(Clearwisdom.net) The Eighth Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China came to a successful conclusion today. A total of 206 articles were presented during the 33-day conference from November 9, 2011 to December 11, 2011.
During the article submission period between August 15, 2011 and September 15, 2011, the Minghui website received 5,000 articles from Falun Gong practitioners from all walks of life throughout China. The process enabled the authors, practitioners who submitted articles on behalf of the authors, the conference staff, and readers to help each other upgrade their xinxing level. Everyone has overcome various kinds of internal and external obstacles and interference, including the severe Internet blockade imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime and numerous challenges in terms of time, workload, and cooperation, to make this conference a successful one.
Prevailing over Human Notions and Overcoming Interference to Save More People
The authors of the 5,000 articles, particularly the 206 selected articles, have one thing in common: They might have run into different obstacles while clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and upgrading their xinxing level, but they gradually prevailed over their notions under the guidance of Falun Gong's cultivation principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They try to respond to situations based on the Fa, and as a result, these practitioners have become increasingly mature cultivators. Their articles are encouraging to us Falun Gong practitioners both inside and outside of China. By comparing how we study the Fa and cultivate, we have become increasingly mature and steadfast in our respective cultivation environments. The selected articles offer but a brief glimpse into the cultivation state of the millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Touching stories of cultivation take place each and every day in China. Just as there can be magnificence in peace, there is much profundity in their seemingly mundane lives. Like a pure brook in a morally polluted world, they are the hope for people's salvation.
The articles reveal how Falun Gong practitioners in China have remained diligent in studying the Fa, improving their xinxing, clarifying the truth about Falun Gong and about the CCP (to save people from the CCP's propaganda), and sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate evil elements from other dimensions. Many of the stories told in the articles relate to practitioners prevailing over their trials and tribulations by studying the Fa, cultivating themselves, altering their notions, enlightening to the Fa, and improving their xinxing.
In "Taking the Lead," for example, "For many years, my company couldn't promote me because of I was known to be a Dafa practitioner. However, my manager thought highly of me and paid me well. I was very busy as a result. I was busy at work and after hours."
As a result, he was not able to do the three things well. After a few failed attempts to prevail over the tribulations, he realized he must have missed something in the Fa. He also knew the answer lay in the Fa.
"One day, I was sending righteous thoughts on my commute. Suddenly the words emerged in my mind, 'I take the lead.' I was shocked and experienced a sense of dignity and authority beyond description." He immediately remembered some relevant passages of the Fa.
"Since I had all the capabilities I should have, and the Three Realms were even created for the Fa, what had I been waiting for? Wasn't it true that I should take the lead and call the shots?! I made up my mind: from now on, no arrangements of any other beings could interfere with me doing the three things. Otherwise, I would eliminate them with righteous thoughts! During the entire time, my body was wrapped in enormous energy. I experienced the sacredness and an air of supremacy. The interference through my work that the old evil forces arranged has since disappeared." (From "Taking the Lead": http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/11/11/129376.html)
In another article named "Save People Quickly: Walk to Maturity by Rectifying Ourselves," the author ran into obstacles as soon as she started clarifying the truth to people. People refused to listen and were very hostile toward her. She felt frustrated and defeated for a few days, during which large zits appeared on her nose and lips. She felt it was a challenge to save people. On the other hand, she knew it was an illusion. She told herself not to give up. She began to search within in tranquility, and she realized that her anxiety and impatience were hindering people from listening to the truth.
"Once during sitting meditation, I recalled Master's teaching. I realized that a Buddha, or an enlightened being, would not be in the kind of state I was in. Their outer appearance and inner realm are very serene and merciful. Their words are like poems, flowing melodies. How could my anxious tones save people?"
She decided to study the Fa more diligently. She studied at least three lectures of Zhuan Falun each day. After all, she knew she would be unable to accomplish anything without the power from the Fa, let alone fulfill her own grand pledge.
"The Fa has endless power. Master saw my sincere will to save people and strengthened me, helped me, and protected me while saving people. I constantly rectified myself, adjusted my mind, got rid of anxiety, and the attachment of doing things." (From "Save People Quickly: Walk to Maturity by Rectifying Ourselves": http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/11/14/129474.html)
Gradually her road toward clarifying the truth was created and widened. The process has become more stable. More and more people have quit the CCP and its two affiliated student leagues.
Searching from Within at All Times
Another outstanding characteristic of the articles was that many authors focused on searching within at all times. They tended to follow the Fa, search within, and eliminate their attachments.
In the article “Overcoming Family Tribulations Under Teacher's Benevolent Care,” the author ran into a marriage crisis, a test seemingly impossible to pass. Her husband had an affair and wanted to divorce her. He even threatened to report to the police that she continued to practice Falun Gong. The author studied the Fa and discussed the test with a fellow practitioner. She decided to seriously searched inward.
She said, "The people we interact with are often a mirror for us. Didn't my husband's behavior bring out the attachments that were deeply hidden inside my heart? My first thought was that he was wrong and I was not at fault. This violated the cultivation principle that Teacher taught us; that is, to look within for everything. This incident happened to help me improve through cultivation. But I didn't distinguish between insiders and outsiders. I complained to everyday people to seek sympathy. I also used the excuse of 'clarifying the truth and help people quit the CCP' to cover up my gaps and attachments. Could everyday people solve things for cultivators? How would people see the wonderfulness of cultivating Dafa? All they saw were the bad things, like being sentenced to forced labor camps, being deprived of a salary, being forced to leave home to go into hiding, or divorce. Wasn't that damaging the Fa and pushing them away from Dafa? I realized that only when I cultivated myself well could I truly save people." (From “Overcoming Family Tribulations Under Teacher's Benevolent Care”: http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2011/12/6/129883.html)
She let go of her human attachments and faced the crisis in a righteous manner. She displayed the compassion and dignity of a Falun Gong practitioner. The marriage crisis that seemed irreversible was resolved harmoniously. Her family, relatives, and friends who witnessed the transformation acknowledged that Falun Gong is good.
Learning from Each Other to Cultivate More Diligently
It is a spectacular occasion each year to hold an experience-sharing conference over the Internet for Falun Gong practitioners in China. It is an opportunity for them to share their cultivation insights, and it offers encouragement and motivation for practitioners outside of China. This year's articles have inspired many Falun Gong practitioners outside of China.
Suzanne, an American Falun Gong practitioner, said, “Sometimes I only have time to read a few articles, but they were just what I needed. I feel there is always a battle in mind between human notions and divine thoughts, or between selfishness and selflessness. Reading these articles and witnessing the righteous thoughts and actions of Falun Gong practitioners in China have awakened us and helped us overcome tribulations we have encountered in our cultivation. By reading these articles, we will form a single-body with Falun Gong practitioners in China. We will discover and eliminate our attachments, upgrade from the Fa, and fulfill our pledge to save people.” Suzanne wants to remind fellow practitioners to read these articles no matter how busy they may be because they are really helpful.
Ms. Mao, a Falun Gong practitioner in from the Midwest United States, said she wants to read the articles from this year's conference no matter how busy she might be. She says she always feels “splendid” when she reads these articles, “They might have come from different social classes and walks of life or have different cultivation paths, but each article wins my admiration for Falun Gong practitioners in China. So many practitioners in China have been treating the Fa as Teacher, assisting in Master's Fa-rectification, and saving people steadfastly. They are truly remarkable. It may appear that they are separated from Master, but so many miracles have proven that Master is right beside them. As long as you cultivate yourself according to the Fa, Master will be watching over you at all times. Master will guide his disciples out of the maze and help them establish mighty virtue that all lives in the universe will admire. Another thought I had from reading the articles was that all the capabilities that Master has already given us are what we need to assist him in the Fa-rectification and save people. It is now up to us to have righteous thoughts and enlighten to the Fa in order to use them.”
Ms. Mao added, “After reading the article, 'Broad and Immense,' I now have a more profound understanding of the saying, 'Broad and Immense.' Teacher said, 'Its broad and immense, profound inner meaning can only manifest itself to, and be experienced and understood by, practitioners who are at different levels of true cultivation. Only then can one truly see what the Fa is.'" (From "Broad and Immense" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Ms. Mao said, “No matter where we are, we are connected at heart. We are one body. I cannot see anything with my Celestial Eye, but I feel we are one in some space-dimension. Every Falun Gong practitioner that has persevered this far is a touching article in himself or herself, even though we may not be able to read each and every one of them because of various constraints.”
