinary power of Dafa. Only then can we validate the wonderful and extraordinary power of Dafa. Only then can we change the old perceptions of more sentient beings and offer salvation to more sentient beings. Only then can we see from the perception of the Fa that we have elevated our cultivation level and really improved, instead of measuring improvement by using human perceptions.
During the Fa-rectification cultivation period, all that we do involves our personal cultivation and elevation. It also affects whether the sentient beings will understand the truth and be saved. Imagine if elevating one's cultivation level depended on being arrested and tortured, if we all had to go into the hell-like forced labor camps, and if we all had to go on a hunger strike for dozen of days and be tortured until our last breath to elevate our cultivation level. How many non-practitioners would dare to be curious about Dafa and come to learn Dafa? If one cultivated Dafa and achieved mental and physical health and is seen as righteous and fearless, the people of the world would easily admire Dafa and hope to learn more.
We can assess it for ourselves; what would most effectively validate Dafa? Regardless of the environment we are in, how can we show that Dafa is rectifying the heavens and earth, reveal the realm of the Fa rectifying the cosmos, and show the power of Dafa?
Putting an end to the persecution depends on Dafa practitioners. Practitioners should understand the Fa from the standpoint of the Fa and cultivate in the Fa; then we can immediately stop the persecution. Diligent practitioners should be more diligent in the Fa and then assimilate to the whole body and make up for the losses and inadequacy caused by the practitioners who are not diligent.
