(Clearwisdom.net) When I was at the lowest point of my life, I felt lost and my job search prospects were few. I met a friend on the Internet who had the same major as me. We discussed what happiness was. I told him I believed in Buddha. He told me he believed in Falun Dafa, which was also the Buddha Fa. I found this interesting because I had heard of Falun Dafa a few months prior, when I was watching free movies online. There were two movies I liked the most. In the middle of the movies, they played some Falun Gong truth-clarifying videos. I was surprised by the videos and they gave me a different understanding about Falun Gong. But the next day, I was unable to explore the website again. This Internet friend asked me to meet his other friend. The day before I met with him, I had a dream that I was in an ancient time. An old Taoist priest sat on a bed. I was a young Taoist, about seven or eight years old, standing in front of him. It was like an everyday person's interview. I saw the priest throw a bamboo stick and say, “This child can be taught.” I was very happy and walked out of the room.
In July 2005, I was fortunate to obtain the Fa.
Truly Experiencing the Magnificence of Falun Dafa After Obtaining the Fa
When I had just obtained the Fa, I heard from fellow practitioners about Master's recent Fa lectures, which I knew nothing about. I was very anxious. Every day when I got up, I would sit in front of the computer to study the Fa. I only pursued the quantity and speed and had the attachment of anxiety. I did not know what cultivation was yet. Every day I just wanted to read the Fa and I lost interest in everyday things such as exploring the Internet, singing songs, and playing poker. Once, I fell asleep while reading the Fa. I was in a half-asleep, half-awake state. I saw something like a phonograph turning fast and playing sounds. It called my name and said, “Wake up! Read the book.” I did not realize that this was to enlighten me, so I turned my body and kept sleeping. Soon I heard a big sound in one of my ears. I immediately dug into my ear and found a small fly inside. Later on, every time I woke up late in the morning, I could hear a noise from the radiator pipe. Master helped me and reminded me to advance diligently all the time. Right now I cannot be numb and lazy anymore. I should cultivate myself like I did when I first started cultivation.
Soon after I obtained the Fa, I woke up one morning and had pain throughout my whole body. It felt like I had a heavy cold and my throat was so husky that I could not speak. I called my sister, and she said I was sick. I had originally planned to go back home to visit my parents that day. She told me to take medicine as soon as possible. I thought I was not sick and that it was Master was adjusting my body. So I just drank some water. I did not eat and just lay on the bed and slept. Around 10:00 p.m. that night, I woke up feeling energetic. The feeling of the heavy cold was completely gone. I was surprised to experience the incredible benefits of Falun Gong. The next morning, I told my sister what happened. She could not believe it. She knew I could not talk the day before. But now I could talk clearly. She was really amazed.
I immersed myself in the Fa every day and I was very happy. Others were busy finding a job, but I was able to find a very satisfying job easily within three days. It was all because of the fortune I received after obtaining the Fa. I walked lightly and truly experienced the feeling of being illness-free. The Falun Dafa books revealed every truth about cultivation and convinced me. On the day I obtained the Fa, when I was talking with the friend who gave me Zhuan Falun, I suddenly had a chill. From reading the Fa, I believed that I had had spirit possession, and that at that moment Master removed it for me. I was very grateful to Master. I also encountered some interference as a new practitioner. Once when I was about to practice the exercises, the people next door started to play music on their computer. I was not happy. Another time, I increased the volume of the exercise music, but when someone passed by in front of the building and talked, I was startled. My friends sometimes suddenly scolded me in front of others. I was also the only person forced out of my dorm. I knew I encountered those things because I was starting to cultivate. It was to help me to eliminate karma and improve my xinxing. I followed what Master told us to do and easily passed the tests.
Breaking Through Family Tribulations
My attachments of zealotry and anxiety soon came out. When I went back home, I immediately asked my parents to withdraw from Chinese Communist Party (CCP). All of a sudden, they started looking at me like I was an enemy. I found this unusual since I had been in their favor since childhood. When I looked at my mother's harsh and disappointed eyes and my father's silence, smoking on the side, I cried. But I knew that I was becoming a good person, and that I did nothing wrong, so I wouldn't be moved. My parents were good people and they knew that Falun Gong was good. But their fear drove them to try to force me to quit cultivation. My mother told me irrationally that she would send me to the local police station and the CCP residence committee. I told them I was not afraid. CCP culture had really harmed people and caused family to stay away from each other. I brought some truth-clarifying materials home and wanted to let my parents read them. But when I saw them get really angry, I did not give the materials to them. When I went out, my parents searched my things and took away the materials. When my mother told me that my father had burned all of my truth-clarification materials, I cried and knelt down. I said, “You are committing crimes. You are wrong. Give me my book now!” My mother saw I was really anxious and immediately said that they did not burn them at all. During that period, when I read Falun Dafa books in my room and my mother came out of her room, I immediately hid the book and I got nervous in my heart. My three-year-old niece helped to watch the door. Once my mother said angrily, “How come we raised someone like you?” I hung my head down helplessly. Then my niece crawled onto my shoulder and told me, “You are really the fortune of our family.” I was surprised that a little child could say something like this. I knew Master was encouraging me. I took my niece for a walk outside. I asked her what should I do and whether I should keep the truth-clarifying materials at home or not. She said with an adult's tone, “They can understand gradually.” I smiled. Master was encouraging me again using the child's mouth. When I went back home, I adjusted my state and took a righteous approach when reading Falun Dafa books. I was reading the best book in the world and should not have any fear. After I had this thought, I was able to read Falun Dafa books with a calm mind, without caring whether my mother went back and forth. Every time when I went back home, I brought things my parents liked to eat and bought medicine for them when they were sick. I gave them what they needed the most and cared for them in their everyday matters. When they were confused about something, I used Falun Dafa's principles to help them to analyze the situation and let them feel the greatness of Falun Dafa. I also exposed CCP's lies of the staged Tiananmen Square “self-immolation” and told them that contrary to what the CCP media claims, the practice does not forbid us to not take medicine, does not collect money from us, and does not prohibit marriage or having children. I told them the importance of withdrawing from the CCP and played truth-clarifying DVDs for them. I also played Shen Yun DVDs for them. After a while, I was able to study the Fa and practice the exercises freely. My father quietly read the truth-clarifying materials and my mother really liked listening and singing the Falun Dafa songs.
A few days ago, my father went to a reunion with his relatives. They talked about how I practiced Falun Gong. When my father went back home, he complained to my mother about how they did not stop me from practicing Falun Gong. My mother then complained to me. I told my mother, “We need to have principles as human beings. I choose Falun Dafa because of its righteousness and compassion. If you support Falun Dafa and treat Falun Dafa well, you will be rewarded with blessings for many lives. Although there are some temporary pressures, if we are follow our consciences, we do not need to care about what others say. If they want to talk, you can ask them to talk to me.” I obtained the Fa rationally. No one can move my heart of cultivation. Only Master's words count, no one else's. It was not a coincidence that this had happened. We lived far away from my relatives and I did not clarify the truth to them enough. I needed to send righteous thoughts more and constantly clarify the truth to my relatives and friends with compassion to save them. I remembered that a young practitioner who just obtained the Fa and whose Third Eye was open told me that when her father got mad at her and slandered Falun Dafa, she saw demons in other dimensions using ropes to control her father's mouth to speak. When she sent righteous thoughts, the demons ran away and her father's attitude completely changed. He supported her cultivating Falun Dafa again. Without the old forces' factors behind them, what can man do to gods? When we see through the illusion and firm up our minds for cultivation, we realize that Master controls everything.
Improving Xinxing by Doing the Three Things Well
1. Study the Fa with a Focused Mind
During my Fa-study for past few years, I generally could study the Fa with calm mind. I could finish reading one lecture of Zhuan Falun within 40 minutes. But most of the time I leaned against a wall while reading and laid down to rest for a while when I got tired. I basically did not sit upright to study the Fa. During group Fa-study, some practice sites had strict requirements. But some sites did not have strict requirement and practitioners studied the Fa in all kinds of positions. As a practitioner who obtained the Fa after July 20, 1999, I felt like the practitioners who obtained the Fa earlier could really affect the newer practitioners. Recently when I studied Master's new articles and shared experiences with other practitioners, I realized that I was stuck at the same level for a really long time. I felt sleepy and my mind went somewhere else while studying the Fa. I dreamed that demons had given me a pillow. I started to get anxious. I did not truly study the Fa well. First of all, I did not truly respect Master and the Fa. After Master's lecture “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa” was published, I started to reexamine the effect of my Fa-study. Did I truly assimilate to the Fa after studying the Fa? I even read an experience sharing article that a practitioner always sat in the lotus position while studying the Fa and never leaned against the wall or stretched his legs. I also used to be strict with myself during Fa-study. But my attachment of comfort still took control and I did not insist on doing it. Now I realize that only if I respect Master and the Fa and get rid of the attachment of comfort, can I study the Fa with focused mind. One practitioner said that only when our posture is correct during Fa study, can the Fa principles reveal themselves. I think this is right. How could Dafa reveal its principles to those who do not treat Dafa with seriousness and who are not strict with themselves?
In addition, the younger practitioners tend to read the Fa faster. But I feel the medium speed is the best. First of all, we should let go of all the distracting thoughts and have the thoughts which let all the sentient beings in our world assimilate to Dafa. If we rectify our starting point with studying the Fa, and find our attachments and get rid of them, we can study the Fa with a focused mind. Reciting the Fa is also a good way to assimilate to the Fa. I started with reciting Hong Yin, which allowed me to constrain myself, enlighten, and firm up my righteous thoughts at critical moments. Master said,
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference”, Essentials for Further Advancement II)
So to study the Fa well is the fundamental part of cultivating oneself well. The closer we walk to the end of Fa-rectification, the narrower the righteous path becomes, and the higher the requirements Dafa has for us.
2. The Exercise Movements Need to Follow the Standard
Some practitioners have said that if our exercise movements do not follow the standard and do not follow Master's instructions, this is also not respecting Master and the Fa and we cannot change our bodies. I did not have the chance take part with group exercises before July 20, 1999. I only watched the exercise video and showed my movements to other practitioners. I thought: a Great Way is extremely simple and easy and Master told us the movements should follow along effortlessly. I thought my mechanisms were already good. This was until once after we practiced the exercises, a practitioner asked me to read The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa. After I studied the book, I realized the importance of the first movement, especially the “stretching”, which I did not fully do. Recently, a practitioner came to my home to practice the morning exercises. Then he corrected my movements from the first exercise to the fifth exercise. When we shared experiences during the group Fa-study, the practitioners all realized that we all had some movements not following the standard. We watched Master's demonstration video and compared our movements one by one. I completely read The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa again and I understood that Master was helping practitioners to rectify ourselves within the Fa. I heard that some senior practitioners were even turning the Law Wheel counter-clockwise at the end of the third exercise. I suggested all the practitioners should read The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa again and correct our movements. We must cultivate ourselves without any omissions.
3. We Must Be Fully Focused While Sending Righteous Thoughts
For past few years, when I sent righteous thoughts, I usually could not feel any energy or warmth and could not see anything. For the four global sending righteous thoughts times, I either had work to do or was trapped with something else. I could not guarantee doing the righteous thoughts at the set times. And I also did not cooperate well with the local sending righteous thoughts times for a long time. I looked inward and found that I was not paying attention to it and I did not have clear understanding of sending righteous thoughts. I did not have a strong responsibility to fulfill my oath and was not strict with myself. During an experience sharing, a practitioner said that it was very important to clean our thoughts for the first five minutes and suggested we should clean our own dimensions often. I repeatedly studied the related Fa Master taught, recited the Fa-rectification verses correctly and seriously cleaned my own dimensions. When I send righteous thoughts, my mind must be absolutely clear, since it is a big fight between good and evil in other dimensions and we must concentrate. Otherwise the evil will escape or we may have big losses. By eliminating the evil, we can avoid interference and can save sentient beings better.
4. Having Compassion While Clarify the Truth
When we clarify the truth, if we do not differentiate people and really consider them with compassion, the effect of our truth-clarification will be good. I found topics to initiate conversations according to the person's age, career, and local conditions. If there is enough time, I try my best to clarify the truth and do not brush it off. When I talk with seniors, I bring up health topics and the power of Falun Dafa to eliminate illnesses. I also talk about how expensive medicine is, how difficult it is to find medical treatment, and how corrupt the CCP is. Then I lead the conversation to withdrawing from the CCP and its related organizations. If I take a motorcycle taxi, I first remind the driver to wear the safety helmet. The driver then can tell that I am a kindhearted person. Then I tell him the greatness of Falun Dafa and the facts about the CCP-staged Tiananmen Square “self-immolation.” Then I persuade him to quit CCP. When I take a taxi and see the drivers hanging amulets in the car, I tell them the real way to keep safe is to recite “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Every day when I read practitioners' articles and truth-clarification materials on the Internet, I intentionally recite some materials. Before I clarify the truth, I send righteous thoughts and ask Master's help to bring predestined people to me. I figure out a few aliases up front based on other practitioners' experiences or the names of the local shops, places and stations. After clarifying the truth, I do not forget to tell them if they spread the truth, that they will be rewarded with good. But, when I clarified the truth to my family members in the past, I easily got emotional instead of rational. I forgot to send righteous thoughts and did not treat them as sentient beings.
Actually no matter how good the other person's attitude is or how good the effect of the truth-clarification, we should pay attention to the process and not argue with everyday people. We should not be moved by the result and should not have any attachments of zealotry or disappointment. We should have righteous thoughts and actions. The process of clarifying the truth is also the process of cultivating oneself. If we believe “The cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master” (Zhuan Falun), it is not difficult to clarify the truth face to face. Certainly I have not fully achieved what Master said about not missing any predestined people. Sometimes I have been interfered with by human notions and selfishness. Afterward I was very regretful. Most of the time when it happened, it is mainly because my Fa-study was not good and I did not have strong righteous thoughts. Sometimes it was really that one thought that caused me miss the predestined person.
My cultivation still has a big gap compared to other practitioners. The Fa-rectification has already reached the end. But I am constantly interfered with by the human notions and cut corners in my cultivation, and am not strict with myself. Certainly I won't acknowledge this as my true self and I absolutely won't walk the path arranged by the old forces. The process of writing this experience sharing is also a process of cultivation, which lets me clearly see my shortcomings, and allows me to advance diligently. I cannot always take from other practitioners' experiences-- I should write more experience sharing articles in the future too, not for the pursuit of getting it published, but to improve myself as a whole and help Master to rectify the Fa.
Thank you Master for your compassionate salvation.
Please kindly point out anything incorrect in my understanding.
