(Clearwisdom.net) I learned Falun Dafa nine years ago, in 1997. Thinking back about my cultivation process, I deeply feel the holy and mighty Dafa, and Teacher’s great compassion.
1. Starting the Cultivation Path after Obtaining Dafa, and Eradicating the Attachment to Curing my Diseases.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of 1997, and underwent surgery. The post-surgery chemotherapy made my body extremely weak and I felt miserable. I almost lost confidence in life. During this low point, I was lucky to find Falun Dafa. A friend lent me the book Zhuan Falun. When I first held the book, I felt extremely excited, and I was deeply touched by the profound principles taught in the book. I read so eagerly that I finished it in only three days. It was like finding a guiding light in the dark night. This is the only miraculous book I have encountered that really touched the bottom of my soul. After reading the book, I started to study the Fa, do the exercises, and I started on my path of cultivation.
In the beginning, because I did not have an in-depth understanding of Dafa, and came into Dafa with the purpose of curing diseases and regaining my health, I took medication. I felt it would be safer that way. After two months, my health improved. However I still couldn’t give up my attachment to curing the cancer. Right before I was to start the fourth round of chemotherapy, my mother phoned and told me that a bottle containing a chemical exploded with a loud bang in her home and shattered into hundreds of pieces. It was fortunate that no one was hurt. I was shocked at hearing this, and remembered what Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"I’m not going to talk about doing healing here. We don’t do healing. But if you want to do true cultivation, and you’ve come here with an ailing body, then you can’t cultivate yet. So I have to purify your body. I only purify the body for people who’ve truly come here to learn the practice, who truly come to learn the Law."
I suddenly realized that as a cultivator who had already obtained the Fa, how could I think about going to a hospital to cure my disease? Wasn’t that an ordinary person’s way of thinking? Teacher had already purified my body for me. What attachment couldn’t I give up? Thus, I gave up the mindset of diseases. It was like getting rid of a heavy burden. My heart felt so light.
After that, I studied the Fa and did the exercises more diligently. Within six months, my health recovered completely. I was able to do housework, and I also went back to work. I was very happy. My family members also said, "Falun Gong is truly miraculous!" Thus, my mother also started to study the Fa and do the exercises.
2. Studying the Fa and Cultivating the Heart to Get Rid of Attachments - Absolutely Letting go of Fame, Material Interests, and Qing.
Before starting cultivation, I was quite a vain person. I did not like losing face, always wanted to win, and never gave opponents a chance. When talking with others, I interrupted them as if I knew everything. Whenever someone pointed out my mistakes, I would try every means to find an excuse for making the mistake. Sometimes I knew I was wrong in my heart, but I refused to acknowledge it. After obtaining the Fa, I started to use the standards of a cultivator to evaluate myself, and gradually overcame those bad habits and shortcomings.
One time I did some cleaning at home while on vacation. I organized things that had not been used for years. I threw a used black leather bag that belonged to my husband, and some other useless stuff, into the trashcan. However, when my husband noticed that the bag was missing he asked me where it had gone. I casually answered, "It was just a useless broken bag so I threw it away." He became very angry and shouted at me, "How could you throw away something of mine so casually? If you don’t get it back, I will not forgive you!" I felt very upset. I thought that I worked so hard and it was such a small case, so why was he so angry with me? If this had happened in the past, I would definitely have argued with him. A thought came to my mind, "Today I am a cultivator. How could I be the same as an ordinary person?"
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"Why do you run into these problems? It’s all caused by your own karmic debts. We’ve already decreased it by countless portions for you, and there’s only a little bit left, which is distributed across different levels so that you can improve your character. The tribulations are set up to temper your mind and get rid of your different attachments. They’re your own tribulations, and we use them to improve your character. You should be able to overcome all of them. As long as you improve your character, you will be able to overcome them—it’s only that you might not want to overcome them."
After thinking about this, I calmed down and patiently told him, "Wait for me here, I will get it for you right now." So I took a shovel and went to the trash bin. It was summertime and there were many flies around the bin, which was very dirty and stinky. I held my breath and jumped into the pile, worked under the baking sun for a long time, and found the bag. When I handed the bag to my husband, his anger was gone and he did not say anything more.
That night, when I did the exercises, I felt a big Falun rotating between my arms. My heart felt very comfortable and serene. At the same time, I felt a strong stream of heat pouring down from the top of my head. I remembered Teacher’s words,
"Of course, you won’t be told when tribulations or conflicts are coming. If you were told everything, how would you cultivate? That would defeat the purpose. They usually come unexpectedly, and only this way will your character be tested, only this way will your character truly improve, and only this way can we tell whether you can guard your character. That’s why conflicts don’t come by chance." "That’s why we say that if you really want to improve, you have to improve your mind. That’s real improvement." (Zhuan Falun)
3. Hints from Teacher, In a Dream, to Become More Diligent in Cultivation
On my path of cultivation, Teacher often compassionately gives me hints, which make me more faithful to Dafa, more faithful to Teacher, and more diligent on the path of cultivation. I will share two instances with fellow practitioners.
I have a daughter whose base is pretty good. She also has good enlightenment qualities. Although she is not a practitioner, she believes in the existence of God and Buddha. She believes that Falun Dafa is good, and carries the saying "Falun Dafa is Good" with her at all times. Teacher is very compassionate to her, and many times has shown her the beautiful realms of Dafa in her dreams.
I remember at around the time of Lunar New Year, one morning I returned home from grocery shopping at the market. As soon as I walked in the door, my daughter eagerly told me, "I had a dream last night. It seems to be related to God and Buddha." I asked her to tell me about it. She said, "There were many people in a very large plaza. It looked like a big trial." "Many Gods and Buddhas came down from the heavens. At the same time, someone called people’s names, ‘XX come up, XXX go down.’ Then someone went to heaven sitting on lotus flowers, while someone else fell into an extremely deep crack in the earth. Far away, there was a tsunami. Some people were washed away by giant waves. I was shocked to see these horrible scenes, so I asked people around me what was going on. They answered, ‘This is the final result.’"
After hearing that, I couldn’t help thinking about the final judgment in the Bible. Probably this is the moment that the Fa rectifies the human world. I asked my daughter with excitement, "Did you see mommy, did I reach consummation?" My daughter looked at my eager expression, and replied lightly: "I don’t remember." Then, she stopped talking about her dream.
After a few days, she said to me seriously, "Mom, your attachments are too strong, you did not reach consummation." I asked, "Why? How do you know?" She said, "I saw it in my dream, I was afraid it would hurt you if I told you the truth." I knew it must be Teacher trying to enlighten me, so I asked my daughter to continue telling me about her dream. She said, "After the trial that day, I saw a large round disc with shining golden light rotating and coming to my bed from outside the window. I heard a voice saying: ‘Come up, we will take you.’ I thought it was interesting, and wanted to try to sit on it. Suddenly, you ran out from the room across, and shouted, ‘You picked the wrong person! She did not cultivate, I have cultivated for several years, why not take me? It is so unfair!’ I heard the voice say, ‘We did not take the wrong person. Just look at your current feelings, your attachment to arguing, and attachment to jealousy. You are full of complaints and feel upset, how can you leave?’ Then, you sat on the ground and started to cry and scream, you punched your chest and kicked your feet, and almost couldn’t catch your breath." After hearing these words from my daughter, I felt so heavy in my heart. I couldn’t say a word. It was like my throat was blocked by something. At that moment, I realized my biggest and deepest attachments towards consummation. It is so dangerous! How could I reach consummation with such strong attachments?
On a weekend in March my daughter came home from college and said to me, "Recently many classmates are talking about looking for jobs next year. We heard that there aren’t many opportunities in the education field. If one wants to become a teacher in a good high school, it will take at least 100 thousand yuan in bribes to help me find a job. Our family doesn’t have the necessary connections, nor do we have that kind of money. I was very worried about my future. Then one night I had a dream. I found myself going to a very high level in heaven. I saw a group of children sitting in a school playground. There were colorful clouds in the sky, and then several Buddhas and gods came. I saw Maitreya Buddha and Bodhisattva Guanyin. At this moment my eyes brightened when I saw Teacher Li among the children. He was so tall, with a smile on his face, and he was correcting the children’s exercise movements. I walked over and asked, "What school is this?" A child looked up and said innocently, "This is Minghui School!" Why have I never heard of it? While still wondering, I saw Teacher walking towards me with a smile. Teacher’s eyes were so compassionate, so amiable, and respectful. I felt like I was meeting a long lost family member. There was no feeling of greeting a stranger. So I told him about all the worries in my heart and my concerns about the future. Teacher Li, turning a string of Buddha beads in his hands, answered me kindly, "Didn’t you want to contribute to the field of education in the future? Then come to our Minghui School to be a teacher. Right now we are quite short of hands!" "But there is no Minghui School in our area." "There will soon be a Minghui School in your area." Teacher Li said, "Study hard now, you will have a beautiful future. Be confident!" Then he waved at me and led the children back to the classrooms. I sat there stunned for a long time. Was it fantasy or the truth?"
After listening to her I was so excited. I could not help hugging my daughter and saying: "You are so lucky! Mommy has cultivated for so many years, but I have never dreamed about Teacher. You saw Teacher in your dream, and even had your future career arranged. You should thank Teacher Li. Hurry up and study the Fa. You must become a true practitioner in the future." At that moment, I saw my daughter’s face blush with excitement, like a blooming lotus flower. Her bright eyes were full of tears, like drops of water sparkling on petals—so beautiful. I saw a pure and kind heart melted by the great Buddha Law and the compassion of Teacher. Both of us were steeped in happiness.
