(Clearwisdom.net) Often I heard fellow practitioners saying "I did not study the Fa today" or "I at least study one chapter every day" or "I have memorized the Fa xxx times" or "I have persuaded xx number of people to quit the CCP." This in itself is not wrong. It's the mentality, which suggests that studying the Fa and clarifying the facts is cultivation and being diligent and will reach consummation as a result.
However, if we don't cultivate our hearts and do not assimilate to the Fa, what is the difference between this and
"A monk or a nun tries hard to chant the scriptures, and he or she regards a person's knowledge of scripture as the means for reaching Consummation."( "What is Cultivation Practice?" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Why did some practitioners continue to be persecuted, even though they have done the three things, or died before they reached consummation. It's because some practitioners thought doing the three things itself is cultivation. In fact, the purpose of studying the Fa is cultivation - letting go of fame, self-interest and sentimentality, desires and attachments. To send forth righteous thoughts is to disintegrate the black hands of the old forces, the rotten minions and the evil spirit of the communist Party and clarifying the facts is for saving sentient beings. How much did we achieve than?
I have been to different areas and found that many practitioners only study Zhuan Falun, individually or in a group, not the new articles. Their excuse is that Teacher has compressed everything into Zhuan Falun, which can guide us through to higher levels; therefore, no need to repeatedly read Teacher's new articles. Some of the elderly practitioners don't seem to understand what cultivation is; some use the limited time we have for mundane things. Not only do they take care of their adult children, but also their grandchildren and even pay for the children's expenses with their own salary. They think that to do more around the house and suffer more physical hardships and pay more is compassion and that's cultivation. Real cultivation is focused on the heart and following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Only if one improves one's xinxing is one a true cultivator.
Some female practitioners separated from their husbands to avoid sexual relations. As a result, the husbands have affairs. Teacher told us that it's not right to divorce as a result of cultivation. Now that the husbands have extra marital affairs, these practitioners became upset. What we are supposed to cultivate is our heart. What we need to do is to take it lightly, not to abstain from it completely. We cultivators carry with us energy, which can rectify what is not correct. If we cannot restrain our partner, then we just maintain the status. If you push him out, not only will you fail to save him, but you also contribute to the down sliding of moral standards. Are we contributing to our own tribulations?
Some practitioners at the production sites fail to have a plan for themselves. As a result, with an increasing demand for information materials, they had no time for Fa study and the exercises. Then they became too attached to doing things. All our attachments: showing off, jealousy, and competitiveness inadvertently surfaced. Some failed to practice the cultivation of speech and neglected safety issues. Some invited too many people to their homes, others go to the homes of practitioners too often and spent hours chatting about ordinary people's stuff, causing damage to Dafa and sometimes were taken advantage of by the evil. The reason for these problems was that their Fa study was superficial; they only pursued quantity, with no thorough understanding of the Fa principles. Teacher said,
"Why do I tell you to study, read, and memorize Zhuan Falun? To guide your cultivation! As to those who only do the exercises but don't study the Fa, they are not disciples of Dafa whatsoever. Only when you are studying the Fa and cultivating your heart and mind in addition to the means of reaching Consummation--the exercises, and truly changing yourself fundamentally while improving your xinxing and elevating your level--can it be called true cultivation practice." ("What is Cultivation Practice?" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
In addition to our own cultivation, our mission is to clarify the facts and save sentient beings. I found that many people do not know what Falun Gong is. The CCP's slandering propaganda and lies against Falun Dafa and practitioners is still in the minds of sentient beings. How can they be saved?
How can we bring the truth to these sentient beings? It's a very serious matter for cultivators. If we only focus on the quantity and put them in any mailbox that will be a lot of waste. Some mailboxes have not been used for a long time. Some received many, but because they do not have a VCD or DVD, they throw these materials away. In contrast, the gated buildings rarely received our materials. That's because it is perceived to be unsafe to go into a gated building. It's due to fear. As along as we have righteous thoughts, it should be easy to have the door opened. We can even post CDs on the electric gates. People will pick them up. In fact, it's even safer inside these buildings. Righteous thoughts come from studying the Fa well.
When we are talking face to face with people, we should try not to say, "We have a predestined relationship," as then they would think that we are a religion. Or "I am doing this for you. I am saving you." People find this very weird. Some people retorted, "You are saving me? Who is going to save you? We could just talk as ordinary people." Most people are very critical of the CCP, we can simply follow what they are talking about, and asked if they have withdrawn from the CCP and what name they would like to use. Don't tell them that you will do this on the net, which they may be nervous about.
We can also give one or two examples, such as the corruption of the party officials, and the miracle stone found in Guizhou City. How people survived the earthquake in Sichuan because they practice Falun Gong. The bottom line is, we need to make them understand that Falun Dafa is good and to withdraw from the CCP. Try not to talk too much. You may turn people off.
Truth clarification does not have to be lengthy. We should be able to make everyone we talk to quit the CCP. We are cultivators and we have energy. Whatever we want to do, our gong will travel over to people's knowing side and they will position themselves. If we have fear, are attached to doing things and consummation, we will not be able to save these sentient beings. Our righteous thoughts came from the Fa. We must study the Fa, again and again.
