(Clearwisdom.net) Following a request to write about my experiences, I realized that this would be an opportunity for me to catch up with the Fa-rectification process. Even though I am an elderly practitioner, my progress should not be slow. Although I will discuss what may seem like small issues, when my experiences and understandings combine with other practitioners, they add up to create one powerful body, which shocks and eliminates countless evil and rotten minions. Let me share with you my cultivation experience after I arrived in the United States.
1. My Enlightenment from Promoting the Chinese New Year Spectacular
When I first arrived in the United States in 2005, I was lucky enough to see the Chinese New Year Spectacular in New York. It was such an eye opening experience. I felt as if I were in a dream seeing the heavens, but I was not clear about its deeper meaning.
In 2006, Chicago hosted the Chinese New Year Spectacular. Many practitioners from the Midwest came with their families to help promote the show along with the Chicago practitioners, who were working very hard. Because the tickets did not sell very well, the only thing practitioners talked about was selling tickets. I stayed in a fellow practitioner's home and passed out flyers from morning to night. When my children saw me on the weekend, they wondered why I looked so tired. I assured them that I was fine, but all I could think of was how to sell more tickets. It had become an attachment, which I didn't realize due to a lack of righteous thoughts. Then I had an accident. When I was crossing the street, I got hit by a car. I lost consciousness and the police took me to the hospital. My son kept vigil by me for 24 hours. Several practitioners came to the hospital to send forth righteous thoughts for me and some even looked after me in the hospital.
Thanks to Master and fellow practitioners, after a week the blood clot in my brain began to dissolve. I regained consciousness, but my mind was blank. I felt dizzy if I moved. I could not recognize anybody and did not remember where I was. I couldn't recall the date. I didn't even know what a Chinese New Year Spectacular was. I called the practitioners who looked after me "servants." However, they told me that, although I couldn't recognize people, I was able to recognize the picture of Master in Zhuan Falun and I was able to recite Lunyu.
Soon I enlightened to the understanding that Dafa is the source of my life. Master has looked after and guided me again and again. Nothing is accidental. Master said, "The truth is, I treasure you more than you treasure yourselves!" ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" from Essentials for Further Advancement II) Why did I have such a serious accident at such a critical moment? What attachments did I have that were taken advantage of? I couldn't figure it out. I knew that I did not understand the Fa rationally. Teacher has reminded us again and again to study the Fa more, and looking back, I was able to do that. After I started the practice in 1996, I passed tribulations, minor and major, one after another. Whatever the tribulations, I held onto Zhuan Falun and worked to memorize it. The more I memorized, the calmer and more pure I became. I also passed several tests of life and death. Fellow practitioners said jokingly that even the "King of Hell" would not take me, and the police referred to me as "the old stubborn Falun Gong practitioner." Perhaps because of that foundation, I could still recite Lunyu even after losing my memory. I realized that this sacred book was priceless and the truth that I had pursued all my life.
During the past ten years, I have recited three chapters of Zhuan Falun every day. I have recited the book hundreds of times by now. How come I now kept forgetting? Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005," "If a person is completely in the Fa no one can touch him." This helped me to remember how, when I could not eat or sleep because of ticket sales, I had gone to extremes. Wasn't this a huge attachment? If I did Dafa things with an ordinary person's mindset, I could only have an ordinary outcome. This was a big loophole. My fellow practitioners cultivated while promoting tickets, and improved their levels and xinxing. They worked together and showed me this miracle while I was lying in the hospital. The Chinese New Year Spectacular was successfully held in Chicago.
When my main consciousness became clearer, I insisted on going home. The doctor asked me what was the sum of one plus one. Slowly, I was able to answer multiplications of double digits and other strange questions. After two weeks, the doctor agreed that I could be discharged. The doctors initially thought that without surgery I would be brain dead. I passed another test of life and death. I went home. I knew that Teacher was protecting me and that he had opened up my wisdom. I experienced the power of Dafa. Only what Teacher says counts, nothing else.
After I went home, I felt that I was useless. Not only was I a financial burden to my children, but I also negatively impacted Dafa. I wanted to go back to China. One day, although my memory was not completely recovered, I remembered the lyrics to the song, "Ode to Master's Mercy:" "We all came for the sentient beings. Assisting Teacher to rectify the Fa, we have no fear. You took us through tribulations, where you show us the mighty virtue of Dafa. Listen to the praise of the cosmos, unprecedented opportunities are widespread between heaven and earth. You are taking the sentient beings to the future. The glory of Dafa will forever shine in the cosmos." I was very touched by these words. I was rescued to the United States by practitioners outside of China. I cannot acknowledge the arrangements of the old forces. I should have righteous thoughts and actions. I should be independent and do more to validate the Fa. So I applied for seniors housing, became independent and worked with other senior practitioners to validate Dafa.
In 2007, I have a better understanding of the Chinese New Year Spectacular. It is so powerful and can save many people. I again devoted myself to promoting tickets. Based on my experience from last year and a better understandings of the Fa, other senior practitioners and I overcame many psychological barriers, such as not being able to speak English and severe weather. We also benefited from these experiences.
At the beginning, I didn't know how to get around in Chicago. I didn't know how to get home after I finished distributing materials. One day I didn't know how to ask for directions in English. After a long while, I saw a Chinese person, who told me to go this way and that way. I was confused. I just kept sending righteous thoughts. Then he saw me standing there really confused and decided to take me home in his car.
Once there was a blizzard in Chicago, which left a foot of snow on the ground. Another practitioner and I pushed a cart loaded with about a thousand flyers to distribute to apartment buildings and stores. We couldn't push our cart in the snow, so we had to carry it. We put the materials everywhere, even in laundromats. We went into each and every store and gestured that we wanted to hang up our posters. When they saw both of us senior ladies covered in snow, they usually agreed. On our way back, we were blown by the wind. When we got home, our faces were flushed and our feet were wet and icy cold, but we were warm in our hearts. It was because of Teacher's encouragement and mercy that I came back to the Fa-rectification and am doing what I am supposed to do. Every time I think about this, I smile with tears in my eyes.
I have come a long way from just watching the Chinese New Year Spectacular in 2005 and feeling good about it, to becoming almost brain dead in the hospital in 2006, to all out efforts in 2007 to promote the Spectacular.
2. Learning to Use a Computer and Type; "Compliance Is Cultivation"
After I recovered, I decided to improve my typing and computer skills. As soon as I had this thought, a practitioner suggested that I do something on the computer. I enlightened that Teacher was using a fellow practitioner to push me forward. It was very hard for this 20-year-old young man who helped me. He was in school and had a full-time job and many Dafa projects, but he was so patient with me. Sometimes he came a long way to help me, but before he even arrived, the computer would be working well. I felt so guilty. I enlightened that all disciples' energy is very powerful after reading, "The Buddha light illuminates everywhere and rectifies all abnormalities." (Zhuan Falun) This happened for a few months. Sometimes after he fixed one computer, he had to take another with him to work on. I saw the gap between me and other practitioners and I made up my mind to do better. In fact, Teacher has told us directly that we have to actually practice to call ourselves cultivators.
My memory has not completely recovered. I don't always remember to turn off my gas stove. After learning the "Wubi" typing method, I tried to memorize it, but would constantly forget it again. I kept asking other people, but many had learned the pinyin method. So I made up my mind to ask my relative to mail me the instructions and I practice every day. I know that I will get it with Teacher's assistance and the Fa guiding me. Nothing can stop me except for myself. I thought about the practitioners in China. In order to clarify the truth, they are putting their lives at risk. Why should I complain about this little hardship? I finally learned how to do the Wubi typing method. It feels like I have one extra special Fa instrument and I was able to start using this skill to do work validating the Fa.
3. Get Rid of Fear, Strengthen Righteous Thoughts, Persuade People to Quit the CCP, Clarify the Truth
I know that I have strong fear, which is based on selfishness, and that this is far from Masters' requirement of selflessness and altruism. In the article "A Suggestion," Master said,
"Despite this, when Dafa is about to consummate you, you are unable to step forward from humanness, and when the evil persecutes Dafa you are unable to stand up to validate Dafa. These people who only want to take from Dafa and not give for Dafa are, in the eyes of Gods, the worst beings."
I do not want to be a being that is not good. I want to be a qualified Dafa disciple during the Fa-rectification process. Nowadays, human beings have come from very high realms. Teacher has also said that if we manage to save a being that we have a predestined relationship with, we will also save all the beings in this person's world. With these thoughts, I went to the homes of practitioners who often make phone calls to China and observed how others get people to quit the CCP over the phone. After observing and sending forth righteous thoughts for a few days, I could see that one practitioner was nervous. As she spoke, her hands and legs trembled. What should I do?
I would like to share the following experience about my telephone project work. A few years ago, a practitioner asked me, "Auntie, would you like to be the coordinator for calling China?" I refused the proposal. I could not even make phone calls for myself and I felt I should work on improving this first. My son also encouraged me. Then the practitioner said, "My mother will not make phone calls, either." I didn't like to hear that and wondered why he thought that I would want to be a coordinator when his own mother did not even want to make phone calls to China. I got more upset the more I thought about it and told him so. I would do anything for Dafa except make phone calls to China. It has been a few years now, and looking back, I realize that I was far from meeting the requirements and that I should redouble my efforts to make it up
I made up my mind to pass the test on my own. I closed the door so no one could enter the room and I sent forth righteous thoughts. Although I was not trembling, my heart was beating rapidly and I was panting from nervousness. And yet, this made me even more determined to continue. As I was being yelled at, I told the person on the phone that I understood and did not mind being yelled at if I could save others. I told people that the only way to save their lives was to quit the CCP and that they should take this seriously.
At this time I also memorized teacher's poem, "Gods Awaken:"
"All beings quickly come to!
Traps have been planted in the heartland
'Tis for the Fa that all have come
Why are you not sensible?"
(Hong Yin II)
When I had the thought, "I just want to save you," the man on the phone did not yell any more and I was able to persuade two people to quit. I enlightened that this was Master encouraging me and that He is pushing me forward.
Once I talked to an elderly man and he agreed that I could quit for him. He asked, "Are you not afraid when you do this?" I told him, "I was in fear before for my whole life, but it did not help me to lead a good life. People are just meat on the cutting board for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and they can do whatever they want with you. Now that the CCP's days are numbered and I can see that its power is diminishing, I am no longer fearful. I feel even safer." I also told him, "I am very happy to speak to you. I hope that all your children will also quit the CCP so you and they can have a happy life." He replied, "Do pay attention to safety. Smooth sailing."
There was also a young man who said that he was not a Party or Youth League member, but he wanted to help his relative to quit. Then we talked about Falun Gong and the staged self-immolation incident. At the end he said that he would like to learn the practice. He gave me his address and name and said that he would like to make friends with me and to keep in contact. I was so happy that one more person was saved. Every day now, I can persuade six or seven people to quit, sometimes even more.
Then I noticed that I was forcing myself to make the phone calls as if to meet a quota. There was one time that I found a reason not to make any phone calls. Then, on my way to school to pick up my grandson, I fell down quite hard and scratched my face. My grandson said, "Grandma, you did not do your three things well, that's why you had a bad fall." Then he told me that when I passed out and was hospitalized, he kowtowed to Teacher and begged him to strengthen Grandma. Then Teacher smiled at him and he was so happy that he pressed his hands together (heshi) as a sign of respect to Teacher. I enlightened that Teacher was reminding me through my grandson. Without Teacher's encouragement and guidance, how could I have come this far? I said, "Grandma didn't make her phone calls. I will change that right now and I will do it every day."
Looking back at the three years that I have been in the United States, when I didn't do well, Teacher and fellow practitioners had to make up for me. After I strengthened my righteous thoughts and advanced diligently, I passed tests one after another. I wrote about my experiences in hopes that everyone will learn from them. Let's send out powerful righteous thoughts to stop the persecution so that all people will know the truth.
