(Minghui.org) Esteemed Master and fellow cultivators:
I began to practice Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong, in 2009. This is my first experience sharing article. While writing this article, I reviewed my cultivation up to this point. Until about three years ago I cultivated alone, as there were no practitioners in my area. Yet, I did not miss out on finding my attachments.
Seriously Cultivating
Day after day I did the exercises and kept increasing my practice time. In the beginning my health worsened, which made me think that all my former illnesses had returned. I did not realize that this was the cleansing of my body. However, I was certain that I must continue with the exercises, otherwise everything would be in vain. This was what another practitioner told me, so I continued to do them. My body was cleansed little by little, and my condition improved after half a year. Then, I was ready to find out more about Dafa.
Six months later I was given a copy of Zhuan Falun. I read 20 pages daily without putting any thought into it, whichanother practitioner advised. Sometimes I seemed to enlighten to something, or I got rather ill. But, when I got to the end of each section, it seemed as if Master was addressing me, so I decided to read Zhuan Falun again. I have continued to read it every day since. I understood that I have to cultivate and pay off my karma. After one year, I knew in my heart that I was no longer interested in my life from before cultivation. Dafa had become the most precious thing in my life.
When I asked a fellow practitioner if there were any more such wise teachings in the world, he told me about Shen Yun. I traveled for 11 hours to to see the show that same year. After I saw it, I enlightened to why I came to this world.
The Power of the Fa
Over time, I became more and more concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong. I decided to assist Master in the Fa-rectification and the saving of sentient beings. I studied the teachings diligently and did the exercises daily. But I was not clear about the effectiveness of sending righteous thoughts.
I was offered the opportunity to man the Shen Yun promotional booth. I drove for three-and-a-half hours daily to come across predestined people. I worked diligently from morning to evening to help Master save the sentient beings I was responsible for. Master said, ”When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
Before I became a cultivator, my doctor told me that I could only stand for a few hours because of my varicose veins. But I trusted Master and endured the pain. It was not a problem to be on the road all day long and stand for hours. This helped me recognize the power of the Fa and that I experienced miracles because of my belief in the Fa.
Experiencing Miracles by Believing in the Fa
I also distributed brochures about Shen Yun—one day I gave out 600 of them!—which made me happy. Returning home in the late afternoon I still had many brochures in my car, so I put into mailboxes.
The streets were still covered with snow, so I walked carefully. There where only four steps up to the last mailbox, but something seemed to be trying to stop me. As I headed up to the mailbox, I slipped, fell down all four steps, and was briefly unconscious. I could not get up when I came to. My right foot was completely upside down. I shouted “Master” and “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” turned my foot, pulled my boot over it, and stuffed snow into my shoe. I walked home, up to my third-floor apartment. I kept repeating “Master” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
That night I put cold packs on my foot, read Zhuan Falun, and listened to Master's lectures. Although I was by myself, I felt that Master was next to me. The next morning I got up slowly, pulled on my tights and drove to the Shen Yun booth. I stood at the booth all day long, my foot covered with a cold water bandage all day long. Despite this self-inflicted misfortune, my heart was on saving sentient beings.
I realized that the old forces took advantage of my loophole, which was craving recognition for distributing more brochures, although I had not stopped for a minute all day long.
Master said: “Showing off itself is a very strong attachment and a very bad attachment that a practitioner must relinquish.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)
I was delighted about having distributed so many brochures. One needs to remember that one should not be too happy about one’s accomplishments.
Returning home that evening, it felt strange that my foot had been completely turned around. So, I decided to go to the hospital. The nurse was flabbergasted and called the matron, who called the senior physician. They could not believe that I’d walked on that foot all day long, as my leg was completely broken. They could not understand how my foot was situated on my leg.
Then, tears covered my face, because Master had restored the position of my foot and I felt ashamed to have gone to the hospital. However, I used this opportunity to clarify the truth about Dafa and helped them understand that I was a practitioner of this cultivation practice.
One of those present said that he understood why the leg was not swollen. I refused to have the foot bandaged, but accepted a supportive “boot.”
When I was trying to put the boot on at the booth the next day, my leg started to hurt a lot. I immediately enlightened that I didn't need any medical device and manned the booth as I did the previous day.
Master said:
“We have a practitioner who broke a few needles at a hospital. In the end, the liquid medicine squirted out, and the needle still would not penetrate. He came to understand: "Oh, I’m a practitioner, and I shouldn’t have injections." He just realized that he should not have an injection.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
I had to see my primary care doctor for a check-up. After taking X-rays of my leg, he was quite surprised and said the X-ray must be wrong. When I asked why, he said that there was nothing wrong. He went on to say, “I know what you are involved in.” He is also a practitioner of a Buddhist school, and I had talked to him about Dafa in the past. This incident strengthened my belief in Master and the Fa. A steadfast belief in the Fa can result in miracles.
The Power of Righteous Thoughts
I enlightened to the importance of righteous thoughts a few years ago, when I stayed over at another practitioner’s with whom I worked on Shen Yun marketing and promotion. I dreamed that I was sending righteous thoughts with the Hamburg group one night when a small, ugly, dirty, hunchbacked being appeared behind me. He sneeringly laughed at me, because I did not send truly strong righteous thoughts. The being was as gross as a horror movie creature. It spit out dirt that crept into my legs, arms, and organs. I felt sick and wanted to vomit, when I realized that the evil wanted to destroy me.
I woke up, sat up, and noticed that this evil entity was still near me. I worried that I could not deal with this horror by myself, so I shouted, “Master” and “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance!” The dirt left my body and disappeared and I went back to sleep. The next morning I looked around my room for that ugly entity—it was gone, and everything was clean.
The next morning I did the exercises. When I did the second exercise and held the Falun above the head, I heard in the exercise music terrible whining and groaning. I saw my sentient beings kneel above me, begging for salvation. I felt their anxiety in my bones and legs. I realized that I was not sincere when I sent righteous thoughts. I was either late, dozing, or far too comfortable.
Master said: “Their righteous thoughts need to be strong, and they should fully use their wisdom. One righteous thought itself subdues a hundred evil things.” (“Righteous Thoughts,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress, Vol. III)
My righteous thoughts could not work the way I sent them.
From then, I sent forth righteous thoughts in a clear state of mind with full consciousness. When I did the second exercise the next day and held the Falun above my head, I suddenly saw six sentient beings sitting upright in my circle. They waited quietly and patiently. I noticed that my righteous thoughts were effective, because my sentient beings were no longer worried.
At the booth that morning it felt different. People came to the booth, wanted to hear more about Shen Yun, and bought tickets. Thank you, Master, for helping me wake up and gain a new understanding. Without striving, everything comes naturally.
Different Opportunities to Promote Shen Yun
We were told last year that there would be very few Shen Yun promotion booths going forward, as almost everything would be handled by the hotline. This worried me, as I would not have much of an opportunity to save sentient beings. But I kept calm and thanked Master for the opportunity to man a booth over the past years. I told Master that I only wanted to save sentient beings.
Then I got a phone call offering me a chance to work on the Shen Yun hotline. I didn't need to think about it and heard myself say, “Certainly, if Master wants me to do this.”
A few weeks later, one of the coordinators asked me to handle the promotion booth in North Rhine-Westphalia. They’d called me because I had answered a questionnaire saying I was willing to help nationwide. I told her not to worry about my having to drive quite some distance. Sentient beings are looking for the Fa.
Master said: “You are the hope of humankind. Get going and get active, and, like the Dafa disciples in North America, don’t shy away from the difficulties that you meet with.” (“To the Fa Conference in France,” Team Yellow Translation)
I now go to North Rhine-Westphalia every Friday and back to Schleswig-Holstein the same night, a trip of about 1,000 km. This is a valuable time that gives me the opportunity to take a train. There are constant obstacles, but I prevail. The trains can be delayed or break down, but on the train, I’ve noticed that ordinary people are looking for Dafa disciples, just as Master has said.
One day, for example, I was just starting to do the exercises in my compartment when a woman stopped by and asked what I was doing. Then, she wanted me to teach her the exercises. When I had reached my destination she shook my hand and thanked me for clarifying the truth. She thought it was a great thing I was doing. She also took the address for the exercise site.
Another Friday, the place where I could do the exercise was occupied. I checked for several hours, and this woman was still in there. When I returned later, she was outside the compartment, so I went in and turned on the light to study the Fa.
She returned and asked to turn off the light. She lay down, saying she was suffering from a migraine. I turned off the light and said that I had something for her and gave her a brochure. Then I told her that I had suffered from migraines for 50 years and had to see the doctor every other day. Now, because I was practicing Falun Dafa, I no longer had migraines. And that’s been true for the past 11 years. She got up and told me that she was already doing a meditation. I told her that Falun Dafa is beneficial because it studies the universal values. She wanted to learn it. She spoke of a predestined relationship that was responsible for our meeting on this train.
She asked what I was doing in Cologne. This gave me a chance to talk about Shen Yun and tell her that the show is based on universal values. She accepted the brochure I handed her and her eyes shone.
I realized that, no matter were I am, I meet people who are interested to hear more about Shen Yun or Falun Dafa.
Mater said:
“Saving beings should permeate every single aspect of your daily lives at this time. If you can all understand and really see its importance, I think you'll probably save more beings.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
Overcoming Difficulties
One Friday morning the train had mechanical problems and I was two hours late. There was no one at the booth when I arrived. I asked Master where the people were, where were the gaps in my cultivation? As I looked within for my attachments, I realized that, with all the train troubles, I hadn’t been thinking about saving sentient beings, I was just looking for a way to catch the train. I asked Master to forgive me.
I sent righteous thought to clear my dimension so that people would come. I felt my righteous thoughts were stronger than ever. I barely was ready when many people flocked to the booth and took brochures. Two men literally pulled the brochures out of my hand and one returned later for another brochure and a newspaper.
Many Chinese people showed up at the center that day. I could see them when they were far away. With the exception of two women, 14 Chinese men accepted a brochure. Several people who visited my booth the previous week stopped by and told me that they had bought tickets.
I realized the importance of looking within. It is just as Master said: “For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IX)
The energy field that day was particularly strong, We cooperated well and had intense discussions.
Master said,
“Only the energy field from cultivation practice in a righteous way can produce this effect. Therefore, in the past there was this saying in Buddhism: "The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and rectifies all abnormalities." This is what it means.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
Returning home one Friday, I waited for my train at 2 a.m. I wanted to call home when a video of Shen Yun popped up on my phone and a voice behind me asked if he could watch. I turned around and saw a Chinese man. During our trip he kept watching the Shen Yun trailer and looked for a venue near him where he could see Shen Yun. He wants to make sure to see it this time.
I felt deep gratitude that I could save a Chinese person.
Category: Experience Sharing Conferences
