Studying the Fa Without Pursuit

(Minghui.org) I want to share my understanding about Fa study.

Sometimes I could study the Fa with a calm heart. However, for a while, I was unable to focus when studying the Fa.

One day, I read the Fa without pursuit. I did not think about how much I should read or what I would gain after reading. All of a sudden, I felt Master was lecturing me personally, and every sentence touched my heart.

After this experience, I looked within and asked myself why I couldn't focus when studying the Fa. I realized I had thought karma, which prevented me from concentrating on what I was reading. Dafa is very sacred and solemn, so the words must be profound, and I must focus on them to understand and absorb the teaching. However, as long as I had a notion, the harder I tried, the less I gained from Fa study.

I realized that studying the Fa with pursuit is an attachment.

Master said at the end of Zhuan Falun,

“On the surface, Zhuan Falun is not elegant in terms of language. It might even not comply with modern grammar.” (Postscript, Zhuan Falun)

Although I have read this sentence many times, I never realized I read it with human thinking. I always thought Master used plain language because he had no other way to explain the Fa. I did not realize that I had the notion that plain language is not as good as elegant and academic language.

Master said:

“When learning Dafa, intellectuals should be aware of a most prominent problem: They study Dafa in the same way that everyday people study theoretical writings, such as selecting relevant quotations from renowned people to examine their own conduct. This will hinder a cultivator’s progress. Furthermore, upon learning that Dafa has profound, inner meaning and high-level things that can guide cultivation practice at different levels, some people even attempt to examine it word by word, but find nothing in the end.” (“Learning the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

“Keep in mind: One should gain things naturally without pursuing them.” (“Learning the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

I read this teaching many times, but unfortunately, didn't understand it well. In the past, I always thought Master was talking about others and did not believe I had the problem he was referring to. I didn’t realize I had thought karma, or that I needed to eliminate the thought karma in order to assimilate the Fa; and only by doing so was I on the path of cultivation. Master’s Fa guides us on how to cultivate. It is not theoretical knowledge for me to use or to point out other’s mistakes. I need to follow the Fa and look within to find my attachments. I must get rid of the attachments and endure to improve my character.

This notion interfered with my Fa study for so long, until I realized that elegant language doesn't matter. What's most important for a practitioner is to gain the Fa.

In fact, when we study the Fa without notions or pursuits, and when we do not treat Fa study as a task or formality, it is easier for us to understand the Fa.

No matter how honorable a person is and what title he has, he is a human being after all. In order to become divine, we must let go of our notions and follow Master’s teaching. Only by doing so can we study the Fa and gain the Fa.

Editor’s note: Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions, for which the author is solely responsible. Readers should evaluate the article’s merits on their own.