(Minghui.org)
I started to practice Dafa after watching a Shen Yun performance in 2007, 11 years ago.
When I first read Zhuan Falun, I felt that it was no ordinary book. I read it over and over again and thought it was profound and mysterious. I then read all of Master's scriptures. I understood that, from then on, my life would be a life of cultivation. I felt so fortunate and blessed that I had the privilege to practice Dafa.
In those early days, I was completely immersed in the joy of obtaining the Fa. As I studied the Fa more and improved my level, I realized that clarifying the truth and saving all beings are the responsibilities of all Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples.
In addition to being a district assistant for the Dafa Association, I also joined the Tian Guo Marching Band. As a district assistant, I had to make sure to mind my own cultivation state as well as those of other practitioners in the district.
I joined the band after hearing a sharing from a practitioner in the band. It made me recognize the divine might of the band's music and its power to save sentient beings. After that, I played in the band at many community activities, cherishing each opportunity to fulfill predestined ties with sentient beings.
Master taught us:
“Since human beings have sentimentality, being upset is sentimentality, so are happiness, love, hatred, enjoying doing one thing, resenting doing another thing, preferring one person to another, hobbies, and dislikes. Everything belongs to sentimentality, and everyday people just live for it. Then, as a practitioner and one who rises above and beyond, one should not use this approach to judge things, and one should break away from them.” (Zhuan Falun)
Before I became a cultivator, I was a very emotional person. I wouldn't really consider others' feelings and was easily angered. My husband was well aware of that. He said that I could be very kind to him in the morning, only to ignore him at noon, and then blow up at him in the evening. After I obtained the Fa, I understood that I had been terrible to him and wasn't at all compassionate. Now, in hindsight, I really appreciate his tolerating me and loving me all these years.
My mother-in-law is 80 years old. My husband knows that I’m very busy doing the three things, so he doesn't ask me to stay home and take care of her. One time, my mother-in-law had a fever and became delirious. She was unable to cook or take care of herself, so my husband's younger brother took her to a nursing home.
But she didn't like it there and wanted to go home. When I learned how she felt, I told her that she would soon recover and assured her that she was only here because we wanted to make sure she got the best care – not because she was a burden. I promised her that I would make the house more comfortable and that once she got better, she could live comfortably at home.
With her hope renewed, she quickly recovered and went home. We found a helper to come in daily to cook and take care of her daily and also to keep her company. She was very happy and also grateful to me for arranging everything. I told her not to thank me, but to thank Dafa: it was because of Dafa that I became a kinder person.
She now understands that Dafa is good.
During an online conference with several other practitioners, one practitioner repeatedly rejected my suggestions and even called me personally afterward. She was angry, saying that I was too opinionated and that I never even considered her advice.
She and I usually worked well together on Dafa projects, and I always tried my best. What she said upset me and even made me angry.
But when I looked within, I found that I had strong attachments to doing things well and was eager for success, self-righteous, and afraid of conflict. During our discussion, I did not try to consider others' views or to explain things to them in-depth. So when they had dissenting opinions, I felt angry and wronged.
After looking within, I sincerely thanked this fellow practitioner for helping me to realize these bad human mindsets. I understand that this conflict happened for me to improve my xinxing. When I ran into her again, she treated me like always, as if nothing had ever happened.
Master said:
“Over the course of prehistory, everything of yours was being created, all along, according to how magnificent the disciples would be in the Fa-rectification period. So, it was arranged that when you reach the standard for ordinary Consummation, you still have, in the human world, all kinds of ordinary human thoughts and karma. The purpose is so that while doing Fa-rectification things you bring in, through your clarifying the truth and for the consummation of your paradises, beings that can be saved. As you consummate your own paradises you are, at the same time, eliminating your last karma, gradually getting rid of your human thoughts, and truly stepping forward from humanness.” (“Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
This paragraph touched me deeply and made me realize the importance of saving people. I knew I should go out and tell people about Falun Dafa and the persecution. So I began to clarify the truth at tourist sites, my first Dafa project, after I'd been practicing for about a year.
At first, I preferred to demonstrate the exercises, but this soon changed. One day, I was demonstrating the exercises with several other practitioners, when one of them asked me to clarify the truth to the Chinese tourists. I hesitated a bit but was able to summon my righteous thoughts instantly and became filled with energy. I wasn’t afraid at all. My weak voice also became louder and more clear. I was able to explain the facts with wisdom to the tourists from China.
Many tourists came that day and they all listened to me. I could feel that they really came for the truth, and I realized that they and their corresponding microscopic lives were listening to what I said.
That same day, we persuaded many Chinese tourists to quit the communist party. I know it was all because of Master's great compassion that we were able to save so many people while establishing our mighty virtue.
I eventually learned to persuade people to quit the CCP and clarify the truth at tourist sites by myself.
I once tried to help a young man of about 25 from China quit the Party. I went up to him and told him I'd picked a pseudonym for him under which he could quit the CCP.
“What are you talking about? You’re spouting nonsense!” he responded.
I was not afraid and said calmly, “It's your greatest blessing to come to Taiwan and learn the truth.”
I encouraged him to look at the facts with an open mind and cherish the opportunity to quit the Party. I sent forth righteous thoughts to eradicate the evil interference behind him.
He gradually calmed down and began to read the display boards. I spoke to him again, and this time, he agreed to quit the Party. He also came to thank me before he left.
Another time, I met an elderly couple. The wife asked me how much I was paid every day. I told her that I was a volunteer, that I only wanted to help people quit the Party, and that I wasn't paid a cent. I told her that I had a regular job with a good salary and that I only came there on weekends and holidays because I didn’t want to see the Chinese people continue to be deceived by the CCP.
I went on to tell them that, under the rule of CCP, its many political movements have killed 80 million citizens. In the persecution of Falun Gong, they even harvest organs from living practitioners and sell them to hospitals to turn a profit. I told them about the heavenly principle of karmic retribution. They understood and agreed to quit the Party.
Every time someone quits the CCP, I can feel the wonderfully magnanimous compassion of Dafa for all beings.
In Keelung, Taiwan, the Chungyuan Festival’s Water Lantern Parade is a long-standing traditional folk celebration. It attracts many people from all over the world every year. The Divine Land Marching Band has also participated in this event in recent years.
It takes about five hours on the bus from South Kaohsiung to North Keelung, and the event this year was on a Friday. We had to take a day off work to participate in the event. I understood the urgency of saving sentient beings and looked forward to this activity, but there were still tests I had to overcome.
On Thursday morning, my inguinal canal started to hurt so badly that I could hardly move. But I asked Master to strengthen me and made up my mind that I had to go to the event. I increased my Fa study during the day and by Friday morning, the pain had almost disappeared and I could walk and climb stairs as usual.
Then it started to rain on Thursday, and the rain was expected to continue into Friday. The city government even canceled all work and classes due to the downpour. Nevertheless, we still traveled to Keelung – even those who were unable to take a day off work made it. Once again, I felt the power of fellow practitioners' righteous thoughts.
The rain was so heavy that there was a lot of flooding. Our bus had to make detours and ford low water crossings many times. I was hoping that the rainstorm would not move north to Keelung to interfere with the parade. Indeed, it later swerved into mainland China instead of moving north. The event took place from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and I was home by 4 a.m. Saturday.
During the parade, I saw that many spectators were waiting for our arrival. They filled the streets, took pictures, and applauded us. Some even took videos and gave us “thumbs up.”
“You are the best!” called people from the crowd.
It has been 11 years since I obtained the Fa. I've had the opportunity to participate in many Dafa activities, and the few instances mentioned above hardly begin to describe the magnificence and greatness of Dafa.
I am very grateful to Master for not giving up on me. In the long history of my existence, amidst a vast sea of faceless people, I was completely covered in all kinds of attachments. Yet Master guided me to find the way back to heaven. I am also fortunate enough to exist alongside Master during the Fa-rectification period and to follow the Fa-rectification process in doing the three things. I sincerely hope that I will live up to the expectations of all sentient beings.
With a respectful and sincere heart, I've recorded some of my own enlightenments on the path of cultivation to show my gratitude to Master.
The above are my understandings at my limited level. Please compassionately point out anything inappropriate.
Thank you, Master and fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2018 Asia Fa Conference)