Cultivating During Fa-rectification

(Minghui.org) It has been twenty years since the beginning of Fa-rectification cultivation, and yet we still need to ask the question: How should we cultivate during Fa-rectification? Many practitioners may wonder: How can one still ask such a question since we have already been cultivating this way for twenty years? Or you may say without thinking: We just need to do well the three things!

Indeed, we must do well the three things that Master has told us to do. However, have we thought about why the Fa-rectification is still going on when Master had originally arranged for it to last just ten years? Why is it that the evil still exists? Why is the persecution still going on? Why is it that there are still so many sentient beings yet to be saved? Why is it that we still hold onto so many human attachments?

Some people think that the evil is quite something. In fact, the fundamental reason for the prolonged persecution is not that the evil is powerful. However ferocious they may be, they are nothing in the face of Dafa!

The true cause is that we have not enlightened to the Fa principles and are still unclear about what true Fa-rectification cultivation is. We do not have a clear understanding about how to cultivate our xinxing in Fa-rectification cultivation.

Through studying Master's article “Expounding on the Fa” (Essentials for Further Advancement) and in-depth sharing with fellow practitioners about why some practitioners have been trapped in tribulations for a long time and struggle in a passive, helpless state of mind, we realized that the reason is that we have not truly understood the principles of the Fa. Master said,

“For a long period of time the sentient beings in Dafa, especially the disciples, have had a misunderstanding of the Fa at various levels regarding xinxing improvement.” “Expounding on the Fa”(Essentials for Further Advancement )

Because of this misunderstanding,

“Whenever a tribulation comes, you do not see it with the side of your original nature but view it completely with your human side. Evil demons then capitalize on this point and inflict endless interference and damage, leaving students in long-term tribulations.” “Expounding on the Fa”(Essentials for Further Advancement )

Master also told us clearly in the same article,

“As a matter of fact, this results from an inadequate understanding of the Fa by your human side. You have humanly restrained your divine side; in other words, you have restrained the parts that have been successfully cultivated and have prevented them from doing Fa-rectification.”

Our human side is like Monk Tang, while the side of our true nature is like the Monkey King. When our human side misunderstands the Fa principles and views bad things as good, it is just like Monk Tang taking demons as good people. Of course this would restrain and prevent the Monkey King from eliminating the demons.

Fa Rectification Cultivation Versus Personal Cultivation

Our misunderstandings of the Fa have trapped us in long-term tribulations and prevented us from doing Fa-rectification. What kind of misunderstanding of the Fa do we have in relation to xinxing improvement?

Let us take a look at our understandings about tribulations and our attitude: During personal cultivation period, we understand that the reason why someone is unkind to us is because,

“People only have health problems and suffering because they did bad things in the past and made karma. When they go through hard times they are paying off a karmic debt.” (Zhuan Falun)

We know that such tribulations are to give us de, to eliminate or transform our karma, to help us improve our xinxing and to increase our gong. So what should we do? We need to endure them.

However, during the Fa-rectification period, when the old forces instigate the evil to persecute us, if we still hold such an understanding, we would think: the more tribulations the better, the bigger they are the better. Isn't it the case that in the early days of the persecution, many practitioners mistakenly thought that “labor camps and prisons are the best cultivation environments”? This is exactly where we had misunderstood the Fa regarding xinxing improvement.

During the Fa-rectification cultivation period, when tribulations came, instead of stepping forward to safeguard and validate the Fa and to stop the persecution, we mistakenly thought that the old forces were gods and that we should accept their arrangements, thinking that the reason they persecute us is because we have loopholes, and therefore they have reasons to persecute us. We looked within for our shortcomings while acknowledging the evil's interference and persecution, and some even thought that the unlawful arrests were to help us cultivate well.

Saving sentient beings during the Fa-rectification period is an enormous matter, and one cannot improve in cultivation simply by enduring tribulations. Cultivation through hardships is the practice of side-paths in the past, and one may drop down and give up cultivation or even go the opposite way when tribulations are too enormous! So, we must not allow the persecution to exist as the evil wishes, especially during the Fa-rectification period. Many fellow practitioners have understood this through their own experiences.

Misunderstandings and Loopholes

There is another misunderstanding based on human perspectives: The persecution is nationwide and the evils are strong. I'm no match. What can I do when they arrest me and beat me? Some even thought: We cultivate “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”, so we should tell the perpetrators whatever they ask us and accept the persecution, otherwise we are not being truthful, compassionate and tolerant.

With such a warped understanding, how can we keep away tribulations? How can we assist Master in Fa-rectification? We can only be at the mercy of the evil's persecution.

Some practitioners think: The evil will stop persecuting me once I have cultivated well with no more loopholes.

We should ask such practitioners: Do we strive to do well in cultivation in order to reach the evil's standards and be acknowledged by them? Will they then stop persecuting us? Is this the case? Are they rectifying the Fa? Not at all! They are exactly that which needs to be rectified and eliminated!

Why don't we think: “I'm Master Li Hongzhi' s disciple. Whether I cultivate well or not, whether I still have loopholes or not, my Master will take care of it all and I will improve in Dafa. My cultivation has nothing to do with you evil old forces. I strive for recognition and acknowledgment by my Master, not by you evils! All evils that persecute Dafa are to be rectified or to be eliminated by the Fa. They are in no position to test Dafa disciples!”

“It was Dafa – the Great Way of the universe – that created the cosmic body, the universe, life and all of creation.” (Lunyu)

An evil party and evil beings in a country on a tiny planet are nothing at all. They can be cleared out by the Fa instantly. All human beings have come for the Fa, and sentient beings are waiting to be saved. Assimilating to the Fa and saving sentient beings is what every one of us must do.

Instead of accepting tribulations, we must apply the Fa principles in our conduct, look within for loopholes, and improve our xinxing. The true improvement in xinxing is not achieved by the amount of hardships and tribulations one suffers, but by eliminating all those thought substances contrary to the Fa, or by elevation in the Fa through clearer understanding of the Fa principles.

The old forces have absolutely no role in Fa-rectification

Master has mentioned the excuses the old forces have used in the persecution on the basis of the principles of the old universe. My understanding is that Master is teaching us how to rectify ourselves so that we can completely do away with the meddling of the old forces.

However, some practitioners think that since the old forces can arrange things in our cultivation, they are like a “secondary master”, and as a result these practitioners feel helpless in the face of the arrangements by the old forces and accept them passively.

Master said,

“How was the cosmos created? It was created just by a Great Fa Enlightened Being's one thought. (Applause) The single thoughts of the Great Enlightened Beings at different levels created cosmoses at different levels. Imagine if after that one thought created the cosmos the beings inside it were to say, "Don't create me in this way, you should create me in such and such way." Is it up to them? It's not. Those beings are really insignificant in the eyes of that God whose one thought created them.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.)

Master made it very clear in the same article,

“So in other words, we can't acknowledge the arrangements that the old forces made for us, no matter what they did, because they, too, are candidates for being saved, only they've chosen to be weeded out. How could someone who's to be saved choose how he's saved? It's like he falls into water and someone tries to save him, but he says: "You can't save me directly with your hands. You have to save me with a boat that I like." How could that be?”

The old forces have absolutely no role in Fa-rectification, and those that try to damage Dafa and destroy sentient beings are candidates for elimination. For this reason, we must resolutely clear out all the evils that instigate bad people to persecute Dafa and Dafa disciples, and at the same time we must clarify the facts to those who have been controlled by the old forces and stop them from committing more crimes. Even if they refuse to listen, we must not hold any fear or feel helpless. We must understand that it is Dafa that is measuring and positioning all beings, and we have Master's fashen and guardian gods to protect us at all times. Nothing is up to the evil, and they cannot do things their way. Master has also given us supernormal abilities. When our human side clearly understands the Fa principles and holds strong righteous thoughts, then we are enlightened beings.

Handling tribulations with “an unshakable calm”

Master told us,

“When a tribulation arrives, if you, a disciple, can truly maintain an unshakable calm or be determined to meet different requirements at different levels, this should be sufficient for you to pass the test.” “Expounding on the Fa” (Essentials for Further Advancement )

Then why is it that we still experience endless tribulations when there are no problems in our xinxing and our conduct?

Master pointed it out,

“If it continues endlessly and if there do not exist other problems in your xinxing or conduct, it must be that the evil demons are capitalizing on the weak spots caused by your lack of control.” “Expounding on the Fa”(Essentials for Further Advancement)

In other words, it is because we have allowed the evil demons to damage the Fa and have allowed them to persecute us! This is the true cause.

Why is it that the Fa-rectification has been going on for twenty years and still has not ended? Why do the evils still exist? Why hasn't the persecution ended? Why is it that so many sentient beings are yet to be saved? Why do we still have so many human attachments yet to be let go of? Because we have allowed these things to happen, our divine side has been restrained and the side of our true nature has been prevented from doing Fa-rectification. Master has clearly told us,

“As a matter of fact, this results from an inadequate understanding of the Fa by your human side. You have humanly restrained your divine side; in other words, you have restrained the parts that have been successfully cultivated and have prevented them from doing Fa-rectification. How can the uncultivated side restrain your main thoughts or the side that has already attained the Fa? Having humanly fostered the evil demons, you allow them to capitalize on the loopholes in the Fa.” “Expounding on the Fa”(Essentials for Further Advancement)

The first step we must take in Fa-rectification cultivation is to hold the following strong thought: “We do not allow any bad thoughts to exist in our minds; we do not allow evil beings that try to damage the Fa to exist; we do not allow the persecution to exist; we must rectify ourselves and others, rectify sentient beings and all by the Fa principles.”

When we send forth righteous thoughts, the first five minutes are for us to eliminate the bad substances in ourselves and to rectify ourselves; then we start eliminating the external evils and rectifying what is outside of us. Completely eliminate the evil, resolutely stop the persecution, rectify all that is not righteous, and save as many sentient beings as possible – this is true Fa-rectification cultivation.

As for the bad or unrighteous thoughts and things that have already taken place, we must rectify or eliminate them. Of course, we must completely clear out the evils that are persecuting Dafa and sentient beings. Only by doing the three things on such a basis can it be true Fa-rectification cultivation. In order to effectively disintegrate the evil and save sentient beings, we cannot allow the evil and the persecution to exist.

The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper.