(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1996, and began attending group Fa study and exercises the following year. Despite the brutal persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners, I've been participating in group Fa study ever since.
I had always sought comfort, and so didn't like sitting in a meditation position, with both legs crossed in the full Lotus position, while studying the Fa. Instead, I read Master's Fa while lying down, or leaning back on my sofa or my bed's headboard.
When I joined group Fa study, I sat however I pleased. Some practitioners could sit for hours in the meditation position, and they suggested that I try sitting this way too.
Other practitioners were sitting in the mediation position holding the Dafa books reverently with both hands in front of their chests. I truly admired them and was determined to one day achieve that myself.
Master said,
“Crossing your legs when you are reading the book will, for one, enable you to practice crossing the legs more; and secondly, it will amount to doing the [meditation] exercise. This is very good.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston”)
I began sitting with both legs crossed while studying the Fa. Now, I can sit like this for up to two hours, and seldom lean back on the sofa.
When a local practitioner was arrested, I was confident that he wouldn't give my name to the authorities. However, a few days later, one of his colleagues called and said that the practitioner had disclosed the names of all of the practitioners in our Fa study group.
I began to worry that the police would soon show up at my door. Whenever I heard footsteps in the hallway, I trembled in fear. I kept looking out the window to see if the police were there, and was terrified to even go outside.
However, I got up enough courage to go out and attend group Fa study. When I told the practitioners at group Fa study of my concerns, they encouraged me to believe in Master and the Fa.
Master said,
“Should you have fear,it will seize upon youIf thoughts are righteous,evil will collapseThe cultivator’s mindis loaded with FaSend righteous thoughts,and rotten demons explodeGods walk the earth,validating the Fa.” (from “What's to fear” in Hong Yin Volume II)
With the help and encouragement from other practitioners, my mentality of fear soon disappeared.
I realized that the police are also victims of the persecution, as they have been lied to by the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda about Falun Dafa, and are committing sins by persecuting practitioners.
We should be compassionate towards the police and tell them the facts about Falun Dafa in order to eliminate the evil factors manipulating them.
From Master's Fa, I realized that any conflict we run into is not a coincidence. Instead, it's an indication that there's something we need to enlighten to.
It's inevitable that various attachments will surface during Fa study. When they do, they can all be discussed in a supportive environment.
If a practitioner can't find his fundamental attachment during a conflict, others can offer their insights. This also affords others an opportunity to look within to see if they have this particular attachment too.
In this environment, one can quickly remove their attachments to fame, personal interest, and sentiment.
Some practitioners recently told me that I appear very sleepy while studying the Fa. They said that I hadn't taken the matter seriously and didn't send righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference. They also noticed that I have an attachment to sentimentality, and regularly indulge in social media on the Internet.
I appreciate these practitioners' insights and suggestions!