(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master. Greetings, fellow practitioners.
I am a sophomore in college, and I would like to share my cultivation experiences from the past ten years.
Clarifying the Truth as a Young Practitioner
While I was in the third grade, my younger brother and I began practicing Falun Gong because my father was a practitioner. At that time, we went to a local Fa study session every week to share with other practitioners. I was very young and always left my chair after Fa study to play with other little practitioners. As I grew older, one of the practitioners said in an experience sharing session that little practitioners should sit down quietly like others and listen. I never left my chair after Fa study after that.
At the elementary school, I was honored to join a dance group led by a practitioner. Through dance, I helped promote Falun Dafa and clarified the truth in Taiwan and overseas. Thinking back, I remember that my father spent two hours each week driving me so that I could attend the dance class. I didn't think that it was a lot of work at the time, and whenever there was a performance, I was very happy that the sentient beings understood the truth through my performance. Recently, however, I've not been able to do Dafa work pure-heartedly like I used to. Master said:
“That is why it's said that always cultivating as if you were just starting will surely result in achieving your ultimate rank.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference”)
I have to rediscover my enthusiasm and make it last until the end.
I had a lot of homework when I got into middle school and gradually parted from Dafa. When the biggest test at the middle school level approached, I couldn't withstand the tremendous pressure and cried whenever I was alone. My mother saw me, and Teacher reminded me through her words that I needed to study the Fa. I then returned to the path of cultivation by reading one poem in Hong Yin every day. One time I went to the Divine Land Marching Band practice with my father and younger brother. A practitioner saw me sitting there and asked if I wanted to learn to play a musical instrument. I joined the band that day, thanks to compassionate Teacher, and began to help clarifying the truth. At the time when I was about to break away from Falun Dafa, Teacher arranged an opportunity for me to return to the Fa. I should cherish this unprecedented chance and progress more diligently.
Every Dafa Project Is Equally Important
The summer before I went to college, I joined the journalist training camp held by New Tang Dynasty TV - Asia Pacific. After the camp, I knew that this was the path I wanted to follow. I was contemplating whether or not to quit the Divine Land Marching Band. After struggling with this for a long time, I shared my thoughts with my father. He asked why I couldn’t be in the band and work with NTDTV at the same time. I was speechless. After looking within, I realized that this was a good opportunity for me to expand my capacity.
A practitioner asked if I wanted to be the chief executive officer of the Falun Dafa workshop for college students, and I agreed without hesitation.
Master said,
“Everything has its karmic, causal relationships and doesn’t exist by accident. When something is not arranged for you, you won’t come across it.” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Guangzhou” from Zhuan Falun Fajie, The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
Thinking back, Teacher provided me the experience of arranging a workshop while in high school so that I could put it to better use for Dafa. As a Fa rectification period Dafa practitioner, I know that it's not enough to participate in only one Dafa project. I need to shoulder more and save more beings.
Clarifying the Truth in Hong Kong
During a Fa sharing session, a practitioner mentioned they were short of manpower in Hong Kong. I really wanted to help. I wanted to extend my stay in Hong Kong following the band's participation in the parade on July 1. My father and I stayed in Hong Kong for several days to help local practitioners clarify the truth to Chinese tourists.
Truth clarification in Kowloon Bay occurred only in the morning. The Hong Kong practitioners had to set up the posters and broadcast equipment early in the morning. We didn't know where everything went, so we sent righteous thoughts at the site. At noon, the sun was scorching and it took everyone an hour to put things away. On the last day in Hong Kong, I knew that, after we left, the local practitioners would have to spend more time setting up and putting away everything. They were truly amazing.
I listened to the experience sharing between Taiwan and Hong Kong practitioners a few times. I believed that Teacher arranged for me to listen to them. I had a lot of things to do and coordinate as the chief executive officer of the workshop for college students. Compared to these practitioners, however, the things I had to do were very simple and my responsibilities were fairly light. I often saw the things I had to do as if they were very serious.
Master reminded us:
“The bigger you perceive the challenges to be, the harder things will be to carry out, since 'the appearance stems from the mind.' And so the task will become increasingly burdensome.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”)
After I returned to Taiwan, I felt that my heart had expanded. The unknown pressure I used to feel running the workshop had disappeared.
We received a lot of mail from Hong Kong practitioners that entire summer, informing us that they needed support from Taiwan. I started planning a trip there before the semester began. I asked the practitioners I knew if they wanted to come, but everyone was either busy or had something else to do. Just when I was about to give up, one practitioner agreed to go with me and I was very excited.
That was my first time traveling overseas without my parents. At the airport, practitioners were assigned to different truth clarification sites, and some older practitioners were on the same team with us. I felt more secure, until we found out that they were staying in a different hotel and we were on our own again. Luckily, we got to the hotel without any problems because I'd stayed at that same hotel on my last trip. The hotel owner told us that two other Taiwanese practitioners who'd never been to Hong Kong were also staying there. The next few days, the four of us formed a team and I became their guide. The first time we returned to the hotel from the truth clarification site was a big challenge. I used the vague memory from my previous trip plus my instincts and got everyone back safely. I think that Teacher guided my instincts.
I tried working with the coordinator at the truth clarification site. When the evil people came to the truth clarification site to make trouble, I remembered that we were asked to record them on video—if we had the equipment. I asked the coordinator, and he agreed for me to use my cell phone to record the incident. Watching the evil ones covering our posters one by one, I thought that if practitioners stood in front of each poster, they then wouldn't be able to cover them. I shared my idea with the coordinator, but he said, “Just pay attention to what you are doing.” I looked within and realized that if we all had opinions to share and expected the coordinator to use them, then he would have difficulties. My understanding of a coordinator's responsibilities improved, and I did my best to work with the coordinator over the next few days.
Master said,
“Although they have found several dozen deceivers--dregs of humanity--to put on this disgraceful act, just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I learned what Teacher meant by “having your heart unaffected” in Hong Kong. While sending righteous thoughts, I often became curious about what the evil people were doing and opened my eyes. After I realized that my heart was affected, I never opened my eyes again while sending righteous thoughts.
Clarifying the truth in Hong Kong was a wonderful experience. The three things was really all I had to do. In Taiwan, I often had the attachment of seeking comfort and couldn't do the three things well. This is something I must improve upon.
Cultivating at Home
I didn't go home very often after entering college. Whenever I went home, I just wanted to relax. I behaved like a non-practitioner; I was rude to my parents and refused to help with housework. When my mother nagged me, I didn't talk back, but I thought a lot of things that were inappropriate for a practitioner. This repeated over and over, and I failed the test again and again.
Once, I had a fight with my mother and we emailed back and forth on the issue. Suddenly, I was awakened to an email that I'd previously written. I looked at the message, thinking “How could I could be such an ordinary person, completely unable to look within?” Nothing in that message conformed to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Master said,
“Since I have mentioned this individual problem, I need to say that—and of course, I have mentioned it to you on numerous occasions—when running into a conflict, everyone should search inside themselves. Yet some people still can’t seem to search within when they encounter a conflict. Some people can become aware of it, while some aren’t even willing to consider it or even completely forget that they are cultivators. I would say that’s not doing well enough.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference”)
I began paying attention to my attitude. During time spent with my family, I constantly reminded myself that I was a practitioner and couldn't slack off just because they were my family. Master said:
“If you’re a good person wherever you go and hold yourself to the requirements of the Fa...” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Guangzhou” from Zhuan Falun Fajie, The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained)
A practitioner is a practitioner no matter where he is, even at home.
I wanted to write about my experiences after I saw the call for papers for this conference, but my strong attachment to comfort interfered. The next day, Practitioner A reminded me that I should try to write something. At that time, I asked myself why I didn't want to write anything. Apparently, I was lazy and very attached to comfort.
Teacher said,
“To sum it up, you’re not willing to trouble yourself and you want to have it easy. Or in other words, you’re not willing to make good on what you are to do. That doesn’t work, and that is dangerous.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching”)
I told myself that it was time to make a breakthrough. I calmed down and looked within, then eliminated the attachment to comfort along with many others. After completing the article, I was enlightened to many more things. I believe that the process of writing an article is a form of cultivation.
I would like to encourage everyone with Teacher’s verse:
“Be resolute cultivating Dafa, the mind unstirred
Climbing in levels is what’s fundamental
Faced with tests, a person’s true character is revealed
May you Consummate—
a Buddha, Dao, or God”
(“True Character is Revealed” from Hong Yin II)
Thank you, Master. Thank you, everyone.
