(Minghui.org) As practitioners, we should not be afraid of forbearing hardships and should find joy in suffering.
Teacher said that Dafa practitioners should try to recite the Fa:
“Those of us who have the ability, who are in their prime, excepting people who are older or who have poor memory, should try to memorize the book. Perhaps what I’m suggesting is high—my requirement might be really high.” (“Comments Regarding the Fa-Rectification Made at the Falun Dafa Assistants Meeting in Beijing” from Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)
Because Teacher said this, I thought I should follow through. Although Teacher said this more than ten years ago, I've just understood it now.
Teacher said,
“Persons who have memorized the book find that whenever they run into problems they immediately recall the Fa. And that means they aren’t apt to handle things wrong.” (“First Fa Teaching Given in the United States” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference I)
From the Fa principles, I understood why it was necessary to memorize the Fa. It was not so that I could understand more Fa principles, elevate my level, take the Fa with me, seek mighty virtue, or show other practitioners that I am more diligent. Teacher has asked us to recite the Fa so that we would be less likely to commit wrongdoings. Thus, memorizing the Fa is part of our cultivation. I also realized that we should memorize all of the lectures, not just Zhuan Falun.
Because this came to my attention, I decided that I should just go ahead and do it! But, it was not that easy to memorize the Fa. Sometimes I was slow at reciting, felt annoyed, or considered it a painful task. But I kept at it and took one step at a time. At times I felt that I was elevating myself and the results were better than reading the Fa. At other times I slacked off and my mind wandered. I thought, “Why should I cultivate like a monk? Practitioners who read the Fa don't seem to suffer as much as I do, so why should I memorize the Fa? Couldn't I just read the Fa? Reciting the Fa is so hard! Teacher did not say we must memorize the Fa.” I was looking for all kinds of excuses to stop.
Although there were times I found joy in reciting the Fa, there were also many unbearable moments. One time I thought, “There are thirty-nine Dafa books and I'm so slow at memorizing. When will I ever finish reciting them?” Just when I was going to quit, Teacher pointed some things out in a dream. After I woke up, I decided to continue following Teacher's requirements. After all, forbearing hardship is a good thing. Because I was not feeling rushed, I felt more at ease with my pace.
We know that Shen Yun Performing Arts is a world-class company. I learned that the performers go through a lot of hardships. A reporter asked a dancer, “Why do you all dance so well?” The dancer replied, “There is no shortcut. We just keep practicing.” I thought, “Wow, this young lady does not seem to mind hardships!” I also remember seeing a video on the Minghui website introducing classical Chinese dance. There were clips of Shen Yun performers practicing the dances, and they were covered in sweat. It looked very painful and hard. Shen Yun performers' hard work seems to have paid off!
The requirements of the Fa are the same for all of us, regardless of where we live. We should reverse the way we look at things. Forbearing hardship is a good thing. Of course, we should not create our own hardships, as the old forces could then take advantage of our loopholes. However, we should not push away what we are meant to endure!
Oftentimes, I do not want to look inward. For example, when I have conflicts with other practitioners or family members, I become upset. One of the reasons is because I do not yet have a clear enough understanding of the Fa principles.
Teacher said,
“'When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.'” (Zhuan Falun)
If we do as Teacher instructed, then we can definitely pass the test.
Though it is hard to memorize the Fa and look inward, I have noticed that my environment has improved through doing so. Consequently, personal cultivation tests have diminished, and it has become fairly easy doing the truth-clarification work. Although I suffer more hardships, the tribulations have lessened. Of course, I'm not doing this to avoid tribulations.
Teacher said,
“The more the junior monk suffers, the easier it is for him to achieve the Unlocking of Gong. The more comfortable the senior monks’ lives are, the harder it is for them to reach the state of Unlocking Gong since there is the issue of karma’s transformation.” (Zhuan Falun)
It is truly as Teacher told us, “No loss, no gain.” (Zhuan Falun)
Relatively speaking, it is more difficult to clarify the truth in person and call people to urge them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) than to deliver truth-clarification materials and send SMS messages. Truth-clarification activities in person target our human hearts more directly, such as the attachment of fear, not wanting to be ridiculed, anxiety, fear of being reported, etc. All truth-clarification projects are important, and we should not avoid certain tasks because we have an attachment to fear or of not wanting to forbear hardships.
It is a good thing to forbear hardships and to give more of ourselves. If we can spend time memorizing the Fa, looking inward when encountering problems, being tolerant, and changing our human notions, the old forces would not dare to persecute us. Memorizing the Fa will also help us when we send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth. I feel bad when I see practitioners being persecuted and want to help them.
At first, I did not want to write an experience-sharing article because I didn't think that I was cultivating well. Later I thought, “Since I have benefited greatly from this experience, I should share it with others as well!”
Above are my current understandings. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.