(Minghui.org) Reciting Master's Lunyu and looking back on my cultivation of the past twenty years, I have gained a deeper understanding of Master’s teachings:
“Dafa is the wisdom of the Creator.” (“On Dafa”)
“And any cultivator who is able to become one with Dafa is an enlightened one—divine.” (“On Dafa”)
Finding Dafa
I felt like going for a stroll in the park in early May 1996. This was unusual for me, as I preferred sleeping in until late morning on a holiday. In a corner of the park, I noticed three men reading a book. My curiosity led me to approach them.
As I was handed the book and opened it, Master’s photo seized my attention. So did the sentence, “Our Falun Dafa is based upon the highest standard of the universe, Zhen, Shan, and Ren, all of which we cultivate simultaneously.” (Zhuan Falun)
Although the book was in high demand and out of print, I was able to obtain my own copy three days later. This was an important turning point in my life.
Filled With Happiness
From the day I obtained Zhuan Falun, I no longer slept in. Instead, I joined the early morning group exercise in the park every day. We did the exercises rain or shine. This lasted until July 20, 1999, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its persecution of Falun Dafa.
My cultivation advanced quickly. I joined a group Fa study and studied Dafa on my own as much as time permitted. The meaning of the Fa kept revealing itself the more I read the book. I experienced many of the phenomena Master talked about in his book, including elimination of karma during the sitting meditation and dazzling light in the celestial eye.
When I studied the Fa and did the exercises, my heart was often filled with happiness. Regardless of the external environment, I always saw a world filled with light and beautiful scenery once I closed my eyes.
Displaying the Goodness of Dafa
Prior to my practice of Dafa, I was not promoted to the intermediate level. I deemed myself well qualified in terms of seniority and publications. Thus, I appealed to higher-level authorities and complained to my direct supervisors. In the end, I was promoted to the intermediate level, but many of my superiors were offended.
I obtained a new perspective on the incident after reading Zhuan Falun.
“What is rank, and why was I so obsessed with it?” I thought to myself. “Rank is an acknowledgment of one’s professional skills and abilities. It comes with a raise in salary. So, it basically boils down to fame and personal gain.”
Additionally, my struggle for higher rank exposed my jealous, competitive and bellicose mentality.
Master said,
“In ordinary human society, people compete with, deceive, and harm each other for a little personal gain. All of these mentalities must be given up. Especially for people who are studying the practice today, these mentalities should be given up even further.” (Zhuan Falun)
After studying the Fa, my heart was purified, and I found my old self and deeds laughable. Soon, I was promoted to an executive position. Master said, “Only through adhering to Dafa can one be truly right.” (Zhuan Falun)
I did not retaliate against those who had opposed me. Instead, I used my new position and authority to help solve their problems. They later expressed their gratitude through various channels. They learned first-hand the goodness of Falun Dafa and its practitioners.
Turning Point in Life and Cultivation
I was introverted and not good in expressing myself growing up, and thus did not become a teacher. After I started practicing Dafa and joined truth-clarification efforts, Master saw my eager heart and arranged for me to teach at a university in 2004. He granted me the wisdom and abilities needed for such a position. My new teaching position opened up a whole new world for my truth clarification.
After accepting the teaching position, I passed the exam mandated by the government and became a certified college instructor. I talked to my students about Dafa. Every semester, my students rated me highly. I was promoted to associate professor in 2006. Accepting the teaching position was a tremendous turning point in my life and cultivation.
I continued to uphold a high standard in terms of my personal cultivation. I did the five sets of exercises in the morning and studied the Fa whenever I had time. I was filled with energy. Usually, toward the end of a semester, I had a high success rate of persuading my students to quit the Party and its youth organizations.
Clarifying the Truth in the Classroom
The provincial and municipal governments require colleges to insert content slandering Dafa in their teaching materials. I added a thought concerning the elimination of such materials in my daily righteous thoughts.
A university’s local CCP committee placed student informants into each class to monitor the instructor’s teaching activities and report back, through official forms, to the department authorities once or twice a week. Most cases of practitioners clarifying the truth being reported to the authorities were a direct result of these student informants. Thus, practitioners must treat these students with compassion and refrain from being antagonistic. This would not only stop them from reporting practitioners but also protect and defend the practitioners.
To be more effective in clarifying the truth during classes, I would find materials on Minghui.org and sort them into various categories. Then, I made small cue cards with signs only I understood. This helped me talk about Dafa.
I was assigned as the residential counselor in charge of student dormitory affairs. I used this opportunity to visit dorm rooms and interact with students while casually recommending various programs to break through the internet filtering and censorship. These tools worked well in concert with the in-class truth clarification.
Searching Inside
Over time, I have come to realize that Dafa is the source of practitioners' wisdom. However, our own karma and attachments are living substances that can hinder our power and interfere with our wisdom. Therefore, we must search within ourselves to rid ourselves of attachments and human notions. Master said, “For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference IX)
My wife had read Dafa books but did not want to practice it. Prior to the persecution, she was very supportive of my practice. My family environment made a turn for the worse because of the persecution. Watching practitioners in our local community being fired, imprisoned and their families broken up, my wife turned more and more fearful. She kept hiding my Dafa books, laptop computer, and tape recorder for playing the exercise music.
At the time, I was combative and resisted. I even accused her of being a foot soldier for the CCP and the evil forces. Our relationship reached rock bottom, and this persisted for over a year.
I finally learned my lesson and started to follow Master’s teaching, “… you should search your inner self and work hard on your heart ...” (Zhuan Falun)
I found my deeply hidden attachment to fear. After that, my wife’s attitude made a sharp turn, and she no longer opposed my practicing Dafa.
Going to Extremes
An old friend of mine was promoted to a team lead position at the local scientific society. After the persecution started in 1999, he actively participated in compiling pamphlets defaming Falun Dafa with labels such as superstition. Within half a year, he suffered heart disease and was hospitalized for half a month.
I was certain at the time that it was due to karmic retribution and did not visit him in the hospital. He held a grudge against me for that, and our friendship ended there.
After studying the Fa and looking within, I realized that I had gone to an extreme when handling my relationship with him. I felt superior because I was a practitioner and held resentment toward his partaking in the persecution. After he did things against Dafa, I did not communicate well with him. My tone when talking to him was condescending, and I did not explain the truth thoroughly. I knew I lacked compassion and thus the power to change his heart and mind.
After realizing my shortcomings, the resentment harbored deep in my heart seemed to melt. I called him during the Chinese New Year and wished him a happy new year. I later attended his daughter’s wedding. Our relationship recovered afterwards.
One day, he told me that he was going to transfer to the city's 610 Office. This time, I did not talk down to him or reproach him. Instead, I invited him to a meal at my home the next day. After the meal, I showed him a video explaining the Tiananmen self-immolation hoax. He seemed shocked and watched it twice.
Then, I talked about life in general and the principle that good is rewarded and evil is punished. I also suggested that he not side with the CCP and its persecution apparatus, which were destined to collapse sooner or later.
After hours of conversation, he eventually changed his perception of Dafa and admitted to me that he would reconsider his transfer to the 610 Office. He told me later that, after serious contemplation and discussion with family members, he did not accept the position with the 610 Office.
