(Clearwisdom.net) When I look back at my cultivation path over the past year, my heart fills with gratitude towards Teacher. By studying the Fa more I have been able to endure tribulations and pass many tests, and I have gained a better understanding of the Fa. I have been able to look inward to cultivate myself, and raise my Xinxing level. I would like to share my experiences with fellow practitioners.
Cultivating myself while producing truth clarification materials has enabled the production site to run smoothly
Our informational materials production site is not large, as I am the only person running the facility at the moment. Under Teacher's protection, our site has been running smoothly for the last five years. During that time, I have eliminated many attachments, especially fear, and gained certain understandings, which I have stated below.
1. Producing materials about Falun Gong has not affected my cultivation, it has helped me to cultivate better.
I don't think printing truth clarification materials affects one's Fa study and cultivation. Instead, one benefits from it. Whether a practitioner can study the Fa more depends on each person's expectations of himself. If we place Fa study as our number one priority, we should be able to allocate a certain amount of time for Fa study, read a specific number of pages, and achieve a certain result. As long as we have righteous thoughts, then there should be sufficient time for Fa study. Over the last few years however, I still had many attachments that I could not eliminate, and I did not do the exercises diligently. I was, however, able to continually study the Fa on a daily basis, and reach the goal I set for myself - recite twenty pages of Zhuan Falun each day, read and recite Teacher's lectures and articles, and study Hong Yin in the evenings. If circumstances did not allow this, I immediately made up for it afterwards. This is probably why the materials production site has been operating smoothly.
So how have I benefited from producing Falun Gong materials? As I am the only worker at the production site, I am also the first person in our area to read Teacher's lectures, new articles, and other information. I read Minghui/Clearwisdom articles every day, send forth righteous thoughts for practitioners who are being persecuted and to help stop the heinous acts by those who persecute them. When I read practitioners' sharing articles, I feel immersed into one body with Dafa and my righteous thoughts are strengthened. Moreover, in order to produce good quality materials and resolve any problems there may be with the equipment, I need to constantly look inward, eliminate attachments, rectify myself, and send forth righteous thoughts directed at the equipment and the production site. Thus, in the process of producing materials, I have gradually been able to eliminate many attachments-- especially fear. In my understanding, producing informational materials is beneficial to society and does not affect my cultivation. It is certainly no more dangerous than doing other Dafa projects.
2. Producing truth clarification materials is a part of cultivation and not just a job
We have noticed that interference seems to intensify at materials production sites. I think this is mostly related to the cultivation state of practitioners who run the sites. I have often had attachments related to showing off my skills and an over-eagerness to be more experienced. Other times I was lazy and just wanted to finish the tasks quickly and do less work. Sometimes I wanted to avoid hardship. When equipment broke down I could not calmly send forth righteous thoughts and sought ordinary ways to fix problems. All of these were attachments that needed to be relinquished.
Whenever my attachment to showing off emerges, I think of how I was able to quickly acquire my computer skills. It was Teacher who arranged for me to acquire these skills so that I could use them to help inform people about the persecution of Falun Gong and to save sentient beings. So how could I want to show them off? What is there to show off about? Using computers to help make truth clarification materials is something a Dafa practitioner should do. Compared to practitioners who are older, my eagerness to learn computer technology lagged far behind. When I thought about this rationally, my attachment to showing off gradually weakened, lessened, and was eventually eliminated.
Eliminating the attachment of pursuing gain and rectifying my work environment
At my regular job, I often told my colleagues about Falun Gong and encouraged them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. Between 1999 and 2006, all my supervisors knew that Falun Gong was good and trusted me with my work.
Later, during a holiday period, my supervisor asked all the employees to sing songs that praised the CCP. I wanted to ask him to change the songs and tell him about Falun Gong, but due to my fear, I didn't clarify the truth very well. Later the managers asked me to stop practicing Falun Gong, but I refused. Since they could not persuade me to stop practicing they wanted me to leave my job, but they couldn't find an excuse to do it. At the time, I lacked the courage to clarify the truth further and failed to rectify my work environment. Finally, they decided to fire me. But no one wanted to hand me my notice, as they knew that what they were doing was wrong.
When I contacted the person responsible for firing me, I rationality told him why I would not stop practicing Falun Gong, and that it was wrong to fire someone who conducts themselves in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I also said that it would not benefit them to blindly follow the CCP's orders. They knew the CCP was ruthless, and did not want to be implicated if I was caught practicing Falun Gong. I searched within and noticed that I lacked confidence in talking about Falun Gong and was more concerned about my situation, and failed to put sentient beings first. I was not being responsible for the thousands of colleagues in my work unit.
After reading Teacher's lecture, "Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference," I realized I truly had to let go of human attachments and not be afraid. They knew Falun Gong was good, however they treated practitioners unfairly because they were afraid of the CCP. To persecute us financially and ruin our reputations is the same as committing sins against Dafa. So, how could I just leave, avoid conflict, and look elsewhere for another job? The sentient beings there were waiting to be saved, and the work environment had to be rectified. So how could I run away when confronted with conflict?
I carefully analyzed my approach to the person in charge and noticed that my conduct was not correct. It appeared as if I tried to bribe him with gifts and ask him to be on my side. I wanted more for myself and did not think of him first. Moreover, because of my fear, I did not express my points very clearly. I then eliminated the attachment of pursuing gain, and with the thought of saving them, I clarified the truth and reminded them not to commit bad deeds by following the CCP's orders. As a result, several managers who I thought would not listen, gradually changed their minds.
Encouraging people to quit the CCP
I spent a lot of time preparing to talk to people about Falun Gong, but once I saw them, out of fear or wanting to avoid difficulties, I didn't know where to start and told myself to try again next time.
Then I thought, "Sentient beings are like the students in a class. They are waiting for their teacher to teach them something. Once the class bell rings, can the teacher stop the lesson due to a lack of preparation? So as soon as we think of what to say we should do it right away, and not make excuses for delays. As soon as we open our mouths, Teacher will give us the wisdom."
Before we clarify the truth we should study the Fa well, and clear the fields around us and the people we want to talk to. We shouldn't forget to ask Teacher for help, as the results will be better. We should not be discouraged if the other person does not want to listen, for nothing will be done in vain. It is like our cultivation process. We go from not believing to firmly believing in the Fa. If the result is not good this time, maybe next time the other person will understand better.
Teacher said,
"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy." ("Rationality," from Essentials for Further Advancement II )
Where does the wisdom come from? It comes from studying the Fa, understanding the principles of Falun Dafa, and believing in Teacher and the Fa. Wisdom is given to us by Teacher when we study the Fa well. Compassion comes out when we eliminate our human attachments. We clarify the truth better when we study the Fa well and truly cultivate ourselves.
These are my understandings. Please kindly correct anything inappropriate.
September 15, 2009
