(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
As a practitioner who started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998, I would like to share my cultivation experience of the past three years since I came to New Zealand from China.
Cultivate Solidly in the New Environment
When I first came to Christchurch, New Zealand, three years ago, I only planned to stay for three months. When I went through the Chinese customs I was illegally detained by the police in a small dark room without any reason. They released me after verifying some personal information with the local police department. This was the second time that I was detained at customs because I'm on the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) blacklist as a Falun Dafa practitioner.
My son did not want me to go back to China fearing that I would be persecuted. I didn’t agree. I wanted to return to China and fulfill my mission of saving people there. After a thorough discussion with my family, I finally agreed to stay in New Zealand. I soon found the local practice site and joined the local Fa study group.
Finishing My Project
I wanted to participate in the local truth-clarification activities immediately. However, I hadn't completed a project I was working on before I came to New Zealand. When I was in China, I was responsible for compiling statistics and reports of local persecution cases. I had already compiled a lot of raw data. I saved all the data on an encrypted disk and brought it with me.
I was hesitant if I should continue and complete this project. If I worked on this time-consuming project, I wouldn't have time to participate in local activities. As a newcomer, I worried that local practitioners would think negatively about me. I wanted to ask practitioners in China to take it over, but I could not find anyone.
Master said,
“With any project or any task, if you decide not to do it, then don’t do it; and if you do decide to do it, then you definitely have to do it well and carry it through to the end. If you do otherwise, how shall the time you wasted go down in the annals of history? Whatever is not brought to completion amounts to a failure.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)
“Nothing that you encounter is by chance, and quite possibly each and every thing was arranged as it is in history. So, don’t underestimate what you do or work on. Everything may seem completely ordinary, and not seem to have any special significance, but, in other dimensions, it is bringing about enormous transformations.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)
I understood that I should follow Master’s requirement and complete the project. Then, something amazing happened.
Before I left China, a fellow practitioner encrypted my laptops and hard drives for security reasons. So I just needed to recover them with the appropriate software after I arrived in New Zealand. However, I could not recover the hard drive after many attempts. After I decided to complete the project, I connected the drive to the computer again. A string of characters appeared in my mind, which I typed in. The drive was recovered. I wept when I saw the documents appear. Once again, I knew I should complete this project. I was grateful for Master’s compassionate guidance.
In the following months, I spent all day in front of the computer and published six reports of nearly 200,000 words. I also found a practitioner in China who could continue working on the project.
The night I submitted my last report, I had a vivid dream. In the dream, I stood on a field alongside practitioners in Christchurch. I knew I was about to embark on my journey of validating the Fa in New Zealand. The next day, I went to Oamaru with a few other practitioners to distribute truth clarification materials.
Improving in the Group Cultivation Environment
During these three years in New Zealand, I realized the group cultivation environment is essential for practitioners.
When I first arrived in New Zealand, I had difficulty adjusting to the new life and cultivation environment. At first, I stayed with my son’s family. I spend several hours each day taking care of their daily needs. After I had some conflicts with my daughter-in-law I decided to move out. I felt irritated and resentful. I couldn’t study the Fa well, could not do the five sets of exercises every day, and I could not even send forth righteous thoughts on time. Sometimes I couldn’t even participate in group activities. For a while, I had symptoms of a “bad cold.” My joints became swollen and painful.
Around July 20, practitioners planned to hold a parade in Wellington to call for an end to the persecution. I participated even though I did not feel well. As I held the photo of a fellow practitioner in China who was persecuted to death, and waited for the parade to begin, a Western lady approached me and gently touched the photo. Her eyes filled with tears, and I also wept.
During the parade and rally, my mind and body were purified. I was clear about what it means to be a Dafa disciple, the responsibility I shouldered, and our mission to save people. I was able to take the unpleasant situation at home lightly. All my resentment disappeared, and I had only one thought in my mind: I am a Dafa disciple, I must cultivate myself and live up to Master’s compassionate salvation, to live up to the expectations of all sentient beings, and to fulfill my mission. That evening when I returned home from Wellington, I felt renewed.
In order to create an environment for practitioners to improve together, the local Falun Dafa Association created online sessions for Fa study, group exercises, and sending forth righteous thoughts. I immediately joined them. I got up early to join the group exercises every morning. In the evening, I studied the Fa for two hours.
I also participated in the group Fa study once a week with Australian practitioners, which greatly benefited my cultivation. There is a two-hour time difference between New Zealand and Australia. Sometimes, the experience sharing would last until after midnight. Practitioners in Australia suggested that I could go offline since it was so late, but I wanted to stay. It seemed I was back in the environment when I just started to practice 20 years ago.
During our Fa study sessions, everyone talked about their experiences or made suggestions for the project. Some younger practitioners talked about how they balanced their jobs, families, cultivation, and multiple projects. I saw the gap between myself and other practitioners.
One practitioner suggested we all keep a diary of how we did the three things. He suggested we all share it at the group Fa study to compare with one another in Fa study and in cultivation. I followed his suggestion and started to record how I did the three things every day. It was beneficial to my cultivation because I could easily catch up if I slacked off. I also realized that in the past 22 years of practice, I have not fully met the standards of a practitioner.
As a Dafa disciple, I should do the three things well. However, I did not set aside enough time to study the Fa, do the exercises every day, and send forth righteous thoughts on time. I always said I would make up when I had time, but I seldom did.
Participating in this and seeing how diligent other practitioners are has helped me maintain the state of cultivating as if I have just started on my cultivation path.
Clarify the Truth to Family Members
In early June 2020, volunteers of the Global Quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Service Center launched a signature drive to “End the CCP.”
Master said,
“Perhaps, during the next stage, every single person on this earth will soon have to give his stance on whether he wants that evil Party around or not. Each person must choose his future.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. VII)
I realized that everyone had to choose their future. Dafa disciples had to follow the Fa-rectification process and help all people know the truth so they can choose their future.
In late June, we distributed “End the CCP” flyers door to door in our city. In less than two months, we covered almost every street in Christchurch. It was winter here and rained constantly. We were often wet from head to toe, but it did not stop us from saving people.
My sense of mission as a Dafa disciple pushed me to go out almost every day to distribute materials. The positive feedback from the people motivated me to continue.
One day I stood in the rain trying to get directions on my cell phone. A woman came up and offered to help. I thanked her, handed her a flyer, and then told her how the CCP covered up the truth about the pandemic and the persecution of Falun Dafa. She said she agreed completely.
She said she was a teacher in Chengdu when the Wenchuan earthquake happened. She knew that the CCP was lying and deceiving people about the earthquake. She also knew about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa and the forced organ harvesting, and she said that the CCP is evil. She appreciated practitioners’ persistence in telling the truth in the past twenty plus years, which helped people understand the evilness of the CCP. She asked for a stack of flyers for her colleagues and friends, hoping that they would learn the truth and stay away from the CCP.
There were very few practitioners in the South Island, so it was up to us in Christchurch to distribute the information in surrounding areas. However, we only had about a dozen practitioners here, and most of us did not drive, so it was challenging to distribute the flyers out of town.
At that time, I could only distribute the materials during the holidays as I had to attend a language school.
I knew as long as we had the desire to save people, Master always arranges a way for us. I wanted to ask my husband to drive. However, I did not know if he would agree because the trip would mean spending money on accommodations, food, and gas. We lived a frugal life as we live on thin pensions. In order to save gas, we ride bicycles whenever possible.
I asked for Master’s help to strengthen my husband’s righteous thoughts and I sent forth righteous thoughts every day to clear any interference in his dimension. He accepted the truth gradually by following the self-media programs run by fellow practitioners. In addition, I also shared the inspirational articles I read on Minghui.com and zhengjian.org and told him my own cultivation experience.
Gradually I mentioned going out of town. I said I would prepare frozen food and book a cheap B&B. I asked if he would drive me to the destination and then he could rest in the car. He immediately agreed.
His attitude was so different from when we first came to New Zealand three years ago. At that time, my husband was against my participating in any Dafa activities. He did not allow me to go out to do anything related to Dafa. He did not allow me to teach our grandchildren to study the Fa. He did not allow fellow practitioners to come to our home to study the Fa. When I disagreed, he said I was selfish and not thinking of him. He complained and said if he went back to China, he had to face the police. (The local police had previously stopped him with a police car and pressured him for my whereabouts). As I continued to clarify the truth to my husband, he changed a lot.
When we participated in the Christmas parade, he helped throughout the whole process, from preparing the materials to wrapping up. He took photos and videos during the parade and shared them with his friends and family in China.
My Husband Helps Distribute Materials
When I was booking our lodging, my husband suddenly had severe joint pain and had difficulty walking. The doctor said it was a sprained hip and gave him painkillers. I took care of him and also sent forth righteous thoughts frequently to eliminate the interference. A few days later, I asked how he felt and if he could go. He said yes. We went to Blenheim, which was our first stop.
After a five-hour drive, we arrived in the city center around noon. My husband took a break in the car, and I went out alone to distribute flyers.
I was very excited. In my heart I told the gods and all sentient beings, “I am a Dafa disciple. Please don’t miss the opportunity to learn the truth. Please stay away from the evil the CCP, and choose a good future for yourselves!” I felt energetic and I walked fast. In about four hours that afternoon, I distributed 902 flyers.
The following day, my legs were painful. By noon, it was too painful to walk, so I had to return to our accommodation. After lunch, I began to send forth righteous thoughts and look inward. I realized I developed an attachment of zealotry because I distributed more than 900 flyers in only 4 hours. I confessed my mistake to Master and removed the attachment. I realized I could only distribute materials with a pure heart to really save people.
That afternoon, my husband suggested I take a good rest and not go out. I smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter. Master will help me.” We continued and I distributed materials.
When I came back in the evening, my legs were so painful that I could no longer sit in the double lotus position. This had never happened in the past twenty years. I realized that it was no longer a matter of removing my attachment but interference. After studying the Fa, I sent forth righteous thoughts for a long time and asked Master to help me.
When I sent forth righteous thoughts, I told the evil beings in other dimensions, “I am a Dafa disciple and I came here to save the people in this area. The best choice for all beings in the universe is to assimilate to Dafa. Those who interfere with truth-clarification will definitely be eliminated in Fa-rectification. I hope you can choose to assimilate to the Fa.”
Early the next morning, when we went to Picton, the pain in my legs completely disappeared.
When I prepared for the next trip, I encountered weather problems. We planned to cover seven towns in the Otago, Canterbury, and Southland regions. I tried to find the best plan for cheap lodging, the shortest drive, and the rainy season's best weather conditions. Several days passed, my vacation was used up, but there was no viable option.
I asked Master for help, and I no longer cared about the weather. I booked four places for lodging, prepared enough flyers and food, and we set out as scheduled. It turned out to be sunny everywhere we went.
We went out every morning at 7:00 a.m. and returned to our place around 7:00 p.m. We had lunch in the car at noon. When we distributed flyers in Christchurch, we distributed 850 copies in half a day at most. However, this time we distributed 2063 copies in one day, which was amazing.
My husband covered different streets, and he did not speak English. One day, it occurred to me, “Will my husband get into any trouble?” I immediately asked Master to help him.
My husband did encounter an incident. He didn’t notice the message “No Junk Mail” on one mailbox. An angry old man came out, pointed to the message, and yelled at him. My husband immediately said, “Sorry!” and gestured that he didn’t see it, but the old man still kept yelling and told him to take the flyer out of the mailbox.
My husband took the flyer and walked away. Surprisingly, as soon as he walked away, the old man who yelled angrily one second before hurried after my husband. He sincerely and repeatedly apologized and asked for a flyer. My husband gave him one, and he repeatedly thanked my husband before going back.
My husband was puzzled and asked me why this happened. I asked him what he thought when the man yelled at him, and he said, “I thought it was my fault. I did not resent the old man who yelled at me.” I told him Master helped him because he did an excellent job by staying calm and looking inward.
Positive Feedback from the Public
I talked to a lady who worked at a nursing home in Picton. I told her about the evil nature of the CCP. She said a Falun Dafa practitioner in Christchurch told her about the CCP’s live organ harvesting before, so she understood the evil nature of the CCP. I said, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and live in Christchurch. I came here because I want more people to know the truth and stay away from the CCP.” She was very touched and said, “You are a good person. You are doing a great job!” She asked for more flyers and offered to post the information on her social media.
In a neighborhood in the Southland region of Te Anau, five or six elderly people were chatting together. I went over to greet them, handed them flyers, and asked if they would like to learn more about it. One person did not know what CCP meant. When he heard me explain what the CCP was, he immediately handed the flyer back and shouted, “I don’t like the CCP. I don’t want anything from the CCP.” I laughed and said he misunderstood. I pointed the word “no” on the flyer. He immediately took the flyer.
They said they all knew about the CCP’s persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and Hong Kong people. They said they learned about these through self-media because the mainstream media in New Zealand never reports this. When they learned that I traveled from Christchurch, they were touched and said they would share the information about the CCP with their friends.
At a construction site in Arrowtown, a young man asked if I was a Falun Dafa practitioner. I was surprised and said, “Yes, I am a practitioner.” He said he knew that Falun Dafa was a very good cultivation practice. However, the CCP persecuted practitioners for many years and even harvested their organs while they were alive. I explained more facts about the CCP’s evil nature. When he learned that I drove from Christchurch just wanting people there to learn the nature of the CCP and be on the side of righteousness, he said, “You are such a good and kind person.” He also asked what he could do to help and said he would spread the truth to more people.
After I walked just two or three steps away, he followed me and asked my name, then shook my hand with both hands and said, “Thank you, thank you!”
Miracles under Master’s Protection
My husband and I went out of town three times and covered eleven towns in four major regions. We drove 3,000 kilometers, walked a total of 650 kilometers, and distributed nearly 23,000 flyers.
It's unbelievable when I think about it. If not for Master’s blessing, how could two people nearly 70 years old make it? During those days, I got up at 3:50 a.m. every morning to do the exercises, and I studied the Fa every evening. Even more unbelievably, after walking more than 300 kilometers my husband’s hip stopped hurting.
My son’s family all knew that the entire family benefits if one person practices. Whenever my husband and I were out, my son and grandson took care of our garden. Then they would respectfully offer incense and bow to Master. They know Master and Dafa gave us health and peace, so they did not have to worry about us.
When we distributed the flyers, every day, we saw the sunrise and the sunset. Our feet were covered in blisters. Sometimes we were too tired to move, but we always continued after a brief break.
I was willing to do this from the bottom of my heart. Our surrounding felt familiar as if I once lived here. Sometimes I felt I was the king of this piece of land, willing to give out everything that I have for the sake of the beings here. Nothing in this world could exchange the joy and glory I felt.
I told my husband, “In today’s world, who would use their own money and time to distribute flyers without expecting anything in return. Only Dafa disciples would do that.” He said he could not agree more.
When I looked back on my twenty-three years of cultivation, I am grateful to Master. I am grateful to Master for teaching me how to cultivate and return to my true self. I am grateful to Master for choosing me as a Dafa disciple and giving me the opportunity to fulfill my mission and save people. I am grateful to Master for paving the path of cultivation for me. I can never repay Master’s salvation.
I will do the three things well, cultivate myself diligently, and walk the final leg of our journey steadily.
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
(2021 International Online Fa Conference)
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Category: Experience Sharing Conferences