(Clearwisdom.net) I am 14 years old this year. I attained the Fa in the spring of 1999, and it was just several months later that I encountered the vicious, all-out persecution against Falun Dafa.
Before I could figure out what had happened, my mom was illegally detained, and the school's principal also came to my home to talk to me. Later, the school held a "criticism meeting" for the explicit purpose of criticizing me. The teacher told me to write an essay criticizing Dafa but I refused. During the meeting they tried to force me to read a slanderous essay written by my classmates. At that time I only felt pity for my classmates. For wanting to please the teacher, they copied the lies from the newspapers and television programs and then put them into their "criticizing" essays.
Although I started my cultivation not long ago, I saw that everything around me had improved. Master teaches us to be good people by following "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." How could this be wrong? I refused to read their essays. I would never do anything against my own conscience. Just with this simple righteous thought, I stood up, faced the angry stares of the teachers and the surprised look of my classmates and said, "I won't read it." I am still proud of myself now when I recall this incident. I have no idea where I got all that courage. I did not feel intimidated in front of all the schoolteachers and my 100 classmates. When this happened, I had attained the Fa just less than half a year earlier and I had even not finished reading Zhuan Falun for the second time. I think that maybe Teacher gave me the courage and Dafa gave me the power.
Although I firmly believe in Dafa, I still could not do well in my xinxing [heart nature] tribulations. I was unable to strictly conduct myself according to Dafa. I oftentimes competed and fought just like an ordinary person. I had strong attachments to watching TV while munching away on snacks, and failed to cultivate myself diligently. I had not truly realized the importance of offering salvation to sentient beings, nor had I taken assisting Master in rectifying the Fa as my mission and responsibility. At home I often quarreled with my father and took helping mom to do Dafa work to be "finishing a chore."
One incident changed me. This 2002 New Year's Day my mother was arrested and our home was ransacked. Later my mom was sentenced to a forced labor camp for two years. I was greatly shocked! This incident immediately made me aware of my great responsibility and helped me realize what I needed to do. From that time on I began to be diligent in my cultivation. I also realized how poor my cultivation was in the past. I had almost wasted two years. After I had completely awakened, I quickly rectified the incorrect state of my cultivation.
1. At home
I no longer quarrel with my father. I stopped spending too much time watching television, and also undertook some housework that I could manage. My dad often became angry with me, and I endured his reprimands. I also avoided unnecessary spending. As a result, the family environment has changed and my dad has become amiable. When the school organized the Spring Outing, he, to my surprise, offered to give me some pocket money. I did not take it. I said to him, "Let's save it for preparing Dafa materials."
2. At school
After I saw Fa-rectification in a new light, I made the best use of my time in clarifying the truth to the people around me. Many of my classmates agreed with what I told them, saying, "We like to listen to what a person like you has to say." When I got a truth-clarification VCD, I invited my classmates and people around me to my home to watch it. This helped to eliminate their misunderstanding of Dafa, and they were more able to see the evil nature of Jiang's group.
3. On the path of Fa-rectification
I regret very much that I did not make the best use of the past two years. After realizing my responsibility, I began to go out to put up Dafa posters and pass out Dafa materials. At the beginning, I went out to put up Dafa posters with fellow practitioners once a week. Later I realized that this was not enough, since now every single day is extended for our Fa-rectification cultivation. So I have to treasure every minute and utilize all chances to clarify the truth, save people, and validate Dafa. I began to go out alone to put up Dafa posters. I have paid attention to correct my xinxing. Whenever my xinxing is not right I have setbacks. Several times fear prevented me from putting up the posters. Through learning the Fa, I have an even better understanding of the purpose and meaning of Fa-rectification cultivation, and I have become even more steadfast. I bravely put up the posters at the best places. Now, when my heart is very pure, I am not afraid of putting up the posters at those places where there are a lot of people around.
While I clarify the truth and put up posters, at the same time I feel that I should not neglect my Fa study. I met with huge interference in my Fa study because I had a lot of homework to do. After I finished the homework, I would be very sleepy during my Fa study. Now, after I go home I study the Fa first and then do my homework.
When we first started sending forth righteous thoughts at set times I did it with much attention. However, after we switched to sending forth righteous thoughts at the four chosen times, I did not give it enough attention, and I would do it when I was free, and would not when I was eating, doing homework, or studying the Fa. Now I realize that I had not done enough at that time, since we must think of the sentient beings and cultivate ourselves to be the righteous, enlightened beings who "consider others first." ["No Omission in Buddha-Nature"]
4. Deny all the arrangements of the evil
I like my small Falun emblem and I wear it often. I wore it before July 20, 1999 and I wear it now. Because Dafa practitioners deny all the evil's arrangements from the old forces, we should do whatever we should do, and we should not change anything that is good just because of the persecution by the old cosmic forces. I want to relate a brief incident that happened because of the Falun emblem badge. One day a passerby stared at the Falun emblem on my chest and murmured, "This is ... Falun Dafa." So I took this opportunity and clarified the truth to him. He happily listened to me, and in the end he asked me to give him some Dafa truth-clarifying materials.
For the final semester exam, I chose a Falun Gong topic for my composition, because I did not want to miss even a single opportunity to clarify the truth to people. For the political course work portion of the exam I wrote in the "Reflections" section, "I want to be a good person by following "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." One righteous thought can subdue a hundred evils, and I will not give in to the evil forces.
Young Dafa practitioners, let's cultivate diligently and become qualified Dafa particles!
