(Minghui.org) The 17th China Fahui connects the hearts of practitioners inside and outside China. After western practitioners in Australia read some China Fahui articles, they expressed their gratitude to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa for his compassionate arrangements and guidance. Reading the mainland Chinese practitioners’ experience sharing articles inspired Australian practitioners to change their deeply-rooted notions and strengthened their righteous thoughts as Dafa cultivators. During the last phase of assisting Master in the Fa-rectification, such special sharings become particularly important and meaningful.
Reading articles from the China Fa Conference helped Denice Johnson, a practitioner in Australia, pass through two life and death tests. In the process of reading the articles from the Fahui, Denice felt that she had received the assistance of countless mainland Chinese practitioners. Denice said, “They helped me strengthen my righteous thoughts, my belief and deep faith in Master and the Fa; I understood how to get rid of the ‘sickness karma.’”
While reading the China Fahui articles, Denice felt as if the practitioners who had authored the articles were sitting close by and telling her their stories. She said, “It was an interesting and wonderful experience. I truly sensed their existence and their help. And I know all these come from Master’s compassionate arrangements and guidance,” she said. She felt that she had forged a special relationship with fellow practitioners in mainland China. Although it was invisible, what she felt was so important and unforgettable.
After finishing articles from the 9th China Fahui, Denice went on to read articles from previous years. She printed all of them out and stapled them together like books to read them again. Through the articles, she had witnessed how practitioners maintained righteous thoughts and righteous actions in the harsh environment of China.
Denice said, “In the 17th China Fahui I read the article from a practitioner in Shanxi Province ‘Imprisoned Practitioner Uses Every Opportunity To Tell Others about Falun Dafa’ his courage in overcoming difficulties and looking inside to find the answer from the Fa was encouraging. He showed me that we can achieve anything. Like what Master said in “What is a Dafa Disciple” “Dafa disciples are extraordinary...” and he showed me this.”
Denice continued, “Reading the China Fahui articles gave me the courage to coordinate with the Chinese practitioners to make phone calls to China. We were given training on how to use the Chinese phones. Within a short time, an English program was created and installed. There are about 30+ westerners making phone calls to China with an automated program. Because of the CCP virus, many Chinese people in China are in lockdown and they are taking the time to listen to our phone calls and hear the truth.”
Denice also said, “I enlightened to my attachment of selfishness. I changed to look at the needs of others and I found patience. I had to learn to listen. My cultivation has become more peaceful and I am more compassionate and understanding of others. Thank you, Master."
Irma, an English teacher in Australia, participates in a truth-clarification project in the media. The article “Saving You Is My Wish” published as part of the 17th China Fahui on Minghui left a deep impression on her. The practitioner in the article mentioned how she had clarified the truth to many ordinary people and also helped them with advice about their daily lives. In one instance, the practitioner advised a woman to treat her husband and his mistress nicely instead of creating scenes and being unhappy.
Irma said, “Initially, I was confused as to why this practitioner took such an active role in other people’s daily lives and how come she felt she could openly advise them on what to do and what not to do. I realized that this sharing moved me and made me feel somewhat uncomfortable because the practitioner was ‘meddling in other people’s affairs’ according to my initial understanding.”
“It was not very long before my many notions started coming to the surface, such as the need to respect other people’s choices, respecting their privacy and personal space – notions all very much ingrained in my Western mind. However, I could also sense deep inside that everything that practitioner did was actually done in goodwill. The righteous energy came through in her words. My mind, fueled by many notions and expectations, was a little confused,” Irma said.
Reflecting on this sharing enabled Irma to draw many parallels between her daily life and cultivation. She understood many Fa principles and sorted out her way of thinking.
“Sometimes I often go along with what ordinary people consider as good choices or appropriate actions, even though that may not align with the Fa,” Irma said. “I try not to ‘lecture them’ about their actions since they are ordinary people and I need to respect their personal choices. On a few occasions when I expressed that I did not support abortion I was met with disbelief and otherwise friendly people would become very aggressive towards me. Standing up for righteous principles on daily matters seems very old-fashioned nowadays. Individualism, personal freedoms without boundaries, and a whole array of behaviors are all to be accepted and acknowledged, and if someone offers a different opinion the person is labeled as a bigot immediately. It is all very extreme.
“I realize that far too often I have given in to these scenarios set up by the modern society around me. I have become one actor in that play, whereas I should be able to confidently express understandings of righteous principles without calculation or fear. It is like taking the middle way, stating the righteous principles without attachment to what the other person will do, not judging them or imposing anything, but still affirming what is righteous.”
Irma realized that she has not been validating the Fa enough with her words and deeds and in her interactions with other people on a daily basis. “Cultivation is not something mystical done in the confines of my home or my mind, it should be manifested in my daily life, in everything I do,” she said.
“Even in the current state with the US elections, the situation is the same. I have shared insights with other practitioners who also often stayed on the sidelines and did not openly and actively state whom they supported out of fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood. That, I believe, points to our own gaps in understanding which have certainly been exposed, especially after Minghui’s editorial “We Must Know and Be Clearheaded about Our Principles and Fundamentals” was first published and then after Master’s poem “On the General Election” on the issue.”
Irma finally said, “The fellow practitioner who wrote her experience gave it no second thought and she shared with ordinary people how to apply the righteous principles of the Fa to their situations. She did it without calculating whether she would be misunderstood or ridiculed, and the results were always very positive. Things can be said and done politely, with righteous thoughts and courageously supporting what is righteous. What is right is right. I need to cultivate openly and steadfastly on a daily basis, with full faith and dignity, standing up for what is right and doing so kindly.
Mai is a Vietnamese practitioner living in Australia. She began practicing Falun Dafa in early 2015.
She read an article “China Fahui | Letting Go of Humanness Amidst Trivial Issues” and said, “When reading the article, I was getting hotter and hotter. I felt angry, upset, and unfair. Why? I am a daughter-in-law, I have never dared to say disrespectful words to my mother-in-law or showed misbehavior towards her. How dare the daughter-in-law in the article not respect and appreciate her mother-in-law (a practitioner) even though the latter helped the former a lot in childcare and other family matters.”
Mai continued, “I am just a reader but I had such strong anger. I think the practitioner herself felt way much angrier and more upset than I did. I think the practitioner was successful in looking within and correcting herself based on Dafa principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Only after which did her daughter-in-law change and all conflicts were resolved. When thinking about her situation from a higher level, I understood that it was her karmic relationship from which she had to suffer and it was also a chance for her to improve her xinxing. I feel cooled off now.”
Mai also felt embarrassed when thinking about her situation. She said, “The conflict that I encountered was not serious but I couldn’t handle it well. My non-practitioner husband sometimes shouts at me over trivial daily things. Instead of keeping my mouth shut and looking within, I immediately talk back and used reasons to protect myself. After reading this article, I find that I also dislike hearing criticism. Yes, it is ‘not wanting to hear criticism’ attachment that dragged me down in xinxing tests. I have to eliminate it through studying more Fa and always reminding myself that I am a true Dafa disciple.”
Mai said, “I really like the last part of the article which is “If I can deal with big problems, why can’t I handle the small things? If we ignore the small things, the bad elements may take advantage of our carelessness.” “It is very true.” Mai continued, “And if we ignore small things for a long time, they may become big problems. We shouldn’t create tribulations for ourselves.”
Mai said she totally agreed with the practitioner when the practitioner said, “We all have families, and each family member, regardless of their predestined relationship with us, is here to help us eliminate our attachments. They are here for our consummation, so we should cherish the cultivation environment they’ve given us.”
Mai finally said, “Yes, I should thank my husband instead of talking back to him. I should see my incidents from a higher level. I want to thank the practitioner for sharing her experience in cultivation which helps me improve in my cultivation. I think I can do better in the future.”