(Minghui.org)
Greetings compassionate Master!
Greetings everyone!
I saw the Minghui website's notice for the 9th China Fahui and I, a new practitioner, really wanted to participate.
1. A Different Way of Obtaining the Fa
The process of my obtaining the Fa was different from other practitioners. You could say that I obtained it from a negative perspective. Why should I put it like that?
The summer of 2002 was particularly hot. I chose to escape the heat by going to Mt. Wutai in Shanxi Province. I heard that the area was a sacred Buddhist area. Since I was young, I had always been very interested in these types of mystical things. One afternoon I strolled into a Tantric temple. I was the only tourist there. There was one monk eating and he kindly talked to me. I asked him a few things about Buddhism. He asked me if I had converted to Buddhism. I said I hadn't. He then suddenly asked me: “Do you happen to cultivate Falun Gong?” His question increased my curiosity. At the time I didn't deny it, but rather asked him what Falun Gong was about. He then said to me: “Don't cultivate that....” He sounded very stern and a bit scary. At the time it seemed he said that for my own good. From then on I wanted to clearly understand, “what exactly is Falun Gong?”
I originally wrongly assumed it was just a type of qigong that elderly men and women practiced to stay fit, and I didn't think anything else of it. I asked a lot of qigong practitioners what Falun Gong was. The majority of them just repeated what the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said. I didn't find the answer I was really looking for. What they said was no different from the news, and I wanted to know why a monk was so intimidated by Falun Gong. Later on I heard that a real Tantric practitioner had just been released from prison. Apparently he was taken by the police and put in jail because more people started to believe in him and the authorities feared that. I was referred by a friend and was able to meet with this Tantric practitioner. I asked him what Falun Gong was all about. His answer also seemed negative. He then gave me some Buddhist books, all of which taught people to be compassionate. It was all just Buddhist things. After hearing what this Tantric practitioner said, I then developed prejudice against Falun Gong, I thought no further about it.
Later I bumped into a Daoist and asked him what was Falun Gong. I assumed he was going to tell me exactly what the monks told me. He then told me: “If he (Teacher Li) can really do that, then he's for real!” That was the first time I heard an objective comment about Falun Gong, moreover, what he said compared with other people was completely different, and it was so unexpected. Subsequently, I didn't hold any negative thoughts toward Falun Gong from then on. In 2008 Master arranged for me to meet a Falun Gong practitioner, and that practitioner showed me a lot of material on the computer.
2. Giving Up My Addiction to TV and Paying Attention to Cleanliness
Prior to cultivation, I was addicted to watching TV. Any television program would attract me, especially the sports competitions and TV plays. My parents always criticized me, but could do nothing about it. However, upon starting cultivation I changed, and I set my heart on Fa-study and wanted to read it whenever I had time. I naturally stopped watching TV. My mother was very surprised by my change. I often read it aloud, so my mom could hear it. At home now we do not have a TV, as having a computer and Internet is enough.
Another big change was on one occasion I noticed that everything in our surrounding environment was alive. When I saw some dirt on the furniture in our home or on the ground, I'd think it was really pitiful. So I started to take the initiative to clean the windows and tidy up the kitchen, just like spring cleaning. My parents were so surprised. They thought I was normally lazy and wondered why I suddenly loved cleaning. I said to them that this was the power of Falun Gong. At the time when I said that, it was with a bit of a competitive mentality. I wanted them to admire Master, but my mother wasn't convinced. She said that she often tells me about cleanliness and that she thinks it's no different from what Teacher Li talks about. From the perspective of the Fa, I'm clear that in my subconscious I was wanting to make other people admire Master, but I had pushed my mother away by doing so.
3. Learning How to Use Righteous Thoughts to Tell Good from Bad, and Removing the Mentality of Relying on Others
After obtaining the Fa, Master arranged for me to work in a practitioner's company. As we both cultivated in Dafa, I naturally felt like family with the other practitioner. Every day, no matter how late I worked, I wouldn't complain. Because I used to be quite free, I chose to work part time. Normally everyone would harmonize their cultivation with their work, and we'd compare when studying and compare in cultivating. From the Fa we'd learn how to talk and act. The other practitioners were all veteran practitioners, and I unknowingly developed a mentality of relying on others. It manifested as studying other people, not studying the Fa. If there was anything I was unsure of I'd ask other practitioners. And if I had any enlightenment of my own, I would always go find another practitioner to discuss it. I would feel at ease after I got the other practitioner's approval. I unknowingly took other practitioners as Master. I'd even directly call a certain practitioner, “teacher.” At that time other practitioners said it was wrong to call him teacher. In spite of this, I used the excuse of “conforming to everyday people's society,” and considered it a work requirement, so I disagreed with what they said.
In this serious situation of relying on other practitioners, I naturally took other practitioner's opinions as the standard and used that to judge things. The first thought was always of that of practitioner's words, and I didn't use the Fa to judge things. Master saw that I didn't enlighten and used another practitioner's mouth to give me a hint. One practitioner said to me on a few occasions that another practitioner among us was enlightened. However, I didn't enlighten that this was a test and was also a reminder from Master. After studying more of the Fa I came to realize that I should take the Fa as Master. However, it wasn't easy for my main consciousness to pull out from my previous incorrect state. If I thought of something another practitioner said, I would force myself to add, “so and so said this,” thus distinguishing from what Master said.
As such I gradually starting judging things according to Master's Fa, and gradually started getting rid of this mentality of relying on other practitioners.
4. Correctly Understanding the Reason Why Practitioners Go to Beijing to Validate the Fa
As soon as I started cultivation I heard of many practitioners having been arrested after going to Beijing to validate the Fa. At the time I couldn't comprehend it. Why was it magnificent for practitioners to go to Beijing to validate the Fa? I didn't look within myself then, and didn't believe in Master or the Fa. On the contrary, I used my own human mindset to judge Master's Fa. I now sincerely apologise to Master and fellow practitioners. Using my own dirty thoughts to consider Master is the greatest disrespect toward Master. I slowly started to have a rational understanding of the greatness of going to Beijing to validate the Fa. Master also encouraged me by reflecting the Fa in my mind, allowing me to enlighten. Practitioners unfurling banners in Beijing are all righteous particles in action, because mind and matter are one and the same. Everyday people don't understand, but practitioners understand this issue based on the Fa. At Tiananmen Square where the evil is gathered, for practitioners to be able to unfurl banners is a manifestation of a battle taking place in the universe between righteous and evil. Through practitioners continuously going to Beijing, all of China now knows of this issue. As long as someone hears “Falun Gong is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” then those righteous particles will then enter a person's body in the microcosm, thereby planting the seeds for being saved in the future. Of course it's great. After becoming clear on this, when viewing the Fa Teaching Given to Australian Practitioners, when I hear Master answer a practitioner's question by saying, “I consider those practitioners who have been, for a long time, handing out flyers on the street to be the most remarkable,” I'm moved to tears.
5. Clearing Up My Misunderstanding about Making Money
Prior to cultivation, I did freelance work. After studying the Fa, I had a misunderstanding and became addicted to reading the Fa. I thought that I needed to study the Fa more to catch up with the veteran practitioners, as they had been studying longer. I studied the Fa whenever I had time. I did not balance well the three things and paid no attention to conforming to the ways of everyday people’s society. I was not interested in making money and lived on my savings for two years. I did not look at the issue from the viewpoint of the Fa. I thought that it was to let go of my attachment to money. Master arranged a job opportunity for me, but I refused because I thought they were tests for me. Working at a practitioner's company and not making money is to put my effort in the Fa. Master used my mom's mouth to tell me, “You cannot just study the Fa and not have a life.” However, I was not enlightened to that. I thought my mom's notion was mundane. I looked down at the thought of making money, and regarded it as fake cultivation if money was involved.
As I studied the Fa more, I had a better understanding of the principle of conforming to the ways of everyday people’s society. Especially that Master told us to negate the old forces' arrangements, and the economic suppression is one of their arrangements. By separating Fa-study with genuine cultivation I was actually acknowledging the old forces' arrangements. From another viewpoint, having no work produces a selfish state of mind. If my skill is needed, I should go to work. The thought of “cultivators should be penniless” is an old notion.
Master is actually not worried about disciples earning lots of money. Master has already talked about how those who cultivate in Dafa will be blessed. But, in the eyes of my parents, my behavior made them think that those who cultivate in Dafa have no money and don't want money. Aren't I meant to be validating the Fa? Once I became clear on this mistake, Master arranged for an out-of-town friend to find me to open up a foreign market, and I accepted this opportunity. After completing this task, Master arranged for another friend of mine, who is an everyday person, to request for me to help him. He was undertaking a particular project and wanted to set up a team. I agreed to participate. I thus began a life of working from 9 to 5. I had a stable salary and my mother was happy. My mother said that I had not earned any money for the past couple of years. I explained that for the past couple of years my understanding was not right and I had deviated.
6. Rationally Understanding the Fa-rectification Cultivation and Saving Sentient Beings
In the past few years I had relied on other practitioners and couldn't use righteous thoughts to understand how other practitioners had validated the Fa. I also didn't clearly understand how the old forces financially persecuted Dafa disciples. After getting through the misunderstanding of “cultivators shouldn't have money,” I started to use Dafa to judge things and no longer looked down on those who handed out CDs and flyers on the street. I had been wanting to enlighten to higher principles, and it was like falling in a trap set by the old forces. I was very curious and enjoyed listening to the reincarnation stories of veteran practitioners. I did not read the Fa from cover to cover, which is required by Master. I wanted to listen to the profound principles that other practitioners enlightened to. In fact, I was not clear on the Fa principles. My understanding of cultivation stayed with the old way of cultivation in mountains and temples.
It was still that set of things from the old forces, and I wasn't walking righteously on the cultivation path Master arranged. After I became clear on this, a practitioner gave me some Shen Yun discs so I could give them to my previous classmates and colleagues. I didn't refuse and started to have righteous thoughts, I thought this was saving people. At the same time I was thinking how I would clarify the truth, and once I had that wish, Master arranged it for me.
After the Chinese New Year, everyone got back to work and was sharing. I had a thought: “If I could clarify the truth as I was talking with others then that would be good.” At that moment a colleague of mine suddenly showed me a picture he took on the highway. It turned out to be a picture of a banner made by a practitioner that said “Stop the 610 Office's persecution. Falun Dafa is good!” I then said, what they say is correct. It's such a shame that the persecution has gone on for so many years. I had been on business trips abroad, and I told them the truth about Falun Gong and the situation in other countries.
On another occasion when I was eating with another colleague, it was just the two of us. I wondered how I could clarify the truth to him. He then said to me that he received a Shen Yun DVD in the mail. I then said to him, “You're so lucky. I went overseas and saw that Shen Yun is recognized as the best show. From the costumes to the music, everything is original and it showcases 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. When I see it, it feels as though I've found my roots.” After that we chatted about how Falun Gong is being persecuted and I clarified the truth to him. He again came to me at my office on another occasion and gave me that Shen Yun DVD. I thought Master had once again arranged another opportunity. I immediately played it on a large screen and got all my colleagues to watch Shen Yun together. I wasn't the least bit afraid. As I think of it now, I believe it was all Master's strengthening. It's truly: “Disciples’ righteous thoughts are strong, Master has the power to turn the tide” (“Master-Disciple Grace” from Hong Yin II)
A few times I tried giving the discs to other classmates and friends. Initially I didn't know how to go about distributing them. I started by finding one friend after another, which was inefficient. One day I lost my handheld computer on a bus. I felt a bit scared, because the contents were all related to the Fa. I straight away told myself: “Look at this with righteous thoughts. Everything is a good thing, and we've just got to remember to learn something positive from our experiences. Whoever is able to find my computer is most fortunate.”
When losing something, one would feel sad and helpless, but why should I be afraid? Isn't this inviting demons? There is no difference from losing something else. After I had righteous thoughts, Master's Fa shone in my mind: “You should make progress with a conscious mind.” (Zhuan Falun) Thereafter I tried leaving discs on the bus trips to and from my destination allowing those predestined people to find them. After sharing with other practitioners, I was reminded that we should cherish the discs. It's best to give it to people face-to-face. I just thought I have less friends, I'm busy at work, and the place where I live is far, so what's the best way to give it to other people?
I recalled that my colleague said he received the DVDs in his mailbox. Yes, I can go to the residential areas and place them in front of people's doors. When I first started I was a little afraid, but I continued to ask myself: “There are so many advertisements in the community, why aren't they afraid? Why should I be afraid and who's making me feel that way? Once I feel afraid, isn't that accepting the old force's arrangements? Don't I have a responsibility to rectify all this?” Thinking as such, my righteous thoughts became stronger. Additionally in my heart I wished them all peace. This probably was compassion. I was very surprised because for a long time I felt frustrated at myself for not being able to cultivate mercy. Afterwards, I kept gaining more experience. During the daytime, no matter where I went, I'd always bring CDs with me. Whenever I came across a residential area I would go in and distribute the CDs, and then do my business. I do the same when I have breakfast and do grocery shopping. As such, I combined my task of distributing CDs with my work together in daily life, and as such, I wasn't just going out to especially distribute CDs. I had integrated saving sentient beings into my daily life. Just as Master has said: “Cultivation does not [negatively] affect your normal life.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston”)
7. Distressed for Not Developing Mercy in Cultivation
For a long period of time I haven't been able to cultivate compassion, even less so mercy. I was cultivating in a locked state, but I have felt some physical sensations such as when I become clear on a certain Fa principle I'll start truly crying. When I realized that I was taking other practitioners as the teacher and not the Fa, I sent forth righteous thoughts and thought: “Only Teacher Li is my Master. I don't acknowledge any other arrangements.” I cannot help myself when crying. When I learned that the business license at my work would be canceled, I suddenly felt that it was just life. My tears fell, and I think that may have counted as mercy having emerged.
Heshi.