(Clearwisdom.net) Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, taught the Fa at the 2011 New York Experience Sharing Conference on August 29, 2011. More than 5,000 practitioners from all over the world were in attendance. After the conference ended, some practitioners shared their thoughts.
2011 New York Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference
“We Must Place Saving Sentient Beings First and Foremost”
Ms. Wu from the Washington DC area had a lot to share. She said: "I didn't truly understand the deep meaning of life. Master told us the origin of modern human beings and the origin of life. I was familiar with it before, but only on a theoretical level. I haven't been able to truly put it into action. When I clarified the truth, if the person wasn't immediately receptive, then I stopped trying and looked for others to clarify the truth to. This type of behavior and the muddling through and casual attitude of mine has been common recently.” She also said she had to be alert, otherwise she might not be able to accomplish her mission. "Master has given us so much. He has always encouraged us and told us that we did well and that the most difficult part was over. We wouldn't have accomplished anything without Master's protection and guidance, and now we seem to have become more lax. Master just wants us to save more and more people, but we don't take what Master has given us and his sacrifice seriously. We are too selfish and have slacked off in our cultivation momentum once we felt that we had done enough. “I have often criticized other practitioners for how they have not taken saving sentient beings seriously enough. It was as if they were at the end of a marathon and could only go through the motions with the hope of reaching their destination. I looked inward and found that my main spirit wasn't strong enough. I felt that Master's lecture was for me, and that I should stop criticizing and judging others. It pained my heart. I felt I was wasting what Master has sacrificed for us. “I used to be very passionate about cultivation. I could even drive alone with my baby to New York City every weekend. In the past, I made a lot of effort in truth-clarification without thinking about it, even when I had the option of not doing so. It now seems so many notions have emerged. Even coming to the New York Fa Conference this time, it took me a few days to firm up my decision. I have slacked off on Fa study, and after some time, the gap is quite obvious now. I need to catch up with a clear main consciousness. I need to follow Master's teachings and pay close attention to others' sharing and cherish their cultivation journey. I truly feel that we are all connected, and that we must place saving sentient beings first and foremost.”
“Indescribable Gratitude”
Master walked onstage as soon as the conference began. “This was a surprise, and truly beyond my expectations,” said Petra from Hamburg, Germany. “Master is so compassionate. He must know many practitioners have plane tickets to fly back home today, and they might lose their chance to see Master. I am so grateful to Master! He treats us with benevolence, but we, myself included, have let up in our cultivation. Master encouraged us to get back to the cultivation enthusiasm we had when we first obtained the Fa. I thank Master very much for reminding us of this when he began his speech today.”
She also mentioned a fellow practitioner's sharing. This practitioner had devoted himself to Fa-rectification projects over the years. He thus neglected his family and friends, and it later put him in difficult situations. He finally realized where he fell short and rectified himself, and everything went back to normal. She said, “It reminds us not to go to extremes as practitioners. It left me with a deep impression.” Talking about another practitioner's speech about her perseverance with Shen Yun ticket sales, she sighed, saying: “We sometimes need to persist for a long time without seeing any hope. However, we should persist regardless, which will produce a good result.”
Ms. Xie, a practitioner from Indonesia, saw a big gap between her cultivation and the speakers' cultivation. She felt that those practitioners who shared papers were very diligent, “There's so much I can learn from them.” She said, “Cultivation is not a short-term thing. It needs to be accomplished over a long period of time. When in bleak loneliness and unable to see hope, we should still persist in doing what Master told us to do. I had quite a feeling about that.” She also mentioned Master's benevolence to practitioners. “Master knows that we haven't done well in many areas, but still encourages us. I was touched and grateful beyond words.”
Time is Pressing for Saving Sentient Beings
Ms. Wang from England said that every sharing was excellent. She said, “Every practitioner is like a mirror to me. It reflected my own shortcomings and areas to improve. They're doing so well, and their cultivation states inspired me.”
Mr. Wang from San Francisco said, “I'm especially shocked after listening to Master's lecture. It would be such a pity if many beings are eliminated. Time is truly pressing for saving sentient beings. There is nothing we should be attached to or that we cannot let go of.”
Ms. Chu from Germany said she had been busy with family affairs and not diligent in cultivation after her recent childbirth. Master mentioned Dafa disciples' great responsibility and that many people have become relaxed in their cultivation at this final stage. “It gave me quite a shake-up.”
Ms. Tian from Los Angeles felt that many practitioners are cultivating very well. “Every Fa-conference is an environment to compare studying and cultivating. I cherish every opportunity to attend Fa-conferences.” She said that each opportunity may not come again, and she felt uplifted every time. “Fellow practitioners' experiences are the testimonies of our own cultivation path. We can learn from fellow practitioners' experiences, and it is very precious to every Dafa disciple.”
I Felt Continuously Uplifted Listening to Master Lecture for the First Time
There were many new practitioners and practitioners who got to listen to Master lecture in person for the first time. Ms. Yang from Germany was one of them. She said that she felt strong energy. “I felt very good and strong energy that came my way when Master walked out. I felt continuously uplifted during Master's lecture.”
She also mentioned how inspired she was listening to the practitioner who makes phone calls via the Internet. “We should make good use of each remaining day and fulfill our prehistoric vows.”
Mr. Gao from Canada had the same feelings. Listening to the speeches, he felt the power of coordinating as one body. He mentioned that he examined himself against practitioners' speeches and will try to do better in saving sentient beings. He mentioned the seven-year-old practitioner's speech, as he has a child who is about the same age. “The parents' cultivation state is reflected in the child.”
