(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997 when I was studying in Beijing. I have valuable memories from my first years of cultivation practice. On April 24, 1999, in the evening I was reviewing my studies for a PhD entrance exam and got a message from a fellow practitioner. I was told what happened in Tianjin. My thoughts were rather simple. I was only thinking about letting the authorities know the facts. This was my responsibility as an element of Falun Dafa. Of course, I was also curious and thought to follow what the others did, because several practitioners I knew planned to go together. I have been very clear from that moment until this that I would never regret this choice in my life.
Early in the morning we rode our bikes to the Office of Letters and Appeals, discussing along the way with practitioners what was going to happen. I did not think that my experiences would become a part of history. We arrived early at Zhongnanhai. Others had arrived before us. We found a place to park our bikes and then chose a place to stand that would not hold up traffic. Because I was young and active, I always walked through the queues to look for what was happening in the front and what the others were doing. Most of the practitioners were standing silently. Many of them were reading books. Their minds were calm and peaceful. While we were waiting, police arrived frequently to adjust our places. One police officer led a queue of practitioners and walked several hundred meters away. But all of us avoided standing on the sidewalk section for blind people and made sure not to interfere with local residents. These actions expressed Dafa practitioners' pure insights. There was no need to organize. Of course, some practitioners did not pay attention to their actions at first. I was one of them. However, I corrected my behavior soon after others pointed it out.
While we were waiting quietly, someone from Zhongnanhai came to talk to us. The atmosphere was quite friendly. I was told later on that someone had gone to my school to look for my profile but did not find any problems. About two o'clock in the afternoon I suddenly heard many practitioners clapping their hands. They asked us to look into the sky. I looked. I did not feel the sunshine to be dazzling, but the sun's white disc was covered by lots of rotating Falun. Our human eyes could clearly see them. I was excited and followed the others to applaud. I also told the others to look up toward the Faluns. Many of us experienced this. Master encouraged his disciples. By about 9:00 p.m. the issue was resolved through meeting with government officials. Everyone told each other to leave. No one advised us to do so, but everyone cleaned up the area and put garbage in plastic bags. The street remained clean and nice after everyone left. This was not organized, either. Everyone did it because they knew they were particles of Dafa.
During these long and pressing eight years I have experienced many up-and-downs. However, witnessing that historic moment will be a beautiful and pure memory in my heart. Now, with Master's compassionate salvation, I have become aware that it does not matter how bad or good we were before. As long as cultivation has not come to an end, we should try to do well what we are doing now.
Master said,
"The reason I ask you to study the Fa more, eliminate more of your attachments, and let go of various human notions, is to allow you to not just take a portion away with you, but to reach Consummation." ("Melt Into the Fa" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
On the one hand, we should cultivate ourselves to reach consummation to rescue sentient beings in our celestial bodies. On the other hand we should also rescue sentient beings we are supposed to rescue. Both are huge historical responsibilities that Master has arranged for us to carry out. Our cultivated portions have been separated. Whether, up to this point, we have done well or not to rescue sentient beings, that is all in the past. Our cultivated parts have been taken away, and the un-cultivated parts are left on our surface to be cultivated. At the same time we have many sentient beings to rescue. How a practitioner behaved in the past belongs to the part before. The key is whether or not we are able to cultivate ourselves according to Dafa and use the righteous thoughts of gods to rescue sentient beings. Having done well before does not mean one can do well now. If one did not do well before, one should try to catch up now. Every action reflects huge historical responsibilities and countless lives. It is important for us to walk every step steadily on the path towards a true wonderful and eternal future. As Dafa disciples in the Fa-rectification period, the most important things is to do the three things well according to the Fa and not to be interfered with by anything!
Please point out if anything is inappropriate.
April 27, 2007