The Importance of Studying the Fa Well
By: Siew Foung Choo (Kuala Lumpur)
Greetings to our Compassionate Master
Greetings to All Practitioners
- Fa Experience Sharing
First of all, I would like to share about the importance of writing Fa Experience Sharing articles.
I wrote my first experience sharing in year 2008. At that time, I had just obtained the Fa not too long ago thus there was not much to share. I had to think really hard on what had been transpired since I obtained the Fa. At that time, I treated it as writing a report. In order to make the article interesting, I had included some interesting “antidotes” so that the audience would not fall asleep during my sharing. I supposed this was an attachment of show-off. My humble apologies, I was very much an ordinary person at that time.
While writing the experience sharing, I realized that I had to do a lot of reflection on what happened and how I felt. To put it in another way, this was like soul-searching. In Master’s words, this is “look within”. I came to learn about how to look within and realized the wonder of this Fa treasure. No wonder Master said that He has left us three formats of cultivation for us, namely group practice, group Fa study and Fa experience sharing or Fa conference.
Group practices enable our incorrect movements to be corrected by our fellow practitioners. While discussion after Group Fa study enable us to have other insights about the Fa so that we could elevate faster in our cultivation. Writing our Fa experience sharing helps us to uncover our very well-hidden attachments that hinder our path to consummation. Are we really following Master?
- Consummation vs Sifting the Sand
During Master teaching the Fa at the Conference in Canada in May 1999, a question was raised: As the tides are sifting the sand and people are undergoing great test and tribulations, some may drop away or give up. Master’s reply: “…in cultivation, it’s preset as to how he should handle each trial, how he should deal with each tribulation, and how he should get rid of each attachment. If he misses that opportunity, it’s normally very difficult to get it back, especially at a critical juncture determining whether or not he can achieve Consummation. If someone doesn’t pass significant trials, he will then really lose this kind of good opportunity. Perhaps he will have another chance, but I can only say “perhaps”. Only by studying the Fa very thoroughly and building a very solid foundation can it help you pass that trial….”
Before I obtained the Fa, I learned in a number of fields in order to be promoted to be a manager. I had developed skills to protect myself and the organization. Therefore I had established a foothold in the society. However, after reading the Fa, I realized that these are notions which I had acquired and they have become obstacles in my cultivation path. The reason is as mentioned above, “it’s preset as to how he should handle each trial…”
Perhaps, this is the reason I had undergone similar tests a number of times. Initially, I blamed fellow practitioners claiming that perhaps they had attachments which bring forth their demon nature to make trouble for me. I had probably mistaken my understanding from the same Fa Lecture where Master says, “…demons are products of the cosmos, and without demons you really wouldn’t be able to cultivate. You know, in your cultivation among ordinary people, people can bring you a lot of trouble with their demon natures, and you constantly improve and forge ahead. When you reach higher levels human beings are no longer able to make any trouble for you. That’s because as soon as humans see you, their little, trivial human things won’t be effective anymore, since they are quite weak and you will have been cultivating at a certain level. Those who will interfere with you will seem to be humans, yet they are controlled by demons…”
But Master is very compassionate. I was given chances again and again and I became wiser and realized that if I understand the Fa correctly because I couldn’t be tested so often on the same issue until the tests piled up (like Master said about karma rolled atop another).
My workload increased due to expansion. I had trouble with my eye sight probably because of the increased workload coupled with shortcomings in my cultivation. At that time, a fellow practitioner was faced with a major test and had asked me for advice. I wanted very much to help her but couldn’t find the time. At the end, she didn’t make it and passed away. I attributed the main reason was her failure to follow Master’s requirements in Group practice, Group Fa study and truth clarification. I found many mistakes in her exercise practices. She developed the attachment of zealotry when her menstruation returned. She thought she had made advancement in her cultivation and was growing younger. However, as is stated in the topic on Attachment of Zealotry in Zhuan Falun – this mentality can be very easily taken advantage by demons. She started bleeding and she was taken to the hospital by her family when she became anemic. The hospital claimed she had less than 50% of blood in her body. Then it was later diagnosed by the hospital that she had developed cancer in her uterus. We had further sharing that she can see doctors if she can’t take it anymore but she very calmly accepted her faith and would like to put her faith in the Fa and in Master to tolerate the pain to pay off the debt. I certainly hope that her determination and faith had earned her a fruit status in her cultivation.
Getting back to my cultivation; because of my poor eyesight, I had trouble reading the Fa. Due to the workload, I often missed doing the first four exercises. I also found I had hard time controlling my temper in my xinxing tests. Then I felt a burning sensation in my throat. I could feel blisters along my throat. I faced another xinxing test which made me tendered my resignation. When I left the organization, I had smelly pus oozing from my nose. I knew what’s going on but I had no fear. I left everything to Master’s plan on my cultivation. If I had to leave this world, I will follow Master’s wishes. I just study Fa more and do all the exercises and meditation. Another practitioner asked me to share my experience with some new practitioners at the park. So I went there to practice and do sharing with them at the same time. Shortly, I passed this sickness karma though I still had problem with my eyesight. Around this time, I read Master’s answer about the trial at the critical juncture. I also observed that I had various insights into life like feelings of getting enlightenment. I supposed I had passed a major test and move up in my cultivation. Then everything is back to normal.
- Working Together
Quote: (Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa [S48-2P13]) “…save sentient beings, what is most important is that Dafa disciples cooperate together well, and that only when people work together well will things go well. I have said before that Dafa disciples have all been kings in history, or kings in the heavens, and that each, accordingly, has his own mind as well as the capacity to get things done independently, but when it comes to collaborating it is difficult. The difficulty lies in each person having his own views, each having great ideas, in which case collaboration will not go very well if each person insists on his or her own ideas. But you are cultivators and disciples of Dafa after all, so ultimately when the tasks that need to be carried out come before you, it should be the righteous thoughts of a cultivator that guide you….>
I was trained from young to be the king of our Choo family even though I am not the eldest. My parents expected to get a son but I turned out to be a girl. Therefore I had developed the characteristic of a male. Girls in those days stay at home to do household chores. But I was allowed to run around as long as I took care of my siblings. When I grew up, I moved to Kuala Lumpur and got a job as an audit trainee. This is another territory dominated by males at that time. It took me to do some convincing to get a job in this male territory. My boss claimed that he found a jewel because of my capability, loyalty, dedication, trustworthiness and outspojenness, abilities required in this field. He then trained me for the managerial position though I had only LCCI qualification. When I moved on to a private company, my attitude to work gained me recognitions and I became the Finance Director. I again became a “king” in that organization. Along the way, I have acquired a lot of notions as I have always rule in my domain. I have always been respected for the decisions I made for the well-being of the company.
With this character, it spelled trouble for me when I offered my service to Epoch Times. I had always worked in an international environment. Here, we are dealing with Chinese. I have always disliked working with the “Chinese” which we called Chinaman company. They tend to be very introverted, or another way to look at it, Eastern jealousy is abound amongst them. Illustrations are excerpts from Zhuan Falun’s topic on Jealousy. Another issue is the CCP ideology being infiltrated amongst Chinese schools in Malaysia. There is a tendency for the Chinese-educated Malaysian having traits of the CCP culture. The most obvious is the mindset of wanting to control others. They even gang up to control. Pointing out is basically useless as they just fell on deaf ears. As time goes by, I feel sorry for those with such behaviors.
Well, I can’t leave things hanging if I want to continue my cultivation. I have to look within for any mistake I made that aggravated this Eastern Jealousy. One day, with this troubling me, I found the answer in Zhuan Falun’s Jealousy [L7p286] “…This also occurs among true practitioners, for mutual disrespect and not eliminating the attachment to competition can both easily lead to jealousy.” As such, I have chosen to do anything as long as it is righteous and does not damage the Fa”. (Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa). So, when the tasks that need to be carried out come before you, it should be the righteous thoughts of a cultivator that guide you….>I also came to realize the meaning behind Master’s poem “Don’t Be Sad” (Hong Ying II P79) “Your body lies in prison—don’t be sorrowful, don’t be sad. With righteous thoughts and righteous actions, Fa is here. Calmly reflect on how many attachments you have. As you get rid of human mentality, evil is naturally defeated.” From then on, whenever I had a xinxing test, I reminded myself that I am a cultivator and always look within.
- Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions
Quote from Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the US West Fa Conference [S25P319] “You should cultivate in an upright and dignified way, and handle well everything in front of you that you should do. If you’re to Consummate tomorrow, you still have to do well what you’re supposed to do today and in an orderly way. That’s because everything Dafa disciples are doing today is to be left for the people of the future, and this is the path of cultivation for the people of the future. This is extremely important. Do not walk a crooked path. Dafa is the best at every level, and at this human level Dafa disciples should only make it even more complete and perfect, and not bring any losses to it.”
My understanding of Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions is these 2 issues go hand in hand in certain circumstances. For illustration, I slip and fell backward in the snow. I was knocked out. Under delirious conditions, when a fellow practitioner came to my aid, she asked if I am alright. As I was still stunned, I nodded my head. Then I was assisted into a building and some other fellow practitioner helped by sending righteous thoughts and recited the Lunyu. I was asked to do as they do but I can’t as I have not fully recovered my consciousness. Later that day, the practitioner who asked if I am alright told me I must be lucky to remember the Fa when something like that happen. The first part claiming I am alright is a righteous thought and getting up and going about my work after recovering my senses is righteous action.
In our daily activities, we have to remember to have righteous thoughts in all matters. How can a cultivator have thoughts about how to get rich and other negative thoughts just because nobody can see it? I believe this will strengthen our righteous thoughts when the need arises. Also, our conduct has to be that of a cultivator at all times. For examples speeding and illegal parking are usually due to punctuality. We have to look within and improve our xinxing. Certain things could be very trivial but it becomes a stigma in our cultivation. Besides, we have to verify the Fa. How can we damage Dafa’s reputation by falling short to be a “good person”. Quote : “If you’re to Consummate tomorrow, you still have to do well what you’re supposed to do today and in an orderly way. That’s because everything Dafa disciples are doing today is to be left for the people of the future, and this is the path of cultivation for the people of the future.”
I recalled a police officer came to our parade recently to check if we follow the “not approve” order. It has become a habit to ignore rules by claiming that we must have righteous thoughts. Then that police officer made a comment on whether are we really cultivators. We seriously need advices from New York and Korea on why they are able to conduct many grand parades. I also hope we will stop finding loopholes in the law and take advantage of it to get our ways. This is certainly not righteous thought and righteous action.
If there is anything need to be improved, I hope fellow practitioner could kindly point it out.
Thank you Master and fellow practitioners.