How to Improve

[PureInsight.org] I became a
Falun Dafa practitioner in December of 1998. Since then my level of
understanding has unceasingly improved and I have had great physical
changes. About twenty days after I read the book, even before I learned
the physical exercises, I recovered from many diseases, including
rheumatism, blood insufficiency in the brain, neurasthenia, neck pain,
heart disease, and kidney and stomach diseases. After two and a half
months of practice, I took off my glasses for near-sightedness and have
subsequently experienced the supernatural qualities of Dafa. During the
several years of Dafa being persecuted, although I have experienced
tribulations, with Teacher's merciful protection I have firmly walked
on the path of Fa-rectification. I will now share how I constantly
improve myself for the salvation of sentient beings.



1. Xinxing Improves While Memorizing the Fa



During several of the early years of the persecution, I was locked up
in labor camps and detention centers several times. This not only
affected my own cultivation, but also negatively impacted the saving of
sentient beings. The lesson was big. Fundamentally it happened because
I did not study the Fa well and understand the Fa clearly. Especially
after I read Teacher's "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida,
U.S.A.," I was greatly moved and became determined to study the Fa
thoroughly.



It is not easy, however to study the Fa well. After I was released for
medical treatment in June 2004, I had many distracting thoughts and
interferences. In addition to the difficult recovery of my body, I was
unable to study the Fa with full concentration. At the end of 2005,
many fellow practitioners' experiences in memorizing the Fa were
published in Minghui Weekly,
which gave me great enlightenment and courage. From then on, besides
studying Teacher's new articles, I used other Fa study time to memorize
Zhuan Falun. No matter whether my progress was fast or slow, I kept doing it. After more than a year, I finished memorizing Zhuan Falun for the first time, and I have started the second round of memorizing.

 

Memorizing the Fa has brought me many advantages. It has greatly
improved the quality of my Fa study, I understand questions that
puzzled me before, and I have come to understand more and more Fa
principles. It has also made my heart much calmer and the anxiousness I
had before has disappeared. I have experienced the joy of melting into
the Fa.

 

Memorizing the Fa made me to pay more attention to self cultivation and
made me willing to look inwards more. "Everyone sits here to learn this
Dafa, so you must here conduct yourselves as true practitioners, and
you must give up attachments." "As a truly-determined practitioner, one
is able to endure everything and give up or care less for any
attachment in the face of various self-interests. As long as one can do
this, it will not be difficult." (Zhuan Falun)
Teacher mentioned "true" several times, so I filter my words, acts, and
my thoughts, to check what I did not do well so I can correct it next
time.



The more I memorize the Fa, the more willing I am to face up to my own
uncertainties, willing to connect Fa study to solid cultivation, (which
I did not do in the past) for fear that I did not understand certain
issues. I carefully read experience sharing articles on Minghui Weekly and sincerely compare them to my own problems. In this way, my understanding of the Fa constantly improves.



For instance, because I walked out of the devil's lair several times in
the early days, when I heard fellow practitioners talking about how
being persecuted was a shame, I paid no attention to it. I thought,
although I was persecuted, I wrote no guarantee statement. How can this
shameful thing be? Is it exaggerated? It was priceless that, at least,
I was steadfast during my ordeal. Not everyone could achieve this.
However, along with memorizing the Fa in depth and reading fellow
practitioners' sharing articles, one after another, I finally realized
that the fact that Dafa is persecuted in human world is not only the
shame of the evil humans, but also the shame of Dafa practitioners. The
spread of the universal great law in the human world should be in the
state of "Those who hear about it are looking for it. Those who have
obtained it are delighted with it. The number of cultivators is
increasing daily and becoming countless." (Essentials for Further Advancement
– "Seeking Discipleship with Teacher"). When I truly understood this Fa
principle, the swelling in my whole body immediately disappeared, truly
manifesting, "Once you upgrade your xinxing, your body will undergo a
great change. Upon xinxing improvement, the matter in your body is
guaranteed to transform." (Zhuan Falun)



Memorizing the Fa also made me to realize that every Dafa practitioner
must correctly place the base point of cultivation, otherwise you won't
improve. In the spring of 2006, rental properties in my city were being
cleaned out. I felt great pressure for a while and wondered whether I
should go to my relative's place and hide for a period of time. I
happened to memorize "In the eyes of everyday people, animals are so
formidable that they can easily manipulate people. Actually, I say that
they are not formidable and are nothing before a true practitioner.
Though you may find one that has practiced cultivation for nearly one
thousand years, a tiny finger will be more than enough to crush it." (Zhuan Falun)
All of a sudden, I was calm: I am a practitioner; my tiny finger will
be more than enough to crush the animal possession of the evil party! I
won't disturb my relative and thus affect their positive understanding
of Dafa. Instantly, the depression in my heart vanished into the air.
The attachment of fear is truly a matter of consequence. I again
experienced the supernatural power of Dafa and also was reminded that
Dafa practice has high requirements for practitioners. We must achieve
the realm of unselfishness and look at issues on the base point of
saving sentient beings. Only then we can improve.



A while ago, I read practitioners' articles on the internet, one after
another, regarding immediately ending the persecution, I also thought
about it when I memorized, "From the perspective of the very highest
level, it is very simple, for the Fa resembles a pyramid in form. At
the highest point, it can be summarized in three words: Zhen, Shan,
Ren. It is extremely complex when manifesting at different levels." (Zhuan Falun)
My heart felt open, had a kind of insightful feeling. The Great Tao can
be simple and easy, as a matter of fact. We should act according to
"Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," in concert with the
requirements of Teacher and Fa-rectification, and not think about evil
at all. Then there is no space for it to exist and it will be
extinguished by itself. If you always think evil this and that, aren't
you attached to it? Aren't you begging for it?    



Through memorizing the Fa, I realized my problem in sending forth
righteous thoughts. On surface, I insisted on the formalities of
sending forth righteous thoughts well, but the quality was far from
good, with many distracting thoughts and painful legs. Finally, several
months ago, through memorizing the Fa and sharing with fellow
practitioners, I understood: we are practicing a universal great law,
as Dafa disciples, and our hearts should be on saving sentient beings.
We are the guardians of the universe and so these thoughts we send out
should be the righteous thoughts of a Dafa practitioner.



Only then I remembered Teacher said in, "Teaching the Fa at the 2001 Canada Fa Conference" of Guiding the Voyage:
"when we eliminate evil you should keep in mind that if you have the
intention of showing off, have ordinary human fears, or have impure
thoughts, you won't be able to achieve the goal. Why do you have an
ability like this? It's only because you are a great cultivator. So
when you send forth that thought it couldn't have been sent by anyone
but a great cultivator. That is why when some students use this
ability, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That's where the
problem lies."



Through memorizing the Fa, I know to carefully examine my every thought
and thought process. As soon as a negative thought emerges, I correct
it. Now, when a negative thought comes up, I can basically jump on it
at once.  



I also found while memorizing the Fa that, many times when I am
memorizing the Fa on a certain aspect, there will be a corresponding
xinxing test or situation in my life or work. For example, when I
memorized a section on the issue of fame and self-interest, something
happened that made me see that I had a strong attachment to fame and
self-interest. In another instance, when I was memorizing "Only by
having people practice a righteous way can there be true salvation of
all beings." (Zhuan Falun), I met several fellow practitioners in a row who had fallen behind in truth-clarification.



Teacher said in "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,"
"Maybe as you study the Fa the issues you've been thinking about will
be resolved, since behind every word are Buddhas, Daos, and Gods. How
could they not know exactly what you want to resolve and what you're
anxious to get done at that time? Then how could they not tell you? But
there's one thing: you must achieve the state of studying the Fa
without any pursuit. You understood this a long time ago--you can't
read the Fa with an attachment to solving your problems. Just read
calmly, and the effect is sure to be excellent." I truly experienced
all of these.



During memorizing the Fa, I also understood that Teacher told us the Fa
of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings in many places. "The
purpose of giving her energy was to enable her to practice cultivation
and upgrade herself. While doing good deeds, she could develop her own
supernormal abilities and build up her own gong; however, some people
did not know this principle." (Zhuan Falun)
Well then, isn't Teacher giving us supernormal abilities to explain the
truth and save people and, at the same time as doing good deeds, also
cultivating well? That is for sure. I came to understand that when
Teacher tells us to send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the
truth, which are closely related to our cultivation, we are not doing
things for Teacher or Dafa, but rather as an inevitable part of the
process of cultivating ourselves well. Otherwise, Teacher would be
unable to transform the things required in our cultivation, the human
notions we should abandon in the process won't be disposed of, and the
attachments to showing off, zealotry, competing, pursuit of fame, and
validating oneself could not be completely uncovered.   



Meanwhile, I also understood that in preferring to get sick oneself, to
suffer losses, so you appear to be firmly saving sentient beings, you
are essentially showing off and validating yourself. Teacher even told
us how to tell the truth in the Fa. Just like "there is a specific
supernormal ability for curing every illness," it must be specific.



I think the Fa-rectification has reached the final stage, so every Dafa
practitioner should pay attention to Fa study, have a clear
understanding of Fa principles, and truly  be guided in everything
related to us be the Fa. Only then, will everything we do be the most
powerful.



2. Use Every Advantage to Save People with Mercy and Righteous Thoughts



From July 2005, I began to tell the truth and save people face to face.
People I meet in life, work or social contacts, as long as there is
opportunity, I shall tell them the truth. Besides this, I also visit my
relatives and neighbors, one by one, with gifts during my vacation and
gradually walk my own path of validating the Fa. From July 2005 till
now, I probably got around seven hundred people to quit the CCP.



Generally speaking, I have acted according to Teacher's Fa: "when we
clarify the truth to save them, we need to tailor it to the mindsets
modern people have." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida,
U.S.A.") People's mindsets vary from one to another, so you can't use
the same way all the time. One must get right to the point, especially
when the time you have for explaining the truth face to face is short.
It is very important to address the key points within a short time,
according to different people's situations. One may talk differently in
each case. If one just acts appropriately to the situation, most of
them will understand.



I treat explaining the truth and saving people as part of my life. As
long as there is opportunity, I will talk. Once, on a bus, an elderly
person had no seat so I offered mine to him. He sat down and was very
happy, and repeatedly thanked me. So I took the chance to tell him the
truth, tell him to read "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness,
Compassion, Forbearance is good." Because of the conversation, the
elderly man was worried that I might pass my stop, so he asked me where
I got off. When the bus arrived at my stop, the assistant driver
purposely called me to get off. As a matter of fact, when I spoke to
the elder, I turned my face to the side. I was relaxed and my voice was
not loud or low. The drivers and all the people around me on the bus
heard.



During truth clarification, I talk about benefits of Dafa, Dafa's
spread to the world, how the three "quits" will maintain one's life,
and the evilness of the CCP. If there is more time, I will extend a bit
further according to their actual situation. Usually they all quit.



3. Recommending the Three Quits Among Relatives and Friends



All my relatives and friends know that I practice Falun Gong, so I can
tell the truth and recommend the three quits as a Falun Gong
practitioner. According to Teacher's Fa, everyday people look at fame
and self-interest as being very important so, in my contact with them,
I do not let them suffer loss. Whether they are having a big or small
occasion, I attend all of them. Also, I am not stingy when I buy gifts
for relatives and friends. When I visit them, I always wear middle
range clothes, never giving them the impression I might be poor. When
we chat about daily family matters, they all feel I take sentiment and
friendship seriously. In such a harmonious atmosphere, I tell them what
I want to say the most. Most of my relatives and friends have quit, one
family after another. Some have even helped others quit.



At the New Year's Festival or parents' birthdays, I express my caring
to them. Even though my financial situation is relatively tight after
the persecution, I always do the same. I never let people around me
feel that Falun Gong practitioners have no feelings and do not take
care of the parents. In regard to contacts with brothers and sisters, I
still act like an elder sister, as before. They all say I have good
human sentiments, so I get along with them very well. Although our good
interactions stopped for various periods of time during the
persecution, there is no great obstruction. Therefore, it is easy for
me to go to relatives' homes and talk about the three quits. In
addition, they all admire my capability, so I use this advantage fully.

 

I am divorced so it is relatively more difficult to save the relatives
of my ex-husband. I also overcame this and they are progressing very
well. Most of them have quit. After some of them understood the truth,
they made great efforts to complain about the evil party. Someone
wanted me to sue it, while some also helped others to quit.



During the process, in order to explain the truth even better, I also got familiar with the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and Disintegrate the Party Culture. At the same time, I repeatedly listened to Disintegrate the Party Culture.
This not only helped a lot in saving sentient beings, but it also
allowed me to realize that I am also heavily poisoned by the party
culture and made me pay more attention to clearing away the party
culture within myself. I also realized, even more clearly, that all
this is done by Teacher. We are merely moving in the human world. If we
do not do this, if we do not assist in spreading Dafa, telling people
about the three quits, and saving people, even our own safety can not
be guaranteed.

   

Meanwhile, this lesson of mine and those of fellow practitioners on the
internet, have made me want to use this opportunity to remind fellow
practitioners that we must remember Teacher's article "Cultivators'
Avoidances." Especially, those fellow practitioners who do a large
amount of work should not regard doing large amounts of work as
validating the Fa. That will cover up your attachment to pursuing fame
and validating oneself! At the same time, I want to remind those
practitioners who have not stepped out to save people that, "It is a
xinxing issue if you do not help stop a murder or arson when you see
it." (Zhuan Falun) We are actually snatching sentient beings from the evil. We must grab on!



The above is merely my understanding at my current level. Unavoidably,
there is inappropriateness. In future cultivation, I shall learn more
and be more comparable to fellow practitioners.



(The Fourth Mainland China Falun Dafa Practitioners Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference on the Internet)



Translated from:

http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/11/16/166574.html