Studying the Fa and Taking the Fa as the Standard

I started this great cultivation way 10 years ago. I practised two different schools of cultivation before I gained the Fa. Although the goal with these practice methods was to cultivate to leave the secular world, they were all messed up, and I was not getting anywhere. Soon after I obtained the Fa, I quit smoking, and my back pain and gastritis was gone.

Master opened my celestial eye several years before I obtained the Fa, and it was the phenomenon that Master describes in Zhuan Falun, when the flesh drills inwards. At the beginning of my cultivation, one day during meditation, I saw the whole earth draped in black with some small dots of golden, bright shining light on it. The golden lights were all practitioners on earth.

To harmonise the family and work with the Fa

A few years ago, my husband and I were part of the European Choir Coming For You. Practitioners from all over Europe sometimes gathered in a little town in Germany to practise together. One day, one choir member said to us: “In your relationship, the wife is the man, and the husband is the woman.” I just laughed, but my husband became upset. Later I gave it more thought and I also became inspired after watching Shen Yun, seeing the female dancers showing the righteous, true nature and state of women.

This summer my husband said to me: “You could work a little less, and focus more on taking care of the household chores.” Since we are self-employed, I am able to be more flexible with how I dispose my time. I have always taken care of cooking meals, but my husband and I used to divide the work of laundry and other small things and now he was telling me I should take on more of this kind of work. I knew right away this was for me to cultivate, so I didn’t argue with him. But in my heart I felt it hard to take that he was bossing me. I complied in action but not in my heart.

It went on like this for three days, then I remembered that Master says that we can cultivate in any setting. As a practitioner I can cultivate to become a good citizen, a good daughter, a good co-worker, so shouldn’t I then also cultivate as to become a better wife?”

Sweden is a leading country when it comes to equality and feminist values, and I’ve become influenced growing up in this environment. Before, if I did do more housework than my husband, I used to feel unfairness and complaints in my heart. Being a Dafa practitioner, I understood we should not follow trends in society and should set an example for the future generations. I somehow felt relieved, and now comfortable with knowing my role as a woman and taking her part.

”Let each and every thing be measured with the Fa”

During this summer I learned to recite many poems from Hong Yin I, II and III. After reciting the poem “Solid Cultivation”, the sentence ”Let each and every thing be measured with the Fa” made me think a lot. I realised that I had not done this the right way. I had compared myself too much with my former lower standards, thinking I have done better than I did before.” I forgot to measure myself against the Fa, and take the Fa as the standard. I realised that if I measured myself against the standards of the Fa I would fall so short! This thought made me afraid, but after contemplating further, I decided that from now on I would not look so much at others or compare myself with my former cultivation state, but measure myself against the Fa. In the poem, Master says:

Solid Cultivation
Study the Fa and gain the Fa,
Focus on how you study and cultivate.
Let each and every thing,
be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that,
is it actually cultivation.

During the past year I had many cultivation tribulations, which I did not pass well and did not endure with a calm heart. I now understand why. . I had become complacent, I thought that practising for one hour every day and studying the Fa for one hour every day, would suffice for me to do well in truth clarification work and to handle trials and have a correct mindset in cultivation. So I contended myself with this, forgetting to push myself further and to continually improve and set higher standards for myself.

Without studying the Fa enough, without being diligent with FZN at all times, without doing the exercises enough – there simply is no way for me to do well. Without pushing myself to higher and higher standards, I would be locked. Even if I did want to pass a trial, how could I do well? I simply couldn’t.

So I remind myself not to become complacent and relax at the level I’m at, but to keep improving continually. I started to study the Fa more, to do the exercises more, and to do FZN more often. The only thing that holds me back is whether I want to improve or not, and whether I am determined to break through resistance or not.

I put a higher demand on myself, try to meet the requirements for myself gradually and do not relax at the state and level I’m at.

Memorising Zhuan Falun

Some weeks ago, when we had a national Shen Yun meeting, I felt intolerant towards a fellow practitioner. This practitioner was protesting about some ways of promoting Shen Yun. He didn’t want to follow the requirements from the Shen Yun office, but was insisting on his way during previous years. I thought: “How can he oppose the Shen Yun office? Since Shen Yun is guided by Master, isn’t opposing the Shen Yun office the same as opposing Master?” I soon calmed down and went to talk to the practitioner, and my heart opened and was filled with compassion instead.

Later that evening I thought: ”Maybe my thoughts about that other practitioner today is a reflection of my own shortcomings?” I asked Master in my heart: ”Is it so that I too do not comply what you ask of me, Master?”

I got the answer just a few minutes later, when we studied “Essentials for Further Advancements I”. In "What is Cultivation Practice" Master says: "Why do I tell you to study, read, and memorise Zhuan Falun? To guide your cultivation!”

I realised immediately I had never taken this seriously, during all these years of cultivation I had made excuses for myself not to memorise the book. I have let my attachment to comfort dominate me in this regard, choosing the things I want to cultivate, while avoiding others. I’ve been full of conditions for my own cultivation.

I have then put effort into memorising Zhuan Falun. The more I study, the more I want to continue, and the more thankful I become towards Master who has guided me all along during my cultivation path.

I’m still on chapter one, but with small steps every day I’m sure to do well in the end.

Time for reflection

Many years ago I read an experience sharing from a young practitioner in China. She wrote that every day after school, she would have dinner with her mother who was also a practitioner and she would tell her mother about the day at school, talking about different cultivation trials she had, and how she could improve, based on the Fa.

I found this very inspiring, I understood that many times when I encountered cultivation issues, I didn’t take the time to calm down and really reflect on the matters. I’ve often been so busy, and with so many things to take care of, I would many times fail to reflect and would just carry on with all the tasks that had to be done.

A few months ago, this story suddenly came back to my memory. I now make sure to take at least 10 minutes per day, to contemplate over my day, what situations I encountered and how my state of mind has been, how I can correct myself and improve according to the Fa. Sometimes I have a small sharing with my husband and sometimes, if he doesn’t have time, I just do some contemplation by myself.

I still fall short in many aspects in cultivation, but my improved cultivation state makes me recall the Fa more easily when I encounter situations and difficulties.

I’m so thankful to our great Master, who takes care of us and leads us on the path to godhood.

Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!