Shared at the 2005 New York Falun Dafa Conference
(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings to Master, Greetings to everyone.
I am a Dafa practitioner from Tainan in Southern Taiwan. I have practiced Falun Gong for more than three and a half years. In the last two years, I joined a team to clarify the truth through the Internet. When I first obtained the Fa, I was ambitious and wanted to do everything. However, I always had a fine start but a poor finish and I could not persevere. During the course of looking inside, I saw I was anxious and afraid to fall behind. And I realized that was a reflection of being irresponsible to the Fa. After I considered my situation, I decided to devote myself to Internet work. It was right in March 2004 that computer specialists from other areas came to Tainan and held a technical workshop, so I attended this workshop. At the beginning of the class, I felt I was far behind in technical skill. There were so many things I could not understand, and I didn't know how to start asking questions. Even so, I still required myself to take the class seriously. I thought, I must learn it by continuously practicing it afterward. On the night of the first class, fellow practitioners talked with us about "a technician's responsibility and mission", which touched me a lot. I was able to understand that we are doing cultivation, not regular work. At this time, I recalled what Master said in "Master's New Year's Day 2004 Greeting to Dafa Disciples:"
"Dafa disciples of Mainland China,
Dafa disciples around the world,
Happy New Year!
Lasting or momentary -- all caused by time,
Fa-rectification has forged the New Epoch;
The long, drawn-out years of glory and suffering,
All to fulfill the grand pledge today.
For the sake of all living things, for the sake of validating Dafa, stay diligent on the path to godhood! The future, eternal Consummation will exist alongside your glory!"
When I see how Master is teaching us and giving us hints all the time, I don't know how to describe my feeling of gratitude. Only by doing well the three things that a Dafa disciple should do, will I not let down the expectations of Master and all sentient beings.
I am going to share some of my understandings.
1. Remove Bad Thoughts, Walk Righteously on My Own Path
During the few days after the class, I practiced many times and felt I had become familiar with the technique, so I proactively offered my help to other practitioners at the practice site. At that time, probably because I was driven by my attachment of impatience, my state of mind was not so pure. I remember when I helped a practitioner to install a system the first time, I did not feel well in my body. After I went home, I felt very dizzy. Many strange phenomena were attacking me. I kept thinking: did I do something wrong? Why was it like this? After I looked inside again and again until I finally realized it was because I differentiated between fellow practitioners and was not benevolent. At that time, a fellow practitioner also called me and mentioned he thought I had not dealt with a particular situation properly. He told me some previous experiences of the assistants and told me the seriousness of that thing. I appreciated his reminder very much. Master said in "Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students": "As your Master, I can't leave behind a single disciple, and I'll tell you that as a coordinator, you can't leave behind a single one of my disciples." Although I am not a coordinator, I also cannot have any attachment to discrimination at all! From this experience, I realized the old forces always cling tightly to us. Although on the surface the two incidents don't seem to have a direct relationship, when we have omissions, we give them an excuse, and then they affect the important endeavor of saving all beings.
That night, when I again went to a fellow practitioner's home for the final cleanup, my body was back to normal. However, the practitioner's husband suddenly got mad at me. At the time, I did not feel upset, but patiently listened to what he said. Because all his files were lost when his computer was sent to a computer company for repair, he was furious. I told him what I had learned and how to process his problem step by step. At the time, my mind was very pure and my tone was very affirmative. He gradually calmed down. What I had learned that day in class was precisely where he had problems. This made me to further understand that nothing happens accidentally. Although there was interference, was it not also testing if my heart was steady? Of course, we cannot acknowledge any so-called trial from the old forces. I am walking on the path arranged by Master and I am trying to walk righteously. Later, other fellow practitioners told me that this practitioner's husband did not trust us initially but he changed a lot after this talk between him and me.
2. Mutual Support and Help Between Practitioners
I derive much benefit when I compare myself in studying and cultivating with other practitioners. When I help fellow practitioners install their computers, we also share our understanding. In sharing, we talk deeper and deeper. Fellow practitioners reminded me of the importance of doing the five sets of exercises and said I should not ignore practice. Almost every practitioner in our practice site told me that at least once. I feel very ashamed. Although I still lounge in bed sometimes, I will try my best to do the practice now that Master has reminded me again and again through other practitioners' mouths.
After I had helped fellow practitioners to fix and maintain many computers, I found several problems that existed for a long time. The computers that most often run into problems are the ones shared by different people. Later on, when we studied the Fa and discussed it, we had a common understanding: we should devote time and energy to our xinxing first, and then we discuss the technical issues. I saw many such examples. One day, I went to help a practitioner to solve a computer virus problem. I chatted with her while I checked the computer. Since her family members have not obtained the Fa, I just encouraged her to promote Dafa and clarify the truth to her family. But she felt she should let things take their own course and not force her family to practice Falun Gong. Later on, she realized it was her own excuse for her unwillingness to clarify the truth to her family more actively. Right at the moment when she changed her thought, the computer was fine again. I saw all of it with my own eyes and it showed me the amazing nature of Dafa. Another time, a practitioner's computer screen was not able to display the color red. The practitioner understood he must have loopholes. After he found out his shortcoming, the screen went back to normal. There are many such examples. Every technician has encountered such situations before. Actually, a computer is not only alive, but it is also a tool for us to validate the Fa and clarify the truth. The purer we are, the bigger the impact it can have. Fellow practitioners also understand that we should clarify the truth to our family members and not let our own computers be filled with a lot of degenerate information, especially computer games. Those whose financial conditions permit will usually buy a separate computer for Dafa work so that the computer can truly fulfill its magnificence.
3. Closely Follow the Progress of Fa-Rectification
Fa-rectification proceeds very quickly, especially now as we widely promote the Nine Commentaries and withdrawals from the Chinese Communist Party, the media are so important. Almost every aspect requires the use of the computer. I understand the importance of having basic computer courses, so I put a lot of effort into teaching them. On one hand, I share my experience with practitioners in other areas; on the other hand, I try my best to use the plainest language when I explain to fellow practitioners in the course of teaching. When I see fellow practitioners' hearts for Dafa, I am very touched. Some practitioners are in their 60's, and yet they still learn about computers very diligently. We also discuss how to more systematically help practitioners use computers easily. I realized that it's still a matter of our hearts -- as long as we really put ourselves in the shoes of practitioners and when we are really considerate of all sentient beings, Master will open up our wisdom. Once we fall into the formality of just doing a task, then things become boring and dull, and fellow practitioners won't want to come as much. Moreover, the evil is terrified of being dismantled and the blockade on the Internet is very strict. Sometimes a website is blocked very soon after it is opened. The automatic tools also need to be updated constantly. Everyone has different opinions and ideas, but what's important is that everyone treats things with righteous thoughts. We should understand that time waits for no one. As the Fa-rectification comes and passes, it will be decided whether each life will depart or remain. Therefore, I will put more effort into helping practitioners to clarify the truth meticulously and building websites and hold myself to certain expectations.
Being a computer technician during this time has allowed me to come to a very big realization that Dafa disciples' responsibilities are tremendous. Since computers have become an indispensable tool, they are Fa-implements for validating the Fa and clarifying the truth in other dimensions. It includes how to help other practitioners to clarify the truth, repair their computers, and improve their basic computer skills, as well as personal cultivation all wrapped into one. Many people feel the work of computer technician is a lot of hard work. Actually, helping other practitioners is very fulfilling. When just one more practitioner's computer can come into play, so many beings will be saved. It is worthwhile no matter how hard the work is. Moreover, it is Master who has given us everything, so how do I dare say I'm working too hard!
Master always encourages Dafa disciples again and again. I haven't written down my understanding for a long time. I felt it was not easy to write an article. That's probably a result of recently staying in ordinary people's situations for too long and studying the Fa too little. My thinking was always fragmented and disconnected. Only after I calmed down and recited Fa could I finish this article. I feel like I've gone through a battle between righteousness and evil. But my thinking is also gradually becoming clear. Finally, I would like to share Master's poem "Cleaning Out" with everyone.
"Cleaning Out
The dark clouds have passed
yet the winds remain fierce
And though the Red Dragon is slain
humans are still in delusion
For where there is Evil
there is dark, dense haze
Dafa disciples
hold the palm erect
eliminate the remaining Evil
summon righteous thoughts
clarify the truth
rescue the sentient beings
thoroughly annihilate the Evil
and sweep the entire cosmos clean"
