(Minghui.org) Mr. Zenon Dolnyckyj is a Falun Dafa practitioner from New York. Like many other practitioners who attended the 2015 New York Fa Experience Sharing Conference, he was very touched by practitioners' sharing and Master's teaching. He said: “The Fa Conference was uplifting and grounding. I felt that various aspects of my life were elevated.”
He continued: “Every practitioner's sharing was sensible; from the seventy-year old practitioner who only had three years of education but went out of her way to clarify the truth to Chinese people; to diligent young practitioners who would not slack off; and a successful entrepreneur who realized his hidden attachments and started to wholeheartedly participate in truth-clarification volunteer work. I learned from them that practitioners' selfless devotion is boundless and can benefit this troublesome world. This reminded and prompted me to be steadfast in my belief - the true purpose of life.”
He was most moved by Master's teaching: “I was in awe of Master's profound teaching and his gentle demeanor. He gave meticulous guidance to my cultivation. His immense benevolence filled my heart. I feel so lucky.”
Medical Expert: Cultivation Helps Me Truly Understand Myself
Dr. Viviana Galli is a psychiatrist. She thinks that attending experience sharing conferences is very important. She said: “When I see so many good practitioners, this reminds me to be humble. Many practitioners' cultivation state is better than mine, motivating me to catch up. I need to be more compassionate and patient in my work. This is exactly what I needed.”
The entrepreneur's sharing of realizing the root cause of his problems was his selfishness resonated with Viviana. She said: “He recognized that he didn't do his best in truth-clarification work – he was just going through the motions. I learned that if you are 100% committed and dedicated to something, the results would be much better. I find myself very impatient, and I need to improve on that. As for compassion, I should see things from other people's perspectives – their struggles, the historical reasons behind their actions. I should interact with people more and try to understand them. This helps me to look at things from a different angle.”
Before Viviana became a Dafa practitioner, she didn't choose her career for monetary reasons. She shared her thoughts: “After I started Dafa practice, I have a deeper understanding of how material things cannot fulfill people's needs. Even millionaires who have a lot of material things are not really rich since the material things cannot satisfy their quest for spiritual elevation. Material things come and go. An earthquake can make people lose everything. Cultivation practice is for people's soul and spirit. It gives people what they really need, revealing to people that life's purpose is not for money, houses and luxury cars; it's for returning to their original, true selves. Only cultivation practice can let us know who we really are and what real happiness is.
“Natural attainment without pursuit." (Lecture in Sydney)
Practitioner Richard Li is from Canada. In 1997, he went to Canada to obtain an advanced degree and was introduced to Dafa by a schoolmate. After he became a Dafa practitioner, he attends the New York Fa Conference almost every year. He said: “Each year, more and more practitioners are at the Fa conference. I see more and more new practitioners. For the past couple of years, we had to use a stadium to hold that many practitioners.”
He was very impressed by the sharing from a young practitioner from the Shen Yun Performing Arts group. He said: “First of all, his sharing was pure and touching. Secondly, his Chinese was very good. He grew up overseas, yet his Chinese writing is genuine and mature, even better than some native speakers' writing.”
He continued: “This young practitioner entered a completely new field (editor's note: the practitioner used to be a dancer and was asked to be in charge of stage lighting). He started from scratch. But he devoted himself to the job and became better and better. His skills and xinxing got elevated. He demonstrated a maturity level that's far beyond his age. Challenged with a big change in life, he faced it with a clear head and a calm heart. Dafa taught practitioners to be selfless. Master said before: 'natural attainment without pursuit.' His unconditional devotion and effort was not to pursue anything in return. “
“When practitioners do things to help others and for selfless reasons, Dafa will give them wisdom. My own experience proved this too.” Two years ago, Richard, who has a doctor's degree in Physical Chemistry, began to study classic Chinese poems, especially those from the Tang Dynasty. After just a year, his poems received rave reviews.
Richard said: “This is not because I personally have great capabilities. After I started Dafa practice, I had a brand new view of life. I cherish people's lives. I was greatly saddened by the fact that so many Chinese people were deceived by lies and hate propaganda against Dafa spread by the CCP's media. Humanity has been smothered. I had a desire to clarify the truth to Chinese people using poems, and Master gave me wisdom to achieve this aspiration.”
Getting Rid of Attachments and Facing Life's Uncertainties with a Calm Heart
Practitioner Luo Wen was from Brussels, Belgium. She works in the media. Although she is very busy, she flies from Europe to New York every year to attend the Fa Conference. She believes that the experience sharing of practitioners from around the world is precious and very helpful for her cultivation.
She was moved by the sharing of a practitioner who teaches at the Taiwan University. While the practitioner was preparing for a Shen Yun presentation at a local community gathering, her husband suddenly passed away. She became a single mother with two young children. She gained strength from Dafa and went through the difficult time.
Luo Wen said: “Faced with such a tragedy, she still didn't forget her responsibilities as a practitioner. She was thinking of others, looking inwards and trying to get rid of her attachments.”
“Nowadays, so many people live for fame, money and sentimentality. Even if they lose just a little bit of it, they cannot stand it. Fame, money and sentimentality became their spiritual pillar that they cannot live without. But fame, money and sentimentality are superficial and fleeing. Dafa practitioners are eliminating their attachments to fame and money and replacing sentimentality with compassion. That's why they can deal with life's uncertainties with grace and dignity.
She thinks that the deteriorating moral value of today's China contributed to people being absorbed in these attachments. If people don't follow basic principles of human decency, it would be very difficult for them to resist temptation. As a result, more and more social problems cropped up. Society as a whole has no sense of responsibility, and people don't feel safe. Relying on the law alone cannot solve these emerging social issues.
Luo Wen pointed out that the CCP persecuted practitioners who believe in “Truth- Compassion-Forbearance." The perpetrators carried out the persecution for their own personal gain. However, they are paying the price now. She concluded: “Cultivation practice helps practitioners understand that good and evil are rewarded accordingly. They know what they can and cannot do. They are more relaxed, and the society is more at peace.”
