My Cultivation Journey: From Human to Divine

(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa two weeks before the April 25 incident in 1999. Over the past 26 years of cultivation, I have been continuously guided and protected by Master Li Hongzhi. When I was on the right track in cultivation, I felt protected or enlightened, otherwise, consequences might have occurred.

In this sharing, I would like to recount a few moments in my journey where I felt a genuine elevation in my cultivation.

Obtaining the Fa

One day in 1999, I felt a deep sense of emptiness and an urge to read. I went to a bookstore, hoping to find something meaningful, but nothing caught my interest. I ran into someone I knew but hadn’t seen in a long time. I asked him why he was there. He said he was delivering books. I assumed he was a book distributor and thought nothing more of it, so I left. However, later I learned that he was delivering copies of Zhuan Falun. I believe the old forces used my human notions as an excuse to block my chance to obtain the Fa at that time.

Some time later, while taking my children to the park, I saw a group of people meditating. To my surprise, the same person I had seen at the bookstore was there. He invited me to attend a Falun Dafa nine-day class, and I agreed without hesitation. Although it seemed like a small moment, I could sense that something profound had happened. In another dimension, my world shook, and beings in my heavenly realm rejoiced. There are no coincidences in life. Obtaining the Fa is sacred, and we must cherish it.

I have been interested in qigong since childhood, so I had no difficulty understanding the Fa. The nine-day class was held at a Falun Dafa practitioner’s home, where we watched Master Li’s lectures each evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. - one lecture per day. On the fourth night, I faced my first major test.

Usually, my family was home in the evenings. But that night, the house was empty. I noticed a puddle of water on the floor and immediately felt something was wrong. I called my husband and learned that our one-year-old son had been scalded by boiling water and was now in the emergency room. I rushed to the hospital, and my heart broke when I saw my child wrapped in gauze. I felt overwhelmed with guilt.

When we returned home, it was late at night. My husband, who was normally gentle, lashed out at me, blaming me for attending the nine-day class instead of being at home. Normally, I would have argued back. But at that very moment, Master’s words appeared in my mind:“Perhaps as soon as you step in the door, your spouse will throw a fit right in your face. If you endure it, your effort of practicing qigong today will not be in vain.” (Zhuan Falun)

I stayed calm and gently said, “I’ll take care of our son, please go get some rest.” I remained composed throughout the night, sitting beside my son. I quietly wondered whether I should continue attending the class. I really wanted to finish all nine lectures, but would my husband allow it?

The next evening at dinner, I said, “I truly want to finish the nine-day lectures. Can I go again tonight?” Though visibly unhappy, my husband agreed. I attended the remaining sessions with an uneasy heart, but my son was fine.

Looking back, I realize that had Master’s words not come to mind at that crucial moment, I might have quarreled with my husband or quit the nine-day class. If that had happened, I may never have obtained the Fa. That experience was my first powerful witness of Dafa’s greatness.

Working for the Media Company

Later, I joined New Tang Dynasty Television and began working as a news editor. I also spent time in the newspaper distribution department and eventually transitioned into a sales role.When I first started in sales, I maintained strong righteous thoughts. I reminded myself never to complain, no matter what challenges arose. Although I was new and my job mainly consisted of calling clients and repeating the same sales pitch, I was able to secure many contracts. The weekend education section of the newspaper was filled with several pages of advertisements, all from well-known local private schools.

Alongside another salesperson, I helped launch an educational magazine. The first issue was a great success and received very positive feedback. Some readers, who previously thought we only focused on Falun Dafa content, were surprised and impressed to see that the magazine centered entirely on education.

We handled almost every aspect of the publication ourselves: interviews, writing, editing, proofreading, layout, and even securing sponsorships. This process helped me refine my sales techniques, broaden my understanding of marketing, and gave me many opportunities to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa in natural conversations.

However, over time, I also accumulated human experiences, developed notions, and grew attachments. I often believed I was right and looked down on others. Gradually, I developed attachments to complaining, jealousy, competitiveness, and personal gain. When I failed to overcome conflicts or when my attachments were strong, I couldn't close any sales. I became discouraged and even considered leaving the media. But those were the exact moments when I should have improved my xinxing.

Fortunately, I’ve always had a habit of self-reflection, no matter how justified I felt, I would eventually ask myself: Was I really right? Could I have misunderstood something? Am I missing a blind spot? Working in the media provided an excellent cultivation environment. Going to work each day felt like practicing in a temple surrounded by Fa study and the exercises. Sales work, on the other hand, was like wandering through the world. Each day was a test: how many contracts I secured that month, how I handled conflicts with clients, coworkers, and fellow practitioners.

In this cultivation environment, we’re constantly tested. But over the long run, I found that as long as we stay committed to Fa study, look inward, and maintain righteous thoughts during difficulties, we will continue to grow and improve.

Cultivating Through Hardship and Eliminating Karma

Before the COVID pandemic began, I went through a serious karma elimination process, marked by a persistent and intense cough. It lasted for nearly two months. I couldn’t sleep at night, and my husband was also affected. Many nights, I had to sleep on the couch or stay upright until morning. During that time, I deeply felt that the only way to make it through was to be more diligent in my cultivation.

At the time, I wasn’t consistently completing the five sets of exercises daily. I realized that this had to change, at the very least, my physical body needed to do the exercises every day. So I began participating in my company’s daily morning group practice. When my willpower wavered, I would push myself by recalling the pain I had endured during karma elimination. Gradually, it became a habit. Now, I actually look forward to the group practice, as the field is so powerful that I feel every cell in my body is being assimilated into the Fa.

When the COVID pandemic started, I had to begin working from home. Initially, I felt a little lost. But as it turned out, I had more time to do the exercises. I began practicing the second exercise for a full hour and joined an online Fa memorization group. Each day, I could study the Fa for four to five hours and do the exercises for two and a half hours.

I once read an article by a fellow practitioner who said: “The more depressed we feel, the more we slack off in cultivation, and the more we slack off, the deeper the depression becomes—until we fall back to the human level.” I found the opposite to also be true: the more diligent I was, the more I was able to do. The more I studied the Fa and did the exercises, the more energized and motivated I became.

In the past, whenever I had to go out and secure advertising contracts, I felt like a heavy stone was pressing on my heart. I was often discouraged. Looking back, I now realize it was because I feared hardship and losing face. But now I understand clearly: hardship is a good thing. The more I suffer, the more grateful and joyful I should be, because it means I’m eliminating karma and improving.

In recent years, I’ve developed the habit of memorizing the Fa in the morning and at night. Every day brings new insights and understandings. The more I study, the more deeply I grasp the higher meanings behind Master’s teachings. In this way, I’ve stumbled, stood back up, continued working hard, realigned my thoughts, and little by little, I’ve begun to mature in my cultivation.

Divine are Practicing Dafa on Earth

After nearly twenty years of hard work, our media has evolved beyond just a tool for clarifying the truth about Falun Dafa. It has become a platform for practitioners to validate the Fa and to manifest Dafa’s boundless compassion and the power to save sentient beings.

As our righteous thoughts grow stronger, so will our supernormal abilities in other dimensions. We should make better use of our righteous thoughts to save more people. Once, while I was clarifying the truth in Chinatown, a woman, instigated by a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agent, cursed and raised her hand to strike out at me. As her hand was about to hit my face, I wasn’t a bit scared and did not budge. I remembered, “Only people who cultivate, only those who are looked after by gods, could make it through.” (“Teachings at the 2005 Conference in San Francisco”) The woman immediately seemed deflated and left. The CCP agent behind her looked frustrated and walked away as I approached him. My righteous thoughts had dissolved the evil elements behind him.

Every salesperson on our team has experienced the power of righteous thoughts. Recently, a coworker and I visited a well-known retail store in the Bay Area to explore advertising opportunities. Many salespeople had tried for years without success. We entered the store and asked a staff member whether the owner was available. As expected, the answer was no. Often, even if the owner is present, staff won’t say so.

Just as we were about to leave, I recalled a scene from the film Once We Were Divine, where it’s shown that every person has a world in another dimension and countless beings in that world are waiting anxiously for their Lord to be saved.

I reminded myself: We shouldn't leave like this. At the very least, we should leave compassion behind. From the Fa, we know that the energy of compassion can rectify any unrighteous elements. So, we began chatting with the staff. Surprisingly, he opened up and began sharing more and more. It became clear that, on a subconscious level, he truly wanted to help us.

On another day, we passed by a different branch of the same retail chain. The fellow practitioner suddenly said she had a strong feeling that the owner was there. We went inside, but the staff told us that the owner was here. Instead of rushing to speak directly with the owner, I thought we might learn more from someone who regularly works in the store. Indeed, the employee we spoke with provided a lot of useful information. When we asked for the owner’s contact details, he hesitated at first but eventually wrote them down. We called the number, and the owner answered. He told us he’d be at the store shortly and asked us to wait.

The more experiences like this I have, the more I realize: when our cultivation reaches a certain level, our energy fields become filled with compassion and kindness. Then, more sentient beings arranged by Master Li will be drawn into our field. The mechanism unfolds naturally. By following this path, we are led to the right people, and the funding to support our media projects is provided, helping us reach even more beings.

I am deeply grateful for Master’s arrangements. I constantly remind myself to maintain righteous thoughts and not be misled by superficial appearances. Whenever I seek comfort or try to avoid hardship, whenever attachments surface, my cultivation state immediately becomes abnormal. But when I do what I’m supposed to do and study the Fa, do the exercises, work diligently, my state becomes harmonious.

Cultivation is a serious matter. Any area where we fall short, or any attachment we have yet to recognize, not only hinders our own progress but can interfere with Master’s salvation of sentient beings. A moment of laziness, a single unrighteous thought, can become an obstacle to fulfilling our sacred mission. We must treat this with utmost seriousness.

In the final lecture of Zhuan Falun, Master talks about the heart of great forbearance, which I believe also reflects the heart of great compassion. When Han Xin was blocked by a local ruffian, he didn’t respond with force or judgment. Instead, he willingly crawled between the man's legs. What might the ruffian have felt? Couldn’t he have been moved to admire Han Xin? Perhaps even changed by the experience?

At the final moments of the Dharma-ending period, we cannot rely on human means to change society. Only when we meet the standard of the Fa can the great power of Dafa be fully expressed through us. Only then can we truly save more sentient beings.

Master is saving us, while also giving us the perfect opportunity to establish our mighty virtue and fulfill our roles as future Buddhas, Taos, and divine beings of the new cosmos.

Please kindly point out anything inappropriate in my sharing.