(Clearwisdom.net) I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner, and I live in a small, remote town in Inner Mongolia.
Prior to the Chinese New Year in 1999, I received news that my father had developed gallstones and this worried my family. I made the decision to return to Changchun in order to visit my parents. Before I left for the trip, my neighbor told me that Falun Gong could effectively heal many illnesses. I shared this information with my parents upon my arrival. My mother said that Uncle Wang, who lived upstairs, also practiced Falun Gong, so she informed him of my father's illness. Uncle Wang and a local assistant brought the instructional exercise DVD's to my father and set up a practice site at my parents' home. Every day we watched Teacher's lectures, and my parents and I began to practice Falun Gong.
At that time, there were many people practicing Falun Gong. Teacher began to purify my body the second day I watched the lectures. Prior to the practice, I often experienced headaches for which I took many types of pain medication. One day, I had a severe headache and could not get out of bed. My mother prepared me a meal, and since I did not want my parents to worry I got up and tried to eat. My hands shook while holding the rice bowl, allowing me only two bites before going back to bed. At that time I possessed poor enlightenment quality, so I prepared to take two pills. Just before I swallowed the pills, my aunt reminded me not to take them because Teacher was purifying my body. I decided not to swallow the pills, and suddenly felt well that afternoon – Teacher eliminated my sickness! I am grateful that Teacher scooped me up out of misery and allowed me to cultivate. My view on life changed upon listening to the lectures, and I now understand that the purpose of coming here is to return to my true self. Upon returning to Inner Mongolia, I joined the local Fa study group, practice site, and various activities to help spread the practice.
Clarify the Truth to Save Sentient Beings
When the persecution began on July 20, 1999, I went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong and for Teacher. I was thus expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and although I felt a lot of pressure at work, I firmly believed in the teachings of Falun Gong and not in the CCP. Many people, including my supervisors, tried to persuade me to quit the practice. Their words could not sway me, as my faith in Teacher and Dafa remained steadfast. I continued to cultivate diligently, and very soon I began to walk the path of assisting Teacher in saving sentient beings.
Over the past few years, a fellow practitioner and I persuaded many of our colleagues to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. But there were still individuals who refused to quit. The jobs in my department are seasonal; therefore, we only work during seven months of the year. I have utilized the time off from work to post truth-clarification materials, distribute fliers, and hang banners. At first I was afraid of being arrested, and I did not know about sending righteous thoughts. Sometimes I was so nervous that my heart would pound rapidly. Even during winter I would sweat profusely, and my throat would become dry while distributing fliers. After studying the Fa consistently, I gradually eliminated the attachment to fear. Later, due to a lack of work, all the seasonal employees were let go; the fellow practitioner in my unit was also laid-off.
During the process of clarifying the truth and trying to save sentient beings, I was also able to further get rid of the attachments to fear and saving face. Once while posting and distributing materials with another practitioner in a building, a man came in from the outside and spotted me posting materials. I did not have any fear of him reporting me, but I knew instead that he presented himself in order to be saved. Oftentimes miraculous things would happen as well. Sometimes in the evening, my flashlight would run out of power while distributing fliers in the buildings. The lights in the hallway would suddenly turn on, and I would know that Teacher was helping me. I would immediately think, “Thank you, Teacher!” Teacher says in Zhuan Falun, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master.” I came to understand that without Teacher's help and protection, we cannot accomplish anything.
In 2007, my work unit moved miles away for a construction job. There were many new faces, and I tried to persuade the construction workers I met to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations; many of them did end up quitting. Sometimes when my xinxing was poor, I was unable to save anyone. I would regret it afterward, because once I missed the opportunity to clarify the truth well, it was unlikely that I would see them again. Since then, I have told myself not to miss out on the precious opportunities to clarify the truth to those possibly pre-destined people.
In 2008, our department installed broadband service on the computers at work. I would clarify the truth to anyone who came to my office for business, turning the computer on to show them the words “The CCP Will be Eliminated” on the “Hidden Word Stone.” Some quit the party after seeing it. One time, a man came to my office to turn in an invoice. I asked Teacher to eliminate the bad elements that were preventing him from being saved. I wanted to talk to him after he gave me the invoice, but his cell phone rang, and he walked out of the office. He came back, though, after finishing his telephone conversation, and I then clarified the truth and encouraged him to quit the CCP.
Presently, at work I take the initiative to talk to everyone I come across – I don't want them to miss the opportunity to be saved. Every day, I send forth righteous thoughts and ask Teacher to direct pre-destined people to me. To those who quit the CCP and understand the truth, I give amulets (1) and ask them to tell their family members to recite, “Falun Dafa is good.” Some people ask for fliers to share with their family, while others ask for amulets for their family. I explain to them that only when their family quits the CCP and its affiliated organizations will they be protected, and I show them how to quit the party.
During winter vacations, I clarify the truth and distribute fliers alongside a fellow practitioner. One time, a group of merchants came to our city to sell their goods. The other practitioner wondered, “It might be easier to clarify the truth if we bought something from them.” I asked Teacher to eliminate the bad elements that were blocking them from being saved. Without buying anything from them, we clarified the truth about Falun Gong and encouraged them to quit the CCP. In a short period of time, more than twenty of the merchants quit the party. We thus realized that as long as we maintain righteous minds, Teacher will help us accomplish any task.
The process of truth-clarification is also a process of eliminating attachments. One comes across all types of people: some will quit the party after hearing simply a few words, while others will refuse to quit no matter what they hear. In the past, I often felt upset when only a few people would quit the CCP. For the ones that didn't quit, I now know that it was only because I did not truly feel compassionate toward them or because my xinxing was not adequate. I would feel bad about not being able to save them, and I would feel sorry for them because they were so poisoned by the CCP. However, as I continue to study the Fa, I no longer feel discouraged when people refuse to quit the party. As long as I maintain compassion, perhaps they will quit the party the next time they meet another practitioner.
Cooperating with Other Practitioners
In 2003, I purchased a computer. I did not know how to operate it, so I could not print fliers or posters. However, with the help of a fellow practitioner I learned how to run it. Since my son was in college, every time I had problems with the computer I had to ask other practitioners for their help, and I was grateful each time for their assistance. Eventually they helped me install a laser printer, and I began to print materials. Sometimes I would encounter technical problems, and help from other practitioners would not be available for days. When they were unavailable, I would react with complaint. After studying the Fa, I found that I had an attachment to dependency and decided to eliminate it by sending righteous thoughts. I realized that there are no coincidences on the path of cultivation, and that we must look inward unconditionally whenever we encounter problems. Once we find the root and rectify it based upon the Fa, we will discover that, "After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!" (Zhuan Falun).
During the recent winter break, I collaborated with practitioners to make copies of The Nine Commentaries, Minghui Weekly, truth-clarification booklets, amulets, and to help people quit the party via The Epoch Times. I also helped practitioners download Teacher's lectures onto their MP3 players, email truth-clarification letters, and send truth-clarification text messages.
As the number of material production sites grew in our neighborhood, practitioners who were technically skilled became increasingly busy. In order to ease the burden for such practitioners and give them more time to study the Fa, a practitioner at another production site and I decided that we would also learn to install computer systems. With Teacher's protection and the help of other practitioners, the two of us indeed learned successfully.
We as practitioners are responsible to put forth such efforts. The life of a Dafa practitioner originates from Teacher and Dafa. Compared to those practitioners who are more diligent, I feel that I am not doing as much as I could, and I feel that I am far from the standard that Teacher has set. I will continue to improve.
Eliminating the Gap Between Practitioners and Helping Elderly Practitioners Visit the Minghui Website
An elderly practitioner who attends our Fa study group does a good job of clarifying the truth and encouraging people to quit the CCP. For a period of time after our Fa study began, however, she would often speak of other practitioners' shortcomings. When another practitioner and I noticed her state of mind, we looked inward to see if we possessed the same attachments. I realized that when we look at other practitioners, we should look at their bright spots and see their strengths. Their shortcomings are temporary, so we should look at them with righteous thoughts.
As long as Teacher and the Fa are present, practitioners will rectify themselves according to the Fa. When we notice the shortcomings of other practitioners, we should look inward first. We will never raise in level if we compare our strengths with the weaknesses of others. If we instead examine other practitioners' bright spots, we can correct our own shortcomings, learn from each other, raise in level, and remain cohesive as one body.
We can raise our level by studying the Fa and sharing our cultivation experiences. We are followers of Dafa, and we are on the path of cultivation. The attachments we perceive in other practitioners are possibly only reflections of our own attachments, as there are no coincidences upon this path. Once we rid ourselves of these attachments, we will no longer dwell upon those of others.
For us practitioners, the Minghui website is like our second home. It is a mirror that reflects the shortcomings on my cultivation path. Reading and sharing articles from fellow practitioners is like attending a Fa sharing conference, and it allows us to learn from each other and raise our level as one body. Both of my parents are practitioners in their seventies. Last September I decided to help them visit the Minghui website since they did not know how. At first, I bought them smart phones to surf the Internet, but the phones stopped working after only a short time. A few months later, a fellow practitioner bought a laptop and some network cards for me. After everything was installed, I presented it to my parents in Changchun.
The process of teaching them how to use the computer was also an opportunity for me to elevate my xinxing. It seemed that they could not remember anything I taught them no matter how many times I explained it. My attachments to impatience and irritability were exposed. I knew that these feelings were based only on human notions and not from my true self, thus I eliminated them with righteous thoughts. Afterward, I saw my father learning diligently and my mother practicing how to type, one word at a time. I truly admired their efforts. In about two weeks, under Teacher's guidance, my parents learned to manage simple tasks such as downloading, copying, pasting, and they quit the CCP via the Internet. When we help other practitioners, we are helping ourselves. During the process of teaching my parents, I eliminated some attachments and saw everyone in our little group raise their own levels.
Problems Brought Forth Because of the Attachment to Sentimentality
Last September my son joined the workforce, and in November he applied for the graduate school examination. He was working at the Comprehensive Management Office, and because my thoughts were not righteous I was worried that he would be too busy to study for the graduate school examination. A few days later, my son called and said he had been too busy at work and had no time to study. I realized suddenly that because my heart was not righteous, the bad elements took hold of the loophole. I sat down and looked deeper for my attachments. I wanted my son to pass the examination. I had sentimentality toward my child, as well as attachments to fame and profit. Fame, profit, and sentimentality belong to the old cosmos. I am a life that belongs to the new cosmos. I did not want those things but instead wanted to eliminate them.
I then remembered Teachers words,
The paths of cultivation are varied
But none is outside the Great Law
When one is attached to nothing
The path underfoot is naturally smooth
(“Unimpeded” from Hong Yin II from Translation Version A)
I raised my understanding and rid myself of the unrighteous elements. A few days later my son called, saying that his supervisors had met and decided to lighten his work load, thus giving him more free time. I realized that every single thought from a cultivator must be measured against the standard of the Fa.
Looking back at the past eleven years of my cultivation, I see that I began as an ordinary person full of karma and have become a Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciple. Teacher has endured so much for me and has still looked after every step that I have taken. There is more that I would like to share with Teacher and fellow practitioners. I want to thank Teacher for scooping me up out of misery. At times, I feel that I have not done well and have possibly made Teacher worry. There are a lot of attachments that I have not rid myself of, and I have not always done the three things according to Teacher's standard. I am not always able to send righteous thoughts at twelve midnight, and I sometimes fail to make up the exercises that I miss. I once took a detour from my cultivation path due to my lack of understanding the Fa. But Teacher did not give up on me, and in fact, He gave me opportunities to do even better. Words cannot describe my gratitude toward Teacher. I want to elevate my cultivation state and truly do the three things well.
(1) In China, practitioners sometimes clarify the truth by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.
