(Clearwisdom.net) Group Fa-study sites are an environment for study and experience sharing. It plays an important role in advancement of cultivation. Not too many Taiwanese knew about Falun Gong in 1998, and there were not many Fa-study sites back then. However, those who were cultivating themselves in Dafa knew that studying the Fa without interference would lead to a righteous path of cultivation. One practitioner unselfishly provided a place for Fa-study, and with others' assistance, a Dafa book reading site was established in Taiping eight years ago.
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 Falun Gong practitioners concentrate on Fa-study |
Children Never Fall Behind
 Young Falun Gong practitioners studying the Fa seriously |
As Dafa spread, more and more people joined the book reading group. More than fifty people, from toddlers to older practitioners, study the Fa together every Friday. Some older practitioners don't mind walking twenty to thirty minutes to go to the book reading. There are close to ten children practitioners. They are the core of the book reading! Their voices are so innocent, clear and filled with compassion! Many of them started coming to book reading when they were in kindergarten. Everyone of them can read Zhuan Falun and other scriptures. Many help with projects to validate the Fa, which in turn gives them an opportunity to improve their xinxing.
Collective Improvement
During experience sharing, everyone openly talks about his or her experience in improving xinxing. Every improvement is based on concrete cultivation. Everyone takes the initiative to carry out truth-clarification projects. This happens naturally based on Fa-study and experience sharing.
The hosts of the book reading are established by recommendation and agreement. Everyone has an opportunity to host a book reading. In the early days, veteran practitioners took the initiative for experience sharing. Everyone benefited from it and valued the opportunity to share experiences together. As we overcame our fears of speaking and other obstacles, more people volunteered to be hosts.
Improvement of Xinxing Is the Foundation
Once in awhile conflicts will arise at the book reading. However, when we sincerely look into ourselves for the cause, the conflicts disappear quickly.
We are like a family. We look for our own shortcomings and are considerate of others. When forty or fifty of us study in the same room, it can become very hot. On one occasion the single air conditioner wasn't powerful enough to cool us down, but nobody complained. The practitioner who provided the room bought an additional air conditioner.
Get Involved and Safeguard the Book Reading Environment
Master told us,
"The cultivation practice form that I have left for Dafa disciples ensures that disciples can truly improve themselves. For example, I ask you to do the exercises as a group in parks in order to form an environment. This environment is the best way to change the surface of a person. The lofty conduct that Dafa disciples have established in this environment--including every word and every deed--can make people recognize their own weaknesses and identify their shortcomings; it can move their hearts, refine their conduct, and enable them to make progress more rapidly." (Essentials for Further Advancement)
We realized doing exercises and studying the Fa in a group is a cultivation practice form that Master left for us. That’s why we value this environment so much.
A fellow practitioner said at an experience sharing that after the first time she and her family came to study the Fa in a group, she thought it wouldn’t make any difference whether she studied in a group or at home. She thought it might be easier to concentrate at home. It wasn’t until six months later that she came back to the group book reading. She realized that she had lagged behind others because she had left this environment. She regretted having wasted six precious months. As Master said,
"It’s because our cultivation environment, our Fa-study environment, and what the students discuss and say when they are together are noble and form a rare and most pure environment. This is very hard to find in human society, and is the most benevolent and most wonderful piece of pure land, so you mustn’t lose this environment. That’s because human society is continuing to decline, and it’s getting worse and worse. You all have jobs in this ordinary human society, and you have social activities—all of you have contact with everyday people and ordinary human society. Consequently, what you see and hear, whether you intend it or not, all has to do with everyday people’s things, which will interfere with your cultivation. So it’s beneficial for you to often study the Fa together and use this basin of fresh water to cleanse yourselves." ("Teaching the Fa at the Eastern U.S. Fa Conference")
Our book reading is a place for us to make collective improvement. You are welcome to join our group study. If every area can create a good Fa-study environment, it will be the best guarantee for collective improvement. The above are some of our experiences to share with everyone. Thank you!
