Looking for the Root of Distraction

(Minghui.org) My son and daughter-in-law came to visit me this Chinese New Year, and I felt a little lonely after they left. Right away I caught myself: isn’t this sentimentality? I let this feeling go and spent more time studying the Fa.

While my son’s family was here, I studied one lecture of Zhuan Falun a day. Now that I am alone, I have more time to read.

My mind has tended to wander when I read the Fa. This is something that needed my attention. Whatever caused the distraction had to be eliminated. Otherwise, I would not absorb the Fa when I read Dafa teachings. 

As soon as I noticed thought karma when I studied the Fa, I would eliminate it However, it still caused a strong stir in my mind again and again.

I wondered why I was experiencing this. Then something Master said in “Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference” caught my attention. 

Master said, 

“It strikes me how easily human beings are controlled by foreign entities. The human body is really just a vessel made up of the foods a person has consumed and that is inherited from one’s parents. With the consumption of food, it grows, but it is really weak, as anyone or anything can control it. Things that are formed in other dimensions are sentient, and though their plane may be low, they still have the ability to control people since the human body is weak.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference” Yellow Team Version)

It became clear to me that elements in lower dimensions were controlling and distracting me when I studied the Fa.

I had read “Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference” many times; however, I never fully understood it. I thought that my sleepiness and fatigue were because of my physical condition. They actually were not. I perceived those elements from lower dimensions as part of me and made them stronger and stronger by believing in them.

It was difficult to shake off those elements. However, the Buddha Fa’s power is limitless. The only thing for me to do is to face them head on through extensive Fa study.

I allocated quiet time to study the Fa, and was able to study three lectures a day and still had time to study some of Master’s other lectures. With increased Fa study, the interference became weaker, and was eventually eliminated.

Sending forth righteous thoughts was always my top priority. And I, in fact, thought I did better than other practitioners in this regard. Master said, “For example, once a person develops a bad thought, it is very dangerous.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)

However, for a while, I often dozed off when I sent forth righteous thoughts. I also did not maintain the correct hand position. When another practitioner pointed this out to me, I got upset and thought: why do you keep looking at me when you should focus on sending forth righteous thoughts?

Even though I did not argue back, I found him irritating. This thought was hidden inside of me. My demon nature got stronger, and my main consciousness got weaker. As soon as I began to send forth righteous thoughts, my mind was overpowered by distractions: where am I going today, with whom, where shall we distribute Falun Dafa brochures, what should we do if we run into the police. The distracting thoughts would stop as soon as I finished sending forth righteous thoughts.

I did not notice this interference right away, nor did I pay much attention to it.

Master said,

“Even with just one Dafa disciple, if your righteous thoughts are strong, the power is enough to split a mountain—just one thought will do it.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)

I brought the tribulation to myself. Paying attention to righteous thoughts is a must; I can think about other things after I send forth righteous thoughts.

Master said, “Righteous thoughts can save the people in this world” (“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos,”  Hong Yin Vol. II, Translation Version A)

Negative thoughts and memories replayed in my mind. They became a barrier between the Fa and my true self, and interfered with my cultivation. Master would not allow that thought karma to mix with the Fa.

I studied the Fa every day, but my mind hardly retained anything. Other practitioners are able to quote Master’s teachings from memory when we analyzed situations and shared our thoughts. Compared to them, my mind was empty; I could not remember any of Master’s teachings.

I thought: his memory is very good, he can remember so much Fa, why can’t I remember anything?

To eliminate the substances that separate me from the Fa, I must spend more time studying the Fa. 

Master 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,”  Essentials for Further Advancement II)

When we were under the “Stay at home order” during the pandemic, I studied the Fa and sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all my human thoughts, such as hatred and resentment. 

A practitioner asked me one day: “Have you memorized the Fa yet?”

“No” I replied, “I want to spend more time reading the Fa before memorizing.”

A few days later, while I was doing the Falun Standing Stance exercise, a paragraph from Zhuan Falun appeared in my mind.

Nothing like this had ever happened to me. It must have been a hint from Master. Master was encouraging me and telling me that I, too, can memorize the Fa.

I can finally concentrate when studying the Fa and can send forth strong righteous thoughts.

I am grateful to Master. My main consciousness must be clear, and not be led by anything that is not my true self. Competitiveness, feelings of superiority, and a desire to show off, all of these can be taken advantage by demons, and in the end, lead me astray.

I have realized the importance of genuinely cultivating myself. It is essential to constantly measure myself by the standards of the Fa.