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Reflections on My Trip to Geneva

April 10, 2003 |   Written by a Practitioner in Taiwan

(Clearwisdom.net)

The trip to Geneva this year was the most fruitful of all my journeys overseas. Here I record some of the most memorable parts of it.

Experience of Face-to-Face Clarifying the Facts

In sharing experiences with some practitioners who clarify the truth of the persecution face-to-face, they told me that it is necessary to speak to people with the most concise language and answer their questions with appropriate materials in hand so that it will break their confusion immediately. They should prepare for their possible questions at home too. I admire them so much in my heart for spending time to stimulate people's goodness, because it is a manifestation of these practitioners' wisdom and benevolence in cultivation. Teacher told us:

"Clarifying the truth isn't a simple matter--it's not only a matter of exposing the evil. When we clarify the truth we are saving sentient beings, and at the same time it involves the matter of your own improvement and your elimination of attachments during your cultivation, and the matter of Dafa disciples being responsible to the Fa in their cultivation, as well as issues like how you fill and enrich that paradise of yours in your final Consummation." (Guiding the Voyage--Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference)

Pay Attention to "the Image of Dafa"

An Australian practitioner talked about the "image of Dafa," touching me a great deal. She said we should be very careful about our own personal appearance when participating in Dafa activities. No matter who you are, people only know you are a Dafa practitioner. If you neglect this aspect, it will unintentionally cause damage to Dafa. We should consider everyday people's feelings and not neglect minor details, since Dafa is being spread in human society. Teacher has told us from time to time to be "full of great aspiration while minding the minor details." (Essentials for Further Advancement--"Sage"). As a matter of fact, I usually pay a lot of attention to personal appearance, but her words touched me with her righteous thought to Dafa and Teacher and the consideration for Fa-rectification and saving the people in the world with every thought and action. Her wholeheartedly righteous thoughts on the Fa did inspire me greatly.

Great Space Ahead After Giving Up Attachments

I cannot help crying whenever I read Teacher's words,

"Maybe now you've experienced how hard cultivation is. Because it's hard, your cultivation can meet with success."(Guiding the Voyage--Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference)

Since I began to practice Dafa, my family members have been full of misunderstanding towards me. Because my mother and niece obtained the Fa through me, I received more censure in the family. I explained to them the best I could, but was still unable to change their minds, so I had to shoulder the tribulation myself. In addition to some negative comments on my work in Fa-rectification among the practitioners, I am pained in my heart and know I cannot get over this without genuinely upgrading my Xinxing (mind nature). I felt that I should have put down these attachments but, in fact, I have not put them down at all.

During this trip, a fellow practitioner said to me: "Why can't you cultivate happily; why must you always be unhappy? If you upgrade, these things cannot reach you anymore. Will these things still bother you after you really upgrade your cultivation level and no longer carry such a heavy burden?" Her words contain a very simple principle that I failed to enlighten to and follow in the past. Whenever a tribulation came, I looked upon everything from the basis of human thinking, and was never able to step across the barrier in the hardship. If my thoughts had been completely righteous, I would have taken all this fame, gain and affection in the world lightly. They are really negligible when I look back at them with a righteous thought. Teacher has told us the principle of choice, so why shouldn't I choose to be happy in facing everything on the road of cultivation.

"Achieving Buddha's fruit upon Consummation, Hardship suffering treated as joy." (Hongyin-- Tempering One's Mind and Heart, unofficial translation)

Dafa is meant to guide our lives and everything in cultivation.

"Following [the Fa] in everything, Compliance is cultivation."

(Hongyin-- Solid Cultivation, unofficial translation)

After I step through this gate, I suddenly feel the vast space ahead. Thank you Teacher, and thank you fellow practitioners!