(Minghui.org) Greetings Revered Master! Greetings Fellow Practitioners!
With Master's benevolent care and guidance, for these past twelve years I've been able to walk my path, despite its ups and downs. I'd like to share with you some of my cultivation experiences and understandings.
1. Obtaining the Fa in Spite of All Obstacles
In 2002, a practitioner introduced Falun Gong to me. A few days after I began reading Zhuan Falun, the illnesses that had plagued me for years, such as neurasthenia, migraine, and pharyngitis, disappeared miraculously. With more in-depth Fa study and exercises, other stubborn diseases including heart disease, rhinitis, and habitual cold were all cured. I realized that the meaning of life is to return to my true self.
I was amazed at the tremendous transformation in my health and how my outlook on life changed in such a short time. It is truly as Master taught us,“Once they learn our Falun Dafa, they will understand at once many questions in life that they have wished to understand but could not answer. Perhaps along with their minds being elevated, they will become very excited—this is for sure.” (Lecture Eight in Zhuan Falun)
I also experienced interference and tribulations. As a result of the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda which slandered Falun Gong, people were afraid whenever Falun Gong was mentioned. I remember the second day after I started reading Zhuan Falun, my husband found out. He came to me and said in a very serious voice, “What are you doing?! The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is cracking down on Falun Gong so hard. Yet you still read this? Stop it right now. Who gave it to you? Return it immediately!”
I kept reading the book. When he saw that I was not affected by his harsh words, my husband balled his fist in front of my face and said, “So you won't listen to me. If you continue to read it, wait and see how I will punish you!”
I said, “It's a good book. It teaches people to be a good and to conduct themselves according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Reading it helps you understand many things and I'm now healthy. Try it yourself if you don't believe me.”
My husband then turned to my family members to persuade me. They were opposed to my practicing Falun Gong out of fear for my safety. My elder sister, deeply concerned, said to me, “Look at those people on TV who practiced Falun Gong. Some of them committed suicide, some murdered others, some set themselves on fire. How scary is it! You have a child to take care of. If something happens to you, who will take care of your kid?” I was angry that she believed the lies on TV and said, “You are all deceived! What you have seen and heard is all false!”
My elder brother said, “You cannot practice Falun Gong. The CCP is well known for distorting the facts, manufacturing lies, and deceiving the public. It is evil. But what can we do? This society is under its authoritarian rule. Why do you want to provoke it?”
My brother had been persecuted during the Party's past political movements and had a deep understanding of its evil tactics.
I knew it was useless to argue with them, so I bowed to my brother and sister. Then I said, “Thank you for your caring and concern. I know you want the best for me. All these years we have lived without any principles. The moral downslide in society is so prevalent that we have to obey something that we knew was wrong. Falun Gong teaches people to be good. There is nothing wrong about that. I am determined to practice Falun Gong, and I hope you will read this book carefully.”
After some time, we saw each other again when we went back to our hometown to pay respect to our father's tomb. My brother and sister were very happy to see a completely new me standing in front of them. The old me was tortured by all kinds of illnesses and weighed only 45 kilograms at 1.6 meter height. The new me was healthy, illness free, and in a upbeat and gentle mood. They all praised me for the positive change. I told them, “The new me is a direct result of practicing Falun Gong.”
My transformation was living proof. My family and relatives clearly saw the benefits of practicing Falun Dafa, and clearly saw through the CCP's lies.
I kept clarifying the truth to my family, relatives and friends. Many of them have now quit the CCP and its associated organizations. Twelve of them have begun practicing, including my husband. I'm deeply grateful to benevolent Master for saving me and my family.
2. Breaking Down Barriers with Master's Care and Help
In 2008, the CCP illegally arrested practitioners on a large scale, claiming they were “ensuring social stability” in preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games. A dozen practitioners in my area, including the coordinator, were also arrested, their homes ransacked, and several truth-clarification materials production sites were destroyed. The overall cultivation environment in my area was damaged. Many practitioners did not have access to truth-clarifying materials.
My heart ached seeing the situation. Feeling an intense sense of responsibility and mission, a few practitioners came together to calmly discuss how to help fellow practitioners, restore our local cultivation environment and resume our many truth-clarification projects.
I began arranging group Fa study locations. At the time, some practitioners had given up cultivation due to the attachment to fear, some continued practicing secretly at home, and some stayed steadfast in the face of tribulations and acted with righteous thoughts.
With the help of fellow practitioners, we started gathering practitioners and holding Fa study and sharing sessions. Out of fear, some practitioners' families tried to stop us and the practitioners didn't have righteous thoughts when dealing with their families' interference. It was truly hard, but just as Master said, “When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.” (Lecture Nine in Zhuan Falun)
We did not give up. Our persistent efforts eventually encouraged those fellow practitioners to rejoin the group Fa study.
By studying the Fa as a group and sending forth righteous thoughts, we gradually regained our cultivation environment. Under immense pressure, technical support practitioners established new truth-clarification materials production centers and quickly resumed the production of various types of materials. Later, we even started a project to clarify the truth by using mobile phones.
The environment was completely rectified through the efforts of all practitioners. Eight group Fa study locations provided a healthy atmosphere for fellow practitioners to share understandings and diligently advance in our cultivation together.
In the process, I became one of the coordinators in my local area.
One Chinese New Year's eve around 7:30, we gathered to distribute the new materials to individual practitioners. This was when other people gathered around their banquet tables to welcome in the new year. From far away I could see fellow practitioners waiting for me at our meeting location. At this moment Master's poem appeared in my mind,“Ordinary people don’t know me,I sit in mystery;Amidst profit and desire, no me,A hundred years later, only me.”(“Enlightened Being” in Hong Yin from translation version B)
I felt a sudden warm energy flowing through my entire body. Before I realized it, tears of happiness were streaming down my cheeks.
One summer night, it was about time to deliver the truth-clarification materials but it was pouring rain, with no sign of letting up. What should I do? Would the other practitioner be there on time? If I didn't go, would he be there waiting for me in the rain? I finally decided that I must go. So I grabbed my umbrella and a raincoat (which I used to wrap the truth-clarification materials) and started walking to our meeting place. From afar I saw my fellow practitioner already waiting in the rain. I was deeply moved. Even in the severe weather, the fellow practitioner was punctual as always, never making me wait.
3. Fellow Practitioners Help Me Upgrade Xinxing
Some things I encountered in my cultivation were meant to upgrade my xinxing.
Some practitioners in my area could not come to the group Fa study for personal reasons. So I delivered the truth-clarification materials and new lectures to their homes. For safety reasons, I could not call them in advance to set up a time for a delivery. Oftentimes I went to their homes but found that they weren't home. When I eventually met the practitioner at home and made the delivery, he held the new lecture, look at the publication date and would say in a cold tone, “You are so late delivering it to me!”
To be honest, my heart could not be calm at all at the moment. Although I didn't say anything, I thought, “My fellow practitioner, you have it so easy by staying home. Yet you are picky like this! Do you know how hard it is for me?”
However, whenever I felt sorry for myself, I would always recall what Master taught me,“Gong cultivation has a way, the heart is the pathDafa has no bounds, hardship serves as the ferry”(“Falun Dafa” in Hong Yin from translation version B)
Then I was able to adjust my mindset and face the situation with an upbeat and optimistic spirit.
Sometimes the practitioner who was supposed to come and pick up the materials was very late. And when she finally came, she simply said to me, “I just forgot.” Sometimes a practitioner would say, “Don't you know I am too busy at home?!”
I firmly believe that anything I encounter is related to my cultivation. It's meant to get rid of my attachments. Master would not arrange something in my cultivation if it were irrelevant. Once I have a clear mind, bitterness becomes sweetness as a result of upgrading my xinxing.
As Fa-rectification nears the end, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for us to save people. Let us cherish each and every moment of every day. I will walk each step well on the cultivation path that Master has arranged for me, cultivate myself well, quickly save people, complete my mission, and follow Master to return home.
Fellow practitioners please point out anything inappropriate.
