(Clearwisdom.net) Master taught us in “To the Australia Fa Conference,”
“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.”
If we want to study the Fa well, we must first study the Fa with a calm mind. Practitioners in my area all shared the same feeling: that it was not hard to find time in the day to study the Fa, but it was hard to truly study the Fa with a calm mind and to truly achieve the effect of studying the Fa. At times, although we had studied the Fa for a long time and had read a large quantity, we produced little effect and didn’t upgrade that much on the Fa. The real reason is that we didn’t achieve studying the Fa with a calm mind.
Since I have practiced Falun Dafa, every day when I studied the Fa for a limited amount of time, I never pursued quantity of Fa study. I only paid attention to the state and effect of my studying the Fa calmly and to having my main consciousness predominate and be very clear. When I studied the Fa, I usually read slowly with a pure heart and calm mind. Sometimes when I was very busy and had only a limited amount of time to study the Fa, such as only one hour, I still tried my best to read the Fa with a calm mind, rather than pursuing quantity.
Take reading through Zhuan Falun as an example, within one hour (although I could only read half a lecture or less) I had myself, my true self, really studying the Fa calmly and clearly. While studying the Fa with a calm mind, the profound content of the Fa was often revealed to me, which not only led to my upgrading to higher levels and obtaining deeper understanding, but I also enlightened to the incredible magnificence and wonderfulness of studying the Fa calmly. In the following, I’d like to share my understanding of studying the Fa with a calm mind.
1. Only by Studying the Fa with a Very Respectful Heart Can We Achieve Studying the Fa with a Calm Mind
Above all, I enlightened to the understanding that only when we study the Fa with a very respectful heart can we achieve the state of studying the Fa with a calm mind. Studying the Fa calmly is not only an issue of the status, but also an issue of being respectful to Master and the Fa.
“If we look at it from another angle, when you study the Fa and your mind isn't on the Fa, it's not only a problem of just going through the motions, but also that the person studying the Fa is actually not being very respectful of the Fa. How could the Fa reveal itself, then?” (“Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.”)
The Fa we have been studying is that which Master personally taught us. Therefore, when we study the Fa, if our minds are not on the Fa, it is not only that we are not very respectful of the Fa, but also that we are actually not being very respectful to Master.
Furthermore, some practitioners didn’t cite Master’s Fa exactly when they shared cultivation experiences. It often happened that some practitioners directly put their own words after “Master said that …,” which actually added their own words to Master’s words. On the surface, it seemed that this problem was caused unintentionally. But it revealed the problem of being respectful of Master and the Fa. In fact, if we are not 100% sure that something is Master’s original words, we could simply say that it is our own enlightenment and then share the understanding of the Fa with our own words. There is no problem if we exchange cultivation experience in this way.
2. The Process of Studying the Fa Is Just the Process of Cultivating Our Main Consciousness
Master said in “Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,”
“When your eyes read the Fa and yet your mind isn't on the Fa, think about it, aren't you reading in vain? Who are you reading for? You yourself aren't really studying the Fa, then. Haven't I told you to make sure that you yourself truly obtain gong? Then if your mind isn't on the Fa when you're studying the Fa, who are you studying it for?”
Dafa disciples are cultivating the main consciousness; it is our main consciousness that obtains gong. Therefore, we should be very clear-minded not only when we do the exercises, but also when we study the Fa. Whether we could study the Fa with a concentrated mind will decide whether we can truly achieve studying the Fa with a calm mind.
Master taught us in “Towards Consummation” (Essentials for Further Advancement II),
“When your mind wanders all over the place as you read, the countless Buddhas, Daos, and Gods in the book see your laughable and pitiable mind, and see the karma in your thoughts controlling you, which is detestable. And yet you cling to delusion and fail to wake up.”
In fact, when our mind wandered around while studying the Fa, it was our attachments and notions interfering with our main consciousness. These kinds of interferences came from what we formed in the old universe. Facing this interference, we should not only deny it, but also strengthen our main consciousness to remove and restrain it. As the old forces’ “forced persecution that isn't acknowledged” is not allowed, when we remove and restrain the interference, we are actually eliminating it actively. This is also a process of improving our main consciousness.
When we study the Fa, if our main consciousness does not predominate because our main consciousness isn't strong enough to control our mind, those attachments and notions will come to our mind and interfere with us, causing us to be unable to study the Fa calmly.
When the evil controlled the bad people to perpetrate the persecution, we all knew that we should deny and eliminate it with righteous thoughts while validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. This is because our main consciousness was clear and firm that we could achieve that level. Similarly, when notions and thought karma interfere with our studying the Fa, that is actually a worse type of interference; it is just in another form of persecution. When we practice cultivation in ordinary society, all factors from ordinary society block us from getting rid of human factors and reaching consummation. Facing interference by the factors we developed in the old universe, we should treat them as the evil’s interference. We should all have our main consciousness predominate and clearly identify the essense behind its manifestation in society, restraining and eliminating it. This is also the process of upgrading oneself.
Master has told us many times, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” ("Lecture One" in Zhuan Falun) I enlightened that if we can truly achieve studying the Fa with a calm mind, this process is the manifestation of us cultivating ourselves. Because we first achieve studying the Fa calmly, Master’s fashen behind each word then will enlighten us to the Fa principles at higher levels, which is the manifestation of Master transforming gong. This is my understanding of, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master”, regarding studying the Fa with a calm mind.
3. The Process of Studying the Fa Is also a Process that Facilitates Saving Sentient Beings
In “Touring North America to Teach the Fa,” Master told us the Fa principle that Dafa disciples bodies correspond to a cosmic body that we represent. I enlightened that during the process of our studying the Fa, as we continue upgrading our understanding of the Fa, our attachments, notions, and all the warped mindsets are also continuously rectified and cleared. This process is also a process of our upgrading xinxing. Because Falun Dafa is a cultivation of mind and body, as our xinxing is upgraded, parts of our bodies will be replaced with the high-energy matter. Meanwhile, the cosmic bodies that correspond to practitioners will be assimilated to the new universe. The beings in those cosmic bodies will be assimilated to the beings of the new universe as well. During the cultivation process, because we still have attachments to get rid of, these attachments interfere with parts of our bodies to keep them from being replaced with the high-energy matter, and therefore interfere with the cosmic bodies that correspond to those parts from being assimilated to the new universe, as well as the beings inside those cosmic bodies.
The old universe’s principles actually fetter and interfere with Dafa disciples’ cultivation and saving sentient beings. As the beings in the cosmic bodies, which we have correspondences in, haven’t been assimilated to the new universe, they are still the old universe’s beings, and they are still following the old universe’s principles. Therefore, they actually interfere with our validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. From another angle, it is our attachments that render them unable to be assimilated and saved. As Master said, “Your not getting rid of a lot of attachments interferes with them, and they, in turn, are also interfering with you.” (“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
When studying the Fa, as we continuously upgrade our understanding of the Fa, the beings in the cosmic bodies that we have correspondences in will be continuously assimilated to the beings of the new universe. Then they will follow Dafa’s standard (the standard of the new universe). Therefore, they will become helpful to our validating the Fa and saving sentient beings.
4. Experiencing the Incredible Magnificence of Studying the Fa with a Calm Mind
“Because our practice is one in which the Fa cultivates practitioners, this means that some situations will arise from gong and the Fa. In the course of practice, different levels produce different situations.” ("Lecture Seven" in Zhuan Falun)
Therefore, when I studied the Fa with a calm mind and enlightened to the profound content of Fa principles at different levels, I also personally experienced the incredibly magnificent and wonderful state of studying the Fa calmly. While reading through the Fa, I always felt that I was covered in the powerful energy field of the Fa and that my mind was immersed in the Fa. As Master’s Fa often enlightened me, I obviously felt that the capacity of my mind and my brain was continuously broadened and upgraded to higher levels. This magnificent feeling of being immersed in the Fa is so wonderful that it is beyond words.
While reading the Fa calmly, as my mind became more and more calm, I felt everything around me was still, gone, without the concept of time. I really felt that I was fully immersed in the wisdom and dignity of Dafa. The feeling at that moment was even more wonderful and comfortable than sitting in meditation; it is really that “Words cannot describe its beauty and wonder”. (“Falun World,” in Hong Yin) This state of being fully immersed in studying the Fa allowed me to further enlighten that, for Dafa disciples in the period of Fa-rectification, it is the most magnificent honor to enlighten to the profound content of the universal Dafa while studying the Fa with a calm mind. Every time we upgrade in the Fa, it is the manifestation of Master’s revered grace.
Epilogue
To achieve studying the Fa with a calm mind, we also need to do well in sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth. We can’t relax in doing the three things. The three things promote and affect each other. For example, if we feel tired or even sleepy after having enough sleep, it is a serious interference by the evil factors, and we need to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate it. After we have cleared the interference, our effect and quality of studying the Fa will improve. Similarly, the better we study the Fa, the stronger our righteous thoughts will be. Our sending forth righteous thoughts will be more and more powerful. The better we study the Fa, the stronger our wisdom and intellect will be. Then when we explain the truth about Falun Gong to ordinary people, there will be a good effect without interference. If we encounter problems in clarifying the truth, we will be enlightened by Master’s Fa in the next Fa study.
We need to combine looking inside with studying the Fa calmly.
“Yet when we run into problems, we often look outwards—“Why are you treating me like that?”—and feel that we’ve been treated unfairly, instead of examining ourselves. That’s the greatest and most fatal obstacle for all living beings.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore”)
The most warped factor of all beings in the old universe is that they only think of changing others, instead of looking within. Dafa disciples were also the old universe’s beings before obtaining the Fa. Our new lives were formed during the process of helping Master with Fa-rectification, clarifying the truth, and saving sentient beings. Therefore, when we explain the truth and save sentient beings, we should always look within at every moment and in every environment. No matter how crazy the evil is, as long as we don’t have loopholes, the evil dares not persecute us. (This is also acknowledged by the principle of the old universe.) Therefore, we should bravely face and examine all the attachments and notions that block us from assimilating to Dafa. Some practitioners do not know how to look within or can’t find the reason after looking within; it is actually because they haven’t been calm enough while studying the Fa, as all our righteous thoughts and deeds come from the Fa.
Let’s all cherish this extremely rare and precious opportunity as Dafa disciples in the period of Fa-rectification, firmly keep Master’s words in mind and study the Fa well with a calm mind.
I hope fellow practitioners will kindly point out whatever is improper.
Heshi.
