(Clearwisdom.net. August 29) Studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth are the three things Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples should do well. Studying the Fa well is the fundamental guarantee for Dafa disciples to cultivate themselves well, to improve themselves and to keep up with the Fa-rectification process. Our righteous thoughts and all our righteous actions in validating the Fa in the human society come from the Fa, and everything we do is also to realize the requirements of the Fa in the process of us proactively assimilating into the Fa. The biggest disruption from the evil is the interference with our Fa-study, and the most vicious way the evil uses to persecute us is to use various means to prevent us from studying the Fa well. They do this so that they could further create false images to interfere with Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts and righteous beliefs, and ultimately achieve their selfish purposes.
Before we started practicing cultivation we had a variety of false concepts, faulty reasoning and wrong notions in our mind. We also had a way of thinking based on our selfish nature and a state of mind that made it hard for us to find our true self. Often we mistakenly perceive this false reasoning and notions to be ourselves. While we study the Fa, these false selves, the false reasoning and false notions also mirror themselves, which is basically interference. "Studying the Fa with attachments is not true cultivation" (Master Li, "Towards Consummation").
The process of Dafa disciples understanding the Fa on the basis of the Fa is a process of breaking with this faulty reasoning, false selves and false concepts so that we can return to our true selves. Cultivation enables us to become more capable of recognizing which one is our true self and are then able to validate the Fa with our true selves. This is Dafa disciples validating the Fa.
"Without acquired-notions, you will have your own understanding from your kind nature, and that is your true understanding, and you will be able to determine this matter with kindness. Breaking with ideological boundaries, human beings' kind disposition, nature, characteristics and features will be easily detected, and that is your true self." ("Buddha Nature" Zhuan Falun II; unofficial translation)
In "Lunyu," ["On Buddha Fa"-preface of Zhuan Falun] Master said clearly,
"In order to explore this domain, people must fundamentally change their conventional human notions."
I would like to share my personal understanding in this respect with a few examples.
Breaking with the interference from the mentality of pursuit in Fa-study
There was a period of time when I studied the Fa daily, and it was also peaceful and quiet. However, I always felt there was something that was not quite right. An obvious sign was that I preferred to study Master's new Fa-lectures. Although I was also reading Zhuan Falun, I could not get much understanding from it and it felt like doing daily homework. I felt rather agitated about this.
Later, I was much inspired from reading an article by a fellow practitioner and found out where the problem was. The problem lay in the mentality of pursuit. This mentality of pursuit is also a type of matter, which pushes us to go after things. When we do things, it pushes us to pursue results, when we study the Fa, it pushes us to go after novelty and enlightenment, and it also magnifies our other attachments during Fa-study. The degenerated humankind, influenced by modern science in particular, has formed a mentality of endless pursuits. The modern mind thinks this is good. Driven by this mentality, people pursue the so-called beautiful things such notions are defining. As Master had said, because of the education we have received since childhood and the influence from our environment this modern science has created, the mentality of pursuit has been deeply rooted in our mind. It plays a role in our subconscious and is very hard for us to tell apart. When I study the Fa, it also follows me, looking for novelty and feeling pleased, but it is not the true me.
This mentality of pursuit also pushes us to go after results when we do things. I am always thinking, "If we have achieved good results from clarifying the truth today, or if our sending forth righteous thoughts tomorrow would achieve our goals," and other such thoughts. The mentality of pursuit also combines with other attachments we find hard to let go of and look for methods in the Fa. If we are attached to safety, it would help us look for ways to be safe. This is contrary to what Master taught us when he says, "attaining naturally without pursuit."
When I recognized this mentality of pursuit, I started to eliminate it so that the one who studies the Fa is my true self, not one driven by this mentality of pursuit.
Breaking with the of the old forces' induced selfishness of defending one's own preference
One day while I was studying the Fa with a fellow practitioner, my wife called me over. I was not very happy about it, thinking, "Studying the Fa is such a sacred matter, and yet you interfered with it for nothing significant." This feeling of unhappiness lingered on for quite a while after I returned to my study. I asked myself, what is the matter? Why did I have such interference? Where are my impurities? Why is it that I was unhappy?
I calmly looked inward to figure out where I was not pure and to discover the root cause of my unhappiness. Gradually I found it. When I study the Fa, there is a me who enjoys studying the Fa. But it is not me and it is studying the Fa for a selfish purpose. This other entity prefers to study the Fa because it believes that Fa-study could improve itself and it defends its own preference. This is what is not pure when I study the Fa. This other being is selfish, and that is why it was unhappy when it was interrupted. It defends its own arrangements and its own preferences, but it is not me.
I looked at this impurity with a calm mind and realized that it represented the most fundamental degeneration of the old forces, which in its layers upon layers has formed a complete set of self-defense and plays an unconscious role. It chooses what it likes to do, making various forms of arrangements; it always thinks that its ideas are better and tries to maintain its own arrangements under all circumstances. It appears to do things for the benefit of others, but in fact it is all for self interest.
"A wicked person is born of jealousy. Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself." ("Realms" Essentials for Further Advancement I)
Wickedness and jealousy is based on the mentality of maintaining one's own selfish interests, something that can be seen everywhere in our daily life. It is so prevalent that this mentality would influence our first thoughts every time something happens. The old forces have arranged it this way. It is extremely meticulous and hard to distinguish. When our righteous thoughts are not strong, we would mistakenly think it is us being in charge. When we validate the Fa, this selfish mentality would emerge from time to time, insisting that "my ideas are better and things should be done accordingly, if not, I would feel unhappy, thinking, I'm validating the Fa, and yet you have interfered." This is not correct. All this is in fact safeguarding one's own self, not the Fa.
This mentality is also two-sided. When you do not conform to its preference, it would show its ugly side, feeling unhappy, jealous and pointing fingers at others, and those who get angry would go even further. It is fundamentally based on self-protection. When studying the Fa, therefore, it always thinks that the Fa is aiming at others and it uses the Fa to measure others and always thinks of itself as being better. When this entity does well, it would show off, even when we do well in Fa-validation. I saw this terrible thing in me even before I started writing this article. Master talked about people stumbling in cultivation. Isn't it because this selfish thing is inflating itself? Once I found out what it was, I started to eliminate it. I could see it gradually disappearing. I could more clearly distinguish myself. I only allow my true self to study the Fa, not this selfishness. I only allow my true self to validate the Fa, not this selfishness.
"I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. So from now on, whatever you do or whatever you say, you must consider others--or even future generations--along with Dafa's eternal stability." ("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature" Essentials for Further Advancement I)
Master emphasized again and again,
"So, cooperate well when you do things. Each Dafa disciple's thing is everybody else's." ("Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference")
If we do not get rid of this selfishness, then the superficial unison is not being truly cooperative.
All Dafa practitioners are studying the Fa, are sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth, and there is no difference in the manner of doing it, but what about in essence? With a mentality of pursuit, with a head filled with notions of science and atheism and with a mentality of safeguarding one's self-interest, we would not be able to validate the Fa, and it would not be true Dafa practitioners doing Fa-rectification. The superficial manner of doing this is for everyday people to see, whereas the true Fa-rectification takes place in other dimensions. Only the godly sides of absolutely pure Dafa disciples are worthy of participating,
"You must be a Dafa disciple doing Dafa work" ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference")
The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper.
