(Clearwisdom.net) Our local Fa study group was set up in February 1996. Because of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong, we stopped studying the Fa together in December 2000. Since this cultivation form was left by Teacher, we thought we should follow Teacher's words and restart our Fa study group. Last October, several practitioners shared with each other and we removed our fear. After we studied the Fa together, we improved our xinxing level as one body. We followed Teacher's Fa and tried our best to do the three things well.

Practitioner A is a lady in her seventies. Though she is illiterate, she has a good understanding of the Fa and does the three things well. She seldom speaks, but focuses on saving people and telling them the facts face to face. Almost everyone whom she talked to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. She tries not to miss any opportunities. She studies the Fa at home half the day and the other half she goes outside and tells people the facts about Falun Gong. Encouraged by practitioner A, many other practitioners set up study groups. Even though the groups were small, the practitioners let go of their fear, and also stepped forward and told people the facts face to face. They are doing better and better with each passing day.

The following is the story of another practitioner from our Fa study group. The local police once went to this practitioner's home and questioned her, saying, “Some people reported that you were coming in and going out frequently.” She replied, “This is my home. Am I not free to come and go? No one has the right to interfere with me.” She then started sending forth righteous thoughts, and at the same time invited them to come into her home. Later, she talked to those police officers about Falun Gong for almost an hour. She successfully persuaded them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. She said that it was the Fa study group that helped her improve to such a level. She had learned from practitioner A how to clarify the truth to people she didn't know. Also, after studying the Fa in the group, she sent forth more righteous thoughts, improved her xinxing, and let go of her fear.

For the convenience of practitioners who have regular jobs, we study the Fa together on weekends. We always send forth righteous thoughts at the beginning and at the end. We usually read Zhuan Falun and spend half an hour sharing cultivation experiences. We discuss our shortcomings and improvements, and share with each other the problems we have encountered, and we look inside to find solutions. We draw lessons from what happened and do better next time. In addition, we correct our positions and movements that aren't correct when sending forth righteous thoughts and doing the exercises.

Practitioner B is the oldest in our Fa study group. Before she joined the group, she didn't clarify the truth every day, nor did she clarify the truth to strangers. She only distributed informational materials about Falun Gong and the persecution to relatives, friends, and acquaintances. After studying the Fa in the group, she took a great step forward in clarifying the truth to people that she didn't know. She had no fear at all and talked to people wherever she went. She had one strong thought in mind, to save more people. She was very anxious when she didn't clarify the truth, even for just one day. During the past eleven years, she has been arrested about eight times, hung by her handcuffed wrists, detained in a small isolation cell, and tortured by various means. Protected by Teacher, she was able to make it through all these years, but has stumbled from time to time. During the past two years, the old forces attempted to persecute her physically. All her illnesses had disappeared after she started practicing Falun Dafa, yet now the old forces were causing her to have symptoms of these previous illnesses. No matter what symptoms emerged however, she just ignored them and negated the arrangements made by the old forces. She always reminded herself, “I am a practitioner, and I have no illness at all.” For instance, she was in a car accident and her right knee was fractured. She has had similar experiences three times. During the day one day, she went out and distributed materials. At night, her legs were sore and numb, she couldn't walk, and she fell down in the bathroom. At that moment she thought, “I am all right, Teacher is here protecting me.” She shouted, “Teacher, help me!” After a while, she was able to slowly stand up. The next day, she slowly walked to the bus stop to pick up materials from a fellow practitioner. Some practitioners suggested that she take a break. She didn't do so however, because she thought that it would amount to recognizing the arrangements made by the old forces. She knew that she had to negate the old forces completely, and she continued sending forth righteous thoughts. Since 2005, she has been sending forth righteous thoughts every hour from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., whenever she is at home.

One time, she was standing on a table to clean something. She fell off the table and her ankle and heel were fractured. No one was close by. She was in great pain, but said, “I am all right. I am a practitioner. Teacher, please help me.” Then she climbed slowly into her bed. That same night she sat in meditation for half an hour. Fifteen days later, she got rid of her crutches, and one month later she was able to take care of herself. Moreover, she resumed distributing materials and clarifying the truth. Her son is an orthopedist, but she didn't even let him touch her fractures. She believed that the old forces were unable to interfere with her as long as she had righteous thoughts. She always kept Teacher's Fa in mind,

"The master takes you through the entrance, and it is up to you, yourself to practice cultivation. It all depends upon how you, yourself practice cultivation. Whether you can practice cultivation all depends upon whether you can endure, sacrifice, and suffer. If you can commit your mind, no difficulties can stop you. I would say that there is not a problem.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Four)

Practitioner C was forced to become homeless due to the persecution. He has been doing the three things quite well. On one occasion he was in a tribulation and experienced illness karma. He couldn't pass this test and was in that tribulation for a long time. However, he just couldn't figure out the reason. Later, he studied the Fa and realized that the old forces were persecuting him. He identified his attachment to desire and lust, and exposed it during group Fa study. That same night, he slept soundly.

Practitioner D liked watching TV series. After studying in the group and sharing with fellow practitioners, she realized how this wasn't right, “It's urgent to save people, but I still enjoy watching so much TV. The demons are pulling me down.” She immediately started sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the demons, and focused more on saving people through clarifying the truth. She said that the Fa study group was really a good environment to focus on studying the Fa and cultivation.