(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, esteemed Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners! Today I would like to share my cultivation experience of traveling overseas to clarify the truth.
I have been involved in work for The English Epoch Times (EET) for almost two years. This project has been very involved and requires dedication on a continuous, weekly basis. There is no opportunity to "have a break" or relax. Working for on a media project is unlike any other Dafa projects--there is no definite start or finish time. At the same time the requirements for our xinxing are even greater, as every word, article, photo, and advertisement that goes into the paper carries our energy and is responsible for saving sentient beings.
"Don't overlook any of the things that Dafa disciples do. Your every word, every flyer, every keystroke, every telephone call, and every letter is having a huge impact. Beings that have come to understand the facts become mobile media, and they too clarify the facts. It's had a big impact on society." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Midwest-U.S. Fa Conference")
However, there are also many loopholes that the evil attempts to plant in our cultivation path. Before EET, I was involved in many other Dafa projects; helping organize various events and activities of validating for the Fa. However, as the EET work became more involved, I stopped participating in other Fa events. Soon the warped mentality of "I'm too busy" and "I can't possibly do any more" and "Now that I'm in EET I should not openly do Dafa work" settled in. I failed to recognize that I was separating myself from the main current of Fa-rectification. I had very little contact with anyone outside of the EET team. Although on the surface I appeared really busy, deep down I could feel that the gap was getting bigger and I was falling behind in Fa-rectification.
This began to manifest in my every day work and responsibilities. At one point I felt like every day was a battle against time--I was constantly running late, attempting to catch up. The cycle was becoming very exhausting. But at this point I realized, "I must break through this and step up, raise my level and catch up."
Then one night, after finishing another edition of the EET, I visited a fellow practitioner who began telling me how Singapore was in desperate need of help. She said that all had been encouraged to go, especially Westerners. At that point, I knew hardly anything about Singapore besides the fact that there was a legal case going on and practitioners were being threatened with arrests. When I heard her words, my immediate thoughts were: "No way. How can I go? How can I arrange this with my everyday work? How will I explain this to my family? What would they think?" All sorts of worries and fears crept in.
But she kept encouraging me. And then I thought--well perhaps I can go. I have enough money for the ticket and surely my work schedule can be re-arranged. There was a definite battle going on until I said to myself: "I am going." From then on things began to change.
I was able to reschedule my work appointments without any difficulty. The ticket was arranged in less then 36 hours. Talking to my family was easier than I thought. I was firm, yet calm, explaining why I would be going to Singapore, using it as an opportunity to "clarify the truth" further to people there.
In the past, I would get nervous and hesitant when talking to my family about Dafa work. This time there was no fear at all. They listened carefully and respectfully accepted the decision I made. Five days later I was on a plane to Singapore.
When I arrived in Singapore I felt a bit anxious and uncertain of what my role was-- so much seemed to be going on, and where did I fit in? However, once I took a step back and stopped pursuing what I wanted to do, everything fell into place. Being one of only two Western practitioners there, I came to the understanding that Master arranged for me to assist the legal case by transcribing the court proceedings.
While in the courtroom, the power of "One Body" cooperation was immense. We focused our righteous thoughts on all the officials present. Some of us focused on the judge, some on the prosecutors, and some on the translator. The coordination and cooperation between practitioners was effortless and smooth.
Besides my duties in the court room, I also took the opportunity to fulfill my direct responsibility as an Epoch Times reporter, conducting interviews and writing reports on the progress of the case.
Throughout the two and a half days that I spent in Singapore it felt like a constant struggle was going on. The evil's pressure was immense. In order to stay focused and not lose a single second of the day, I continued to send forth righteous thoughts. I repeatedly reaffirmed in my mind that I only accepted Master's arrangement and would not follow the old forces' tricks. Whenever I slacked off, I consciously reminded myself to stay firm and not give in to the demons.
While in Singapore I also enlightened to the vastness of Dafa particles. No matter which part of the world we are in, we are One Body and our things are their things, just like their things are our things. This was particularly evident when considering the legal cases. While the Australian banner lawsuit was going through tribulations and the practitioner's maturity was being tested, the Singapore practitioners also faced obstacles in their given situations.
All the trouble appeared to revolve around the lawyer's inability to represent the case in court. However, rather than looking externally, the practitioners really searched within to see what had caused the situation. It was truly moving to see some of the key coordinators of the case openly admit their shortcomings, which pointed to human notions, emotions, and attachments to self.
The whole experience of travelling to Singapore was a wake up call. For the first time in almost two years I felt once again a part of the immense force of Fa-rectification. And it is moving so fast! A single deviation of thought will slow things down, yet a determined righteous field will cut through and dissolve any evil minions remaining in this dimension.
