(Minghui.org) I am an elderly Dafa disciple and have been cultivating for 16 years. When I first obtained the Fa, Master purified my body. As a result, I have consistently been healthy ever since. I cannot compare myself with practitioners who are cultivating in earnest, but I am still a particle of Dafa and have the responsibility to report to Master about my cultivation experiences, which I also want to share with fellow practitioners as a means to improve myself.
Creating a Good Cultivation Environment for Fellow Practitioners
The group Fa study environment is serene and peaceful, benevolent and pure. I feel strongly about this field. Right after I obtained the Fa, I would go to that environment to study Zhuan Falun and memorize Essentials for Further Advancement , Hong Yin, etc. I submerged myself every day in this compassionate and harmonious energy field.
Master recommends that we join the environment of group Fa study. However, after 1999 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the persecution for Falun Dafa, it was not easy to find such an environment. Family members of several practitioners I knew were all deceived by the CCP’s lies and opposed Dafa, making it practically impossible for us to gather together at these homes to study the Fa and do the exercises.
So, I wanted to set up a Fa study site in my home, although I had reservations about doing so. I was afraid my husband and children would not approve. I was also afraid my neighbors would know, since there would be a constant stream of strangers going in and out of my home every week, thus creating possible bad feelings with them. However, I overcame my fears, convinced my family, and the Fa study site in my house started and has continued without any disturbance all these years.
When fellow practitioners come for Fa study every week, I will already have all the truth-clarification materials and currency bills with Dafa messages written on them ready to be picked up. Some practitioners have computers at their home but cannot get online, so I also download the Minghui Weekly and the daily articles on the Minghui website for them. Now, practitioners are all very enthusiastic about coming over. Some even say that they feel the urge to come especially when they have not done so for a while. I think that’s because everybody feels at home and is enjoying speedy improvement in their cultivation.
There was a newcomer to my home, who is actually a veteran practitioner who stopped practicing when her husband beat her every time she studied the Fa. She improved tremendously over the last two years once she started coming to our Fa study group. She is already one of the most successful in helping people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Master said:
“Study the Fa and gain the Fa, Focus on how you study and cultivate, Let each and every thing be measured against the Fa. Only then, with that, is it actually cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation” from Hong Yin)
Through group Fa study and experience sharing, we are able to improve our xinxing tremendously and to raise our understanding of the Fa principles to higher levels. We have grown to love clarifying the truth and are able to save more and more people. Those who stayed at home have started to step forward. Now, practitioners from other sites also come to our site to join in Fa study.
Saving People through Truth Clarification Work
I’ve always maintained a notion in my heart, and was convinced that because my educational level was low I was incompetent when it came to clarifying the truth. In fact, it was merely my attachment to fear. I was afraid I would be ridiculed, afraid I might be reported to the authorities, and afraid to talk to young people. Don't all these fears stem from the mentality of vanity? Through continuous Fa study, I began to recognize these were all actually very strong human attachments and needed to be eliminated if I were to be a true cultivator.
Master said:
“You have to get personally involved, cultivate, and go and put things into action. Working hard is part of your cultivation. You need to think of ways to find the people that you are meant to save.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching”)
I was fortunate enough to have become a Dafa disciple during this Fa-rectification period. I must fulfill my vows and accomplish my mission. And so, every day, I go out to clarify the truth, distribute truth-clarification materials, hand out Shen Yun DVDs and save people. While handing out Shen Yun DVDs, I’ll always talk about authentic Chinese culture, how the show presents many traditional myths and legends, and how these all deal with the principles that both good and bad deeds will be repaid in time. I’ll also tell them about Shen Yun’s backdrops and costumes, and the world-class skill of the performers. Most people gladly take a Shen Yun DVD.
It is truly difficult to save people. Sometimes it will take several hours before I meet someone with a predestined relationship. However, I keep my heart steady and unmoved. When practitioners around me are able to help more than 20 people a day quit the CCP, I used to get very anxious: Why is it that I can’t open my mouth when I meet up with people? If I keep this up, how many predestined people will miss the opportunity? I must make more effort to break through this interference. With my will to save people, Master stepped in to help me. Slowly, I began to talk to more people. Sometimes, people were willing to quit the CCP after just a few short words. I know it’s Master helping me. I’ll give a few examples:
One day, I was walking on the street when somebody suddenly called out to me. I looked but did not recognize the face. At once I told myself: Here comes someone seeking salvation. When we started talking, I realized she was the daughter of a friend I knew some twenty years ago. I clarified the truth to her, gave her some materials, and helped her to quit the CCP. She was very happy.
Sometimes I’ll meet people who are very difficult to talk to. I would keep my heart unmoved and do my best to save them. One time, I met someone working for the Public Security Bureau. I was a bit uncomfortable at first, until I found out that he knew my old boss. I spoke to him in the third person, and told him that Falun Gong is openly practiced in Hong Kong and Macao but is persecuted in Mainland China. I suggested that he travel to either of these places to take a look for himself at how the outside world views Falun Gong. He did not respond. I regretted deeply that I did not help him quit the CCP. After a period of time, I ran into him again. This time I openly clarified the truth to him, gave him truth-clarification materials and helped him to quit the Party.
Last year, one of my old colleagues had a stroke. I had given him a copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party before, but hadn’t helped him to quit the Party. When I went to see him, he was in a semi-conscious state. His children told me that sometimes he would be alert and sometimes he would be confused. I sent righteous thought to eliminate the old force factors behind him. He became alert after a little while. I took further steps to clarify the truth to him and he renounced the Party promptly. What surprised me was that there were three Party members in his household, but under my diligent persuasion, they all understood the truth about Falun Gong and quit the CCP. So, my trip wasn't wasted and I was truly grateful to Master. It was Master’s compassion that allowed these three lives to be saved and all I did was move my mouth for a bit. After a month, my old colleague passed away quietly and in peace.
Recently, I clarified the truth to a retiree. He told me: “I’ve already quit the Party and have also listened to a lot of news about Falun Gong, but how do you practice Falun Gong. I really want to learn. Will that be okay?” It appeared that he endorsed Falun Gong. He asked me to find him a copy of Zhuan Falun. When I handed him a copy of the precious book, he was extremely excited.
Half a month later, when I saw him again, he said: “This book is wonderful. I must practice Falun Gong. Please teach me.” But where could we find a suitable location since his family disapproved of him practicing. Finally, we decided to look for an empty room. I spent two days teaching him the five exercises and gave him a copy of the exercise instruction CD. I was grateful that I had led him down the path of cultivation. He wanted to treat me to dinner, but I told him he should just thank Master instead.
Over these past several years, there have been many moving incidents on my truth-clarification and cultivation path. Every person that is saved has a moving story behind them. I have only touched on a few examples. I deeply appreciate the fact that when I clarify the truth, I am simultaneously cultivating away my attachments to fame, fortune, and sentimentality so that I improve my xinxing, rid myself of all attachments, and have my awareness raised to keep up with the progress of Fa-rectification.
Letting Go of Sentimentality
On my path of cultivation these ten-plus years, I have been able to basically walk steadily without too many ups and downs and without too many tribulations, and so I have always felt as if I have not improved much. In fact, that feeling is a kind of attachment. Everybody’s path is different, and nobody’s path is smooth sailing.
Although I said that I haven’t experienced many tribulations, several of my family members have passed away over these past few years, creating some trials to test my attachment to sentimentality.
My first son-in-law passed away when he had just turned 40 years old. It was only after some tribulations that I was able to rid myself of the attachment of sentimentality towards my daughter and being concerned for her feelings. Others thought I should go and keep my daughter company, but I thought that because I am a practitioner, saving people is my real mission. Shortly after that, my mother also passed away.
But what hit me the most was my husband’s death two years ago. My husband and I lived together alone. Our children lived a little distance away. My husband was very supportive of Dafa in his latter years. For an ordinary person, the sudden departure of a spouse, a constant companion for several decades, is the most devastating thing that could happen in one’s twilight years. Many older people succumb to this sentimentality, being weighed down under this pain and suffering from longing and memories.
However, I am Master’s disciple who has already understood the meaning of life on a deeper level and will not sink into the quagmire of human sentimentality. On a human level, we were husband and wife, but on another level, he should be a sentient being in my universe. To awaken him was the true purpose of our being together. Because he acknowledged Dafa, Master will arrange the best for him. I shouldn’t grieve over his departure from this world. After I was able to look at my husband’s death from the standpoint of Fa principles, I managed to get through this ordeal and it did not negatively impact my clarifying the truth and saving people.
I’ve now lived alone for over a year. Every day, I study the Fa, do the exercises, send forth righteous thought, distribute truth-clarification materials, clarify the truth, and save people, and continue to make truth-clarification amulets. The demand for amulets these past two years has kept increasing, even from other regions, and I will do my best to meet the demand. I keep myself busy but joyful every single day.
However, this year, because my eldest grandson started working close by, my family asked me to let him stay with me, to keep me company and so that I can cook for him. This may be considered a suitable arrangement by some, but I blew up as soon as I heard this proposition. I considered this as interference because it would affect my doing the three things and because I have gotten used to living alone.
My grandson moved in, and the two of us were constantly at odds with each other. I wanted to kick him out but kept feeling that doing that would be wrong. Master tells us to cultivate in accordance with ordinary society. I keep saying “save people, save people,” but I couldn't even include my own grandson in that. Where was my compassion and kind heart as a practitioner? Fellow practitioners also pointed out that my grandson came to help me improve my xinxing. With no interference or tribulations, how could I improve my xinxing? How would my son, daughter-in-law, and other sentient beings look at Dafa?
My children were just beginning to learn to respect Dafa. Many years ago, I had a growth on the tip of my nose. Because it was clearly visible to others, my children wanted me to have it surgically removed. But I did not agree. This year, the growth suddenly disappeared. This surprised my children. I told them it was because I cultivate Dafa and Master had removed it for me. My whole family thought it was a miracle, and believed that Falun Dafa is really good. They were all convinced and said that I should go ahead and practice as much as I want. They said that they would not worry about me.
My family had just changed their original attitude about Dafa. Now, if I tried to do something about my grandson, it definitely would bring a negative effect on Dafa. After looking inward, I changed my attitude towards my grandson. Later, when my grandson would bring his friends over, I would clarify the truth to them. But then, this irked my grandson. I told him: “I do it for their good, to save them. The fact that you bring them home is their predestined relationship. I will allow you to bring friends over, and I will receive them with warm enthusiasm, but you must allow me to clarify the truth to them.” I finally got my grandson’s consent. I also told my children: “You are all independent now. I will not supply you with monetary support any more. All my retirement money, except for what I use for my personal needs, will be used for Dafa and Dafa projects.” They all agreed with me.
To keep up with the rapid progress of Fa-rectification, every day, except for clarifying the truth and saving people, I put increased efforts on studying the Fa, doing the exercises, and sending forth righteous thought. At the beginning, when I sent forth righteous thoughts, my heart would be unsteady. I constantly felt that my righteous thoughts were not having the proper effect. I even dozed off or failed to keep my hand erect. With continuous Fa study, I finally realized the essence of sending forth righteous thought in accordance with Master’s words.
Nowadays, during the four hours designated for sending forth righteous thoughts, I can feel strong energy in my surrounding environment. Each time, after sending righteous thoughts, I can feel that the field is especially clean. Now, every day, I bathe in the Buddha’s grace. I feel deep joy doing the three things. I am the most fortunate person, the most blessed. Master, I will definitely continue my efforts.
