A Few Thoughts on Group Fa Study

By a Falun Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) Group Fa-study and practice is the best cultivation method, and our Master has provided it for us. We have temporarily lost our group Fa-study and practice environment in China because of the evil Party's persecution. However, the Fa-study groups are recovering and re-establishing quite fast. It is every member's responsibility to consider how to improve the quality of Fa-study, how to improve ourselves, as well as improve as a whole according to the Fa, and how to take care of the Fa-study environment.

1. Fa-study shouldn't be a formality. The purpose of Fa-study should be based on practitioners' quest for improvement. For example, some Fa-study groups just read the books, chapter by chapter, almost taking over all the Fa-study time. This leaves no time to exchange insights. As the reading time becomes longer, some practitioners even doze off. Concentration is difficult even when we read by ourselves, so how could we concentrate on longtime listening and reading? Besides exchanging insights, I think it is better to read important articles from Minghui Weekly, and then discuss them for a while. It will help the lack of availability of information and the long wait times for sharing materials among team members. Some practitioners suggest at the end of Fa-study that we discuss what we will study the next time. We can clear our minds and study at home, and then bring some understandings and questions to the group Fa-study. Other practitioners believe that it is not proper if we are not reading Fa together during Fa-study time. However, I think the effect is the key factor.

2. When we share our experiences, it becomes obvious whether or not the practitioner has a correct comprehension about the Fa and whether he or she has any misunderstanding. This also leads to the discovery of practitioners who had difficulties - if they then acted in accordance with the conduct the Fa requires, and whether they have problems that are not based on Fa-study and relate to their true cultivation.

As I listen to other practitioners relating their experiences, I always think about these points. If I notice that we need to discuss something in great detail, then I suggest everyone to think about it and base it on the Fa. If the thing was done right and the practitioner did a good job overcoming his or her difficulty, which part of Fa has been adhered to? If it wasn't done well, which part of the Fa was neglected? If we can't be sure of or are not familiar with this part of Fa, we would look it up in the book and study the book, as well as discuss it. Then we will remember it well. We should never talk about something not according to the Fa. Using this method, everyone improves. It is also important to encourage everyone to join in the discussion, and not let only a few people talk. There is a practitioner in another region who distributed a lot of truth clarification materials and did a very good job on clarifying the Fa, but that practitioner had some unclear understandings of the Fa. When he made some mistakes and the evildoers arrested him, he disclosed inside information about fellow practitioners. After he was released, he "nicely" told other practitioners, "I have told them everything, so be careful!" We feel exceedingly sorry about this practitioner who has gone through everything so far and now makes this big mistake. What a big lesson it is!

3. We should treat Fa-study as a genuine cultivation environment and consider the following: Does one arrive on time for Fa-study? Do we doze off while studying the Fa? Do we chat about useless things? Does someone put their hands down during sending forth righteous thoughts? Do we let other practitioners speak? When we know there is another person speaking, do we still keep talking? Do we discuss with other practitioners whether or not we are modest, not serene or arguing endlessly? How about the way we talk? Do we keep a peaceful mind? We should be mindful of these and other considerations.

4. We should pay attention to the cultivation of speech, and protect the projects related to Dafa. Certain practitioners in our area neglect or ignore the cultivation of speech - a significant problem. They intentionally or unintentionally spread idle gossip - tell the practitioners who they "trust" about the Fa-study place, the time and the group members, as well as the things we discussed. They pass the information to one and another, with their personal "affections" and ignore their responsibility to Dafa. They did not have insights according to the Fa to begin with, and did not do the right thing. I would like to tell these practitioners who always ignore their cultivation of speech, "Because of your careless words, other practitioners had to stop what they were doing for Dafa!"

This is all I have thought of so far. Supplements and corrections from fellow practitioners are welcome.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/11/24/143033.html

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