Memorizing the Fa, Cultivating Xinxing, and Clarifying the Truth as a Young Practitioner

(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1999. More than 20 years have passed and I have gone from being a young Dafa practitioner, who was ignorant about cultivation, to becoming a mature adult practitioner. My family, just like thousands of practitioners’ families has suffered during the Fa-rectification period. I’ve experienced hardships, such as police harassment, home raids, illegal arrest, detention, relatives being illegally sentenced, and family members passing away under immense pressure.

It can be said that tribulations accompanied me as I grew up, and I shed countless tears. However, no matter how hopeless and helpless the situation was, my faith in Dafa never wavered, and I always believed in Master.

I want to share my experience of memorizing the Fa, cultivating my xinxing, and clarifying the truth with fellow practitioners. I especially want to awaken young practitioners. I also hope that they take on this great historical mission and find their own cultivation paths. Do not get lost among sentient beings and miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Persevering in Memorizing the Fa

I had always wished to memorize Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa. Because I was not able to arrange my time properly and because of my eagerness for quick success, I was always jumping between reading the Fa and memorizing the Fa, and did not totally make up my mind to concentrate on memorizing the Fa.

It wasn’t until 2011 that I finally made up my mind to memorize Zhuan Falun. I thought, “The inscription on a stone tablet can endure thousands of years of wind, sun, rain and snow and still remain clear. If Dafa can be engraved in my mind, then I can carry it with me wherever I go. Dafa will be the eternal treasure of my life.”

In the beginning, I set small goals based on my own time and I kept records. I memorized a paragraph a day. I thought if the goal was too big then it could not be achieved, and my confidence would easily be shaken.

The entire book of Zhuan Falun has a total of 600 paragraphs and 60 sections. If I memorized one paragraph a day, I could finish it in 600 days. It’s like carving an inscription. I have to carve Zhuan Falun stroke by stroke, and without making mistakes. What’s more, what I am memorizing is the Great Law of the Universe.

I memorized every sentence like carving a stone. I tried to be accurate in doing it. I would not go on to the next sentence until a solid foundation was laid. I then recited the entire paragraph.

When reciting the Fa one must concentrate, resisting interference of various thoughts, and let one’s main consciousness dominate. My brain capacity was small at first, and was filled after memorizing a paragraph in a day. But I couldn’t remember it after that, no matter how hard I tried. However, as I continued, a lot of karma was eliminated, and my brain capacity became larger. I could memorize two or even three paragraphs a day. It took about eight months for me to memorize Zhuan Falun once.

When I memorized the book again, I tried to be faster. I tried to connect the paragraphs and memorize them. I moved to the next section when I was able to memorize one section. Although I forgot what I’d memorized after moving on to the next section, it got easier each time I did it.

I have read a lot of practitioners’ experiences about memorizing the Fa and learned from them. Some practitioners have overcome various forms of interference and obstacles of negative thoughts when memorizing the Fa. Their articles resonated in my mind and encouraged me.

I have persisted this way for 13 years and have memorized Zhuan Falun over 120 times. Now I am able to memorize an entire lecture in one go. Although it is still far from being perfect, memorizing the Fa has formed a mechanism in my life, along with reading it through. It has become a required part of my cultivation, and I shall continue to do it.

Practitioners around me are also memorizing the Fa. They asked if I had any tips, to which I replied, “You need to have endurance. It takes time. As long as you work hard, an iron rod can be ground into a needle. Only by memorizing the Fa in an earnest, down-to-earth manner can you truly appreciate the beauty and bitterness of it. There is so much blessing and enlightenment from Master, some of which can be expressed in words, while some can only be understood with the heart.”

At first, I felt that I tried my best to memorize the Fa. Later, I gradually sensed that my thought karma was lessening, and I was getting rid of more and more attachments. My kind nature dominated. My original nature and the characteristics of the universe were connected. It just needed to assimilate to Dafa. It’s all wisdom enlightened by Dafa. Many attachments were eliminated without my realizing it during the process of memorizing the Fa. When we encounter tribulations, the Fa, engraved in our mind, will guide us through.

Cultivating the Mind While Memorizing Dafa

Getting Rid of the Attachment to Showing Off

When I first started memorizing the Fa, I asked my practitioner family member to listen to my reciting and point out any mistakes. I couldn’t help show off my progress. I wanted to tell my fellow practitioners and the rest of my family how I worked hard to overcome the obstacles of being unable to sit still, how I overcame the problem of not being able to concentrate, being irritable and anxious, and other negative thoughts; and how I memorized the Fa using every spare moment, instead of doing other things.

All in all, I always put “me” first and completely forgot about Master’s blessings, encouragement and enlightenment. My family reminded me many times that I had an attachment to showing off. I later realized that showing off was not becoming of a cultivator, so I started to hold it in. But the attachment remained.

As my memorization proceeded, I was able to see my attachment to showing off as soon as it emerged. Once, while I was out walking, I was showing off in my mind. Then I stopped and stood there, begging Master to get rid of this attachment for me. I didn’t want to let the attachment manipulate me.

In an instant, something disappeared from my head. Master removed this bad substance from me. After that, the part of my brain that organizes language to show off became empty. The breakthroughs I made in memorizing the Fa became easier since then. My floating heart became more stable, and the capacity of my mind increased.

Getting Rid of Attachments to Vanity, Saving Face, and Self-esteem

When I accepted work in a new place, the person I was replacing had an emergency at home and left without telling me how to proceed. I had to figure things out on my own. I did not know how to do some work that appeared simple to others. People thought I was stupid.

Seven of us worked in one big office. The others had a WeChat group, and I didn’t know what they were saying to each other. One afternoon after I started work, someone suddenly started to curse and another person chimed in occasionally. The more I listened, the more it sounded like they were talking about me. I was the only newbie, being clumsy and unable to do anything. In their eyes, I was like a fool. They disliked me.

I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was very shy, and immediately blushed when someone laughed at me. My attachments to vanity, saving face, and self-esteem came to the fore. I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. I feared tears of grievance would fall as soon as I spoke, and everyone would laugh at me even more.

I heard bad words on and off for half a day. My face was feverish and I didn’t dare raise my head. It was as if I had done something wrong. I sat there numb, hoping that time would pass quickly and I could get off work and leave. I wondered if I would return the next day.

On the surface, I endured the feeling of my attachments being hurt. I kept repeating in my heart: “... to not hit back when punched and not swear back when sworn at ...” (“Teaching the Fa at the Founding Ceremony of the Singaporean Falun Dafa Association,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Vol. I), and thought about Han Xin who was humiliated by a ruffian and forced to crawl between his legs.

I thought: I would be crying if I was forced to crawl between someone’s legs in front of others. It would be really hard to do. But wouldn’t my memorization of the Fa be in vain if I can’t improve? I have to calm down and not be tempted to respond. As I was thinking about this, my mind quickly filled with human thoughts again.

My human thoughts and divine thoughts competed with each other. My divine thoughts prevailed in the end, and I made it through to the end of the day.

I told a fellow practitioner about my experience in the evening. She smiled and said, “This is a good thing.” But I was embarrassed and only wanted to escape from there. The practitioner encouraged me to wait until the test was over, then everything would be fine.

The next day, I forced myself to go to work. The person who badmouthed me the previous day seemed to have not yet gotten over her anger. She prepared a bunch of unpleasant words and started at me again. Thanks to encouragement from my fellow practitioner, I no longer wanted to explain myself. I kept rejecting those dirty words, not letting them enter my mind. I blocked my ears. I felt that she really wanted to make me angry and start a fight with me. It would then show everyone how smart and powerful she was. The more I ignored her, the angrier she got.

She began running out of things to say, and said, “You’ve learned Ah Q’s philosophy well [referring to a stupid character in Chinese literature], not making a sound when being scolded.” Her anger slowly subsided. As my fellow practitioner said, “Everyone will get along harmoniously as if nothing had happened.”

After enduring this unpleasant attack, I was not moved when I heard hurtful or unpleasant words again. I knew Master had removed more bad substances from me, and my capacity was enlarged.

Master Encourages Me to Move On

The practitioner who often worked with me in clarifying the truth was harassed by the Domestic Security Division several times. I became fearful, and thought someone was watching me all the time. I looked around when I went out, afraid that I would be arrested.

When I looked inward, it seemed that my past attachments had returned. I could not calm down to study the Fa. When I went out to clarify the truth, I was always on tenterhooks, fearing that something would go wrong. I tried to adjust my mentality. I brought less truth-clarifying materials with me, and spoke to people that I felt more comfortable with. I persisted this way for a while.

Later, I understood that interference and tribulations are inevitable on the path of cultivation. I had encountered danger many times while clarifying the truth, but with Master’s protection, I was safe.

I could not negate this incident. It might have been a result of a prehistoric relationship. The most important thing is to continue to do the three things well. The Fa enlightened me. The heavy and thick substance of fear that pressed down on my heart was blown away. It was like the fog had cleared.

Studying the Fa More Is the Best Guarantee for Doing the Three Things Well

Every time I go out to clarify the truth, I ask for Master’s strengthening and to bring predestined people to me. Sometimes, I feel that talking to people about Dafa is the release of energy. The more I study the Fa, the stronger the energy will be. I can then eliminate the factors behind sentient beings that prevent them from being saved when I tell them the facts about Dafa. Master also gives me a lot of wisdom, and I can easily get to the point with every word that I say.

After Master’s article “How Humankind Came to Be” was published, other practitioners and I clearly felt that Master had eliminated so many factors in other dimensions that interfered with the salvation of sentient beings, and it was easier to clarify the truth than in the past. People’s attitude toward Dafa had changed significantly. Most of them are extremely grateful. They even bowed to thank us!

I saw an elderly man in a community charging his electric tricycle a few days ago. I didn’t see his face, as he had his head down. I walked up and greeted him. When he looked up, I recognized him immediately.

He is the owner of a local fruit shop. During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, his business was affected and he was in a bad mood. I clarified the truth to him in front of his store. He grabbed my electric bike and would not let me go. He took pictures of me with his cell phone and wanted to report me. He said angrily, “You are still doing this nonsense at this time!” He was so angry that it was useless to say anything, so I asked Master for help, broke free from him and rode away on my bike.

Four years later, Master had me meet him again. As if I was meeting someone I knew, I said, “Uncle [a respectful way to greet an older man in China], I know you. Aren’t you the owner of a fruit shop?” Because I was wearing a hat and mask back then, he probably did not recognize me. I clarified the truth to him, and he used a pseudonym to quit the Young Pioneers. I gave him a copy of “How Humankind Came to Be” and told him to take a good look at it.

Thank you, Master, for not wanting to leave any sentient being behind and for giving him such an opportunity to be saved.

It is only under Master’s compassionate care that I have been able to make it to where I am today. Only by maintaining a heart of sincere gratitude to Master, doing the three things well, and fulfilling my great historic vow, can I be worthy of the honor that Master has bestowed on me.