(Clearwisdom.net) I started practicing Falun Dafa in April 2007. Under Teacher's compassionate protection, I have become diligent, no longer simply a person that has accumulated karma and many human attachments. Although I have had a checkered past, I have risen quickly in level because I firmly believe in Dafa, I have disciplined myself, and I have done the three things well. I have seen myself breaking through level after level roughly every three to five months. It happened so fast that at times I could barely believe it. I was fortunate that Teacher gave me the ability to see and feel whenever I made a breakthrough through dreams or the celestial eye.
I saw my Buddha Body under the control of my Primordial Spirit sitting on a golden lotus flower and breaking through to a higher level. I am not showing off. I just want to share the supernormal manifestations I have experienced. I also hope that my sharing can motivate veteran and new practitioners to cultivate diligently and walk the path well. Specifically, I hope that new practitioners can improve quickly and take advantage of this rare opportunity to be practitioners in the Fa-rectification period.
1. Good Fortune Leads Me to Encounter Falun Dafa
I first encountered Falun Dafa in 2006, but wasn't ready to break through the bonds of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture. Although I found it difficult to accept Dafa, I was quite interested in learning about cultivation, gods, Buddhas and other dimensions. Therefore, I decided to research Falun Dafa.
From then on, prompted by curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge, I read all of Teacher's lectures and articles, attempting to find anything that would malign Dafa. At first, I wanted to find a flaw and deny the existence of Buddhas and gods because atheism had been deeply rooted in my mind. But I couldn't find any flaw or fault, and was amazed by the broadness and immensity of Dafa. I have learned that Dafa is perfect and indestructible. I came to realize that this is the true Buddha Fa. This is the cultivation practice that mankind has awaited for so long. This is truly a ladder by which people can ascend to heaven. I know that this is what I had been looking for. I made up my mind to practice Falun Dafa diligently until I reached consummation.
I began to practice Falun Dafa in April 2007. From the beginning I wanted to reach consummation and be a true practitioner of the Fa-rectification period. I studied the Fa diligently and was very strict with myself. I decided to do the double-leg crossing meditation for the entire hour within six months. Then, I decided to sit motionless during the sitting meditation within two years. It took about a year and I could do the three things as well as veteran practitioners. I got up at 3:00 a.m. to do the five sets of exercises; I sent righteous thoughts and studied the Fa daily.
While clarifying the truth and validating the Fa, I always felt that time was pressing. So many people were waiting to be saved. I am busy all the time and involved in many projects, apart from telling the facts about Falun Gong to people, distributing materials and writing articles. One time I wrote an article and distributed it in my community. Several days later, I dreamed of my Buddha body sitting on a lotus flower, under the control of my Primordial Spirit, flying upwards at a high speed. I could only hear the wind around me while flying upwards. I was a little nervous and slightly fearful because I flew so fast. At that moment I heard Teacher saying, "Aren't you afraid of going so fast?"
So far, I have persuaded about 500 people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. Recently I dared to talk to people about Falun Dafa face to face. I believe that the notion of saving face and fear that initially prevents us from wanting to openly clarify the facts about the practice. Simply put, it is because we can't let go of selfishness. Our fundamental goal talking about Falun Dafa is to save people, honoring our prehistoric vows and improving ourselves. This is truly a selfless action.
I found that I was purified and moved up extremely fast when helping people understand Falun Gong. This is also the best way of letting go of attachments. Within only three to four months after making another breakthrough in levels, I successfully persuaded more people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations than I did during the prior two years. According to statistics on the Epoch Times website, about 30,000 to 50,000 people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations daily. As I understand it, if 10 million practitioners, veteran or new, each persuade one person to quit the CCP every day, then in three months, all CCP members would have quit the CCP, and the Fa-rectification would soon end. This is an indication that many practitioners haven't step forward to tell people about Falun Gong.
We always say that we believe in Teacher and Dafa. Teacher talks about saving sentient beings and clarifying the facts in every lecture. Alas, some of us seem to be indifferent. Teacher has endured so much for us while waiting for us to become mature as one body. For those who still haven't stepped forward to validate the Fa, it is really time to let go of all human attachments.
2. Believing in Teacher and the Fa is the Most Fundamental
After I finished reading all of Teacher's lectures, I thought about them. I have come to respect Teacher from the bottom of my heart. It's a kind of respect that I have not felt at any time in the past.
I don't know how fellow practitioners feel when they are reading Teacher's poem "I Smile." It's inner meaning and realm moves me to tears and at the same time a kind of sad and cold feeling arises in my heart. This poem is so solemn, stirring, astounding and moving. For saving sentient beings, Teacher has suffered tremendously and shouldered huge karma for all practitioners. When we face tribulations that are difficult to let go, we often ask Teacher for help. Besides, Teacher shoulders numerous tribulations for sentient beings daily. Yet, when Dafa spreads far and wide and sentient beings are being saved, Teacher smiles with satisfaction. He has never given any concern to himself, but only to sentient beings. Teacher devotes all his heart to saving sentient beings. How compassionate! How solemn and stirring!
I enlightened that respecting Teacher and the Fa is the most fundamental thing for cultivators. Moreover, we will respect Teacher and the Fa when we understand the Fa with rationality. The better we do in this respect, the faster our xinxing improves. Of course, this has to come from the bottom of our hearts. It's a manifestation of a realm being elevated. Whenever I study the Fa, I always hold the book in my hands with great respect. I never put the book aside casually, nor lay it on clothes or quilts or put it with other ordinary books. Before I read the book, I wash my hands first. Teacher said,
"In cultivation practice, when a practitioner has this heart of respect, the fashen on the Buddha statue will safeguard the Fa for this person, looking after and protecting him or her." (Zhuan Falun)
We must discipline ourselves and live by high standards. The more devout our hearts, the more inner meanings of the Fa we will be told. I receive more subtle inner meanings of the Fa when I recite the Fa. It is extremely important to do well in respecting Teacher and the Fa.
3. Get Rid of Attachments in a Painful Way
Not long after I started practicing Falun Dafa, I experienced many tribulations. It was really painful. When my wife realized that I practiced Falun Gong, she threatened that if I didn't give it up she would divorce me. She even wanted to report me to the police. She also demanded that my relatives stop me from practicing. Minor quarrels were a daily occurrence and a big fight occurred at least once a week. She often cried and shouted. Most of the time I felt light-headed and depressed. Then, she began to beat me and destroy the Falun Dafa books. I was so exhausted and felt that cultivation is a very painful process.
I disciplined myself and lived by the Falun Dafa principles, but I couldn't always do what was expected at work. My supervisors treated me differently. My relationship with fellow practitioners also became intense and misunderstandings happened from time to time. I knew it was a good opportunity to improve my xinxing, but I still couldn't maintain my xinxing. Most of the time I treated these problems in a human way.
But, the clearer I saw the Fa theory, the better I was able to discipline myself as a practitioner. I cultivated myself genuinely and improved myself during conflicts. As I got rid of my attachments, I could treat everything by the standards of Dafa. Gradually my wife stopped quarreling and my cultivation environment improved.
4. Strengthen Righteous Thoughts
In 2009, I was arrested while I was telling people the facts and distributing materials about Falun Gong. Many human thoughts surfaced. I was afraid that I might lose my wife and job. I even worried that I would be sentenced to prison because I refused to give up my belief. After all these thoughts flashed through my mind, I thought of the tens of millions of years waiting, and of Teacher's compassion, and a practitioner's mission. My righteous thought immediately became strong again. I was determined that no matter what, I would not cooperate with the evil. No matter what happened, I would never give up Falun Dafa, and not be "transformed." After I calmed down I thought that I would rather die than give up Falun Dafa. Just because of this righteous thought, I felt extremely peaceful and steadfast.
I knew that my lust was very strong, so I sent forth righteous thoughts four times a day to eliminate the elements that persecuted me and the rest of the time I sent forth righteous thoughts specifically to eliminate my lust. I was compassionate and kind to those who tried to "transform" me. I thought they were so pitiful. Although they often harassed and persecuted practitioners, I found that they were hazy in understanding Falun Dafa. Many didn't know what Falun Gong is. I took the opportunity to clarify the facts. I never cooperated. I told them the facts again and again from many angles. I talked about my personal change because of cultivating. I talked about science. I talked about the evilness of the CCP. I also talked about why people should quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, including the predictions that had been handed down through the centuries. I found that some people were shocked, and most of them changed their attitude. Some even showed their admiration and said that I was a genuine practitioner both theoretically and practically.
Because I denied the arrangements of the old forces in action, the police stopped persecuting me after a while. Though I didn't write or sign any documents and didn't guarantee to give up the practice, I was released and returned home. It was as if a dream had passed.
5. Enlightened Through Cultivation
There are several issues I wish to discuss:
1) Most persecution happens because of our strong attachments. The old forces take advantage of our loopholes and persecute us, which also include loopholes of practitioners as a whole. Some practitioners emphasize safety. It's definitely important, but most of the time it is only a trigger. When persecution really happens to a practitioner, it must be caused by his/her own strong attachments, loopholes or overall loopholes of practitioners in that area.
2) Since loopholes cause the persecution, we should identify them and eliminate them with righteous thoughts. We should not fear death. We should face life and death situations calmly. The old forces use our attachments and loopholes to persecute with the excuse of helping us pass the tribulations and improve ourselves. Their actual intent is to drag us down and destroy us. How could we not pass the tribulation and improve? We do not accept the persecution. But, denying the arrangements of the old forces is not just a wish or thought. That doesn't work. Only by denying the old forces in our thoughts and actions can we genuinely deny them.
3) I can truly feel that Teacher is protecting us all the time. He cherishes us more than we cherish ourselves. Some practitioners feel nervous when confronted with tests and tribulations. Some ask Teacher for help and hope that Teacher will shoulder more for them. Yes, we can think of Teacher while in tribulations. It's a manifestation of believing in Teacher and the Fa. But, in the end, we have to face the difficulties ourselves. Teacher can help us, but can't pass our tribulations. If we fail, we have to take it again and this time it will be more difficult. If one could understand and improve genuinely through cultivation, Teacher will help us. Teacher said,
"Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating." ("To the Chicago Fa Conference")
4) The evil fears exposure more than anything else. When practitioners are arrested or persecuted, we should expose it immediately and try to stop it by all means. Some practitioners and their relatives dare not expose the evil because they are afraid of retaliation and harassment. They dare not face the evil to protest the persecution, but instead cover it up. This is equivalent to indulging the evil, and will result in more serious persecution.
The above is my cultivation experience sharing. I didn't mention some critical points, including cultivating every thought and eliminating everything that interferes in our environment and dimension.
During the past two years, although I improved fast in cultivation, I always felt that I didn't do well enough in every respect. I felt that I was still far from what Teacher requires of us. Compared with fellow practitioners who are doing great, I still have a long way to go. I know that I still have strong attachments I need to eliminate. Specifically, I am not up to Teacher's requirements when it comes to saving sentient beings. No matter what, I will never slack off in cultivation and in respecting Teacher and the Fa. I will try my best to do well. I am sincerely looking forward to the fast improvement of all fellow practitioners and to the overall maturing of the one body. Let's do the three things well, save sentient beings, honor our historic vows, succeed in cultivation and return home with our Teacher.
As a newer practitioner, my level is still limited. My understanding of the Fa is very shallow. The Fa has much more profound meanings than I can see.
Please, kindly tell me of anything inappropriate.
January 12, 2010
