(Minghui.org) I knew that studying the Fa was very important because our esteemed Master has mentioned this in the Fa over and over again with great compassion. I had not, however, understood the real meaning of this for a long time.
I read an article in which a practitioner said that several fellow practitioners in his area had developed an attachment to doing things, and had deviated from the Fa, and that the old forces were going to persecute them. One of the practitioners realized that his cultivation state was poor and sensed that the situation was getting very serious. So this practitioner made a prompt decision to put down everything, lock himself at home, and study the Fa with a calm mind for several days. As it turned out, he was the only one who was not persecuted. He felt very regretful for not advising the others to do the same.
I exclaimed, “Wow, it is indeed important to study the Fa! No wonder Master told us to study the Fa more.”
Recently, through studying the Fa with a calm mind, I suddenly realized that studying the Fa with a calm mind is itself a process of ascending. When your mind is calm while studying the Fa, and when you suddenly understand a sentence or a paragraph, the Fa principles are often revealed to you. Understanding the real meaning behind the sentence at a certain level indicates that you are at that level already. Falun Buddha Fa appears to be a book with black and white words. But in reality, behind every word there is the boundless Buddha Fa, and layers upon layers of Buddhas, Daos, and Gods are working together simultaneously. When you constantly study the Fa with a calm mind, the Fa will reveal the true meaning to you, you will have new understandings, and your level will constantly ascend. This is your improvement. The process of studying the Fa with a calm mind is a process of genuine cultivation, raising xinxing, and ascending in level. As soon as you have ascended in level, the old forces will no longer be able to reach you or harm you. And of course all the illusions of interference and persecution will disperse and cease to exist.
Taking the practitioner mentioned above as an example, with his improvement in level, the tribulation arranged by the old forces changed from being a huge mountain, to a small pebble after several days of Fa study with a calm mind. Master said,
“As a student, if his mind is filled with nothing but Dafa, this person is definitely a genuine cultivator. So you must have a clear understanding on the matter of studying the Fa. Reading the books more and studying the books more is the key to truly elevating yourself. To put it more simply, as long as you read Dafa, you are changing; as long as you read Dafa, you are elevating. The boundless content of Dafa plus the supplementary means—the exercises—will enable you to reach Consummation. Group reading or reading by yourself is the same.” (“Melt Into the Fa” from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I’d like to remind fellow practitioners that regardless of whether you study with a group or by yourself, don't just go through the motions when you study. If after reading a lecture you don't remember what you have read or studied, then you’re wasting time and being disrespectful toward the Fa, and your level may be dropping instead of ascending. With time being of the essence now, we must make good use of our time to study the Fa solidly. I feel that if we have trouble reading the Fa solidly, the options of memorizing the Fa or hand-copying the Fa could be very good and effective alternatives. In summary, we should read the Fa with a calm mind and solidly, because that will ensure our genuine improvement. Studying the Fa solidly is assimilating to the Fa, and is true cultivation.
This concludes my understandings. Please kindly point out anything improper.
