(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioners around the world have read the sharing articles from the 10th China Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference on Minghui.org.
A practitioner from Taiwan said, “Thank you very much, fellow practitioners in Mainland China who wrote articles for the virtual conference. I can sense that all Falun Gong practitioners are a group and one body. Even though we have never met, our hearts are connected.”
From a wide array of cultural backgrounds and experiences, Falun Gong practitioners worldwide share in common a spiritual pursuit to understand and assimilate to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Practitioners around the world are inspired and encouraged by reading the experiences of the practitioners in China who have transcended the persecution and helped people witness the greatness of Dafa with their noble actions.
Although the 15-day “virtual conference” has come to a close, translations of these articles will continue to appear on the English and other-language versions of Minghui in weeks to come, as they become available.
Thomas was only 14 years old when he started practicing Falun Gong in Sweden in 1998. He shared that the 10th China conference helped him better understand fellow practitioners in China as well as gain insight into his own cultivation.
The article that resonated with him most was “The Cultivation Journey of a Young Practitioner: I'm Very Fortunate to Resume Practicing.” He realized that the two different environments: the free environment overseas, versus the intensity of the brutal persecution in China, both pose tests for cultivators.
He said, “We face a major challenge outside of China. All kinds of bad messages in the society and media, temptations of fame, personal gain, love, and comfort can easily lead us to slack off. I have been diligent at times, but slacked off other times. This young practitioners' experience sharing reminded me that diligence and righteous thoughts can change our environment.”
The article “Improving Myself by Helping Others and 'Cultivating with the Heart You Once Had'” helped him see the importance of forming one body. “We should also support those practitioners who are not so diligent, and cultivate together as diligently as when we initially started the practice.”
Although his Chinese is not fluent, Thomas makes phone calls to the 610 Office to clarify the truth about Falun Gong and help stop the persecution. “I want to let the perpetrators hear the voice from a foreigner so that they know that their crimes have been exposed internationally. I will work harder on this to alleviate the pressure of my fellow practitioners in China.”
Li Zhong lives in Europe. The purity of the sharing articles from the 10th China Fahui, the diligence and sincerity of the practitioners, and Master's compassion deeply moved him.
Li Zhong's heart was filled with the joy of cultivation when he first started the practice in 1997. However, the pride, joy, self-confidence, and the willpower that “no dangers or difficulties are going to stop me” faded over the years. He says, “I often take a detour or try to avoid conflicts, and I sometimes search outward to find other people's shortcomings. I failed to truly grasp every cultivation opportunity, and gradually lowered my standard to 'good enough'.”
Li Zhong sees the gap in cultivation between him and the Falun Gong practitioners in China. Amidst the terror and brutality, practitioners in China take huge risks to clarify the facts about Falun Gong and the persecution every day and cultivate themselves well. This steadfast faith in Dafa shines through in their words and actions.
Li Zhong said he is thankful for the sharing conference, as it showed him the rapid progress of the Fa-rectification. He has a sense of urgency to abandon his attachments, fulfill his mission, and become as diligent as he was in the beginning.
When reading the Fahui articles, Michigan practitioner Ms. Ma, an engineer, was most struck by how Mainland practitioners's daily lives are intertwined with truth-clarification.
She explained, “Their belief is not lip service. In their environment, they risk losing everything, including their lives. However, under all circumstances, they tell people with dignity, 'I am a Falun Gong cultivator. I'm a beneficiary of Falun Gong. Persecuting Falun Gong and its practitioners is wrong.' People can feel their righteousness.
“A Falun Gong practitioner had a dinner meeting with an important client. When others wanted him to drink, he told them that he didn't drink because he was a Falun Gong practitioner. They admired him that he did it with so much dignity and thought he was remarkable. I think this also shows us that Falun Gong is a high-level spiritual practice because only such a practice can produce such admirable followers.”
Ms. Kim has her own travel agency. Despite her busy work schedule, she feels that her mind is cleansed while reading the sharing articles, and it is time well spent.
In one sharing, an elderly woman visited other practitioners one by one and formed seven Fa study groups to help one another improve in cultivation. They all became active in truth-clarification.
By helping others, this elderly practitioner rediscovered the heart she once had for cultivation. Ms. Kim said her story helped her understand more deeply the meaning of “cultivating with the heart you once had.” (See “Improving Myself by Helping Others and 'Cultivating with the Heart You Once Had'”)
Ms. Zhang, a retired teacher in Taiwan, found room for improvement in her cultivation by comparing herself with the high Fa study and exercise requirements to which practitioners in China adhere.
A practitioner in China wrote in her sharing article that she had always thought that cultivation was one aspect of life. She changed her notion and treated life as a small part of cultivation. Job, meals, and sleep are only there for leading a normal life and providing the cultivation environment. She does four hours of exercises every day and sleeps up to two hours. She saves time to study the Fa and clarify the truth.
Ms. Zhang realized when reading this that now is the time to break through the limits set by one's own notions. She has always thought that if she doesn't go to sleep shortly after midnight, she won't be able to get up at 4:00 a.m. to do exercises. She says, “I have to gear up my efforts. The cultivation opportunity is simply too precious to miss!”
Eva is a manager of a British enterprise. She started practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. She read every sharing article and encouraged other practitioners to read them as well. She said, “I don't want to miss any of them, though I am busy. I know I would have missed the opportunity for improvement if I did not read them.”
She was impressed with fellow practitioners' sharings about eliminating personal notions. When facing conflicts or feeling unhappy, one needs to look inward to eliminate notions and think from the perspective of one body.
The article “How I Became a Technical Expert” especially impressed her. “Selflessness actually involves meeting the needs of validating Dafa. The practitioner saw a need, then learned the skills, rather than simply considering her existing skills and preferences to decide what to do. It made me think about how I should cultivate from now on.”
Helen started practicing Falun Gong in China before the persecution and has lived in Britain for seven years. She was moved to tears by the sincere sharing in the articles.
“The fellow practitioners in China have pure hearts and righteous thoughts. What they do is based on Dafa. With faith in Master and Dafa, no problem is unsolvable. Looking inward is another feature. They looked inward at critical moments. Admittedly, I often attempt to find others' shortcomings, when I should be looking inward,” she said.
Yuan Miao, a primary school teacher in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has practiced Dafa for more than ten years. She read the 10th China Fahui sharing articles every day. She was impressed with the article “What Dafa Needs Is My Choice,” which stressed the responsibility of Dafa practitioners to uphold the truth.
The author of the article went to Beijing on April 25 to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong in 1999. She stood there for the entire day. Many practitioners went to Beijing to appeal after 1999. She knew that she would lose her job and family if she went to appeal. “Can you put down fear of death?” she asked herself again and again. She finally put Dafa above everything else. During her efforts in truth-clarification in the years that followed, she learned to consider Dafa's needs and make that her choice.
“The fellow practitioner validates Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” said Yuan Miao. “Dafa gives her courage and willpower beyond ordinary people. I think that is the realm of divine beings.”
Yuan Miao said she treasures the experience sharing articles on the Minghui website. “I appreciate fellow practitioners for their sharing. Though we don't see each other, I feel we are one body and our hearts are connected.”