(Minghui.org) Esteemed Master and fellow practitioners:
I began to practice Falun Dafa in 2000, along with several others from Bern. The persecution of Falun Gong in China was intense and cruel at that time, which pulled me out of my sheltered life.
Many changes took place in my well-to-do life in 2000. I used to take care of my family, house, and garden. Although we were basically happy, I often found myself having conflicts with my in-laws and my husband. This led to discord.
My psyche was in constant upheaval, alternating between highs and lows, and I was always moody. As a result, I developed chronic enteritis. Given my many hospital stays and subsequent convalescence, my family suffered a lot. Searching for a cure, I tried many different kinds of qigong—all, alas, unsuccessful.
Then an acquaintance gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, by Master Li Hongzhi. Falun Dafa is a cultivation system of mind and body. I also learned the five exercises.
The emphasis of this qigong is on the improvement of one’s spiritual and moral qualities. Its practitioners try to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and become better people, help others, and let go of that is wrong in themselves. Negative attitudes and attachments, such as envy, hatred, and anger, are to be gradually eliminated.
Reflecting on my past, I realized that my body and mind were dominated by a constant sense of restlessness and discord. After I began to truly cultivate, it took only two weeks for my health to be restored and to find inner peace and a mental balance.
While practicing Falun Dafa helped me return to good health in 2000, that was also the year I got divorced. This meant that, after many years, I was given sole responsibility for my two children and had to earn a living. I had not worked in my profession for many years and was computer illiterate, so the only job I could find was in the hospitality industry.
Developing a Solid Cultivation Foundation
Meeting regularly with the Bern Fa-study group, I gained an excellent cultivation foundation. We met in the apartment of a practitioner couple, and there were many of us in their living room. It was a wonderful time, as we felt as one, as well as powerful. Sending righteous thoughts was important during these meetings.
Because the persecution had become so extreme, we felt the need and urgency to send righteous thoughts often and for a long time. All of us put great importance into doing the three things, just as Master has asked of us.
When I sent righteous thoughts for a long time, I was enveloped by a bright and radiant light and almost blinded. All of us felt that the environment in the room had become brighter and clearer.
I now realize that, given our shared intense desire to end this persecution as fast as possible, we achieved a harmonious state, supporting Master and the truly orthodox divine beings. Sadly, I lost that state for a few years but lately have been able to feel it on and off.
Master responded to a practitioner’s question:
“Question: After a long while of conforming to the state of ordinary human society, it’s very easy to drift with the current, isn’t it?”
“Teacher: That’s true. That is why I’ve said all students should go to practice sites to exercise and attend group study regardless of whether you’re beginners or veterans. That environment will cleanse you, and constantly cleanse your language, conduct, and notions that have been contaminated by everyday people.” (Teaching the Fa at the Eastern U.S. Fa Conference)
Other things that helped me achieve a good cultivation foundation when it came to future demanding projects for saving people and almost impossible obstacles were our cooperation as one body and support of each other during xinxing tests, as well as the ability to share understandings. We take everyone’s problem as our problem and share when a practitioner experiences conflicts with a non-practicing spouse, problems at work, or difficulties in cultivation.
I remember clearly when another practitioner started to have mental difficulties. We began to worry when his condition worsened. He was often absentminded and muddle-headed. While distributing newspapers, he would sit down somewhere and claim that he had to send righteous thoughts. Master told us in 2003 how we could help each other when he responded to a practitioner’s question:
Question: A practitioner in our region has had symptoms of a serious illness. Some practitioners have suggested that we send righteous thoughts toward him as a group, while others raised the point that Master has never asked us to do such a thing. Would it be harmful to Dafa?”
“Teacher: You'd be helping each other, and that's not damaging Dafa. If you have everyone reading the book to him, or reading the Fa to him, sending righteous thoughts toward him, and surrounding him as a group, then these things will be effective since being in close proximity is a factor. And why is it a factor? Because this dimension has been divided into various segments by the final elements from high levels, and there are still differences existing in this dimension. But if a person's righteous thoughts are strong those differences can be eliminated. If your actions are very righteous it won't be able to stop you, since if it tries to stop you it will be violating the Fa. That's how it is.” (Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)
As a group, we paid heed to the above teaching. The practitioner was eventually able to eliminate the old forces’ interference and the associated attachment.
We also often met at my home on weekends and read several lectures in Zhuan Falun. By sharing, and due to our shared determination to move forward as one body, I felt part of a family.
Spreading the Fa
We wondered what we should do to draw attention to the persecution in China. Because most people in Switzerland had not heard about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China, we had to come up with a way that the media would not misrepresent. Very little was known, and we had no Dafa informational materials to distribute. At first, we produced and distributed small yellow flyers. That was how another practitioner from my village and I began to spread the Fa. Although two Chinese practitioners tried to stop us several times from continuing with this effort, as it was too time consuming, we decided to go forward anyway.
Other practitioners produced improved Dafa informational materials after some time, and the first version of our newspaper “Blickpunkt” [Visual Focus] came out.
We started distributing our 16-page newspaper “Blickpunkt” over a wide area in the Bernese Oberland [Highland]. It took two-and-a-half years to reach the deepest valleys and all the most remote villages.
The people in these lonely places often took the opportunity to talk to us. Many thanked us for our efforts, for traveling so far, so that we could tell them about the terrible persecution.
Inspired by Master’s Fa
Wanting to “let go of the human heart and save the world’s people,” two of us decided to extend the distribution of our Falun Gong newspaper to more remote areas.
Master said,
“This is especially so for the Dafa disciples in mainland China: each must come out and clarify the truth, bringing it to every field and valley, mountain and hill, not omitting a single area where there are people. (“Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World's People,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress, Vol. III)
To reach the many valleys, villages, and hamlets in the mountainous Vallai took a lot of time. I combined my days off to distribute the “Blickpunkt” and we lodged in small hotels.
I believe that Master opened my wisdom so I could be involved in this type of Fa-rectification effort. I met predestined people time and time again.
When I met a German practitioner during a parade in Vienna, she said, “Your experience sharing paper at the 2006 Geneva Fa conference about distributing newspapers inspired me and I did the same thing.” I was close to tears.
Sharing our experiences will awaken others, and we can save more people. Given that we did not have any other abilities when we began to cultivate, this was the sole opportunity for us to verify the Fa. It has encouraged many German-speakers in Switzerland, and we still distribute many Minghui newspapers.
From Not Knowing to Knowing
Master said,
However, Master also warned his practitioners, “The process of gaining clarity must not drag on too long.” (“Be More Diligent,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
I am infinitely grateful to Master for having learned much during my 19 years of cultivation, allowing me to successfully fulfill my vows.
The fear of anything new, be it a technical issue or an everyday thing, is even today my biggest attachment—and I have to eliminate it. Even though I have let mainly go of my fear of working on a computer, switching to the Mac, the difficulties in organizing an art exhibition, joining the media, and selling our house, there are still times when I am bothered by this attachment, despite my strong belief in Master.
Recently, I had to buy a new car. A few days before I had to pick it up, I was interfered with by my human notions and had to keep sending righteous thoughts. I'm certain that Master has arranged the best for me and removed many of the bad substances, but he also said that we have to let go of our attachments on our own.
Master said,
“Things have been arranged for such a long time and this is such a major event, so things are really well-ordered! If I told you that even every step you take as you walk, and that even how big your stride is, were arranged, you might not believe it.” (“Fa Teaching Given at he 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference”)
When I began to practice Falun Dafa, a computer was a foreign object as far as I was concerned. The only place I wanted to see one was in a store display window. As the Fa-rectification progressed, we received more and more information from practitioners in China.
Another practitioner printed and reproduced more and more informational materials for our information booth and other activities. She typed our experience sharing articles and whatever was needed for the Epoch Times, called at the time “The New Epoch.” I reached the point where I had to expand my abilities and let go of my dislike for computers.
After helping out at a Dafa information booth in Thun, I found a computer in my living room when I got home. I was so shocked that I almost had a heart attack. My fellow practitioners truly meant well, so I did not tell anyone that my aversion to this strange thing in my apartment was so strong that I almost did not want to return home for the next few days.
A practitioner patiently taught me how to use the computer over the following weeks. It was a difficult time for the computer, for myself, and for the other practitioner. Whenever something went wrong, I became desperate and annoyed, and then I would look at Master's picture. Master would smile, and suddenly things would go well. This experience tested my forbearance. Slowly, I accepted this as part of my cultivation path. This experience taught me how much our attachments, aversions, and desires can interfere with our cultivation, and how often we stymie ourselves.
Master said, “...the appearance stems from the mind.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
Today, the Mac is my friend and my supporter.
I want to sincerely thank Master and my fellow practitioners for their compassion, support, and patience. This process made it possible for me to take a big step forward on my cultivation path and, later, to become involved in a media project.
Strong Belief in Master
Throughout our cultivation, we are tested time and again to see if we truly and unconditionally believe in Master. One of my most painful experiences was selling our house. My ego was put to the test, and my belief in Master was tested. During this process all my feelings and emotions were touched on. The pain of letting go affected me deeply, and worries and fears about moving to a new place came to the surface. Although I knew that Master knew best, I had to truly eliminate my feelings.
During that most difficult time, I kept reciting Masters Fa: “Master is here, and the Fa is here, so nothing will get out of hand. (“On the Responses to the Piece About Assistant Souls,” Team Yellow Translation)
After reading Master's teaching given at the New York Experience Sharing Conference in 2019, I enlightened to a principle. My worries and fears corresponded to the hearts of ordinary people, not those of practitioners’. Master used the disease karma example to explain that our worries and concerns are being exploited by the old forces. Master also mentioned that the disciples of Jesus and Shakyamuni were also tested this way.
I’d always believed that my belief in Master was strong, so why was I worried? Master arranged everything for me, so what else was there to worry about? Did I truly trust Master? Were not all things that I encountered on my cultivation path good things? Was not all bitterness created for my elevation?
Master said, “...board the boat of the Fa, sailing smoothly. How wonderful! Strive forward with every effort until Consummation.” (“Enlightenment,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
Once I let go of my feelings and human sentiments, my body felt light and calm. The capacity of my heart expanded. My son-in-law, a real estate agent, said, “It is amazing how well everything has worked out.” I told him that it was all because of Falun Dafa.
Thank you, Master, for entrusting me with so many tasks for saving sentient beings. Thank you for protecting me long before I stepped on the cultivation path. I truly cherish my cultivation. I will strive to progress diligently and eliminate my attachments and human sentiments and feelings.
(Presented at the 2019 Swiss Fa Conference)
