(Minghui.org) I’ve recently achieved unexpected results from studying the Fa with a pure and focused mind. Each time I study, I do so without any motive, instead aiming to understand the surface meaning of every word taught by Master Li.

Sometimes I focus on memorizing the Fa. When reciting what I’ve memorized, I make sure that I understand the meaning of every sentence—no numbness in the mind, and no mindless parroting of the words. Sometimes I quietly transcribe the text, holding myself to the same standard. I must grasp what Master is teaching in a sentence or passage before putting pen to paper.

As a result, the learning process became incredibly wonderful. I kept seeing falun spinning, sometimes flying out of the book, flying out of my eyes, or spinning freely in the air. They were multicolored, some transparent in various hues, and others emitting various colors of light.

Falun flash before my eyes, truly a sight to behold. Such wondrous sights were rare before. Now, the moment I sit down to study the Fa, I see falun begin spinning.

During my studies, I also gained a deeper understanding of the Fa principles. What seem like ordinary words actually contain profound meanings. Before, I thought they were just words, but through focused studying, I discovered they point to a deeper layer of the Fa’s principles. Because my attitude toward the Fa wasn’t sufficiently proper before, I didn’t grasp these concepts.

At the very start of my cultivation, I felt a sense of novelty. As I progressed in my studies, that feeling faded. Once I became familiar with Fa study, it turned into “a little monk chanting scriptures—going through the motions without any mental engagement.” I was still learning the Fa, but I didn’t think about what I was learning, nor did I bother to process the words mentally.

Master pointed out that my state was similar to allowing the secondary consciousness to take over my body for cultivation. Like some people who start swaying the moment they close their eyes during meditation—it becomes a habit. I had developed a habit too. Whenever I studied the Fa, my main consciousness would relinquish control, relax, and merely go through the motions of studying or memorizing a few lectures to fulfill the task. This wasn’t just about reading the Fa; even after memorizing it thoroughly, I could go through the motions without engaging my mind. Now that I’ve corrected this issue, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of many Fa principles.

One day, I suddenly realized I had learned to look inward—not just paying lip service to the idea, but genuinely doing it.

Master has said:

“… Let each and every thing be measured against the Fa.Only then, with that, is it actually cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)

I understand that true cultivation requires finding an attachment and genuinely eliminating it. Action is key; merely talking about finding attachments without actually eliminating them doesn’t count as cultivation. At the same time, I need to find the notions behind those attachments.

For instance, while seriously studying the Fa one day, I suddenly grasped a deeper meaning of “assimilation of Fa.” I instantly discerned the difference between thoughts influenced by the Fa and those unaffected by it.

Merely identifying such thoughts wasn’t enough—I also had to eliminate the incorrect ones. I focused my righteous thoughts on purging the distorted thinking formed later in my life. The cleansing took about 30 minutes, which was really insufficient, but a good start. That night, I dreamed of riding my small electric scooter up steep slopes, climbing several low inclines in succession. This dream showed me that elevating my xinxing was part of the process.

Another example is that I once sought enlightenment from Master but was unaware of this desire. Later, I realized I was frequently experiencing illusory enlightenment through dreams or other sources, like things I heard or saw. The blurring of truth and illusion caused significant confusion and interference in my cultivation.

Now I understand: it was my own desire that caused these trials. In righteous cultivation, one doesn’t seek anything. The Fa itself is the teacher. Master has imparted Dafa to us. Although we cannot see Master in person, by diligently studying the Fa, the Fa becomes our teacher.

We must study the Fa according to Master’s requirements and not deviate from them in any way. What we should understand, we will understand. We shouldn’t listen to external information, nor should we imitate fellow practitioners or others. This way, we won’t go astray and won’t attract tribulations.

One day, I saw practitioner Jiang, whom I hadn’t seen in years. She was experiencing severe sickness karma. After chatting with her for a while, I felt a bit uneasy seeing her like that. I understood roughly that she had deviated from the Fa, something she wasn’t fully aware of, which had given the old forces a reason to persecute her.

Although her steadfast commitment to the Fa in this condition was truly admirable, unfortunately, she was unable to identify the root of her problem. It also hindered her ability to save others, which was sad and heartbreaking.

I have seen practitioners face various tribulations, including financial difficulties, sickness karma, illegal detention, and persecution. I believe these challenges may arise for the following reasons.

Many practitioners do not understand the Fa when they study it. If their main consciousness is not focused during study, how can they comprehend higher-level principles? We can ask fellow practitioners: What are Master’s requirements for Fa study? How many will answer correctly? If we don’t know the requirements, how can we fulfill them? And how many can actually keep their main consciousness alert while studying the Fa to gain the Fa?

Another issue is the lack of emphasis on the Essentials for Further Advancement. Consider this: how do we understand the title of the book? One layer of meaning I see is that it holds the key to diligence.

Since this book is so important, shouldn’t we memorize it? We really should. After memorizing the first, second, and third parts of Essentials for Further Advancement, I saw through one evil scheme after another, many involving internal disruptions to the Fa, whose consequences were utterly terrifying.

Another issue stems from becoming mentally numb while studying Zhuan Falun. This happens when we read it so often that it becomes routine, or when we get used to not thinking critically and become too lazy to grasp the meaning of each sentence. Even worse, we may not realize that we aren’t studying the Fa as Master requires us to. This is especially troubling if we don’t even know there’s a problem with our study—how can we correct it?

Like practitioner Jiang, who was dealing with sickness karma, I knew she wasn’t thinking critically while studying the Fa, but she didn’t realize it. She felt she was quite diligent because she studied the Fa and did the exercises every day.

However, she had strayed for so long that she was completely unaware there was a problem. This is an example of studying the Fa without grasping its essence. How could she possibly break through the sickness karma? It would be extremely difficult. In truth, failing to grasp the essence of the Fa is itself a deadly test arranged by the old forces for Dafa disciples. Everyone must take this seriously and properly adjust any incorrect approach to Fa study.

Practitioners who lack sufficient inward reflection have not failed to look inward—many place great emphasis on it. However, due to inadequate study of the Fa, both in quality and quantity, they lack an understanding of core principles. Consequently, they fail to identify the root causes of problems, sometimes even blaming others and viewing persecution as a human conflict.

When practitioners facing tribulations look inward, some don’t identify the root cause. Unfortunately, because they lack an understanding of the Fa principles, even when told the reason, they still don’t accept it.

There was a practitioner near me who was being followed, had her home raided, and was persecuted. However, these things happened because she had disrupted the Fa. After her release, we often studied the Fa together. I told her everything I recognized about the mistakes she made that disrupted the Fa, fearing she might get into trouble again. Later, she came to understand some of what I explained.

I thought to myself that she should be fine now. But I was surprised when she encountered trouble again. Later, I realized that it was due to her insufficient study of the Fa. She didn’t know many of the principles that Master taught. The old forces seized on her attachments and persecuted her again.

I’ve also noticed some practitioners around me engaging in deeply hidden acts that deviate from the Fa, but they are unaware of them. Even when I warn them, they don’t believe me. Although they seem fine now, their situation is truly dangerous.

Some individuals are impersonating practitioners and disrupting the environment for Dafa disciples. This is also very dangerous. What should I do? Only by dedicating significant effort to study the Fa can we break through these barriers and escape the traps set by the old forces. Also, we should read more articles from the Minghui editorial team.