(Clearwisdom.net) Teacher said,
"Cultivation paths are different"
("No Obstacles" in Hong Yin II)
Every practitioner's cultivation environment is different. They all have their own unique characteristics. There is also no role model in cultivation and whatever happens is never a coincidence.
My wife and I started practicing Falun Gong together in January 1995. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its ruthless persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I was laid off work illegally by my employer when I refused to renounce my belief. Later on, I received two job offers for a senior technical staff. At both of those job interviews, I told them that I practiced Falun Gong. My prospective employers told me sincerely, "I know."
From this, I came to realize that every workplace is a cultivation environment in which I can interact with society, get in touch with people, clarify the truth, and save sentient beings. I now ensure that I optimize these opportunities as this is my mission as a practitioner.
1. Taking Advantage of My Means of Transportation to Clarify the Truth
In 2003, my work package included transportation to and from work via taxi. Every time I was in a taxi, I clarified the truth about Falun Gong and the CCP to the driver. This went on for about three years, until I was offered another job in 2006. By that time, I was distributing The Epoch Times and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I encourage the people that I meet to withdraw from the CCP. My new office is quite far compared to my previous office. I commute by bicycle and distribute the Nine Commentaries on my way there, and on my way back I encourage people to withdraw from the CCP. Soon another three years had passed. I felt that time really did fly, but I knew I had used my time wisely.
2. Clarifying the Truth to People in My Trade
I am in the architectural field, so I have lots of opportunities to meet people. Because we are in the same industry, I can communicate with them easily and encourage them to withdraw from the CCP. When I meet veteran architects, I am as humble as I can be, as though I am asking for their opinions when in fact I am trying to persuade them to withdraw from the CCP. If they are new to the industry, I share my experiences with them, help them, and look after them. Because of my kindness and friendly nature, they open up to me and share their thoughts with me. During our conversations, I explain the truth about the CCP to them and help them withdraw from the CCP and its two affiliated organizations.
In spring, summer, and fall, there are usually a lot of construction workers. It does not take more than a few kind words to catch their attention. Whenever I selflessly have clarified the truth to them and helped them withdraw from the CCP, they have been very grateful and thanked me repeatedly. Twice this year I clarified the truth to construction workers in a relaxed atmosphere. They were a happy audience. The righteousness in the air was very strong. On both occasions, ten people withdrew from the CCP. Afterwards, I encouraged them to teach their family to repeat, "Falun Gong is good" to keep their family safe. They were very open.
3. Clarifying the Truth to Farmers and College Students
I grew up on a farm so I know how to empathize with farmers. When I come across farmers in town, I feel very comfortable with them, as if they are folks from my hometown, and I greet them. I inquire after them and the crops and the harvests. They typically complain about the perpetual inflation in the price of seed, fertilizer, and pesticide. Because of the increasing economic burdens, farmers are been getting more and more dissatisfied with the CCP rule. I take these opportunities to explain to them how the CCP has been persistently lied to the Chinese people, and I advise them to discard any hope they might still have in the CCP. I have seldom met a single farmer that has refused to ensure a good future by not denouncing the CCP.
Because of my experiences in life, I can really relate well to college students. Sometimes when I run into small groups of college students, I start discussing with them about their futures and dreams. I incorporate some English in my conversations as well. We chat and joke. Usually college students are the quickest in making up their minds to withdraw from the CCP.
4. Clarifying the Truth to People of Stature
Nothing that happens is a coincidence. In my social circle, most of my friends and acquaintances are intellectuals or high ranking people in the government or the Chinese army. When I clarify the truth to this group of people they usually regard what I tell them as credible because "I" think Falun Gong is good and "I" have withdrawn from the CCP. Hence, it is relatively easy for me to persuade them to withdraw. I remember I once clarified the truth to several local government officials and high-level military officials, and they told me, "I believe everything you said." For the past few years, I have made a lot of friends who are people of stature and they had withdrawn from the CCP and its two affiliated organizations.
5. Cooperating Well with Fellow Practitioners
Sometimes my wife and I go to shops, night markets, public parks, or hiking. It may look like we are there to enjoy ourselves but in fact we are there to clarify the truth. Our top priority in life is to save sentient beings. We cherish every opportunity we have. When I clarify the truth, my wife sends forth righteous thoughts. When my wife clarifies the truth, I send forth righteous thoughts. Sometimes one of us will do most of the talking and the other complements. If we run into a complex situation, then both of us talk. Sometimes our son sends forth righteous thoughts with us. As a family, we cooperate well. Hence, the results have been very good. One day we managed to encourage 27 people in a park to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations in three hours.
6. Fewer Regrets
For the past few years, it does seem like I have been doing what I am supposed to do. Because of Teacher's compassion and protection, many people have learned the truth and have been saved. I have tasted the joys of success. But I have also had my regrets as I identify my secular thoughts and the fear that still lurk and interfere with me. I am still unable to assimilate my each and every thought with the Fa. Sometimes my human thoughts overcome my divine thoughts and cause my truth-clarification efforts to become less sacred than what they should be.
Sometimes I find myself more active in clarifying the truth to strangers than to my neighbors. It is probably because I fear losing face or because I want to wait for the right moment. In actual fact, it is due to my deeply hidden attachment to fear.
Sometimes I feel it is difficult to make people understand the truth. When people are not very interested or repeatedly challenge me in public, I simply ask them to withdraw from the CCP when I should have patiently expounded on the reasons in depth.
Sometimes when I lack righteous thoughts, I am interfered with. A few times already, I have felt very tired after work and thought, "It's hot today and I am tired. Do I go out to clarify the truth or not?" On those days, I even hesitated to clarify the truth to people who were supposed to be saved. As I hesitated, I missed the fleeting opportunity to clarify the truth to them.
Usually I focus on "doing" rather than "writing." There are many excellent articles on the Minghui website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom) written by fellow practitioners. They are very inspirational and touching. Sometimes I tell myself that I must share my experiences as well, but somehow I had never gotten around to writing them as I was always too busy. When the Minghui editors sent out a notices to urge practitioners to write articles, I still hesitated. Sometimes when I did decide to write an article, the deadline would invariably have already passed.
I shouldn't have had these regrets. They were caused by the old forces' interferences, my lack of Fa study, my lack of righteous thoughts, and the human thoughts and fear that I have not purged. These factors have caused losses in my clarifying the truth to sentient beings and saving sentient beings. These losses should not have happened and cannot be retrieved. Now I am taking this opportunity to list my shortcomings. Now that they have been identified,I should upgrade my level and disintegrate these negative factors. In the limited time remaining, I should be clear on one thing. Teacher said,
"Dafa disciples are the sole hope of salvation for the beings in each region and each nation." ("My Thanks to Sentient Beings Who Have Sent Greetings")
I must grasp the opportunity to do the three things well as required by Teacher and save more sentient beings and as quickly as possible. I must purge to the greatest extent hidden human thoughts and fear so as to have fewer regrets. At least I must strive to lessen my regrets. I must work harder on my cultivation so that Teacher will not have to worry about me as much and I will fulfill my prehistoric grand pledge.
