(Minghui.org) We all know the importance of studying the Fa. However, the state that some practitioners are in when they read the teachings is not that good. Some are not focused on the words, while others become so sleepy that they even drop the book.
In the past the state I was in when I read the Fa was quite good. When I read, my thoughts aligned with the Fa. Sometimes, when I read Zhuan Falun, I felt that I could hear Master’s voice saying the words.
Master said,
“...when you study the Fa and your mind isn't on the Fa, it's not only a problem of just going through the motions, but also that the person studying the Fa is actually not being very respectful of the Fa. How could the Fa reveal itself, then?” (“Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)
After I returned from being illegally detained in 2008, the state I was in when I read the Fa was no longer good. My eyes ached while I read. Sometimes, my mind was not able to calm down even after I read an entire lecture. I knew this was disrespectful to Dafa. For months I tried to focus on what I was reading, but I still could not resolve this problem.
I thought to myself, “My true self definitely respects Dafa. The one who disrespects the Fa is not me. Based on the universal law, whoever interferes is responsible. Since it’s not done by me, I will eliminate this interference.”
The next time I studied the Fa, my eyes ached so badly that I could not concentrate on the words. I thought, “I do respect Dafa. Whoever does not respect Dafa should be held responsible.” My eyes immediately stopped hurting.
After a while my eyes felt tight again, and my thoughts were once again not on the Fa. I said, “I respect Dafa. Whoever does not respect Dafa is responsible.” My eyes felt normal again and my thoughts were once again on the Fa.
Sometimes after saying this, there was still interference. So, I repeated those words before I continued reading. If the interference came again, I said the words again. I kept doing this until there was no more interference. In this way, I resolved the problem of being disturbed while studying the Fa.
In 2011, when I studied Master’s “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa” for the first time, I read,
“When some people read Zhuan Falun they are not concentrating, but rather, thinking about other things, and not able to focus their attention on cultivation. It thus amounts to wasting time. And not just wasting time—instead of it being the time when they are to be elevating, they are using their minds to think over issues and things that they shouldn’t concern themselves with, and thus, not only aren’t they elevating, but on the contrary, they are often dropping in level.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
I was shocked when I read this and thought, “How can studying Zhuan Falun cause someone’s cultivation level to drop? I only thought that not concentrating on the Fa while reading is disrespectful. I did not know that being disrespectful to Dafa is actually committing a crime against Dafa.” I began paying extra attention to this when I read the teachings.
One day in 2014, I sat in the full lotus position on the floor. I held Zhuan Falun with both hands while I read. I soon fell asleep and felt the book dropping from my hands. I opened my eyes and saw that the book had fallen out of my hands but had not yet reached the floor. I immediately reached out to catch it.
In another dimension I saw that I was falling many levels. No words can describe the agony I felt. I knew that the pain did not come from my human side. It was my true self feeling the agony when it saw I was committing a crime against Dafa. I felt that my cultivation state was really bad. I actually dropped in levels even though I was studying the Fa!
Another day in 2014 while I was reading Essentials for Further Advancement, I read “Safeguarding Dafa with your own conduct is forever the responsibility of Dafa disciples.” (“Stability of the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
I realized that: “When I said, ‘I respect Dafa. Whoever does not respect Dafa is responsible.’, I said it out of selfishness. When a being was disrespectful to the Fa, I did not defend Dafa. As a practitioner I should defend Dafa. After realizing this, when the beings in other dimensions disturbed me while I was studying the Fa, causing me to lose focus and act disrespectfully, I would say to them, “What you are doing is disrespectful to the Fa, therefore, you will be punished.” This usually had immediate results.
Helping Myself by Assisting Another Practitioner
In 2015, an elderly practitioner was going through illness karma elimination. I brought her to my home to help her send righteous thoughts. She frequently mispronounced or skipped words while we read the Fa.
I said, “Auntie, don’t you know how to read those words?” She replied, “I do know, but when I say them out loud my mouth mispronounces them.” I said, “Mispronouncing the words is disrespectful to Dafa. You’re being interfered with.”
We continued to read but when she mispronounced the words, I asked her to say them correctly. After I corrected her a few times she stopped mispronouncing words.
When we read the Fa at night, she mispronounced words again. I said, “You read the words correctly during the day. Why are you making mistakes now?” She said, “The room light is dim. I cannot see the words clearly, so I can only guess.” I said, “Master asked us to study the Fa. It is interference that makes you unable to see clearly. Keep reading and I will help you.”
When she mispronounced the words I asked her to stop and say them correctly. After a few times she stopped making mistakes.
After we finished reading she said, “For many years, I could not see the words clearly at night. Today, this problem is resolved. This is great!” Through this experience, not only was my problem of being disturbed while studying the Fa resolved, I also helped another practitioner.
Paying Attention to Sending Righteous Thoughts
The four designated times to send righteous thoughts are short. So if I am disturbed, my efforts won’t be effective. When I sent righteous thoughts, wild thoughts kept coming into my mind and I knew I was being interfered with.
I thought: the disturbance to Fa study has been resolved. It would be good if I could also eliminate the interference when I send righteous thoughts.
While I was in my hometown in northeast China in 2009, I helped send righteous thoughts for a practitioner who was taken to the police station. Another practitioner told me, “When you were sending righteous thoughts your hand was erect but it tilted forward.” The next time I sent forth righteous thoughts, I opened my eyes and saw that my hand really tilted forward. I immediately straightened my hand.
As soon as I did that, my wrist hurt and I had the thought: “You can just keep your hand the way it was—wasn’t that more comfortable? The effect is the same.” I thought, “How can that be? My hand was tilted. This is not the position Master showed us. How can the effect be the same?” My wrist hurt for a few days but I finally managed to keep my palm in the correct position.
One day in 2016, I suddenly understood: Whatever disrupts what Master wants interferes with Fa rectification. Sending forth righteous thoughts is what Master wants us to do. Therefore, whatever stops me from sending forth righteous thoughts and from focusing while I study the Fa disrupts what Master wants. This disruption interferes with my assisting Master in Fa rectification, so we must overcome it when it happens.
These are my personal understandings. If there is any room for improvement, kindly point it out.
All articles, graphics, and content published on Minghui.org are copyrighted. Non-commercial reproduction is allowed but requires attribution with the article title and a link to the original article.
Category: Improving Oneself
