(Minghui.org) I am a new practitioner. Whenever I go on the Internet, I read cultivation articles written by fellow practitioners. I have benefited a lot from these articles. Just as Master said:
“'Tis the way to get rid of attachments most effectively
There is no way to skip ordeals, big or small”
(“Who's Right, Who's Wrong” from Hong Yin III)
I've encountered lots of tests in my cultivation. Some tests were passed easily, and some took me several rounds to overcome. I would like to share them with fellow practitioners and also encourage myself.
Master said:
“'What is a Dafa disciple? Who is worthy of being a Dafa disciple?' If one doesn’t have the requisite predestined relationship, he really cannot come in,” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
My parents and most of our relatives started cultivating Falun Dafa before the persecution started in 1999. At that time I was in college. Later, I graduated from college, but I did not really start cultivation until this year. I feel like crying as I write this, because Master never gave up on me and enlightened me in different ways.
In 2005, the company that I worked for arranged for me to take charge of the sales department in Zhangjiakou City. A veteran colleague accompanied me so that I could get familiar with the market and the dealers. That colleague happened to be a Dafa practitioner. Every night he studied the Fa on an electronic book. After finding out that both my parents were Dafa practitioners, he encouraged me to study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts with him. We were together for about 10 days, then he went back to Xintai City. After that, I stopped cultivation for no particular reason.
In 2006, it was arranged for me to teach in a school. Later, I married, and my wife and I had a son. I was totally lost in ordinary people's society. At that time, my mother brought me truth clarification materials, but I did not feel like reading them anymore after finishing a couple of pages. I had lots of dreams during that time. In the dreams, I saw dead bodies everywhere. There was no life at all. I ran all over the deserted place to look for life until I woke up in fear. Looking back now, wasn't Master enlightening me, a foolish student?
It shames me to mention that the true reason I started cultivation was my physical health. I was only in my 30s, but during a physical check up, I was diagnosed with hypertension, a moderately fatty liver, a heart problem, and high blood sugar. I was so scared. At that time, I remembered Master and Zhuan Falun. Master spent so much effort on me; tears come to my eyes just thinking about this.
When I first started cultivation, my legs hurt terribly during the sitting mediation. I recalled that Master said:
“'When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.'” (Lecture 9, Zhuan Falun)
So I gritted my teeth and continued. Sometimes it was extremely painful. Once after I put down my legs, one whole leg was very numb. At that time, my four-year-old son came over and said, “Numb? Stick to it!” I knew that Master used my child's words to enlighten me.
After I started cultivation, I studied the Fa every day. With the improvement of my cultivation, I realized that I should do the three things. When clarifying the truth to save people, I started to hesitate. What should I say, and how could I save people? Although it appeared to be easy, to a new practitioner it is a difficult task. This is especially so because it is a test of one's understanding of the Fa and whether one can have righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Those days were hard for me.
Maybe Master saw my sincere wish to save people. One day I took the bus with my son and found a cell phone worth about 1,000 yuan. The cell phone had the phone numbers of the owner's family. Through them I found the owner. When I returned the cell phone to the owner, I declined the gift he offered. I told him that Falun Gong practitioners believe in Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. My behavior showed him that Dafa practitioners are good people. I clarified the truth to him and helped him quit the CCP.
After this experience, I felt that I elevated to a higher level. Every pore of my body felt very comfortable. Now I realize that Master has already arranged everything: we just have to take action.
Master also reminded me to pay attention to sending forth righteous thoughts. Once in my dream I saw many demons without eyes, ears, or mouths catching and threatening people everywhere. I was running with the ordinary people. When the demons had almost got me, I sat down and started to send forth righteous thoughts.
“fa zheng qian kun
xie e quan mie
fa zheng tian di
xian shi xian bao”
(“The Two Hand Positions for Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Then I saw the demons gradually had eyes, noses, and mouths and became normal people. Because there were so many demons, someone shouted, “Falun Dafa is good! Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” Then many people started to shout it. All the demons immediately disappeared. After I woke up, I realized that practitioners' sending forth righteous thoughts can eliminate the demons and save people. Ordinary people, just by remembering “Falun Dafa is good! Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” can avoid evil and truly be rewarded. Since then, I've realized sending forth righteous thoughts is very important and very serious.
For a period of time, because I was attached to comfort, I did not feel like getting up and sending forth righteous thoughts. In my dreams, I saw a dog sticking to me and I could not get rid of it. At that time I did not remember to send forth righteous thoughts at all. Suddenly a dog-shaped being came to me and entered my body. I woke up immediately and saw my room filled with characters that I could not recognize (probably from other dimensions). I sat up and looked at them carefully. They disappeared, but I still felt something was wrong. I sent forth righteous thoughts. Then I felt a swirl of wind came out from the top of my head. It was like a vacuum sucking something out. Then I became fully awake and saw on my watch that it was 2 a.m. Then I read Zhuan Falun until 5 a.m. The next day, I shared this with my mother and other practitioners. I am very grateful for their help.
Through these two incidents, I realized that cultivation is extremely serious. Just like Master said
“Our path is narrow. If you go off course ever so slightly, there will be problems.”(“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
I hope practitioners can all be diligent and return with Master to reach consummation.
Since I have only cultivated for a short period of time. If there is anything wrong in my article, please compassionately point it out.
