(Minghui.org) The 2014 Experience-Sharing Conference in Vancouver was held on June 28, and nearly 20 practitioners shared their stories. They exchanged understandings on their cultivation and how to tell the facts to people influenced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Ms. Qiu, who works in the news media, shared how she followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her work. “I was always anxious to interview celebrities and sometimes forgot to do it professionally,” she said. As she gained experience her ego grew, and she tended to disrespect others and pursue productivity while ignoring details. “It was through regular Fa-study and help from other practitioners that I gradually rectified myself and overcame various difficulties.”
Mr. Zhou, a successful real estate agent, had similar experiences. When encountering conflicts in the past, he always picked on others and thought he could see through their problems clearly. Later he changed. When he noticed others' shortcomings, he began to consider if he had similar issues. Very often the answer was yes, and he then began to find out which attachment(s) caused those issues. That enabled him to make breakthroughs in his cultivation.
Looking inward is not easy. This is especially the case when one examines oneself but fails to find anything inappropriate. One example is Ms. Guo, who had conflicts with another practitioner on a project they were working on together. She talked with him openly and sincerely, but the conflict remained unresolved and she did not know what to do.
Recalling those days, Ms. Guo said she was very upset. “But I did not give up and thought about it again later. By then I realized that I expected perfection when I did anything and often expected the same of others. Because of this, I got impatient with them and even looked down on them." After noticing these hidden attachments, she felt relieved and that that capacity of her heart had enlarged. The conflict with the other practitioner also diminished.
Cultivation is serious, and many practitioners shared their experience of how they relied on the Fa when encountering accidents.
When Ms. Yin, a sales representative, went to meet her clients three months after she learned to drive, she bumped into two other cars on the side of the road. She was told that, although the first car had some minor scratches, the second car and her own car would be totaled. What made it worse was that her insurance had expired four days earlier.
“I did not have much money and I was really worried,” said Ms. Yin. Her mother, also a practitioner, reminded her to check if there were any loopholes in her cultivation. She followed her advice and found many omissions. She also asked Teacher for help.
The situation immediately improved after Ms. Yin changed her mindset. The garage was able to repair the second car at a reasonable cost. Her own car was also fixed and runs well, and her insurance premium did not go up. “I am very grateful for Teacher’s compassion and help. He not only saved my life, but also kept the expense to minimum.”
Ms. Wang shared her story of traveling with three other practitioners to attend the New York Experience-Sharing Fa Conference in May, 2014. Their connecting flight was canceled because of bad weather, and they were told that the earliest arrival time would be 3 p.m. on the day of the conference.
Surprised, the four quickly calmed down. They knew how important it was to be on time to a Fa conference, and they also realized such a delay did not happen by accident. They thus not only looked inward to check their cultivation status, but also sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate any interference.
“In the end, we were able to switch to another flight and get to the Fa conference on time,” Ms. Wang said. “We were all moved to tears.”
Mr. He had some interesting experiences when he started to practice. As he read Zhuan Falun for the first time, he fell asleep many times, day after day. He eventually had to stand to read the book, forcing himself not to sleep.
Reading Zhuan Falun for the second time, he had an acute stomachache. He had never been in such pain. The pain lasted two hours and then stopped. When he read Zhuan Falun the third time, however, the pain came back, also lasting two hours.
These unusual experiences made Mr. He believe Falun Dafa was special. Through reading the books, he knew Teacher was purifying his body. And it was indeed the case. He has never again needed to take medicine or see a doctor since.
Ms. Wang, 75, has been going to the Chinese consulate and Chinatown for many years to tell Chinese people the facts of Falun Gong. “Those Chinese were deceived by CCP propaganda and turned against the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I need to tell them the true story,” she said.
It was a not an easy task. Many Chinese were initially very hostile. They did not listen to practitioners and treated them very badly. As time went on, they began to learn the facts and changed. “One of them is an older gentleman who owns a store.” She said, “He is almost a different person now [compared to how he used to be in the past]. He often greets practitioners with a smile and says, ‘Your group is the best in the world.’”
Karen, 20, came from China to study in Canada. She makes phone calls to China to tell them the real story of Falun Gong. “This is important for them; without knowing the truth, they may continue do bad things with the CCP and put their future in danger,” she said.
Making phones calls was also a test of her cultivation status. “Sometimes many people quit the CCP after I explained things to them, and I was overjoyed. At other times when very few people quit the CCP, I got upset,” Karen said. “I am doing much better now.”
Ms. Zhao, who was visiting from Toronto, shared how they told people the facts about Falun Gong in front of Toronto City Hall. “When it was very cold in the winter, we had to wear two winter coats. It was not easy, but we know we are doing something very important.”
Angela, an immigrant from Hong Kong, does not speak Chinese. “It took a long time for me to get to where I am today. After studying Buddhism and Taoism, I finally found that only Falun Dafa could help me return to my original self.”
That is why Angela was also eager to let Chinese people know the truth instead of being fooled by the CCP. She started a student organization at school to introduce Falun Dafa and sent over 1000 letters and emails to Chinese students, teachers, and staff members.
“Some of them wrote back to me and thanked me,” she said. “I am really happy for them.”