(Clearwisdom.net) I began memorizing the book Zhuan Falun in 2006 and have already memorized and recited the whole book four times. I am now on the fifth round of memorizing, and I am reciting Chapter Seven. During these past two years, I have had many experiences in memorizing and reciting the Fa which I'd like to share with everyone.
1. Eliminating Fear and Maintaining Righteous Thoughts When Studying the Fa
I used to be a very timid person before I started my cultivation. Though this changed a little bit after I began to cultivate, I still feared many things. Especially after the persecution started, I became even more fearful. Whenever there was a so-called "sensitive date" or if there seemed to be some potential trouble, I become very nervous. But since I began reciting the Fa in 2006, my fear has become less and less. I have also become more and more steadfast. Memorizing and reciting the Fa is what brought about this change. Below are two examples.
One day, a fellow practitioner told me that one of her friends had told her that I was the Falun Gong coordinator for this area. After I heard this, my heart was not moved. I began to exchange views with the fellow practitioner and looked inward to see whether I had any loopholes which had been taken advantage of by the evil. I also wondered whether Teacher used an ordinary person's mouth to remind me to pay attention to safety issues or whether it was time for me to elevate, and if this was just a test.
Since July 20, 1999, when the persecution started, I have taken the initiative and distributed informational materials about Falun Gong and exposed the persecution in our area. I was wondering whether I should continue to do this work or just quit. After exchanging views with this fellow practitioner, I understood that both of us have something to cultivate in this matter. We should not have our hearts moved, but instead we should continue doing what Dafa practitioners should do. Teacher said in "What's to Fear?" (Hong Yin II):
"Should you have fear,
it will seize upon you
If thoughts are righteous,
evil will collapse
The cultivator's mind
is loaded with Fa
Send righteous thoughts,
and rotten demons explode
Gods walk the earth,
validating the Fa"
Because we treated this incident with righteous thoughts and completely negated the arrangements of the old forces, I'm still responsible for distributing materials and have never had any security problems.
Another time, a fellow practitioner said that a person told her, "You must not be like her (referring to me). Every day she carries a big bag and distributes materials about Falun Gong, bag after bag, so on and so forth. You should pay attention to your safety!" After hearing this, this fellow practitioner also began to worry about me and sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil beings, on the one hand, and told me to be careful on the other hand. My heart remained unmoved when I heard this. Later I enlightened to the understanding that this incident happened to me because I needed to elevate myself. If you are afraid and stop doing what you should do, of course you will fail to elevate yourself. If you deny any interference with righteous thoughts, pay attention to safety at the same time and continue doing what a Dafa practitioner should do, you will then elevate. It's just another test.
When I encountered such things before I started memorizing the Fa, I was very afraid and stopped doing things for awhile. After I memorized and recited the Fa, my fear diminished. Just like Teacher said,
"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
When your righteous thoughts become stronger, you will have no fear.
2. Cultivating Compassion While Reciting the Fa
Before memorizing the Fa, I always noticed that I had not cultivated enough compassion. Especially in 2005, when I began talking to people face-to-face and urging them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, I increasingly felt that I had insufficient compassion. When the other party didn't accept my words, I felt antipathy inside my heart. I also didn't like to clarify the truth face to face. I even chose to whom I would clarify the truth. For example, I would think, "This person is a good person--I can clarify the truth to him," or "That person isn't very nice, I won't clarify the truth to him," because being selective made things easier for me.
As I continuously memorize and recite the Fa, I feel that I now actually enjoy talking to people face-to-face and urging them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. If I can help someone understand the true facts about the persecution, then the person will be saved. When the person doesn't accept my words and doesn't want to quit, I indeed worry about them from the bottom of my heart, thinking, "How can I make this person quit so that he or she can be saved?" I feel that I have begun to have compassion! This is also a benefit from reciting the Fa. I know that I must go out every day and talk to people face-to-face, and persuade them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I try my best to save more sentient beings and have a sense of urgency. I really feel that time is very limited and that the old forces are competing with me for people.
Of course when I compare myself to practitioners who do a great job, I still have a long way to go. I should work even harder and save more people.
3. Becoming Purer and Purer in Reciting the Fa
In the past when I only read Fa and did not memorize it, I was always distracted. Though I was reading the Fa, my mind had already gone somewhere else, and I always found it difficult to calm down. I also didn't have a calm mind while doing the exercises and sending forth righteous thoughts. When I first started memorizing and reciting the Fa, I was also unable to calm down, as inside my head, it was like a violent sea. But with memorizing the Fa continuously, I began to be able to calm down even when it's time to send forth righteous thoughts and do the exercises.
With reciting the Fa continuously, my mind has become more and more empty, more and more pure, and has fewer and fewer distractions. When I recite Fa now, I have almost no distractions and can calm down immediately. The Fa also unfolds in front of me continuously. I melt myself into the Fa, assimilate to Dafa and elevate myself continuously! Thus, I do the three things better and better!
Just like a fellow practitioner once said, "Reading Zhuan Falun once can remove one layer of the human shell. But memorizing and reciting Zhuan Falun once can bring someone the changes of being reborn." After reciting the Fa over these past two years, I indeed have the same feeling.
In fact, whether you read, memorize or copy the Fa, as long as you can study the Fa with your heart, you will be assimilated to the Fa and elevate your Xinxing. This is the fundamental guarantee for doing the three things well. So I suggest to all those practitioners who just go through the formality of studying the Fa, treat this with righteous thoughts and break through. Otherwise, even though Teacher has bestowed us with unlimited power when we study the Fa, we cannot truly realize it. What a pity this is!
Above is a little of my understandings during the process of memorizing and reciting the Fa. Please kindly correct anything inappropriate.
August 13, 2009