[Minghui Fahui] Cultivating My Xinxing While Working for Minghui

(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

When I received the notification for the 2021 Minghui Online Fa Conference, I realized that this is a rare, precious opportunity. I’m grateful for Master’s benevolent arrangement and the chance to report my cultivation journey to esteemed Master.

My Beginning with Minghui

I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2000 when the evil was rampant and came in swarming hordes. Before that, I hadn’t heard anything about Falun Dafa or the persecution. My uncle who introduced me to the practice when I visited him, said, “You should give this a try, it’s great.” He knew that since I was a teenager I had been seeking a spiritual path. After I finished reading the book Zhuan Falun, I was determined to cultivate in Dafa, I knew I found the Great Way that I had been looking for.

During the first three years, my uncle and I had a cultivation environment, but we only did personal cultivation. Then due to financial pressure, my uncle who was in his 60s, moved to the U.S. After he left, I suddenly lost my cultivation environment, so I finally found and joined a local Fa-study group and began the journey of Fa-rectification cultivation.

One day in 2003 (or 2004), our local Minghui coordinator approached me, and asked if I could help with translation. I agreed. That’s how I started my journey with Minghui. At that time our local website was not even called Minghui. Day after day I persistently translated. I never thought about why I did this, until one day I understood this was my prehistoric vow!

Joining Minghui International

When we first connected with Minghui International in 2010, the coordinator asked whether we improved while working on the Minghui project. That question left a deep impression on me. 

From Master’s teachings, I understood that this work is actually for our own consummation! This is the compassion, mercy and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Master has offered all members of the Minghui team, regardless of our role in this project. Master’s teachings helped me realize the sacred path of cultivation in Minghui. On my cultivation path, I have taken on other responsibilities. My coordinator in another project once asked me to quit working as a Minghui editor. I’m grateful for Master’s guidance and encouragement—I never really quit the Minghui project, no matter how small my role was.

Disagreement and Improving Xinxing

During the ups and downs on the path of cultivation, we lost our main editor several years ago. He experienced many forms of interference and got lost in ordinary human society. I had a sharing with him. He then resumed participating in our weekly Fa-study group. However, after two or three times, he did not return. He finally completely disappeared from the project. I initially hoped that I could find a suitable candidate within the team who could take over his responsibilities, but no one was willing to become a substitute editor. So along with coordinating, I took over the editing work. Sometimes when the number of articles was insufficient, I also had to translate them myself in order to maintain the number of daily minimum postings we agreed on.

A few months ago, a fellow editor said that he could recommend one of his team members to be an editor. I supported this idea with a probation period. The months passed quickly and the candidate did well. I wanted her to become an editor to replace me so that I could focus on coordination and developing the project. Another fellow editor expressed his disagreement. In his words, he implied that I was no different from the previous editor who resigned.

I understand that as a coordinator, we must provide team members with opportunities for improvement and they should assume greater responsibilities. Every team member will get his/her chance at an appropriate time.

Master said, 

“When another God proposes an idea, they aren't eager to reject it, and they aren't eager to express their own ideas and they don't believe that their own ideas are good. Instead, they look at what the end result of the other God's proposed approach will be. The paths are different--everyone's path is different--and the truths that beings validate and enlighten to in the Fa are different, too, but the results might very well be the same.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)

Master also said, 

“Buddhas only look at one’s heart, just as Gods only look at one’s heart.” (Teachings at the Conference of Changchun Assistants)

I realized that I had to examine the motives behind my proposal. Master only saw whether my starting point and that of my co-editor whose objections were sincere and righteous were really for the good of this project. 

I felt this incident happened so that I could learn to deal with different opinions with a positive attitude. After letting go of my negative thoughts I suddenly felt that this co-editor who didn’t agree was also being responsible to the project. Then I examined my own understanding of the role of a coordinator—it’s not that a coordinator has to act as a translator, editor, do the coordination and project development works, that it won’t be effective. Further, other team members are also establishing their mighty virtue on their cultivation path.

I suddenly remembered what Master taught us, 

“Of course, we can explain the matter kindly, and it is not a problem if we clarify the issue. But you should not become too attached to it.” (Lecture 4, Zhuan Falun) 

After I had a clear understanding of the issue, I had a sharing with the two team editors and the editor candidate. In the end, the team editors approved and the candidate committed to the project. The candidate was appointed full editor, replacing me.

A few years ago, two fellow practitioners in our local team, Ann and Bob (aliases) had conflicts. Bob said that he wanted to quit the Minghui project. The next day, I called Bob and asked him to reconsider his decision. We had a good sharing. Bob calmed down and decided to retract his earlier decision. After I heard that, my heart was at ease.

During our weekly Fa-study group, Bob asked me when I called him that day, what did I have in mind? I was surprised by his question and replied, I surely had forgotten the details, because it happened so long ago. But I just felt that we couldn’t afford to lose him and from my personal observation, his cultivation should actually be more stable. Bob then said that after the conflict, he had a dream. Ann whom he had a conflict with - opened the door, welcoming him into a room. When Bob entered, he vividly saw all the Minghui team members were already sitting there waiting for him. When he woke up, Bob understood it was a hint from Master not to leave the project.

From this incident, I suddenly recognized my attachment to being self-centered. I felt I played a role and made efforts to help other practitioners. But behind the scenes, it was all Master’s arrangements. This incident also reminded me not to think too highly of myself and to let go of the attachment of complacency.

Minghui Fa Conference

After receiving the announcement, I immediately called the team to have a coordination meeting the next day. Some were enthusiastic when they listened to the announcement, while others remained silent. Some members did not attend our meeting. Since the two editors were also not present, we held another coordination meeting the next day. This time an editor was still not present, and my phone calls were not answered. My impatience, negative thoughts, and my complaining heart came out. Because of this negative thought, I asked a team member to contact the editor immediately during the meeting, but to no avail. Instead of looking within, I thought, “What’s wrong with him?”

While studying the Fa, Master’s words reminded me to deal with it as a Dafa practitioner,

“This is because when a conflict occurs, it will take place unexpectedly. But that is not a coincidence—it is for improving your xinxing. As long as you treat yourself as a practitioner, you can handle it properly.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

I felt Master was reminding me again to eliminate my impatience, negative thoughts, and complaints—wasn’t this a good opportunity to improve my xinxing? Wasn’t everything actually just spinning around in my own mind, including my assumptions that he was being this way or that way? Why didn’t I call him myself but instead I asked a team member to contact him? That evening, I adjusted my heart, then called him again. This time he picked up the phone. In the end, we held three meetings about the Fa Conference announcement. When I treated all of this with a broad mind, my body felt very light. Afterward, this editor also changed his attitude and resumed responding quickly. All of these occurrences on the surface were indeed no coincidence, they were there to cultivate my heart.

One practitioner greatly helps our web team, and he is much younger than me. But in our interactions, if other members or I make a mistake, he often criticizes us harshly without any hesitation. He never says, “Elder brother” when communicating with me. At one point, I stopped calling him by name. I began wondering if this young practitioner had any manners.

The process of eliminating the attachments this provoked took quite a long time. I gradually let go of my attachment to self, identified and eliminated my attachment to reputation and attachment to protecting my ego. I’m now able to set aside negative thoughts about this practitioner. After the Fa conference was announced, even though he did not attend the coordination meeting, I took the initiative to contact him. He responded, “Thank you, elder brother. I will not attend the Fa conference this time.” 

Then I asked the other editor to tell me who in his team would like to join the Fa conference. When I didn’t get an answer, my impatient heart came out again, but the lesson with the previous editor was still vivid. This helped remind me to be more patient and tolerant. Whether someone participates or not, everything has actually been arranged. 

One should quickly respond to the coordinator’s request, but in the process of doing that, my heart shouldn’t be easily moved and develop any attachments. After the submission deadline, several team members hadn’t registered yet. After I double-checked the list, it turned out that those who did not register were also those who had been helping with the project as translators but had not taken further steps, for example, they had not participated in the team’s Fa-study and coordination meeting yet. Throughout this whole process, I felt that Master was continuously enlarging my heart and capacity.

This concludes my cultivation experience sharing. If there is anything inappropriate in my understanding, please kindly point it out. 

Thank you Master for the benevolent guidance and opportunities You give us! Thank you fellow practitioners for the one-body cooperation.

(Presented during the 2021 Minghui Website Fa Conference)