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The Power of Righteous Thoughts -- My Trip to Boston and New York

August 20, 2004 |   By a Falun Dafa Practitioner from the Gold Coast, Australia

(Clearwisdom.net)

1. Cooperation

We hurried to Boston immediately after the Washington D.C. Falun Dafa Conference, and it was 3 a.m. when we finally reached our hotel. Because it was too early to check in, we called up some local practitioners, and they came to get us less than 30 minutes later. They arranged for us to stop at several fellow practitioners' homes, and we took a short rest. I was later surprised when I found out that our hotel was half an hour outside the city limits. Imagine how fast they moved! What a team! I thought, if I were one of them, could I do that? Am I going to stay in bed a little longer? Am I going to make excuses for myself? Cooperation in perfect harmony requires that each party to "consider others first,... selflessness and altruism." (Falun Dafa - Essentials for Further Advancement, "Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature")

2. Anti-torture Demonstration in Boston

I never thought that one day I would play the part of a victim. When the coordinator said the costumes were too small and they needed performers with small physiques to be the victims, I immediately realized that Teacher had arranged this to help me get rid of my attachments to comfort. My body felt chilly as soon as I changed into the costume. I started imagining my fellow practitioners being tortured in China. The idea had always felt so far away before, although the facts are so frightening... When the purple make-up bruises were applied to my arm, my chest tightened. I constantly asked myself, "Could I endure such torture? What have I done to help my fellow practitioners? Was my attachment to comfort making their suffering more severe?"

The moment the icy cold fake blood dripped on my face and leg, my heart trembled. For the following several hours, thoughts kept popping up, "Ignorant perpetrators men, stop committing such terrible sins towards enlightened beings; kindhearted people, please open your eyes." I found that more and more people were stopping in front of our performance, taking the initiative to ask for flyers, and asking, "What can I do to help?" The power of righteous thoughts lies in Falun Dafa disciples' every thought.

3. Boston Police Awaken

I stood on the sidewalk, hesitant. "What if some people do not want to accept my flyers?" A policeman walked by, and I asked, "Would you like a flyer?" He answered mechanically, "No, I can't. I'm on duty. But I will take a look at your display." Behind me was the huge anti-torture display, the beautiful Falun Dafa exercise demonstration, and Western practitioners giving introductions. That policeman walked up and down past the display, and I now see that he was cleansed in our energy field of righteous thoughts. When he came back and passed me, he saluted me. Suddenly I enlightened to an inner meaning of "firmly believing in Dafa, firmly believing in Teacher." Actually each one of us has mighty power: when Teacher bestowed responsibilities on us, he also gave us abilities. As long as we are steadfastly doing what Dafa disciples should do, the supernormal capabilities will manifest and rectify all unrighteous elements. Sometimes one does not even need to say a word, because this Fa [great law, universal principle] is so righteous, so strong and so powerful.

4. Flyers

A Western practitioner said, "I picked up another flyer off the ground; what a waste." My chest ached again. I asked myself, "In this New York Metropolitan area that is saturated with bad elements, what's the difference to passersby between me and those young men handing out ads on the street?" I remembered my conversation with my roommate, a Western practitioner, that morning:

"Time to get up, hurry up!"

"...Can't I sleep a little longer?"

"(Smiling) No, sentient beings are waiting for you."

Sentient beings are waiting for me. My heart calmed down as I recited this sentence repeatedly. Thinking of the meaning of standing on this noisy street... Countless years ago, I made vows to come and save lost sentient beings. I willingly endured numerous hardships for this vow, and have constantly walked under the protection of our Teacher. I came with a single purpose: to save sentient beings. I again took up the flyers in my hand, smiling to people quickly passing by. I no longer pushed to give them flyers, nor thought of how many flyers I could pass out that day. I had only one thought, "I came for you, so that you can awaken." Flyers naturally left my hands one by one, as though the fate of each one had already been determined ages ago. When one person approached me from far away, the look in his eyes changed from lost, to hesitant, to curious, to eager to know. His aware side was awakened just like that. I wholly believed that he would never throw this precious flyer away. Most people still passed by without taking the flyers, but I no longer felt lost or sad, because I know they have passed through the field of our righteous thoughts, and that the mighty power Teacher bestowed upon us has already removed a layer of their barriers to understanding us. Along with the constant efforts of Dafa practitioners in New York and the whole world, they will become clearheaded in the end. My fellow disciples, let us try even harder!