PureInsight | February 24, 2003
[PureInsight.org] Sometimes I am unable to obtain any new understanding from the Fa, no matter how much I study. Sometimes I cannot concentrate while studying the Fa, no matter how hard I try to eliminate the interference. Perhaps some fellow practitioners can relate to my experience. As a Dafa practitioner, nothing grieves me more than this. Eventually I found effective ways to overcome these obstacles, solutions that have worked for me. I have summarized my findings, and I hope that these would help other practitioners, especially those who share similar problems, in their endeavors to overcome obstacles in studying the Fa.
First of all, I maintain a straight posture and sit in the full lotus position for as long as I can during Fa study. I feel it is important to sit up straight because it shows respect towards the Fa. I can speak from my personal experience that I have gotten far more enlightenment on the Fa when I sit respectfully in the full lotus position during Fa study. I'd sincerely advise all fellow practitioners to sit respectfully in the lotus position when studying the Fa unless they cannot sit in the half or full lotus yet. It is my experience that I can hardly concentrate on studying the Fa if I don't sit respectfully in the full lotus position.
Secondly, I read aloud to keep myself focused. When I find it difficult to concentrate, or even to find time for Fa study, I read one of Teacher's articles aloud. Any of Teacher's articles will do. But at the very beginning, I would advise selecting a shorter article to read aloud. Read it repeatedly and as loud as possible. Usually, I am able to concentrate after I read an article three or four times. In some rare cases, I would need to read one of Teacher's articles for half an hour before my mind could calm down and then I would be able to understand the meaning of the text. Last year, I once read as short an article as "Wealth with Virtue" for one hour before my mind finally calmed down. I read that article for a total of one and a half hours before I finally decided that I had truly studied the Fa that day.
As for studying Zhuan Falun, I have two approaches to ensure the quality of Fa study. First, I read each paragraph two or three times until I am satisfied with the quality of Fa study and move on to the next paragraph. If I still have difficulty in concentrating, then I read each sentence, each phrase, or each word, multiple times before I move on to the next. In other words, I would read every sentence or each paragraph repeatedly as if it were a single article.
Normally, I attain tranquility in less than ten minutes. Then I begin to see the Fa principles, and my mind will be blown away by what I have understood. Sometimes I am really pressed for time and just can't afford to take extra time to attain tranquility. How do I eliminate the interference at a time like this? My approach is to regard every sentence and every word in Zhuan Falun as a stern questioning of all kinds of attachments, notions, evils and the old forces that have brought me interference and damage. Soon enough I will find the interference begins to weaken because every word you read out loud eliminates it.
If I find myself becoming absent-minded, I immediately accelerate my reading and read with minimum pauses between sentences. I have found that it helps to strengthen my concentration. When I become absent-minded again after a while, I slow down my reading pace to pull my mind back to the text. In other words, I first speed up and then slow down my reading pace as I see fit to help me concentrate on studying the Fa.
When I use these solutions for Fa study, my mind will be at peace and I will feel joyful even after half an hour of Fa study. But there are times when I cannot gain any new understanding from Fa study. When this happens, I try to calm down and search inwards for any attachments, such as pursuit of enlightenment on the Fa, or lack of respect towards Fa study.
Because all of these solutions have been working very well for me, and because they are the most precious experiences in my personal cultivation, I sincerely wish that my experience will benefit my fellow practitioners who share the same problems with Fa study, especially when I think that the harmony and bonds between practitioners are far more noble and precious than predestined relationships between any other beings in the universe. If you should encounter similar obstacles in Fa study, I encourage you to give these solutions a try. They may work well for you, too.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/1/14/20050.html
