(Minghui.org) Last year when I was doing the local New Year Special Edition, I spent an entire day gathering necessary materials and finally got it done. I later noticed that fellow practitioners had modified it quite a bit, and I was a little upset. I then immediately realized that this was not a correct thought. Am I looking for fame in Dafa? Am I validating myself or the Fa? The purpose of everything we are doing is saving sentient beings. Whether or not one's idea is used is not important. I must let go of my attachment to self.
--- By the author
Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am a Falun Dafa disciple from Henan Province and have been practicing Dafa for over three years. I am 31 years old and I work in administration.
There are several practitioners in my home. My 86-year-old grandma is very healthy as a result of Dafa cultivation. My mom is over 50 years old and is diligently doing the three things that Dafa disciples are supposed to do. My sister is 26. Dafa opened up her wisdom, and she was just accepted in a Master's degree program in a well-known university. My son is bathed in the light of Dafa everyday. Our family members who don't practice Dafa are supportive of our cultivation. Every Chinese New Year we pay our respects in front of Master's picture. Even though my father doesn't know exactly what “sending forth righteous thoughts” means, he still frequently reminds my mother when she forgets. When encountering people who slander Dafa, my father will stop them and tell them, “Falun Gong is good. It is welcomed everywhere in the world.” With the opportunity of this Fahui, our entire family would like to thank Master. Master, you've been working so hard, and we thank you for your grace!
For last year's Minghui Fahui, I submitted my article too late, but it was later published as a regular article. This year I noticed, that as the due date for Fahui articles was coming up, I got busier and busier at work. So I had even less time to write an article. I thought, “When facing interference I must have righteous thoughts and righteous actions; I must not miss this precious opportunity for improvement again.” I feel that every time I write a cultivation article, it raises my level. This year I also encouraged my nine-year-old fellow practitioner to write a sharing article. Here I would like to share with fellow practitioners my cultivation experience. Since my level is limited, if there is anything inappropriate, please kindly point it out.
“A Little Blooming Flower”
My home is a little blooming flower (Note: the material production sites in mainland China are often small and home-based and are referred to as “little flowers”). I often communicate with my printers “Jiajia” and “Huihui.” I tell them, “You two are my Fa instruments for assisting Master in validating the Fa. You should do well to accumulate your own mighty virtue and make quality materials for saving sentient beings. Then, when Dafa disciples are done with cultivation, they will bring you along.” They both have been doing very well. This year we added a new A3 printer. I named him “Youyou.” Youyou printed copies of the Minghui Weekly 2012 Special Edition, which were very beautiful. He also printed the outside covers of “To Be Saved in the Nick of Time.” I deeply understand that only when I study the Fa well and cultivate myself well, can the material site operate smoothly. When I send righteous thoughts, I add the thoughts, “Master please help my material site operate safely and smoothly; disintegrate all the interference in other dimensions; Fa-assisting gods please help protect the little flower in my home.” While making materials, I was able to eliminate much of my fear, show-off mentality, lust, competitive mentality, becoming overjoyed, and other attachments and notions. My level is improving without my taking notice of it.
Master Gave Me a Divine Pen for Validating the Fa, Not Myself
Since I was young, I have liked to read and write, and have won quite a few awards for writing and speaking. After I began cultivation, I gradually realized that much of my wisdom came from the Fa. These talents were what Master had given to me to be utilized to validate the Fa in this historical moment. Just as Master said in “Divine Ones In the World” of Hong Yin III,
“Master has taught the Dafa to save people
All are using their abilities to end the calamity.”
During the last three years while I cultivated, I have sent articles to Minghui four times and three of them were published. One was incorporated into a special edition publication. I knew that it was Master encouraging me. When I first obtained the Fa, there was little material at my disposal. When I saw the flyer “A letter to those who are predestined,” which was very well written, I printed out copies and distributed them. Then I thought that the content was a little too profound and might not be appropriate for people from rural areas. So I typed it up and made some modifications. For example, I changed “friends” to “fellow folks and countrymen,” and I changed a complicated line from a poem to plain words, “Cultivators do not value fame, gain, and emotional attachments. How could they be interested in worldly power? All of what we are doing is for saving precious people like you,” and so on. I felt that this was more appropriate for our local folks to read, and indeed it got very positive feedback.
Two years ago, our coordinator asked me to be the editor for the local weekly newspaper. At first I felt a little intimidated. I thought I was a new practitioner, and I wasn't sure whether or not I was qualified for such a big job. Through studying the Fa, I understood the importance of coordination. I am a Dafa practitioner of the Fa rectification period, so how could I back off from the front line? Whatever I'm needed for in validating the Fa, I should just cooperate unconditionally. So I began to edit the local newspaper and the special new year edition. From doing so, I was able to find my deeply hidden attachments.
At first, I would often admire the newspaper that I had just finished. I would think, “This looks quite good; the articles and pictures are just right,” and I would be looking forward to having them published. How strong my show-off mentality and the attachment to validating myself were!
Last year when I was doing the local New Year Special Edition, I spent an entire day gathering necessary materials and finally got it done. I later noticed that fellow practitioners had modified it quite a bit, and I was a little upset. I then immediately realized that this was not a correct thought. Am I looking for fame in Dafa? Am I validating myself or the Fa? The purpose of everything we are doing is saving sentient beings. Whether or not one's idea is used is not important. I must let go of my attachment to self.
Master said in 'Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia” in Teaching the Fa at the Conference II:
“Dafa disciples, in your cultivation in the ordinary human world you all have understood something clearly that's based on the Fa's principles, namely, not to be attached to the 'gain and loss' of ordinary people. So when things related to validating the Fa are involved, there too you shouldn't insist on voicing 'my ideas' or on having things done 'my way.' It's not like only then can you establish mighty virtue in the cosmos. If you've got a good idea, well, you came up with it, you're being responsible to the Fa, and it's not important whether your idea is adopted or whether your approach is used. If another person's idea can achieve the same effect and you aren't attached to your own idea and instead you go along with his, then whether you've shared your approach or not, Gods will all see this and think, 'Look, he isn't attached, and he's able to be so tolerant and broadminded.' What do Gods look at? Isn't this what they look at? When you're attached to emphasizing your things you are too caught up in it and the Gods watching above can't stand it. Even though you keep claiming it's for the good of Dafa, and that 'my approach is good' and can reach such and such goal--and maybe that really is the case--still, we shouldn't have attachments that are too much like ordinary people. If you can really do that, all the Gods will say, 'This person is truly remarkable.' It's not like Gods see that your idea worked and then they raise your level. Instead, they only raise your level when they see that your understanding of it has improved. This is a truth in the Righteous Fa. If you're thinking, 'I'll have XYZ happen to me if I've gained such and such amount of merit,' well, yes, that's how it works for an ordinary person, and it might be what's looked at as far as certain facets of the cosmos's Fa-truths go or in a particular situation. But true improvements come from letting go, not from gaining.”
Thinking about Master's Fa, my mind became more and more clear and my xinxing improved. Later, Minghui fellow practitioners again perfected this “New Year Special Edition” and then published it. It looked elegant and the content was concise and refined. It was very effective in saving sentient beings. In my mind I thanked my fellow practitioners for their hard work.
Exposing the evil crimes in this dimension is eliminating evil things in other dimensions. When I first began to edit the articles exposing the persecution, I often got very angry and wished those evil people would be punished and receive karmic retribution. As my cultivation level improved, I got much more compassionate and I no longer got angry. Instead, I truly felt compassionate towards these sentient beings and wished that they would quickly awaken, stop committing such crimes, and choose a bright future for themselves.
Using Wisdom to Save Sentient Beings
“Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy” (“Rationality” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I get to meet all types of people at work. Whether they are officials or delivering the drinking water, I value all these opportunities. I would collect contact information from the predestined people and then later text or call them to clarify the facts about the persecution.
Two years ago I participated in a speech contest. The subject was “moral values,” but it was actually an excuse for people to compliment the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The management asked me to participate. At first I didn't want to go. But then I thought, since I get to decide on what to say, I can really use this chance to pave the way for saving these sentient beings. I spent a good amount of effort preparing for it. I went on to the Minghui and Zhengjian (PureInsight) websites to look for articles about traditional moral values and carefully prepared my speech.
I was awarded first place in the initial round and then I got through the second round. The final round was city-wide. I listened to the speakers before me, and many of them hypocritically praised the CCP and scored quite high. I felt very sad for these sentient beings and also had a deeper understanding of our heavy load and responsibilities as Dafa disciples.
It was my turn. I confidently walked on the stage and had one thought in my mind: “Sentient beings, I hope that, as a Dafa disciple, I can use my positive side to inspire the conscience within your heart and awaken the lost memory buried deeply in your mind; please remember Falun Dafa is good, so that you will have a chance to be saved in the future!” I started my speech talking about Chinese traditional values. Then I talked about how today's morality is declining. I gave examples of the toxic rice, toxic milk, and the poorly constructed buildings, and how these have harmed the Chinese people. In the end, I talked about how “one must follow the principles of heaven; heaven's will cannot be disobeyed; those who can listen to others' advice are the wise ones.” I think what I said had a positive impact on the listeners and paved the way for them to quit the CCP later.
My entire speech was about 2000 characters and I didn't use any notes. It went very smoothly with Master's help. The compassionate energy was shining on every person there. The audience applauded and cheered for me. I knew that Master was next to me the whole time. Before I went on the stage I was a little bit nervous, when an older man said to me, “I see this young lady is very confident. Don't be nervous. Just say what you want to say.” I immediately felt a lot more relaxed. I knew that Master was using this man's words to encourage me.
Many people in the audience and my co-workers were surprised and disappointed with the results. Fifteen people were given awards; I was ranked number 16. Obviously, since my speech didn't meet the “political requirements,” it was impossible for me to win an award. But that was not what I was after. I just wanted to save those people.
Some time after the competition, some of my co-workers were still angry. I used this opportunity to further clarify the facts with them. I told them about the evil persecution of Falun Gong, the staged self-immolation in Tiananmen Square, and so on. Many of them gradually began to understand.
Later, with Master's help, I was able to collect contact information on some of the judges, participants, and the organizers. I clarified the facts to them by mail, texts, and voice messages. Master really has prepared everything for us and has given us all these opportunities to establish mighty virtues.
We Must Meet the Fa's Criteria, and That Is Cultivation
Before this year's May 13th—World Falun Dafa Day—we were working day and night to make more than a thousand cloth banners. Fellow practitioners all actively participated.
One thing that happened during this activity really tested my xinxing. Practitioner A was the main coordinator for this project and we usually worked in his home. On a Saturday afternoon, he said that on Sunday he was going somewhere, so we could have that day off. On Sunday morning, I went to his home anyway just to check, and saw practitioner Xiao Yuan and a family member outside. They told me that we would continue the next day. So I used the precious time to distribute Shen Yun DVDs and the software to overcome the Internet blockade. I also sent voice messages. The day passed by very quickly.
After work on Monday, I immediately went to A's home. Practitioner B looked very unhappy and said, “Why doesn't anyone take the initiative to do Dafa work? If anyone is busy during the week, then they should do more over the weekend. Yesterday it was just me and A, it was so tiring...” I thought that she was criticizing me and I was quite unhappy. I immediately explained, “Practitioner A said he had something to do yesterday and we would take the day off, and I actually came yesterday morning...” “That's impossible. We were cutting cloth here yesterday morning. How come we didn't see you?” It just so happened that Xiao Yuan wasn't home at the time and couldn't “testify” for me. I explained again, but whatever I said, Practitioner B would come back with, “That's impossible.” Practitioner A also wouldn't say anything. I felt I was being wrongly accused.
Later, I also heard other things about me that were not right. For example, some practitioners don't understand why I often go to a city practitioner's home. They thought that I was showing off. In fact, the city practitioner was the one who helped me set up my material production site. We often study the Fa together and figure out the best way to purchase raw materials and such. For safety reasons, my material site is kept a secret; there are specific practitioners responsible for transferring these materials, and other local practitioners are unaware of the fact that these materials are made by me. My attachments all came out in the face of these accusations, such as resentment, the show off mentality, and the attachment to protecting myself. I felt that I spent so much effort, but all I got were accusations directed at me. I felt it was unfair.
Master said,
“Don't argue when people argue with you
Cultivation is looking within for the cause.” (“Don't Argue” from Hong Yin III).
So I searched within and found that I indeed have problems. I don't like to listen when I am blamed for something, and like to hear good things about me; I get lazy from time to time and often delay things; I tend to aim at others' shortcomings; I also have a strong show-off mentality, competitive mentality, attachment to fame, attachment to good results, winning, and so on. All of these are in accordance with the selfish characteristic of the old universe. But the new universe requires Dafa practitioners to “attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature,” Essentials for Further Advancement). I felt quite ashamed. Indeed, compassion comes from cultivation and not from one's doing things.
Master said in Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia,
“When others say things about you that aren’t pleasant to hear, why do you become unhappy? When you become unhappy, aren’t you in your heart refusing to accept the chance to cultivate and improve?”
When I read this, my mind immediately became very clear. I thanked fellow practitioners for giving me opportunities to improve. We must measure every thought with the Fa, and it is true cultivation only when we are doing so.
Once these gaps were eliminated between fellow practitioners and myself, our cooperation became even better. On May 13, we went out and hung all of those beautiful banners, and it greatly shocked the evil.
Becoming a Good Guiding Light for Sentient Beings
Two years ago while I was chatting with a co-worker. She said, “You are our guiding light.” At that instant, her face became so serious. I was shocked. I knew that it was not by accident that she said it, and it was not something that she would normally come up with herself. Ever since then, when I encounter resistance or when I am having a hard time moving forward, I remember this sentence and remember that sentient beings are waiting for me. I understand that I do not belong to myself. I am created by Dafa, and, as a Dafa disciple, I carry great responsibilities. Fa-rectification requires us to complete these special and historical missions.
However the world's people appear to be on the surface, their true selves are all eagerly and anxiously waiting for Dafa disciples to save them.
Once I had a dream that a manager at work looked at me sadly and said, “Why do you not take care of me?” I later looked in my notebook where I kept a record of the phone numbers that I had sent truth-clarification materials to, and indeed I had left him out. I immediately added him and sent him the information. Another time, I had a dream about several co-workers, and one said to me with great respect, "Would you like to talk to us?” Another co-worker said, “I'm about to be transferred away... what should I do now?” But all of them actually opposed Dafa in the real world, and one of them reported me to the management for talking about the persecution. Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts are indeed very important, and we cannot be moved by the superficial situation. We just need to do the things that we are supposed to do, and only then can we truly save people.
I heard that my new co-worker, Xiao Jie, was going to join a correspondence course held by the Central Party School. I was very worried. The CCP's evil spirit is struggling and near death and is trying to pull people down with it. I knew that I had to help her! I sent her a text that said, “The CCP fights heaven, earth, and people; it has killed countless lives, and heaven is set to destroy it. Hurry and quit it so that you don't suffer along with it ...” The next day Xiao Jie was going to sign up again and there were a lot of people in the office, so it wasn't convenient to talk to her directly. So I said that I would go with her, and, of course, she was happy. On the way I kept sending righteous thoughts. I first took her to a nearby supermarket and chatted with her as we shopped.
I said, “A couple of days ago I bought something and on the one yuan bill that I received in change, it said, 'Quit the CCP to be saved.' Have you seen these?”
“Oh yeah, yeah. I have gotten those, also. It seemed they were made with a stamp. Also, I received a text asking me to quit the CCP yesterday. I hurriedly deleted it after reading it. It's like a rebellion!”
“Actually I don't think they are about some rebellion. It doesn't sound like they are politicians. Aren't they just trying to help us?”
“It must be Falun Gong.”
“Speaking of Falun Gong, I actually know some facts. What's wrong with those who practice Falun Gong to cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Jiang was just jealous, so he started this persecution. Falun Gong has spread to more than 100 countries and close to 100 million people practice it. My friend went to Hong Kong and saw many Falun Gong practitioners there. They are very nice.
“Why do you want to sign up for such a course? Many others are quitting the CCP. Let's not do anything foolish!”
She gradually changed her mind and agreed with me, “That makes sense. Those people are trying to be good, and the CCP should not persecute them.”
I talked to her some more, and, in the end, Xiao Jie quit the CCP's Youth League. A being was saved and all the countless beings behind her must be cheering for her wise choice.
In my spare time, I also send texts about the persecution to people who work in the police and judicial areas. These people are in a special group and this will also help with rescuing detained fellow practitioners.
Now ordinary people are slowly awakening. Several months ago I heard about how, when a manager was urged to pay his Party dues, he said, “So annoying! What Party dues? I'm about to quit the CCP!”
Cooperating as One-Body and Eliminating the Evil Spirit
Last fall, some local practitioners discovered that in one night, someone hung several dozen red banners in the busiest area in our town. On the banners were slanderous phrases against Dafa. We enlightened that recently our cultivation state was too relaxed, and we had allowed loopholes and were not acting as one-body. The evil had taken advantage of this to poison the sentient beings. The banners were quite high. The biggest one was several dozen meters long and was hung on top of a three-story building. It wouldn't be easy to resolve this with human actions. We thought, “Then let us use our divine power to eliminate them.”
We sent forth strong righteous thoughts that evening to disintegrate the evil spirits and demons in other dimensions, to completely eliminate the evil Party's banners, and to eliminate all the evil lives that were trying to interfere with sentient beings knowing the facts. Master said,
“Actually, every Dafa disciple has abilities. It’s just that the abilities do not manifest in the surface dimension, so they think that they don’t have supernormal abilities. But regardless of whether they can manifest in the surface dimension or not, when a person’s True Thoughts come forth they are very powerful.” (“Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
The next day was very windy and dusty. We knew that the fight between good and evil in other dimensions must be very intense. The manifestation in the human realm was that within a day, most of these banners were replaced by commercial banners. The largest banner was flipped over by the strong wind and so the characters on it were all facing the wall. We continued to send righteous thoughts, and after two days, all of the banners were gone! We were deeply thankful to Master for compassionately saving the sentient beings.
The evil did not give in. A month later, they constructed a panel over a dozen meters tall that had slanderous words on it. On the bottom were the words “CCP Propaganda Office.” There were also lots of huge drawings all over the wall next to it. Fellow practitioners discussed this and some believed that, since it didn't mention Falun Gong specifically, we didn't have to deal with it. But more practitioners thought that this was exactly the tricky part of the evil's efforts. After so many years of brainwashing, many people immediately think of Falun Gong once they see the words “evil cult.” In the end, we agreed that we would send righteous thoughts to eliminate the panel, use this as a chance to clarify the truth, and at the same time directly destroy the panel.
We put up a lot of posters that said, “The CCP is the evil cult.” I was responsible for sending letters to the government. That day, I received an express mail addressed to a CCP Committee member—it was delivered to me by mistake. I quietly remembered his name and then sent a truth clarification letter to him.
Fellow practitioners were all actively working as well. Some splashed black paint on the wall to cover up the slander, but there were video cameras all around the panel and it was difficult to deal with. We also observed that there seemed to be plainclothes agents watching. What should we do? We could not allow the panel to remain. The winter nights were very cold, and not many people were on the streets. One night my mother and I prepared an egg shell with black paint inside it and taped the opening shut. We put on old military coats and hats and went to the front of the panel while sending righteous thoughts along the way. I asked Master to help us not be seen. Instantly I felt that I was in another dimension and it was extremely quiet. It seemed that everything had stopped. I threw the paint-filled egg onto the panel. Bang! It hit right in the middle. Isn't that the heart of the evil spirit? The black paint splashed all over the panel. My mother and I quickly got on our bike and rode away. Then I saw that there were still some vehicles on the road. How come it seemed that everything was quiet and stopped just now? It must be Master who paused it and I was in another dimension.
A week later, the panel was taken down.
The Beautiful Falun
For the past three years of cultivation, what I felt the deepest was Master's boundless compassion toward sentient beings. When I clarify the facts or give Shen Yun DVDs to people, I see strings of small Falun rotating around their heads and bodies. It is so magnificent. Walking on the road, even those who do not get to listen to the facts are also in the light of the Fa. The Falun also rotates around them. As Master said in “Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York,” “Your mere existence has the effect of saving sentient beings.”
Just as I was about to finish writing, my mother told me that she saw a friend yesterday. A year ago he got cancer and now it was in the late stages. His family was very sad and his elderly mother cried so much all the time that her vision was impaired. My mother heard about it and went to his home with several fellow practitioners. They clarified the truth to him. He agreed to quit the CCP and also accepted a copy of Zhuan Falun and a Shen Yun DVD. After a year, when my mother saw him yesterday, he told her that, at his last check-up, most of his cancer had disappeared and he is now very energetic. We are all very happy for him and hope that soon he will be completely recovered.
I will be more and more diligent on my future cultivation path and be a truly qualified Dafa disciple of the Fa-rectification period.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
