By a Falun Dafa practitioner from Mainland China

(Clearwisdom.net) Dafa is spreading in the human world. In order to guarantee our cultivation practice, Master has left for us the forms of group Fa study, group practice, and experience sharing. Realizing that we had not been meeting Master's requirement for group Fa study, we began to be more diligent in this regard. But after getting together several times, other problems began to arise. For example, some practitioners said, "I don't feel much improvement after attending group Fa study." Therefore, after some period of time, they stopped attending group Fa study. I would like to share some of my own understandings on this issue.

(1) Gain naturally without pursuit

As a Dafa practitioner, we cannot study the Fa with the attachment of pursuit. Some practitioners want to see themselves improve immediately once they attend group Fa study and continue on like this day after day. I think such an idea itself is a loophole and a pursuit. What makes us improve is the Fa. If one holds the idea that improvement is achieved only through sharing experiences, isn't that looking for something externally? When we study the Fa with a pure mind, Master will enlighten us about what we should understand through various means. One gains naturally without pursuit. As long as we persist, our improvement may be subtle but it is also inevitable.

(2) Study the Fa with tranquil minds

Group Fa study must eliminate all disturbances in order to achieve the state of studying the Fa with a tranquil mind; otherwise it will become just a formality and a waste of time. As time passes, one may feel that the Fa does not enter one's heart as much as it does when one studies alone at home. So we go to an extreme and think that it is better to study Fa alone at home. In fact, it is because we do not balance well the relationship between ourselves and group Fa-study.

Moreover, it will have a bad impact if we study the Fa absent-mindedly or sleepily due to various reasons. If one cannot study the Fa with a tranquil mind in the precious environment of group study, one should look inside oneself and ask, "Have I treated the environment as an environment of cultivation practice? Which heart of mine is at odds with Fa study? What factor is playing the role that makes me unable to study the Fa tranquilly in a group environment?" But we should not blame the environment. Actually as long as our minds are righteous and we eliminate all disturbances, we will be clear minded while studying Fa.

(3) Walk uprightly on the form of cultivation practice

First let us study one paragraph of Master's Fa in Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students:

"Question: Some students think that if they just stay home and send righteous thoughts, and use phone calls to clarify the truth, they count as Fa-rectification disciples and don't need to come out. Is that okay?

Teacher: If they're not all that busy with Dafa things, then it's not quite right if they don't come out for group activities to validate the Fa and clarify the truth, or for other activities like group Fa-study. Group Fa-study is an environment I created for you and a form that I've left for you. I think you should still participate. That's because it has stood the test of experience, and cultivating that way allows our students to improve the fastest. When you cultivate on your own, you miss out on factors that help you improve. And haven't you, as Dafa disciples, said that you would do as your Master says? Haven't you said that you should walk straight on the path that a Dafa disciple should take?"

After having studied the above paragraph of Master's Fa, can we still find a reason not to attend group Fa-study?

(4) It is every practitioner's responsibility to consciously maintain this environment together

Some practitioners think that some groups lack the positive energy that can purify the individual's own improper factors. I think, on one hand, that a local coordinator should suitably match the proportion of new and old practitioners. Coordinators from every group may share experiences together periodically. These are the acts in line with righteous thoughts and righteous actions, which are also in line with the understanding within the Fa. Practitioners who have the will to coordinate are important factors for creating stable, long-term, and safe Fa-study groups. It will also require every practitioner to have the correct attitude in order to strengthen these kinds of positive factors. For instance, we should make sure we cultivate our speech and not gossip about others, thus being responsible for the well-being of the whole group. Don't say anything that is irrelevant to the improvement of the whole group. We should all put our energy into helping each other to have stronger righteous thoughts. By doing so, our one body will then become harmonious and unbreakable. The jobs we each undertake to validate the Fa are different, but we are one body. Being responsible for the Fa study group is to be responsible for oneself. Only after being able to achieve the state of Fa study that Master requires of us can we obtain the Fa while studying the Fa, which will guide us to validate the Fa well and form integrated particles of Dafa disciples that are harmonious, unbreakable and indestructible.

Please correct any inappropriate points above.

May 25, 2005

Posting date: 7/5/2005
Original article date: 7/5/2005
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Translated on 6/17/2005
Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/6/1/103076.html

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