Chords of Music from the Heart

Connie Chipkar

(Toronto, Canada)

(Shared at 2000 Great Lakes Conference)

Nihao Li Laoshi (Hello, Master Li) ---I feel you near me no matter where you really are.

Hello everyone Nihao.

It's so great to see so many of my Falun Dafa family here at this Experience-Sharing Conference Near the lakes

It's been 3 years since I found Falun Dafa-or 杦as it Falun Dafa who found me? Does anyone else get that feeling? Do you also feel it was really all prearranged? I feel that more and more. I'll always recall the words of the very first practitioner I ever met: she said: Do you know about Falun Dafa? It has changed my life - maybe it will change yours." I laughed. Change? Me? At my age? So comfortable in my ways? With my life all nice and comfy and everything under control? I just smile and shake my head at the way l used to be.

When I first read the book "Zhuan Falun", I realized what a special gift Teacher offered. For me to get rid of the karma I accumulated so no one else would have to suffer for it and to cultivate to become my true self. I thought it was too good to be true so I accepted whole-heartedly I didn't even know what it would be like to be the true me because I had been in other people's definitions for so long梥omeone's mother, someone's wife, someone's daughter--I just never thought about my true self. And I had done some pretty bad things so I was grateful and willing to pay my debts off with Master's help.

It seemed like the Falun --the Law Wheel--started spinning me--spinning me over and over 朿hanging the way I thought I was. Showing me more of the truth from all angles. Letting me experience similar events with different groups of people and multi-layers of meanings and outcomes. Even sifting out my emotions and reactions, enriching all aspects of being, alive and living my life on this earth. I feel so special because Master's guidance and benevolence always comforts me through it all.

I recall the sacred surprise of my first 9 day lecture class and during the last 2 years I now offer 9 day lectures so others can experience their first time too. My heart seems to burst when I share these times and tears squirt out of my eyes at the profound purity of discovering the FA the true orthodox Fa (the universal law and principles)

I recall speed-reading through the book "Zhuan Falun" in just one day to immersing into it over and over. I am always so enthusiastic about what I call special visits with Teacher through his words. I now try to awaken at 5 am, blink my eyes open and begin the day with reading. It seems as if Teacher rewrites the book each day just for me! It's remarkable how clear-minded I become at that early time of the morning. I also end my day by reading "Zhuan Falun". It calms me and I always go to sleep easily with Zhen-Shan-Ren: truthfulness-compassion-forbearance on my mind. I am getting more awake on less sleep and more reading. There was a period when I would daze off as I read during the day. Now I have overcome that interference. It seems the more time I make for Falun Dafa the more time seems to expand. Teacher's words always prove to me the Zhen-the Truthfulness behind all the experiences in my life. Since I have been in Falun Dafa these experiences are miracles after miracles some too profound to talk about. When I started 3 years ago, the sitting exercise number 5 was only 1/2 hour but it still felt as if my feet were breaking off at the ankles. Karma sure made itself felt and wanted to flood out every moment it had the chance. Tears also flooded down my face. Little children even ran away when they saw the agony I went through. It sure was a miracle tome how quickly that pain disappeared after the exercise and of course nothing ever broke off. Now and then during all 5 exercises I feel little or no pain. I guess so I don't get attached to any one feeling. Sometimes I use the pain like an imaginary boat to float me above the karma-sea of ching-sensations imprisoned in the words "pain", "can't do it", "impossible", "stop", "scream". To me enduring all this unfolds the fathomeless depths of meanings in "Ren" ?forbearance, tolerance, endurance, patience. Going through this sure helps in my life when I am driving my car or getting criticized or manipulated into things or dealing with family matters ?like when my ex-husband phones. Since I've been in Falun Dafa, he doesn't get angry when he speaks to me. He even cut out all the newspaper articles about Falun Dafa and faxes them to me.

I feel so happy and fulfilled with my focus in life on truthfulness -compassion ?forbearance. Everything is so meaningful and worthwhile now. Before when I was truthful or kind or patient I was ridiculed and taken advantage of and I felt badly. Now I know what miracles go on when others are not kind. The outside reality often crashes in on me with a crude remark or a vulgar action and I smile inside knowing it is just for me to let go of another attachment. It is so amazing to be a cultivator. The world becomes such a wonderful place! Others may question ?What? Happy reading only one book? Happy twisting your legs in pain? Happy just being good? But I guess they don't hear the music. That special indescribable music arranged just for us. The sweetness often explodes into tears rolling down my cheeks. Who can explain about hearing chords of music and sounds from the heart?

We've added 3 mornings of exercises at 7 AM across from the bus terminal in Mississauga before the sun rises. Sometimes alone sometimes with some special practitioners. Our exercises give all the bus passengers a morning greeting from Falun Dafa and all those predestined will know where we can be found. Usually the music plays for us and greets the rising sun but even when there is no recording that special music plays in my mind and keeps the warm sun always rising in my heart, even as the weather freezes and the wind slices at our clothes and faces.

Last June I was so busy travelling to so many practice sites in the Niagara and Toronto areas. I didn't have time for concern and being a cultivator, of course, my heart wouldn't move but I know a lump was expelled out of my breast. Regular medical doctors would have called it some kind of word-like cancer 朼nd cut off part of my body if I had gone to them. But I just kept doing the exercises and reading the book and doing the things that came into my life to be done and body made itself healthy.

I am living proof of cultivation "side effects" which would call miracles. I came to Dafa an aging 57 years old and exhausted with living. I needed an afternoon nap every day. Now I have added 3 years to my age, but I am became younger-looking, my wrinkles are almost gone, my energy is continually growing, I need less and less sleep and I'm feeling better, stronger more clear minded and healthier than I ever have.

4 years ago, when I first moved into the house where I live now, I had to stop halfway up the stairs to catch my breath. Now I run up and down those stairs just as if they are not there ?my heart doesn't even pump ?It is as though I fly. I don't really fly but I am so light footed sometimes the supermarket's automatic door doesn't open and door for me ?It is very funny.

One more little miracle. Showing me Dafa's power. One day at a practice site it was bitterly cold. Everyone was snuggling into furry hooded quilted coats and mitts and ears and face and lashed up and down my body but I didn't feel it bother me as I did all the exercises I could feel the outside layer of my hands were frozen cold but the cold did not at all disturb me. It was the first time in my life without a hat in the wind. It was amazing!

For me, this has been a hongfa year. Almost 100 libraries over 20 events introduced Falun Dafa in a large chain bookstore, health shows, and some companies, libraries, welcome intro-classes. Faxes were sent across Canada to all mayors to inform them of Falun Dafa Week and the success of the replies was heartwarming, next we offered invitations for us to visit and give free classes to their areas, now 2 petitions: one for our Canadian Government's protection to send us as a Peace Delegation to China, the second petition to present to China ?Falun Dafa Peace is the only answer so stop attacking, free the prisoners, reaffirm our Teachers honor make legal environments and come exercise with us in Tiananmen Square and fee the Falun Dafa peacefulness. Signatures are pouring in.

In October, we attended a huge medical symposium held in Toronto for Phrenologists from all around the world. Surrounded by over one thousand multi-million dollar life support and pharmaceutical displays, many puzzled doctors approached our humble Falun Dafa booth and asked, "What are you doing here?" We couldn't tell them that this is just another level of the Fa which encompasses everything so we showed them a medical survey done on 1,000 patients in Beijing hospitals and clinics showing an over whelming success rate of health recovery after starting Falun Dafa. When other doctors discovered our booth hidden away at #936 they exclaimed, " at last I think I've found the answer to help my patients!" They said they were totally frustrated because after invasive surgery and all available medication they felt nothing was left to now help patients keep hope alive. They felt Falun Dafa was the reason why they traveled so far to this particular medical convention. They were so happy to take Falun Dafa home to their patient ?Support ?Group. One young lady doctor from Italy with tears in her eyes said: " I am taking Falun Dafa home for me. I know my patients' depressions will disappear when they practice these teachings." The Fa always knows where we practitioners should be ?we should be everywhere.

We were invited to visit Thunder Bay, a small Canadian city on the north shore of Lake Superior to conduct a 9-day class. We were informed 20 people were interested but 3 actually came. When I saw all these Westerners so eager to learn about Dafa, my heart burst again and tears squirted out of my eyes.

I think it is Shan when it feels like my heart bursts as I watch other people's experience with the Fa or sometimes it happens when I hear the music especially "Save the World" When my heart bursts squeezing tears out, it just makes more room for more Shan to grow. I figure if I get filled with enough Shan the evil will simply be squeezed out like the tears and like what Teacher said about the Monkey King in the bowl in Tathagata's hand, the evil will be turned into a tiny dot.

Teacher says he doesn't want any payment from us he only looks at our hearts.

Maybe one day when Master looks at my heart all the walls will have burst open and in my heart space only Zhen-Shan-Ren: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance will be beating joyfully.

Thank you for listening.

Oh, there is a new language starting up in Mississauga. I think it is a sign of this new time of Falun Dafa peacefulness and understanding I say Nihao and the Chinese practitioners say Nihao?Hi) I say Zaijian and the Chinese Practitioners say Zaijian (Bye).

Zaijian!