(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher told us to do the three things well. The first thing is to study the Fa. We can do well on the other two things and break through different kinds of tribulations only if we study the Fa well. By studying the Fa well, we will be able to keep up with the progress of Teacher's Fa-rectification and move on steadily. Otherwise, we are like a boat that's lost in the ocean. We will not be able to find the right direction to go.
Studying the Fa Often and Well Is an Important Factor of Being Able to Keep Up with Fa-Rectification
I obtained the Fa in 1996. I was fascinated by Zhuan Falun, and all I wanted to do was to read it. I read relatively slowly and I need to read every character in order to understand. But I do not look for any specific thing when I read. I just read through the entire book calmly. By doing so, the Fa principles just naturally and gradually reveal themselves to me. My level of understanding the Fa changed from a perceptual understanding in the beginning to a rational understanding.
On July 20, 1999, when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) began to persecute Falun Gong, my mind was quite clear. I was not deceived by the lies, nor was I scared by the evil atmosphere. In 2002, when the evil Party was having the Sixteenth Conference, the police attempted to arrest me. I had to leave home for nine months. Through studying the Fa, I realized that by running away I was walking the path arranged by the old forces. This path was not on the Fa. Thus, I decided to return home.
When I returned to my hometown, first I was still afraid of going back to my home directly, because the police were still looking for me. So I stayed in my brother's home. Through some people, I heard from the police that I could go home, but I must renounce Falun Gong. I hesitated as if at a crossroads. Then I calmed myself down to study the Fa, and I was enlightened on the principle of mutual-inhibition. Everything that happens in the world is caused by one's attachments. If I do not have the attachment of fear, it will not happen on me. I can completely negate the old forces.
When the Fa broke through the knot in my heart, my mind was very clear and calm. Immediately, my righteous thoughts got very strong. In the daytime, I went back to my long-separated home with dignity and righteous thoughts. I then went to my work unit to request to start work again. I then sent forth righteous thought to cleanse the evil and the bad factors in my own space. I felt very relaxed and light in my heart, and the factors of fear in my mind were all eliminated. I felt an obvious improvement. Two days later, my work unit informed me that they had taken care everything with the police, everything was fine, and that I could get ready to go to work.
When I was able to take this step, the righteous thoughts came out from the Fa. Because I was able to keep up the studying of Fa, when the Nine Commentaries came out, when we started to persuade people to quit the CCP, and when organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners was exposed to the public, I could always understand the trend of Fa-rectification with no obstacle. If we study the Fa well, we will know what to do. Maybe on some occasions we aren't able to do it immediately, but at least we would know what we should do; otherwise even if we want to do well, we wouldn't know how. The road of cultivation is quite narrow; whenever we don't pay attention, we could deviate to the old forces' path. So I realized that we must study the Fa well in order to keep up with the progress of Fa-rectification, and follow the path Teacher has arranged for us.
Harmonizing the Family Environment Is Very Important
As Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period, there are many things to do, and all these things need to be done well. We cannot do anything negligently or perfunctorily. This includes harmonizing our families and it's also very important. I could see these days that many Dafa practitioners were not able to harmonize the family environments, which have caused the family members' misunderstandings, and so they do not support the practitioners. Sometimes the conflicts even intensify, and it keeps Dafa practitioners from doing the three things well.
I had this problem before, too. I had a one-sided view that I was taking the Fa as the most important thing, and that everything in the family had to yield to me. In my family there are my wife and children, and I am the head of the family. Thus everybody has to listen to me. Now that I practice Dafa, everything must comply with me, and must not interfere with my cultivation. The environment seemed to be relaxed, but from their hearts, they did not agree with my way of doing things. They said I was selfish. Yet I felt I was misunderstood. I thought that what I was doing was the most righteous thing in the world, and that I was the one that was suffering and bearing tribulations; why didn't they just understand me? I considered their everyday life as something with not much meaning, and I just wanted to do Dafa work. I did not really care about them. My wife and children were all scared to talk to me, and sometimes they even did not want to come home. There were layers and layers of conflicts. On the surface, it seemed that I was very diligent in cultivation, but actually I was not acting in accordance with the Fa with respect to my family.
Teacher has said a lot on this topic. It's just that I did not understand the Fa well, perhaps misinterpreted the Fa, and did not pay enough attention. Afterwards, through studying the Fa, I realized that this state was not right. I enlightened to the principle that the Fa is all-encompassing. We cannot go to extremes in anything. We should think of others in everything we encounter, and look to benefit others; then we will be able to walk on a righteous path. Otherwise, we could be conveying a negative image of ourselves and Dafa.
Thus, I "clarified truth" to them and told them why we do the things we do. At home, I tried to live with them in the way that accords with the ordinary people's lives to the maximum extent. I took the initiative to take care of them, and when anything happened, I would make sure that they were okay. In this way, they indeed could feel "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" from me. I put in time to care about my children's schoolwork and activities.
When I'm studying the Fa or doing the exercises, if they want to do something that conflicts with my plan, I always meet their needs first. For instance, once my wife and I were in the bedroom and I was studying the Fa. My wife said that she wanted to watch the television, and asked me if that would disturb me. I said, "Go ahead, it doesn't disturb me. Feel free to do whatever you like, don't limit yourself due to me. If I expected that, I would be doing something wrong as a cultivator. I should consider all of you on every occasion, and make you live happily. That would accord with the Fa."
Little by little, my wife experienced the beauty of Dafa. Dafa was gradually changing me and changing my temper. One time, I planned to go out and post banners on the street with fellow practitioners. When I was getting ready to leave, she asked me where I was going. I hesitatingly told her that I was going to post banners. She said, "Don't go. Let other people go." I was in a hurry and felt a little angry, but I calmed myself down. I remembered that in these years, there were many times that I got arrested and persecuted; my wife and children were scared many times. Even when they heard people walking up the stairs, they would get worried. I understood her feelings and understood that it was hard for her, and that she also had to bear a lot. Even for us cultivators who understand the principles of Fa and who know the secrets of the universe, we still have the attachment of fear to some extent. Their feelings as ordinary people can then be understandable.
I calmly told her: "Everyone of us is Teacher's disciple. We all received benefits from Dafa. But now Dafa is under persecution, and our Teacher is being wronged. Now everyone is risking his or her life to validate the Fa and save the sentient beings, even many old ladies go on the street and post banners. For a young and strong guy like me to stay home and leave the danger for the others, that is not right. As good people, we cannot do things like that."
Through patiently talking to her, her righteous thoughts were awakened. Immediately she put on a coat and wanted to go post banners with me. I said, "You are not a cultivator, so you don't have to." She said, "It's what I'm willing to do." I was very touched. She put a container of glue in her pocket, I brought the banners, and we walked out to the street together.
At first she was a little scared. I saw that and told her: "We are doing the most righteous thing in the universe. We are saving people. Now it is persecuted by the evil, but don't be afraid of it." My wife said, "I'm not afraid." She was also encouraging me. Just like this, we worked together and finished posting up the banners.
Though she said she wasn't afraid, when we got home, I noticed that she was sweating. But she said she felt sacred and happy. The next morning my family celebrated Teacher's birthday. We offered burned incense; then put our palms together to Heshi.
Suddenly, my wife saw Teacher wearing yellow and sitting on a lotus; with one hand in the upright position, and the other hand rotating, like a Falun. I asked, "Is it because your eyes were blurry and it was your imagination?" She said, "No, it was not an imagination. It was very clear!" I was moved to tears. My wife did not cultivate, but the Teacher saw her heart, and was encouraging her.
After that, my wife has given me even more support. Her righteous thoughts have been very strong. Sometimes I go with fellow practitioners to rural areas to share experiences with practitioners there, pass out Dafa materials, and come back home very late. At most, she says, "Be wise, reasonable and careful." She never tries to stop me from going. Clarifying the truth verbally is my weak side, and she often helps me to talk to people. Although my family is in harmony most of the time now, sometimes small conflicts still arise, and sometimes the evil interferes. Whenever there is a problem, I constantly look within, and try harmonize my family better.
I was also enlightened that our missions are to validate Dafa and save sentient beings. The fact that my family members are with me is not by coincidence. Thus, bringing good harmony to my family can result in great help to me in Fa-rectification. Also, things that we are enlightened to are to be a reference for people in the future. If we don't walk on straight paths, then we are not being responsible to the future. Therefore, harmonizing the family well is very important. We must not neglect it.
Every practitioner faces different family environments. I'm sharing my experience and understanding with practitioners who may have similar issues. I hope my sharing can help these practitioners make progress.
This is my personal understanding. If there is anything not proper, please kindly point it out.
