Georgia, USA: Falun Dafa Practitioners Reflect on Their Cultivation During Experience Sharing Conference

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a regional experience sharing conference in Alpharetta, Georgia on July 9, 2022. Practitioners from the Greater Atlanta Area, South Carolina, and Tennessee talked about how the practice helped them become better people.

A practitioner talks about her cultivation experiences during the conference in Alpharetta, Georgia on July 9, 2022.

Practitioners take a group photo after the conference.

Twenty-one practitioners spoke from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and their speeches were simultaneously translated into Chinese, English, and Vietnamese. Some talked about what brought them to the practice, while others talked about how they exposed the persecution of Falun Dafa in China to the public.

A Dream Brings Her to Falun Dafa

Before she began practicing, Ms. Jin Qiu from Greenville, South Carolina, used to suffer from severe insomnia, had difficulty breathing, and had an irregular heart rate because of the constant pressure at work. At one point she experienced a mental breakdown because of her deteriorating health and depression. When she was at her lowest point, she had a dream. A tall man came and helped her sit up. She was able to stand and felt light and comfortable, like she was completely healthy.

When she told her mother about her dream, her mother said that she must have seen a Buddha. Shortly after her brother in Vietnam called, and suggested she practice Falun Dafa. She never looked back and became a steadfast practitioner. She later realized the man she saw in her dream was Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.

Understanding Her Mission in Life

Ms. Zhu Li owns a real estate company. The heavy workload occupied every minute of her life. One of her clients told her about Falun Dafa. When she started to practice, she understood that her mission in life was to return to where she came from and not be lost in the secular world.

She fought with her husband over a little thing one time. She was so angry that she wept and asked Master Li to give her a new husband. That night she saw a majestic scene in her dream, where there were worried Buddhas, Daos, and divine beings discussing something serious. A white-haired Dao that seemed wise, compassionate, and solemn said to her, “I will be away to do Falun Dafa work this Friday.” She said that she wanted to go along, and he agreed. Two heavenly soldiers flew over and said, “We want to go as well.” The four of them agreed to go together. She knew that they were her family now: the Dao was her husband, and the two heavenly soldiers were her children. She realized that Master had arranged for them to come together to accomplish their historic mission.

Talking to People in China

Frank from Atlanta talked to people in China online. He explained what Falun Dafa is, and why the persecution of Falun Dafa in China is wrong. One person he talked to told him, “I am very impressed with the performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts after watching the DVD. I’d love to see it in person,” and, “I want to say thank you. Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is good!” Frank was touched by the person’s positive attitude towards Falun Dafa after he knew the truth.

Improving Oneself

Linda from South Carolina said that she met a practitioner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in October 2000. That practitioner was reading Zhuan Falun and told Linda that the book teaches people how to adhere to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, and be a good person. The book also explains why people suffer because of their emotions and pursuit of fame and personal interests. Linda couldn’t agree more and decided to practice Falun Dafa.

She began practicing more than 20 years ago and Linda said that she does not practice as diligently as she used to. When she heard how hard some practitioners strive to improve themselves, she knew that she needed to rectify herself. She discovered that she couldn’t calm down when she meditated, as she was attached to comfort. When she worked from home during the pandemic, she realized that she spent too much time caring for her plants.

Nina from Atlanta said that because she grew up in China, she was indoctrinated with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ideology. Before she practiced Falun Dafa, she believed that she was a good and kind person. She now realizes that she had a lot of deeply hidden bad thoughts that she wouldn’t have discovered had she not practiced Falun Dafa. She lacked patience, had strong opinions, and sometimes looked down on others.

She helped with the coordination work to bring Shen Yun to her area for years and developed a negative opinion about one of the chefs. A year later when she saw that chef again, he had completely changed. He dressed professionally, worked patiently, organized his kitchen tools, cooked based on the suggested menus, and followed the kitchen rules. When someone asked him why he wore professional chef’s clothing, he said that one day he realized he should dress professionally to show his respect. Nina was touched. From his actions she saw where she needed to improve.