Shared at the recent Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in Los Angeles
(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings Master!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
I am not the best cultivator. To be honest, if I look at my cultivation, I'm appalled. I learned the exercises in 2000, started cultivating in 2004, and, today, I still consider myself a beginning level cultivator. But despite my attachments, despite my lack of diligence, despite my poor xinxing, despite studying too little Fa, Shifu, with his enormous grace, still uses me to save sentient beings. Today, I have three stories to share with you.
Story 1: They finally came to know that Falun Dafa is good!
Last summer, I went to Taiwan to study Chinese and work on a television program. In order to extend my visa, I had to go to Hong Kong for a weekend. When I got to Hong Kong, my cultivation was very poor. I was drinking a ton of coffee, didn't practice the exercises much, and couldn't even stay awake to study Fa. But, nevertheless, my Hong Kong tour guide, a good and righteous cultivator, took me to do some Dafa work promoting the Fa and clarifying the Truth.
We went to 'the Peak,' an area where many tourists from Mainland China come and visit. Thousands a day stop at the peak, get out of their buses, take a look around and then get back in the bus. It is very likely the sole reason they visit the peak is to be saved by the righteous cultivators who go there, day in, day out.
I had just failed an introduction to Chinese class in Taiwan, so holding a conversation in Chinese was not possible. I couldn't even remember to say, "ji de Falun Dafa hao, (remember, Falun Dafa is good.)" I wore a yellow Falun Dafa t-shirt as we handed out Nine Commentaries. Some, looking over their shoulders, grabbed a Nine Commentaries and quickly stuffed it in their pocket. However, most said "no" and nervously hopped on the bus. I did not feel as though I was doing enough- I felt as though this may be their last chance to be saved.
Whether they take a Nine Commentaries or not, I thought, all these people need to know is that Falun Dafa is good.
So, with as much compassion and joy as I could gather, as one mother and daughter loaded the bus, I pointed at them, then at my Falun Dafa t-shirt (like this), and then I gave a thumbs up, sending forth righteous thoughts as strongly as I could.
They shook their heads, but unmoved, I raised another hand and gave them two thumbs up. Their head-shaking turned into laughter, and then they nodded. Falun Dafa is good- they knew it.
One by one, I went down the line, pointing at each passenger sitting on the bus, giving them two thumbs up. Most smiled, some laughed, some waived and some nodded.
I think if we know Falun Dafa is good, they will know Falun Dafa is good.
Everyone is waiting to be saved.
Story 2: I want to tell you that I practice Falun Gong.
A few months later, it was a Sunday morning in Los Angeles, and I went to a park to practice some Wushu forms. As I practiced, I saw a group of Chinese people, mainly women, doing some type of dancing. I thought, this is interesting, I could learn some type of traditional Chinese dancing. So, in my broken style of Chinese, I asked if I could join. Very happy, the instructor said "yes." A little while later, after hearing several country songs, I learned that I was doing Western line dancing- nothing traditionally Chinese at all. But, I continued, as I knew there was to be a lesson to be learned somewhere in the middle of banjo music and me tripping on myself.
During a break, the instructor asked me where I learned Chinese. I told her, "I went to Taipei 5 months ago and I practice Falun Gong." When I told her I practiced Falun Gong, she reacted, not externally, but internally. The break ended, and we went back to dancing. My lesson was now clear. I had to clarify the truth to her. As I stumbled over my feet trying to line dance, I realized more deeply, I had to clarify the truth not just to the instructor, but to the fifty people dancing as well. This was a daunting task in English, let alone broken Chinese.
At the end of the class, everyone quickly packed up and started to leave. I yelled out, "Wait a moment, wait a moment!" Few heard me, so I called to the instructor to tell them to stop. With hesitation, the instructor called out and I motioned everyone in. I said something like this:
"I want to thank you for teaching me how to dance." Then they all laughed. I continued, "But, I want to tell you something. I practice Falun Gong." They all went dead silent. I said, "I know the Chinese government says many bad things. Truly, Falun Gong is none of them. Falun Gong changed my life." I said a few other things and then ended, saying, "I think Chinese people are very important. I think Chinese culture is the most important." Then, I bowed to them, and they bowed back.
Everyone is waiting to be saved.
Story 3: They said Falun Dafa Hao!
A little while later, the day after Christmas, I was in the Denver airport waiting to return home to LA. My flight was delayed, and I was at the counter asking a question. A middle aged person came to the counter, and I overheard him saying, "My parents don't speak any English. How are they going to get their connecting flight in LA?" I looked over at this man who looked Chinese and said, "are you Chinese?" He said yes and I said, "I speak a little Chinese."
Then, his parents proceeded to talk to me in Chinese as if I was fluent and I said, "Please speak a little slower." He told me his parents' situation, that, due to our late departure, they will miss their connecting flight to China. I told him, don't worry, I'll take care of them. In a leap of faith, they boarded the plane with me, a stranger, a wei guo ren. Translated, wei guo ren means 'foreigner,' but all Chinese call Americans 'wei guo ren,' even if they are in the United States.
When we landed, they were waiting for me as I got off the plane- fully trusting in me, the wei guo ren. I had to be at work the next day, I could barely speak Chinese and nothing seemed to be open, since we arrived in the middle of the night. Plus, I was trying to figure out when I should clarify the truth to them. I thought maybe I should wait until they are taken care of because my ability or inability to help them may determine whether they think Falun Dafa is good or bad. But, I realized that the best time to clarify the truth is right now, otherwise there may never be another chance.
So, on our way to get our bags, I began to clarify the truth to them as I had done with the line dancing group. They mainly listened. I wasn't sure what they were thinking. But, I knew they were old enough to have lived through the Cultural Revolution, so I'm sure they knew first hand the violence and evil of the Party.
Despite some initial obstacles, I organized a few details for them and had a hotel shuttle come pick them up. Since I had followed through on my promise to them, as they boarded the shuttle, I put my hands on their shoulders. I knew everyone is waiting to be saved, so I said, "ji de, ji de, Falun Dafa hao. (Remember, remember Falun Dafa is good.)" They put their hands on my shoulders and said, "Hao! Hao! Hao! Falun Dafa Hao!"
Thank you Teacher! Thank you everyone!
