(Minghui.org)
Greetings, Master and fellow practitioners.
I obtained the Fa in 1998. I thought that the Fa was so good that I should memorize all of the Dafa books. After I finished memorizing the entire book for the first time, I returned to regular reading of Zhuan Falun, because I felt memorizing was time consuming. Initially, I was able to get enlightened during the Fa study, but a few years later, gradually my heart began to not understand the Fa. Often after group Fa study, I could not remember what I had just learned. Fa study became like a routine task. I understood that not learning the Fa by heart was useless and a waste of time. It was also a form of disrespect towards the Fa. I felt distressed.
I admire those who can learn the Fa by heart, or read the Fa without making any mistakes. They are truly amazing. I did not know that not being able to learn the Fa well has also caused some other problems, and affected my efforts to save sentient beings. The problem was my attachment to comfort. I thought of memorizing the Fa again, but it was just a thought. A few years went by, until 2014, when the assistance center started the monthly routine of memorizing Zhuan Falun and Hong Yin, I finally made up my mind to memorize Zhuan Falun. Once I started to memorize the Fa, I was immediately enlightened by the Fa, just like how it was when I first obtained the Fa. After that point, I set up my own plan of memorizing the Fa diligently.
I started with memorizing one paragraph at a time. When I was able to fully memorize one paragraph, I would continue on to the next paragraph. I wanted to memorize the Fa without interruption.
Master said:
“You are not allowed to say it, using my original words as yours, or else it is an act of plagiarizing the Fa. You can only use my original words to say it, adding that this is how Teacher says it or how it is written in the book. You can only say it this way. Why? Because when you say it this way, it will carry the power of Dafa..” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
When I came to memorize the above paragraph, I thought, “It is great that the power of Fa will show itself if I just recite Master's original words.” Therefore, I had the strong wish to memorize all of Zhuan Falun.
I have a daily routine for Fa study. I use my spare time to memorize and recite the Fa, when I am walking, waiting for the bus, during a meal, and so on. When I realized that three meals a day took too much time, I changed it to two meals a day, and kept things as simple as possible. However, I seemed to forget the Fa that I had memorized just a couple of days earlier. Sometimes I would forget what I had memorized a day before. It felt like a house was built, but torn down partly every now and then. I keep on building. I believed that when I was able to build faster than it was being torn down, one day the house will be built completely.
During my memorizing the Fa for the 8th time, one day while doing the 5th exercise I could not stay calm, so I started reciting the Fa that I had memorized the day before. That was Lecture 2, “The Issue of the Celestial Eye”. It was the longest among all 60 subjects in Zhuan Falun. I could not do it very smoothly, but that was fine. I wanted to keep up with my effort, even though I was not sure if it was all right to recite the Fa when doing the exercises.
Then, when reading one of Master's lectures, I got my answer:
“Question: When we perform the exercises and our thoughts cannot calm down can we recite Zhuan Falun?
Master: You can.” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston)
Therefore, when I cannot concentrate while doing the exercises, I will recite the Fa. I used to easily fall asleep during the sitting meditation. Reciting the Fa has helped me overcome the problem. I have recited the Fa more than 10 times. I would still forget some of the Fa, but I am able to recite faster and faster.
There was the story of an old man trying to move a mountain. It tells people that once you are determined, you will persist on the path, day after day, with a firm and solemn attitude, and you will get there. Before my cultivation, I thought the story was not true, but just told to encourage people. Now I believe that it's real, and it indeed happened. It happened, so that it could establish a cultivation culture for Fa rectification.
Reciting the Fa is also a process of purifying one's thoughts. Master said:
“People have to think in leading their lives. Because one is lost among everyday people, one will often develop in one’s mind thoughts for fame, benefits, lust, anger, etc. Gradually, these thoughts become the powerful thought karma. ” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
Thoughts karma often occurred when my attachments to fame, profit, and emotion emerged, even when I was doing the exercises. After I started reciting the Fa, many of these bad thoughts were replaced by Fa. Reciting the Fa helped to reduce these bad thoughts, and allowed me melt into the Fa at all times.
Editing is my main truth clarification project. Facing the computer everyday is not so exciting. It is not an emotional challenge, such as face-to-face truth clarification, nor does it cause any physical suffering. It was just silent work in front of the computer. It's like the story of the old man moving the mountain quietly and regularly. It is enough to know what I am doing, and its relationship with saving sentient beings. In regular Fa study and sharing, I have been able to share my experience, and I believe that this is due to my reciting the Fa. During the repetitive reciting, I often melt into the realm that I have been enlightened to. Sometimes I felt very touched by the Fa. While reciting Hong Yin, I often felt so moved that I felt like crying.
After reciting the Fa, I made breakthroughs. I can pay much better attention to my own thoughts.
Master said:
“Cultivation is about people’s minds,...” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Zhengzhou,” Zhuan Falun Fajie)
“We have said that good or evil comes from a person’s spontaneous thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences. .” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I am able to pay more attention to my thoughts and detect the negative thoughts more quickly. For instance, When I am aware of my negative thoughts about fellow practitioners, I will immediately send righteous thoughts to eliminate the bad thoughts. When I realize that my ordinary people's thinking is taking over and disturbing me, I will change to thinking with righteous thoughts. When I am not sure if it is indeed a righteous thought, I will ask myself how a God or Buddha would handle such a situation. A sacred and great feeling would occur, even when I did not know exactly what the God or Buddha would do. I believe my thoughts at that point were righteous. Sometimes it can be very disturbing when the positive and negative thoughts are mixed up. Then I know that I needed to send righteous thoughts to eliminate the negative thoughts.
When experiencing sickness karma, I also pay attention to my thoughts.
Master said:
“ Should you believe that you are ill, this may really cause you to become ill. This is because once you assume that you are ill, your xinxing level will be as high as that of everyday people.” (Lecture 6, Zhuan Falun)
I believe that my physical state is at the level where my thoughts are. Therefore, it is very important to control my thoughts, find my attachment to self, and eliminate my attachments.
Master said:
“No matter what kind of environment you are in, you must keep your righteous thoughts firm, because you are Dafa disciples and you are special beings.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York)
For two years, I was reluctant to participate in group sharing. I also rarely talked during the editors' sharing online. In the absence of face to face group sharing, I lost the opportunity to compare my own Fa study and cultivation with other practitioners. I also missed the opportunity to experience conflicts with others.
It became difficult to find my own shortcomings in cultivation. I was content with my cultivation. In those two years, it seemed hard for me to talk because my throat was bothering me. One evening when I was studying the Fa, my throat problem was so severe that it struck me that the throat is in the neck, so am I not hitting the bottleneck? A fellow practitioner reminded me to go to the Fa study group. I asked myself why I had not been to the Fa study group for two years. Behind so many excuses was one common root cause – selfishness. Sentient beings fell from high above because of selfishness, why should I still hold on to it? Therefore, I returned to the local Fa study group.
In the Fa study group, one day I noticed that a practitioner washed the mug after she used it. I was surprised by our different behaviors. Previously, when I used the mug I just left it there and went back to Fa study. I did not even think of washing it. This was a reflection of my deeply rooted selfishness. Suddenly, many things from the past came back to me like a movie. Episodes where I was wronged were actually due to my own faults. I was the one who did not think about others' needs, and believed that it was their fault. I regretted what I had done in the past.
One day when I recited Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun, a passage of the Fa touched me. Master said:
“As practitioners, you will suddenly come across conflicts. What should you do? You should always maintain a heart of compassion and kindness. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you room to buffer the confrontation. You should always be benevolent and kind to others, and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation practice you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I had memorized this paragraph of the Fa, but did not think about it. Now, I know that I must cultivate and become selfless and altruistic.
I wanted to share my experience of memorizing the Fa, because during the reciting, I have truly experienced the benefits of learning the Fa by heart, and made a quick break through. We must learn the Fa by heart, and catch up with fellow practitioners on the divine path.
Thank you, Master, and fellow practitioners.
(Presented at the 2019 Taiwan Fa Conference)