PureInsight | June 18, 2001
Having practiced Falun Gong for over two years, I am pleased to have this opportunity to share some personal experiences about my practice. Possibly some of my travails will be, in some small way, helpful to other practitioners—especially those of European extraction. Those of us who have been raised in a Western culture are sometimes especially challenged by trying to understand the rich and expansive Eastern traditions.
However, I should state from the beginning that it really isn’t easy to relate all that has transpired. So much of my experience is difficult to verbalize. One of the most fascinating aspects of my practice has been the evolution of my consciousness. It’s been my impression that most 'ordinary people,' to use a phrase often employed to signify
non-practitioners, rush through life while in a kind of sleep. Because of their frenetically paced activities, they are decidedly oblivious to the many things happening around them. For example, very few people take the time to sit and enjoy the great beauty of the world: the sun, the moon, the sea, the sky.
Falun Dafa corrects such a situation. I have found that after sitting in a quiet meditation, everything seems more beautiful and engaging. My meditation causes me to refocus on the simple things, such as the gentle sound of falling rain. I‘ve discovered that practicing each day is best for me—usually an hour and a half. Although I try to practice at the same time each day, that isn’t always possible. Consequently, I adapt to the circumstances. The effects of my practice are pronounced, regardless of my practice time.
Integral to Master Li’s teachings is a profound code of ethics. Unfortunately, among ordinary people in the West, ethics are often lacking. And as a remedy, Western governments have enacted a vast array of laws designed to control aberrant behavior. Some of these laws are good; others are bad. In business matters, many have taken the position that it is perfectly all right to try to see how much one can get away with. In short, people may comply with the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. Such has become the social norm.
As practitioners, we strive to adhere to a higher standard. We understand the need to protect life, and to avoid taking from others. We understand at the deepest level the need for honesty. If only the rest of the world would abide by such a standards. I do wish that everyone could be convinced to practice Falun Dafa, but that seems unrealistic.
Early in my practice, I tried to convince as many people as possible to begin a study of Qi Gong. But the harder I pushed people, the less effective I became. To make matters worse, my proselytizing was viewed by some as eccentricity. I now realize that pressuring people simply doesn’t work.
I found it very frustrating to see people show initial interest and then fail to follow through with their practice after a basic course of instruction. From this experience, I have learned that only people ready for the truth will accept it.
As I have already suggested, there are pronounced cultural differences between East and West. Overcoming these differences isn’t easy. Casual Western readers overlook so much of the profundity of Master Li’s words. Regrettably, it sometimes is more than that. Here in the West, many people, especially those in academia, feel threatened by anything that has mystical overtones. Steeped in Newtonian physics, they think of man as a kind of blood and guts computer. They like to call themselves secular humanists. In their world, everything is the sum of its parts. Things that fall outside of this limiting mind-set are rejected out of hand. I used to get into extended discussions with these people, but no more. I’ve come to suspect that many of them, at a deep level, don’t really believe what they are saying. At some level, they may realize that there are forces beyond their everyday existence that are profoundly influencing the ordinary, three-dimensional world, but they are afraid to admit it to themselves or anyone else, because to admit that science is limited in what it can know about reality would jeopardize their positions in the academic community.
In the West, people like to think of themselves as individuals first and foremost. They are loath to consider that they may be part of a greater whole. The concept of a unity of 'Oneness' is totally alien to them. This self-limiting perspective makes it extremely difficult for them to understand the subtle states of consciousness that manifest for practitioners.
Now, of course we can tell an ordinary person that he/she is harboring incorrect views, but unless that person takes up our practice, there’s no way for him to KNOW what we are talking about. Even if he chooses to believe us, he can’t KNOW until he begins to practice. In short, to BELIEVE and to KNOW are two different things. Intellectualizing about these matters can take us only so far. Mere words have limitations when we are talking about spirituality.
I now believe that the best way for me to spread the Fa is for me to set a good example for others by developing my own spirituality. To do this, I need to practice and keep the Fa sacred.
I’m continually working to give up my attachments. I’ve found that the best way to control my mind is by controlling my body. And Falun Dafa makes that possible. Although I realize that ours is a spiritual quest, I can also attest to the positive effects that Falun Dafa has upon my body. As soon as I begin my daily practice, I feel the tensions of the day start to disappear. My mind quickly starts to focus, and I immediately stop my intellectualizing. Beyond that, the sensations are difficult to describe, but I get the feeling that my body becomes an antenna that focuses energy. I’ve come to know about that energy, at least on a fundamental level. There is, undeniably, some sort of subtle energy force permeating the universe that can be utilized by practicing Falun Gong. It is one thing to read about all of this, but it is another to experience it. Once again, this is the difference between believing and knowing.
During our everyday activities, literally thousands of thoughts run through our minds. Sometimes they are like tape recordings that continually repeat themselves. Negative thoughts are extremely harmful. They wear away at us. Qi Gong has given me the means to control such negative thoughts.
I have come to realize that there are many states of consciousness within us and that Falun Dafa is a way in which to access these states. Falun Dafa is a kind of new science, a science of the mind. It allows us to experience things totally out of the range of ordinary people.
Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world’s foremost botanists, hypothesizes that there are morphic fields that are generated by human consciousness, an idea supported by the Princeton Pear research lab. Under the direction of Dr. Robert G. Jahn, former Dean of Engineering at Princeton University, the world’s largest database on the effects of distant intentionality has been created.
This evidence for the existence of morphic fields helps illustrates the fact that there’s a kind of 'global consciousness' that can be affected by individual human thoughts. The implications of this are profound. We can extrapolate from this research and conclude that a group of people sitting in meditation and concentrating on specific thoughts can begin to effect changes in global consciousness.
From this research, one can begin to appreciate the importance of sending positive thoughts to the minds of Chinese leaders on the mainland of China order to effect positive changes on behalf of our fellow practitioners there. The validity of the materials we study as Falun Gong practitioners is being confirmed by cutting edge science. And that is exciting, and it gives me hope that more people will soon begin to lend credence to our system of practice.
As our community of practitioners grows, so will our influence. I’m very proud of the effort that’s been made by so many loyal practitioners to spread the Fa, for their efforts have already caused many people in the media to view us in a more positive fashion. As we tirelessly repeat our truths, we affect cultural zeitgeists.
In sum, my practice has been a personal jewel for me, and I find it hard to know how I lived so long without the benefit of truths it has provided me with. I still have much to learn, but with Master Li’s help, I’m confident that the future will be bright.
