(Minghui.org) I often recite the articles in Essentials for Further Advancement, and strictly follow the teachings in Dafa. Over time, I gradually got rid of bad habits, and changed from being a narrow-minded to an understanding and compassionate person. The people who know me can see the compassion of Dafa disciples. Even though the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses its media to overwhelmingly slander Dafa, as long as we genuinely cultivate ourselves in accordance with the Fa's principles, the people around us will be able to tell what is right and wrong.
One of my colleagues told me, “I stopped my family from watching a CCP program which slandered Falun Gong practitioners on TV. I told them that the program is full of lies because Falun Gong practitioner Yang (my name) is a good person, so I know Falun Gong is good.”
She also told them, “Before she began practicing Falun Gong, Yang had several health problems, and had to take a handful of pills every day. She didn’t get any pay raises because she had too many sick days. But after she began practicing Falun Gong, her health, as well as her personality improved. I borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from her. I know her very well. Stop watching those slanderous programs. The CCP lies and is very vicious.”
Later, that colleague’s two aunts, cousins, sister-in-law, nieces and some other relatives all began to cultivate in Dafa. Her husband and son also learned the truth of Dafa.
Afraid that I'd be persecuted, my sister frequently called me to urge me to stop cultivating in Dafa. She even began to use nasty words when I refused to listen to her.
I went to my sister’s home several times to clarify the facts to her. Seeing that I was very healthy, calm and well-mannered, and after listening to me clarify the facts to them, my sister’s family no longer tried to stop me from cultivating.
They came to stay with me for a few days in my new house. When they heard that I bought the house with the money I saved which would have been used on medical bills, they said, “Your Master is indeed great! Falun Gong is great! The CCP is absolutely vile.”
On our way back from a market one day, the plastic bag ripped and the fish that we bought dropped out. My sister kept holding the smelly bag and walking for more than ten minutes before throwing it into a garbage dumpster. She told me, “Walking with you, I dare not do bad things. Without you by my side, I would have tossed that smelly bag away on the ground long ago.”
The day my sister and brother-in-law were to catch the train back home, we waited for the bus to the train station for a long time, but many buses passed by us without stopping. We began to worry that we would miss the train. Seeing that we were so worried, a person offered to take us to the train station for 70 yuan instead of the usual charge of 20 yuan.
Under normal circumstances, my sister would have been upset, but this time, she was very calm. In less than five minutes, a bus finally came. The bus driver was very friendly and even drove extra distance to take us directly to the closest gate to the train terminal where they could board the train. My sister and brother-in-law both exclaimed, “What just has happened is absolutely unfathomable.” My sister told me that she was not worried because she knew that I would bring her good luck.
She called me after they returned home, and told me that her family had begun to study Zhuan Falun .
Improving together
I learned through years of cultivation that I needed to study the Fa more and well so that I could walk on the path of cultivation more solidly.
Through group study and sharing, our local practitioners improved very fast. We actively participate in projects such as clarifying the facts, distributing the materials and helping people to quit CCP and its affiliated associations. A senior practitioner set up a materials site at her home, and another one is being set up.
We helped each other by correcting our exercise movements, and also pointed out our attachments as soon as we spot them. I fully understand why Master asks us to study the Fa together because by doing so, we can all improve quickly.
Since our group became too big, we split it into two smaller ones, but I was invited to join both groups. I mistakenly assumed that our local practitioners regarded me as a “role model,” so I decided in my mind to attend just one group’s activities.
However, after not showing up in one group study as I was expected, I felt regretful for not notifying the practitioners ahead of time that I was not coming. I probably kept them waiting and thus wasted their time.
When I did join them the next time, the fellow practitioners were very happy to see me. I sincerely apologized to them.
I talked to a practitioner after the group study that day, and she told me, “We did not treat you as someone special. We thought that since you know more practitioners, you could share with us other practitioners’ experiences and help us learn more about what's happening in other areas. It would help us cultivate more diligently.”
Feeling bad, I identified the source of my problem: it seemed as if I avoided being held up as a role model. I was actually afraid that the old forces would find some loopholes in me to persecute me.
I sent-forth strong righteous thoughts to disintegrate the selfish thoughts I had. I knew I needed to strive to help fellow practitioners to diligently cultivate and improve as one body.
Soon after I made that promise, three new practitioners also invited me to join their study group. Without hesitating, I accepted their invitation.
A practitioner brought her mischievous son with her to a group study. He roamed around the room making noises and bothering everyone. The fellow practitioner did not know how to discipline her son. He then followed us to the room where we were about to begin studying the Fa. He began to misbehave, but nobody paid any attention to him. We focused on the Fa and took turns reading one paragraph after another. Finally he quieted down, and began to listen to us reading the Fa.
Then, looking at Zhuan Falun , he began to read out loud word by word. He sounded very pure and fluent as well. Surprised, his mother asked, “Who taught you so many words?” He replied that he knew how to read Zhuan Falun the moment he picked it up. It was truly a miracle!
After studying the Fa, he shared that he had given his aunt lots of De since he blamed her for not buying candy for him once. Now that he learned Dafa, he knew he had been wrong and promised that he would never use bad words again, and that he must follow Master’s teaching, “You did not hit back or swear back.” (“Lecture in Sydney”)
His mom was excited to see the changes in her son. He wanted to join his sister to study the Fa. Now both of her children study the Fa earnestly, and they no longer fight with each other.
Discovering hidden attachments
I clarified the facts to a teenage boy who was dressed in dirty rags and carrying a large bag of soda cans. Looking at his bored expression I began to doubt about what I was doing.
Since childhood, I learned to hide myself to protect my pursuit of fame, personal gain and satisfying my whims. While writing this article, I suddenly saw the word, “hypocrisy” which was deeply hidden. Like a fat black cow, it lay motionless and flattened on the ground. However, when it saw me, it nervously tried to pick itself up and escape.
I sent out a strong thought to disintegrate it, and the energy I sent out knocked it down. It shrank to a small calf, half of its original size. Panicked, it stood up and immediately disappeared.
A fellow practitioner was angry at me one day. Calmly, I listened, and sincerely apologized to her. I knew that I must have done something wrong if she was so upset with me.
On my way home, however, I felt miserable and tried to look for my shortcomings, but at the same time, I was thinking about what the fellow practitioner had done wrong — even if I said something wrong, she should not have been so angry at me.
At that moment, a young man came and sat next to me in the bus. We began to chat. I gave him a disc with the software to break through the Internet blockade. Excited, he thanked me, and gave me his phone number, sincerely asking me to keep in touch with him.
He then asked what my job was. I asked him to guess. He said, “Your manner told me that you must be a leader of some sort.” I realized right away that Master must have used his words to remind me of the role that I must play.
Thinking back, I remembered that as soon as I entered the fellow practitioner’s home, I asked them to turn off the TV which was showing an ordinary people’s drama. Afterward, I criticized the fellow practitioner. Even though my tone was mild, I was actually acting like a “leader.”
Afterwards, I sincerely apologized to that fellow practitioner and said, “I’m very sorry. It was my attachment that hurt you.” I silently said, “Master, thank you for your help!”
I thank Master for his merciful salvation, and for constantly protecting me!
Category: Improving Oneself
