(Clearwisdom.net)
Part 1: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/11/30/67392.html
(continued)
I met many religious followers in many places. They had contradictory feelings towards Dafa. Yet, they were also cultivators, so I explained to them wisely the truth about Falun Dafa and did not discredit any other faith. Thus, they could accept Dafa. Yet, as they could not give up their "qing" for religion, it was very difficult for them to become Dafa practitioners.
We clarified the truth wherever we went, without truth-clarification flyers. We wrote "Falun Dafa is great" on telegraph poles with a pen, and made stickers. When I noticed that practitioners were putting up banners, I participated in my own way -- I stood there, read loudly and talked loudly. I meant to be a model for everyday people. Sometimes I picked up truth-clarification material in a place where there were many people. I read it openly and took the opportunity to clarify the truth.
Once I wrote 40 to 50 stickers and took them to a village. I started to post them from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. I did so as I walked around, and had more then ten left when the day broke. I put one at one side of a bridge, and when I put another one after turning the corner, I saw a child reading the one on the bridge. When I came out of a street, the child still followed me. After I had walked through a few more lanes, the child was still following me. Then, after a while, four to five children were behind me, whispering among themselves. I became a little nervous, and worried that they would shout. I did not know whether I should quickly leave or remain. I sent out a thought not to let those kids commit karma and do wrong things towards Dafa. Then, I turned around and walked towards them with a smile. I was going to tell them the truth. They looked at me and left. Afterwards, the posting went very smoothly.
Another time, I was distributing truth-clarification materials and had with me a big bag full of material. I lost my way about half way through, and the flashlight broke. It was so dark that I could not even see my fingers. I was wearing new shoes, which were a little too small. My toes and heel blistered. I looked within, but could not find anything amiss. I thought that it must be evil interference, stopping me from saving sentient beings. I thought, "Isn't the road for people to walk on? It is, so there must be people for us to save. Should we let nature take its course? Holding this thought, I just kept walking and distributing materials, and no longer worried about the direction. After I had distributed all the truth clarification material, the road I had to take was in front of me. I was very pleased, though I was thirsty and hungry. I had left home at 5 p.m., and it was already midnight.
Once, when I gave truth-clarification material to someone, he said he already knew the truth about Falun Dafa. He had visited Hong Kong. As soon as he passed the border, he saw Falun Gong banners on both sides of the road, reading "Falun Gong suffers injustice," "Falun Dafa is Great," Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice," and so on. He was encouraged and heard things that China kept from its people. However he made an important suggestion. Before he read the truth-clarification flyers from practitioners at tourist spots, the tour guide advised them to throw any such material away. They feared problems, so everyone took her advice. Moreover, the tour guide did not speak kind words about Dafa. Most of the tourists listened to her, and thought the tour guides knew more and were correct. Therefore he suggest that practitioners tell the truth to tour guides at the tourism spots where Chinese people visit.
While clarifying the truth in public, some of them did not look at us straight, and appeared slightly devious when I talked to them. I and my relatives felt strange in the beginning. I looked within, but could not find anything. During the conversation they mentioned that they were members of the party. From that time on, whenever a person appeared to look devious, I knew that they were members of the party. We now use this to see if they are members of the party.
"Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos's Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples' rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings' thoughts disintegrate. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that's how great the power is." ("Also in a Few Words")
When we are righteous, Dafa's dignity emerges.
After a while, I felt that our judging these people was wrong. The Fa's power should be used to eliminate the evil and save sentient beings, not to have fun. Those people tried to avoid me, so how can I save them? And won't my attachment of showing off become prominent?
"The purpose of giving her energy was to enable her to practice cultivation and upgrade herself. While doing good deeds, she could develop her own supernormal abilities and build up her own gong; however, some people did not know this principle. Didn't I mention that no one could teach this person the Fa? If the person could understand it, she would get it. It is an issue of enlightening. If the person could not understand it, nothing could be done." (Zhuan Falun)
After I realized that I was in the wrong, I knew that I had to change. If they feared to meet me, how could I tell them the truth. I am here to save them. Later this phenomenon disappeared suddenly.
3. Radically Reform and Gain a New Understanding of the Party's Evil Specter
After the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party were published, I read them without stopping once. Then I downloaded them into an electronic notebook. I wanted to read them when traveling. I read them five times, and believed that I had a thorough understanding of the evil party spirit, and had cleansed myself well. But an incident made me gain a new understanding of the essence of the evil party's spirit.
One night, my older brother drank some alcohol. On the way back home, he saw that I was clarifying the truth to a person and advising him/her to quit the party. He wanted a fight and alas, I did not watch my Xinxing and argued with him. He dialed "110" to report me. Before the police came, he beat me as well as the neighbors that came to help. He shouted while beating me: "The CCP pays my wages, I believe in the CCP." He pointed at me and said I was a wanted criminal, "I want to send you to jail, so I can get 10,000 yuan. You are a Falun Gong practitioner and have come to my home. Didn't you say that opposing Dafa will be punished with retribution? I am not afraid of retribution, let it come." One of our neighbors was a police officer. The policeman asked me: "Are you?" I answered yes. I noticed that he was pulling out his cell phone, so I fixated him with my eyes. He looked at me and then put the phone back. At that time, my brother looked as if he was insane. His eyes were bulging. He showed his teeth and was going to hurt me. My life was in danger. Another neighbor wanted to call the police, but was stopped by that policeman. He said that this was a family affair and held my brother back so I could get away. I was able to escape. I heard after the "110" police came, the neighbors left.
This incident happened all of a sudden. Generally, he respected me and thought well of Dafa. Yet, unexpectedly this happened. During the incident, I did not stop sending forth righteous thoughts and asked Teacher for help. With Teacher's protection, I avoided this disaster and no great harm came of it. Afterwards, I heard that residents in our building condemned my brother after they heard about this incident. They also witnessed that Dafa practitioners do not fight back when being punched or insulted.
After I had left, I did not do anything else, but look within on the basis of the Fa for the cause of this incident. It happened so suddenly. Before that, my brother had promised to make materials at his home! He appeared to be completely controlled by the evil specter.
"As I've told you, all kinds of evil factors take advantage of the gaps that Dafa disciples have when there are still attachments or are human thoughts that the disciples haven't detected yet. Currently the largest, most obvious type of interference is the work of the evil specter of the malevolent Party. Especially now, when other evil things have been eliminated to the point that few remain, what stands out is the work of the evil factors of the malevolent Party. The varieties of interference and persecution that take place today stem from this. So you need to recognize and address them seriously and eliminate them." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference")
Since the malevolent Party is possessed by the evil specter, the evil possession is nothing to a cultivator, so why could it still take advantage of me?
"Once you learn their things, you will have to go with them and become their species. In qigong practice, if some people have bad thoughts that agree with their mentality, they will come to teach these people." (Zhuan Falun)
Since we were born, we have been soaked in the malevolent Party culture. All we learned, saw and heard were things of the evil specter. Although we have eliminated it layer by layer, I am still only better than everyday people. For example, when I looked within, it was only a superficial act. I did not fundamentally look for the root cause, and sometimes I even examined myself to show off in front of other practitioners. The "self-criticism," "rehabilitation exoneration" of the evil party not only assign the mistakes over to a certain individual or group, and completely push away the crimes of the evil party, it also does not change the essence of it. This is exactly the same as my self-examination on a deeper level. I did not earnestly read truth-clarification materials, but blamed ordinary people for not cherishing the material. This is similar to the evil party that itself does not believe in certain principles, but forces others to believe in them. I always regarded fellow practitioners as incapable and I was always right. Every uncultivated side of myself held a factor of the evil specter in my mind and body. Of course it could restrict me.
"Some people may think, "What's wrong with that? It's good as long as there is money or a fortune to be made, and one can also achieve fame." Many people think this way. Let me tell everyone that the animal actually has its own intention, and it would not give you anything without a reason. This universe has a principle: "no loss, no gain." What does it obtain? Didn't I just address this issue? It wants to acquire the essence in your body so as to cultivate a human form, and it collects the human essence from a person's body. A human body only has this one piece of essence. If one wants to practice cultivation, there is only this one piece. If you let the animal get it, you must forget about practicing cultivation. How will you practice cultivation? You will have nothing left and cannot practice cultivation at all. Some people may claim: "I don't want to practice cultivation, either, and I just want to make money. As long as I have money, it's fine. Who cares!" Let me tell you that you may want to make a fortune, but you will not think this way after I tell you the reason. Why? If it leaves your body early, your four limbs will feel very weak. Afterwards, you will be this way for the rest of your life because it has taken too much of your essence. If it leaves your body late, you will be a vegetable and lie in bed for the rest of your life with only one breath of air. Though you have money, are you able to spend it? Though you have fame, are you able to enjoy it? Isn't this frightening?" (Zhuan Falun)
It is very frightening, for sure.
After I found the remaining evil factors within me, I eliminated them. I thought about the people in all of China who were still possessed by the evil specter. This specter gathers the human essence without anyone realizing it. Moreover, they were controlled by the evil specter. So it could protect its existence. Once I tried to tell the truth to a group of people. In the beginning they thought I had mental problems. I patiently explained it to them and finally they changed. It was like I walked into a mental hospital. Those mental patients actually thought an abnormal person came. The 1.3 billion Chinese people are soaked in the evil party's culture. To help them cast off the evil specter's control, Dafa practitioners carry a heavy burden. It is not enough to depend on our truth-clarification. We should start with cleansing ourselves as soon as possible, completely clear away the evil factors remaining deep in our thoughts, so we can be fully righteous when we cleanse the external environment.
"As a matter of fact, if your thoughts are very righteous, when you walk down the street and go about your life in the city where you live, all of your surroundings will be cleansed. Your mere existence has the effect of saving sentient beings." (" Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York")
After being radically reformed and gaining a new understanding of the evil specter, I cleared away all my negative elements, piece by piece. I did not allow it to remain. Every time I left home, I sent forth righteous thoughts directly at the evil specter, eliminated it behind every person, government, school and so on, cleaned it all the way through and never stopped.
Meanwhile, I also realized that when we advise people to quit the party, we must deal with it seriously, assure that they understand the evilness of the malevolent Party, and help them quit once they show their sincere desire to do so. We should not pursue superficial formalities and a certain number of people quitting the party. Some people quit superficially out of sentiment, but did not agree in their hearts. We helped them to quit. I think this is a serious lesson. When I advised my elder brother to quit, he agreed. But, I could feel that he was not sincere about it. It was more to please me and to not let me down. I did not really care and thought that as long as he quit and understood the true situation of Dafa, it was fine for an ordinary person. Therefore, I did not talk to him in a deeper manner.
Teacher said,
"Since the time when the Nine Commentaries came out, one thing that has happened is that [some students have] made declarations of withdrawal from the Party on behalf of their family members. When a few of the family members refused, [the students would say,] "You can't refuse! I'm going to represent you and withdraw you from the Party." (Audience laughs) In fact, it really doesn't count if they refuse. You may do it on others' behalf, but they have to agree to it, and it doesn't count if they do not consent to it. Even gods have to look at what a person chooses. This shows that many students haven't done well, done enough, or had success in clarifying the truth to their families. Do you know what the biggest reason for that is? It's that you see them as your family, rather than as part of the sentient beings or as just like all of the other independent lives. You should earnestly and carefully clarify the truth to your family members, just as you would with other people in the world. When you regard them as family members and don't take it seriously, the results won't be that good. Or, if you think, "He's family, so I can represent him," that won't work. Even the formation of the Three Realms was done for the sake of today's Fa-rectification, so people can't be flippant about something as monumental as this. Is any life that simple? At the critical moment, is there any being who can be fully represented by someone else? Is there any being who can be denied the opportunity of choosing his own future? At the critical moment, all beings have to verify how they are. So if in your family you have this scenario [you described], then you need to carefully clarify the truth. You can do any ordinary things on your family members' behalf, but when it comes to something that involves a being's future--something that major--nobody can represent someone else. If you really want to save your family members, then clarify the truth to them as you would to other people. That's because their knowing sides all realize, "In this life you are my family member, but in the next life who knows who we will be related to. Just in this lifetime is our relationship predestined." It's just like staying at an inn: you lodge there briefly for a night and then part ways the next day. Who could possibly take someone else's place? That's really how it is."("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference")
Advising people to quit the party is to save them, and also is part of our cultivation, so we should treat it very seriously. I think, even one person a day, or one person every few days, as long as it is from his heart, and he has done so with a free will, is better than a few dozen people a day, just to make a quota.
In addition, that day, I had given money to a fellow practitioner to purchase a computer and printer. The timing was not accidental. Evil and dark minions were watching stealthily in other dimensions. When the evil tries to interfere, that is what we need to do the most, we can't falter even a bit when it comes to Dafa work.
Not long afterwards, my elder brother was brutally beaten by a group of people whom he did not know. The place where he was beaten was exactly where he had beaten me. He was hospitalized, and suffered two broken ribs, liver hemorrhage, the bridge of his nose was broken and his eyelid was split. Now he finally understood and admitted that it was retribution. This incident caused a big impact at his workplace. It also let them know the principle of good and evil and receiving retribution. Although he paid a painful price, he was saved.
4. Assisting Teacher in Saving Sentient Beings
During the time when I was rushing here and there, many people offered me a job, but I turned them down. I believed that a job was no more than earning money and putting food on the table. I could still manage my life. If I did not do a regular job, stayed at home and did only Dafa work, it was not conforming to everyday people's environment. People would not understand, and it would bring losses to Dafa. But, the situation was forced on me because of the persecution. Whatever I did, people around me would not know or care. My freedom was hard earned. Therefore, I should make the best use of this hard won time and participate without any qualms in the immense force of Fa-rectification. My family and practitioners gave me some money. I knew that the money was precious, so I always pinched and scraped. At first, my parents, sister and brother opposed my cultivation in Dafa. After they understood the truth of Dafa, they all supported me and were immensely helpful. After I lost contact with other practitioners, I decided to set up a truth-clarification material production site. As long as we have a pure heart, everything is taken care of by Teacher. Very soon the material production site was established.
Cultivating in a material production environment is different from distributing the material. Although I had little contact with people, cultivating my Xinxing was the same as in other environments. Moreover, once the Xinxing was a little off, problems happened immediately. When there is a problem with our Xinxing, other practitioners are also affected. The material production site is a special environment, and I clearly recognized the heavy burden I had. I was very diligent, and very strict with myself.
With the help of fellow practitioners, I quickly learned the basic operation of a computer and use of a printer. I also reinstalled the printer and solved its printing problem. During the practical operation, I discovered a printing method which was time-saving, convenient and practical. I could print a few dozen truth-clarification pamphlets at one go. Furthermore, the content was rich, not repetitious and easy to hand out.
When I just began with the binding, I was slow. Therefore, I thought about the supernatural ability of "magic feet" that Teacher mentioned and gradually I could bind much faster. In the beginning, I used to work while listening to the Fa. Now I print, bind, or study the Fa, and keep my attention on only one thing at a time. No matter how busy it is, studying the Fa and sending forth righteous thoughts are not negotiable. Generally, I send forth righteous thoughts for half an hour, six times a day.
Fa-rectification Dafa disciples shoulder a big responsibility. Not only do they save sentient beings, but also blaze a trail for future beings. In practitioners' articles, the issue of relationships between people of the opposite sex at material production sites has been mentioned. Before I did not pay any attention. A female practitioner began to work with me. We lived and ate under the same roof, studied the Fa together and worked together. I felt a bit nervous in the beginning, and did not talk much. We merely studied the Fa together, without sharing, and worked separately. It was awkward for some time. Cultivation is to cultivate the heart. If the heart is not clean, what's the use to pretend on the surface? I still need to work on my heart.
"Let me tell you, no matter how well you've cultivated, as long as you still have everyday people's attachments, those are what demons can use, and when you're not paying attention they can be used at any moment. So as a Dafa disciple, you should try your best to restrain those everyday people's attachments, try your best to prevent them from having an effect, try your best to walk a righteous path, and try your best, in all environments and with everything that happens, to conduct yourself in an open and dignified manner, to be tolerant and broad-minded, to be able to understand others, and to be able to consider all perspectives. Then, I think you might be able to do a lot of things well." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")
We are still among ordinary people and still have qing. If our every thought is not on the Fa, we will be controlled by qing. Then, we will be used by demons, which will strengthen and enlarge negative things. It is possible to commit wrongdoings that make one regret forever because of one wrong thought, because one does not rationally, clearly and strictly conduct oneself.
In order to be strict with myself at all times and on all matters, I asked for Teacher to guide me, burned incense every morning and night, and at the same time, held Teacher's words in my heart. Now I feel Teacher is next to me at all times, no matter where and when, as long as I conduct myself as a full-fledged Dafa practitioner. Now we help each other and improve together. We do not feel uncomfortable because of being male or female. We are simply fellow practitioners. I will never disappoint Teacher and fellow practitioners' expectations.
Dafa practitioners' financial conditions were all very tight. Some practitioners received no more than 50 yuan a month. Yet, they still saved money for making materials. In the beginning, I tried to save. I even felt sad when I wasted one paper. But I could not stop some wastage. One day when I read Teacher's words, "all the beings have come for this Fa," my mind suddenly gained a new understanding and held a different attitude regarding all matters. Everything is a living being, and has come for the Fa. Therefore, before I start printing, I talk to the paper, toner, computer and printer and send forth righteous thoughts. I let them realize their mission. Now the wastage in printing is much less than before. Sometimes not even one piece of paper is wasted.
One day a fellow practitioner said to me, "You have not gone out for a long time." I did not remember how many days I had not been out. The practitioner asked me whether I felt anxious for not going out. I thought about it and realized that I did not have any feelings about this matter. We were very busy at the material production site, and had no time to feel lonely. In this final period of Fa-rectification, what can I do to save sentient beings? How many people can I save? I can only try to do my best, and do whatever I am capable of. I feel time is too short. I must have a purer mindset, calm my heart, carefully make all truth clarification material with a pure and peaceful mindset, so I can put my strong righteous thoughts and divine mighty power into every material, and make it a Fa-implement for saving sentient beings.
Thinking back on my cultivation path during this year, I recall that I was arrested and that I escaped with righteous thoughts. Then I also remember that I did not have a penny to establish the material production site. I have walked every step under Teacher's protection. Not long ago, I heard my family was fine, the same as when I was home, and that the business was better than last year. What's more strange, my son said he dreamed about me every night. He said that I talked to him. He told family members that it was because of me that they had happiness. Moreover, he sits with legs crossed to learn meditation before he goes to school daily. The school-teacher asked: "Where is your father?" He said, "Taken away by the police." The teacher asked: "Is your father good?" He said, "My father is the best person in the world." However he never asks about me when he goes home. When I was arrested by evildoers several times, my son's shouts every time made me unable to calm down for a long time and whenever I thought about it in the forced labor camp. When I decided to let go of all these sentiments, and wholeheartedly melted into the immense force of Fa-rectification, all these worries no longer existed. When I think of my relatives and my business now, I am very calm, I only feel that they are living very well, and it is as all this happens far away. Such a state cannot be achieved by force.
"Do you know what a magnificent thing it is for Dafa disciples to Consummate? Master has to take care of everything all around you. Is there any need for you to worry about anything? Do you have the ability to take care of those things? Will things go according to your wishes? Haven't I already explained this principle to you all? If their fortune isn't that good, it's totally useless no matter what kind of plans you make. But Master is able to arrange things for you. I can make arrangements, regardless of whether they have good fortune or not. What are you worried about? You should just cultivate and I'll take care of everything for you. Hasn't that been said already? But if you don't cultivate well, then there's nothing I can do." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
Everything is arranged and protected by Teacher. What can we do? Without Teacher's protection, we can't even guarantee our own life, not to mention other things.
During this year, my strongest feeling is that whenever one is attached to oneself, one is actually not on the Fa, and already
"crawl within the boundary delimited by their own ignorance." (Zhuan Falun)
Every time you put your desires and notions to deal with matters, you have lowered your level, the concept of center has different meaning in the universe.
"For example, when everyday people acquire knowledge in our human society, they regard the center as the highest or the best. I can tell you that according to the cosmos' concept, however, Earth, being in the center, is in the worst place. Why? It's because the cosmos is round, and various kinds of lives in the cosmos drop. To where do they drop? Since the cosmos is round, the left is the top, but isn't the bottom also the top? The right is the top (making hand gestures), the rear is the top, and the front is the top as well. Degenerate things in the cosmos drop. To where do they drop? They drop to the center, don't they?" ("Lecture at the First Conference in North America")
If we fence ourselves in due to selfishness, then it is very difficult to move forward, and we also will bring losses to the Fa-rectification work. When you let go of self, wholeheartedly join the immense force of Fa-rectification, every thing that appears complex will become simple and easy. Your mood will be tranquil and peaceful, and the surrounding environment will also change along with your mindset. Teacher has emphasized the importance of studying the Fa during every lecture. I also deeply feel, every time I can't pass the test or encounter persecution, it is often because I have slackened in my Fa study, or my heart is not on the Fa when I study. If I can calm down to study the Fa, everything that seems to be dangerous or very difficult can be easily solved. As long as we believe in Teacher and Dafa, there is no test we cannot pass, and nothing that we cannot handle.
During this persecution and anti-persecution, Dafa practitioners are extremely short of financial and material resources, and manpower. They face an evil that utilizes the entire country's resources, and employs the strongest and most vicious dictatorship machine and propaganda tools in the world. All that persecutes us are the party, political and military system and secret agents, diplomats, and educational system. They buy off "religious" and "science and technology" groups, and are persecuting us without hesitation. Yet, we are strong today, because we have a heart that respects Teacher and Dafa, protects the universal truth and saves sentient beings. We only have this heart. Besides this heart, we have nothing else. We should cherish this heart at all times.
No matter the future path, we will wholeheartedly validate the Fa, strictly take the Fa as the guide in our every thought, every word and act, clarify the truth, save sentient beings, fulfill our pre-historical vow, will not disappoint Teacher who mercifully saves all and will not thwart all beings' expectation. Teacher, please set your heart at rest. On the Fa-rectification cultivation path, we will be more and more righteous, and more mature.
This is our promise in the Fa-rectification period cultivation.
("The Second Mainland China Falun Dafa Practitioners Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference on the Internet" article)