(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in February 2013. I mistook Falun Dafa for an ordinary exercise at the beginning, and I wasn't sure what fellow practitioners were doing. Although I didn't understand why, I felt depressed when I wasn't able to go to the practice site. One day, as we were doing the exercises, I suddenly felt something strike my abdomen so powerfully that I cried. I was frightened and told fellow practitioners. They calmed me down, and they gave me the book Zhuan Falun the next day.
A Crucial Step in Cultivation: Eliminating Lust
I didn't take seriously the matter of lust when I first started cultivating. One veteran practitioner told me how important this was for practitioners. I laughed when she told me that all fellow practitioners avoid extra marital sexual relations. But, because I thought highly of this practitioner, I kept reading Zhuan Falun,and tried to have my own enlightenment on the issue.
A work colleague was flirting with me. After some hesitation, I gave in. The moment we met, I felt that his lips were covered with black matter like karma, and I felt repulsed. I also felt as if someone was pushing my body into his body, and that force was so powerful that I had to put in a lot of effort to keep my body still, and away from him. He told me later that he was in a relationship. I realized that all this was a test for me. I subsequently kept away from him.
During the following months I realized I was emotionally moved, and longed for his company. Although I kept sending righteous thoughts, my feelings would not go away.
I had a dream one day that I was flying in some other dimensions back and forth, and I could move wherever I wished. This man suddenly appeared, but he was naked. He sat behind me, touched my hands, and dragged me down. I suddenly couldn't fly. I was stuck on the ground with him. I tried to fly again but I couldn't move.
This dream was a wake-up call. I started sending righteous thoughts more diligently, but I made little progress.
I read an experience sharing on the Minghui website about how a practitioner got over her lust by sending righteous thoughts. The article woke me up. I knew I had to eliminate lust, and sent righteous thoughts more than four times a day. I sent righteous thoughts for three hours on the first day. It was the first time I had done this, so I was exhausted at the end.
I woke up feeling better the next morning. I continued sending righteous thoughts, and continued eliminating the thoughts I had for this man in all other dimensions. After a week, I could tell most of the lust had been eliminated. Instead of lust, I felt friendship and compassion towards this person. I also became more honest about my feelings towards him.
Before I eliminated lust, I was jealous, and worried about what he thought about me, I longed for his company and dreamed about being with him. I realized that all these attachments were coming from lust.
To my understanding, lust is in direct relation to our bodies. As long as we make our bodies a priority, pain, pleasure, excitement, jealousy, fame, and fear will torture us.
Lust keeps us locked to the world of the Three Realms, a world of illusion. Sex, food, comfort, and laziness are all major obstacles to our cultivation. I understand that this is why Master says in Lecture Six of Zhuan Falun,
“Throughout history, or from the perspective of higher dimensions, the issues of one’s desire and lust have been very critical in determining whether one can practice cultivation.”
However, the test of lust was not over for me. Master arranged one more test for me to realize the severity of this attachment. The moment I let go of lust for this person, I started working hard for Dafa projects. I spent more time with fellow practitioners.
I then realized that I felt closer to those fellow practitioners that I felt were attractive. I thought this was just friendship, but I realized that it was connected to lust, though it was hidden behind being friendly. I immediately started eliminating this hidden attachment with righteous thoughts until I felt it went away completely.
I sat in meditation one day, and felt my body lifting, ready to fly. Master says in Lecture One of Zhuan Falun,
“The more you empty the bottle, the higher it will float in the water. If it is emptied entirely, it will float on the surface completely.”
Clarifying the Facts to Chinese People
To clarify the facts about Falun Gong to Chinese people, I went to Santorini, a Greek island visited by thousands of Chinese tourists every year. I traveled by myself. A group of Chinese people was sitting behind my seat. I slipped them a newspaper about quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and continued reading Zhuan Falun. I could hear the newspaper rustling as a Chinese girl read it.
She suddenly started screaming. All the Chinese gathered together to read. One middle-aged man left, looking very anxious, and all the laughing and talking between them stopped completely. I continued reading. After finishing the lecture, I laid Zhuan Falun down and fell asleep. When I woke up, I saw a little Chinese girl aged five or six watching me attentively. When she realized I’d woken up, she touched my head and left.
Although I don’t speak Chinese, this incident gave me courage to continue with truth clarification to Chinese people. I found out that it was easier for me to do so when we actually landed on the island. During my stay on the island I gave many newspapers to Chinese people.
On the way back to Athens, I traveled alone by boat again. I started sending righteous thoughts and gave a newspaper to a Chinese man. He smiled and just took the newspaper. I lost sight of him and started walking up the steps to the boat. The Chinese man was there with his wife. When they saw me, they started waving at me in a friendly manner, showing their appreciation.
To my understanding, this gesture was a congratulatory message from Chinese people, recognizing the importance of our mission and our unconditional offer to them out of compassion.
I used to have doubts whether a letter or a newspaper could change people's hearts, but I was now confident that they could really make a huge difference. We should do our best to clarify the truth to Chinese people.
The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the European Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference)
