By a German practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher has pointed out time and again the importance of Fa-study. Here I would like to relate my experiences in this regard.

The work-week in my profession amounts to between 60 and 90 hours. It is demanding work, especially at the beginning when I first started the job. As a result, I couldn't seem to manage to devote sufficient time for Fa-study during my non-working hours.

Master had said in the "Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Florida,"

"When a cultivator's thoughts deviate from the Fa, the evil will find a loophole and take advantage of it." [...] "When a person has no upright thoughts, then all the bad things from the Three Realms and the universe will find their way into his body. Even if they remain there, a person will not notice this."

I visualize these words this way: It is like being on a river -- if you stop paddling, the current will take you downriver. That is exactly how I felt when I read less than I usually did. The result was that my understandings were no longer so solidly based on the Fa and some loopholes appeared. This awareness jolted me into deliberately taking more time to read. I have now made a habit during my leisure hours to first read the Fa before I do anything else. Since then, not only has my professional work gone more easily, but the Dafa work has also gone more smoothly as well. As I understand Teacher's words, every Dafa disciple's noble conduct and demeanor is based on how well one studies and comprehends the Fa.

Last summer someone presented me with an unusual request. During an event on July 20, 2002, another practitioner spoke with me and mentioned that a German-language Dafa film needed a script, and asked whether I would be interested in working on it. Cooperation with another practitioner was soon established. My colleague on the project had some prior film making experience, yet we were both amateurs with little skill in this area. The small team that had been assembled managed to produce a film in about five weeks.

I look at it this way: Even though we are not professionals, with our noble hearts we can accomplish great things for Dafa. Another example is translation work that, for the most part, is done by non-professionals. When doing these things, we cannot merely rely on our abilities and knowledge learned from our old ways of doing things in this human realm. As a matter of fact, sometimes our conventional knowledge can present a stumbling block for Dafa work, because influences from the old forces and their views do frequently sneak into our store of conventional knowledge. I firmly believe that if we absolve to do our Dafa work with noble hearts and, while performing these tasks, try to do the best possible work we are capable of doing, then the world around us will recognize the effects. Another thought had occurred to me in this regard: it was probably not a coincidence that I had three weeks of vacation during the time of producing this film, and it was also probably no coincidence that the person working with me on the project was laid off from work. I consider it a predestined event -- prior to this we did not have a German-language truth clarification film geared to the European mentality.

Many people expressed positive opinions when the film was completed. One practitioner offered, "This is one film about Dafa that I am really eager to show to my family." Another practitioner had presented his boss with a copy of the film. After he, his wife and daughter had viewed it, they wanted to learn the exercises immediately and sent an order for the exercise video. When some others showed the film to friends and acquaintances, many people asked questions, which in turn allowed for further discussions about Dafa.

TV stations in several cities have aired the film on their regional channels. It has already aired three times in Berlin. I look at it this way: it is up to us to take the first step, which in this case was to complete a film. This has led me to the realization that our prior skills and knowledge can definitely be utilized for Fa-rectification, but that must not prevent us from treasuring the skills we acquire through our cultivation efforts. The old forces are trying to prevent us from cooperating, and they hinder our Dafa-work by reminding us of conventional motives and criticisms.

Master has said in the "Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Philadelphia,"

"I said before that everything happening in today's human society is caused by Dafa disciples themselves, by their hearts."

These words represent a huge responsibility, because how one's surroundings react depends solely whether one's heart and mind are noble or ruled by one's notions and attachments.

In October 2002, many other practitioners from Germany and I went to Houston to send righteous thoughts in close proximity. I made the discovery that our cooperation and bonding was especially effective. But that had not occurred to me until later. I realized why this happened: when we were in Houston, we were always together as a group. We only helped the American practitioners with certain ancillary tasks and did our Dafa work

We acted like cultivators should, and that's why no loopholes appeared, such as boasting, bragging or notions of self-importance. I experienced an atmosphere of a noble Fa-rectification climate. As I understand it -- if we, as we did in Houston, don't take ourselves too seriously and consider the total effort of Fa-rectification as the top priority, then we can avoid those loopholes trying to open that could hinder our Dafa work. As Master had said at the "Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Florida,"

"I must tell you -- the remainder that can damage Dafa and Dafa disciples is due to the disciples themselves."

The tasks that come to us as cultivators these days sometimes present us with demands that catch us short: we have to study the Fa, we have to participate in Fa-rectification, we have to place particular emphasis on offering salvation to the Chinese people, and other demands. I have noticed, in others and in myself, that one can easily lose balance, because we want to do well in everything. One event sticks out in my mind. I observed another practitioner attempting to inform a politician about the persecution and "Article 23." This happened more or less as if the practitioner was delivering a monologue. To my chagrin I had to witness how this politician, who had already assented to our human rights stance, suddenly began to doubt us. That incident taught me that it is not enough to recite persecution information. One must also demonstrate the nobility of heart. If this is done, the effect of the explanation and the information itself gives solid credence to the truth. Our noble demeanor and conduct is often more important and also much more effective than the information we relay. When we convey the truth to anyone, we must always think of the other person first. Only if we genuinely listen and hear, and try to understand their point of view will we find a ready and willing ear for that person to listen to the truth.

Listening to and understanding the other person is not merely important in social contact, but crucial during interactions among practitioners. I feel that if we would pay more attention to that aspect, we would be making progress on truly becoming one body and being able to overcome all forms of interference.

(Original text in German)

Posting date: 2/23/2003
Original article date: 2/22/2003
Category: Practitioners' Insights

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