(Minghui.org) After studying Essentials for Further Advancement, I came to realize that practitioners' experience sharing should be based on encouraging others, so they can improve in the practice. In other words, the purpose of experience sharing is for practitioners to better study the Fa, do the exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, and clarify the truth.

For example, I stopped doing the exercises for a while. After sharing with other practitioners, I realized that there were others that were in a similar cultivation state. Seeing so many practitioners having the same problem as I, I felt that I was not alone.

“It's not just me, I guess it's fine,” I told myself. After quite some time it occurred to me that this attitude was very wrong. I talked with fellow practitioners and decided to do all five of the exercise sets daily. After persevering in doing the exercises, my attachment to laziness was gone. I was able to send righteous thoughts at midnight and no longer suffered sickness karma. I shared my experience with fellow practitioners and encouraged them to do the five exercises on a regular basis. A veteran practitioner said to me, “A young practitioner like you can do all five exercises daily, while I can't. I don't want to be left behind and have to progress more diligently.”

Another example is clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. After talking to fellow practitioners, I found out that some practitioners did barely any truth clarification. I again fell into my old habit, thinking that I was not alone, “It's not just me, many others are like that. I can put it off.” I kept dragging my feet by following others habits. Then, I improved concerning this part of the three things Master asked of his practitioners and shared with others. My sharing also helped a number of fellow practitioners to be more diligent in clarifying the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong.

I have learned from my experience. Now, when I share with practitioners, I look within based on the Fa. For example, I talk about how I realized my shortcomings based on the Fa and how I improved my xinxing. Concerning the shortcomings I still am settled with, I talk about practitioners who do well in this aspect and how they do it. If I have nothing to share, I listen to other practitioners recount how they improved in their cultivation.

The key to good experience sharing is to talk about how one eliminates one's human notions and improve based on the Fa. I should not bring up my shortcomings for the sake of being honest, but simply from the basis of not doing well to avoid preventing others from advancing.

One more thing: we must avoid boasting and showing off during experience sharing.

“Study Fa, obtain Fa,
Compare in studying, compare in cultivating,
Examine each and every deed,
Accomplishing is cultivating.” (“Solid Cultivation” from Hong Yin)

I also wish to tell fellow practitioners that the knowledge of Fa principles and discussions can't replace true cultivation.