(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
Becoming a True Cultivator
I was first introduced to Falun Dafa by a friend of mine, around 2001. From that point on, I always knew that Falun Dafa was the Way. However, due to notions and various attachments, it wasn’t until October 2013 that I actually started cultivating. After reading Zhuan Falun again for the first time in more than a decade, and finally practicing the exercises from learning them online, I was almost ready to meet the rest of the practitioners in my area.
I had many fears about meeting them. For so many years, I thought I had to be somewhat “perfect” in order to be a Falun Dafa practitioner, and I wasn’t even close. And yet in cultivating at home and ignoring all the signs that I needed to join the group, it seemed that something was missing. I realized that I have to join my group and get over my fear. So after calling the number on the FalunDafa.org website, and secretly hoping my call wouldn’t be answered, the phone, of course, was answered. I told him that I think I am supposed to meet him. This was one of the best decisions I have made.
After my first meeting with them, which was at a Shen Yun booth in February 2014, just a few weeks before Shen Yun that year, I felt a huge familiarity and comfort within my non-comfort. I knew this was what I was missing in my cultivation. However, even when I truly started cultivating, when it came to various truth clarification projects, I had occasional thoughts of ‘I’m not good enough’. I had the thought of, “I’m just a stay at home mom with no special skills. What can I do?” These notions all stemmed from fear and doubt in myself, and is partially what stopped me from truly cultivating when I first obtained the Fa back in 2001.
After a few months more of cultivating with my group and slowly getting rid of these thoughts, with the help of Fa Study and sharing with other practitioners, I realized that these thoughts were a lack of faith. If I was chosen by Master to be a Dafa Disciple, then shouldn’t I have faith in Him and His choices? I realized that these notions were not my own and it was wrong to accept them as my own. Master said, “...I treasure you more than you treasure yourselves!” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s),” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Validating the Fa through Truth Clarification
One day, when I asked a practitioner in our area what else we do to clarify the truth, besides Shen Yun, he went down a list of things that have been done and where we needed more hands… which was everywhere. One specific thing that stood out to me was when he mentioned “government/VIP work,” which is clarifying the truth to elected officials. This stood out particularly for me because I couldn’t think of anything more boring and definitely not for me. So looking back, it’s no surprise that I was assigned as the “go to girl” for VIP work in my area.
I understand that clarifying the truth to the government is important. My first government (VIP) work experience was seemingly simple. I was asked to cut and paste an email, address it to the correct congressman, and hit send. It was a request to have a meeting with the congressman in Washington, DC. I didn’t even have to meet with them myself. However, for some reason this was terrifying! I did it anyway, and got a few responses. I believe this encouragement was Master helping me open doors. My second government work experience was quite different. I was asked to meet with the representatives in my own state. After mustering up some courage, I agreed.
Another practitioner, who is a Chinese international student, and I made an appointment to visit our first congressman. The meeting was scheduled with one of his staff members who happened to be a supporter of Falun Gong from 1998-2001. I was curious as to why his support had stopped in 2001. I knew that somehow Master put him in our path. My fellow practitioner had only been in the U.S. for a short while, and relied on me for my “knowledge” of how my own government works. However, I had never met with members of my government. Living in my ignorant bliss, I never even knew how to make a request with our government, as I had never needed it. I learned how to do this from fellow Chinese practitioners. It was much easier than I imagined.
After we made the appointment, we met in the parking lot with our truth clarification materials in hand, and all the signed petitions. We met a little early so we could go over our plan. As I was looking at her for advice on where we should start with speaking to him, she, naturally, was also looking to me for advice. In the west we call that the blind leading the blind. She said that in China it is called “a chicken talks to a duck.” We realized at that point, we were going in with no idea what to expect, but knew that we needed to clarify the truth.
The initial meeting went very well. I was prepared with the number discrepancies in organ harvesting, and dates of certain situations. I had studied the charts and statistics and the facts of other things the government has done for Falun Gong. I thought I was pretty prepared for this meeting, but I was wrong.
He asked a few questions and was genuinely horrified at the allegations of the forced organ harvesting. It seemed like he truly wanted to support Falun Gong but was conflicted. He was very poisoned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He mentioned our first “mistake” was the way the Falun Gong had orchestrated a protest against the government on April 25, 1999. Luckily, the other practitioner was there to clear up his mind with the truth. I was a little hazy on the facts about that because it was so long ago, and I hadn’t prepared for that.
A practitioner in DC, who had guided me along and prepared me as much as possible for this meeting, also suggested that I ask him if there would be any reason that the congressman wouldn’t co-sponsor H.Res. 281. After we were about to conclude the meeting, I decided to ask him that question. His response was shocking but honest. He mentioned the self-immolation hoax on January 23, 2001, which also explains the reason why he stopped supporting Falun Gong in 2001.
My fellow practitioner and I looked at each other in amazement and quickly explained the situation, which again, I was not really prepared for, but she was. Although we didn’t have all the facts right then, we could at least tell him that it was faked, that it was put on by the CCP, that it has been disproven, and that we would give him all the facts that we had on it, and most of all the Falun Gong do NOT light themselves on fire.
At this point, he seemed to almost become elated! He told us that the CCP came to their office and told them that Falun Gong was a “Chinese problem” and “to let the Chinese government handle it.” He then got up and took us to other parts of the office. He clarified the truth to a bunch of people in his office, and some other people peeked their heads in to listen. He was very enthusiastic about it and actually did a pretty good job clarifying the truth! The only way I can explain the feeling is that he seemed to be lighter. Later that week the congressman co-sponsored H.Res. 281.
Master said, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Zhuan Falun) I feel in my heart that Master gave us this one, as all we had to do was show up. It definitely boosted my confidence in clarifying the truth. It made me realize that these people are truly waiting for us. This greatly motivated me!
I also was very humbled by the next two visits to other congressional offices, as it wasn’t so easy. I didn’t have success with them. I realized that no matter how many times I told myself that I was doing it for them, I had a hidden agenda tied to wanting them to do something for us. My heart wasn’t pure.
Master said,
“You're cultivators, and all changes come from your cultivation and the Fa-rectification; everything that you yourselves validate and enlighten to, and everything that you'll receive, all this comes from what you have done on your path. Absolutely don't think about any favors the old forces might do for us, or about how the ordinary society might help us. You are the ones saving the ordinary people's society, and you are the ones saving sentient beings!” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.”)
Looking back, I also had attachments to self, ego, and hoping ordinary people would help us.
Now that H.Res. 343 was on the table, I thought it would be an easy feat to have the same congressmen who co-sponsored 281, co-sponsor 343. Although I was definitely wrong, as this was not how it turned out, there were good opportunities that arose from starting over. At this point I had only spoken to congressional offices.
I went to DC for the July 20th rally this year and scheduled some meetings with representatives’ offices. Although most of the staff was genuinely supportive, none of the representatives wanted to co-sponsor at that time. However, we met with a Senator’s office. I felt at this point, because this resolution was only for the Congress and not the Senate, that I didn’t have any “favors” to ask of him. The staffer we met with didn’t know much about the persecution, but she mentioned that she had received a Falun Gong flyer from someone by the subway many years prior. Most of the time it is the staff that we meet with, not the representatives themselves. They need to hear the truth too. In this way, it was again just truth clarification and letting them choose what to do with the information we gave them. I didn’t expect much from her. I really just wanted her to know the truth. She was very receptive, and actually expressed an interest in practicing Falun Gong!
The Beauty of the One Body!
One problem I had was that I felt completely responsible for the government work in my area. Not understanding how this was not just a single person’s work, but a project for the one body, I put myself under a lot of pressure. However, when I told the other practitioners in my area that this one congressman is significant for H.Res. 343 to move forward, they were more than eager to help.
I became overwhelmed with thinking how I would get all nine congress members to co-sponsor when I couldn’t even get the same one from before to co-sponsor. But I was thinking about it all wrong. I was not using the one body, as I felt it was my project, my problem, and I didn’t want to burden anyone else. I believe this was also due to a show-off mentality and pride.
Once I noticed this notion, I quickly corrected my thinking and asked for help. Not only did the one body come together and help organize and brainstorm, but they did so much more than that. We started a petition drive in the congressman’s area, to get people to understand the truth, and to let them make their stance by signing these petitions. Perhaps there weren’t enough people in his district that had heard the truth, and that no doors would be opened until they did. That seemed to be in agreement with their thoughts too.
In just two weeks the small group that we were, the majority of them not speaking English, collected almost a thousand petitions just in this one congressman’s area. It took the one body to make it happen so smoothly and successfully.
Then a door opened. The congressman was having a rare town hall meeting a few miles from me in a few days! I asked a few practitioners to go with me, as this could be our opportunity to ask him directly.
I had never been to a town hall meeting. I again was back to that uncomfortable place of the unknown. Since I couldn’t be adequately prepared without experience, we just had to show up and have righteous thoughts.
I eventually got the opportunity to stand up and speak to the congressman, in front of the whole crowd, which I thoroughly did not want to do, as I do not enjoy public speaking. I know this comes from sentimentality and it must be relinquished. I am heading towards that place where eventually it will no longer bother me.
When I asked the congressman if he would co-sponsor H.Res. 343, he said ‘It was a very sad day that day in Tiananmen Square.” He then said, “I was there when the Falun Gong set themselves on fire.” I told him that it was a hoax put on by the CCP, but was again surprised that this was still on his mind. I realized that I was relying on everyday people to do my job. I was hoping his staff had reached him with the facts. Although he may have heard them, he wasn’t really listening. I believe it was up to us to reach him directly since he had been poisoned directly by the CCP.
After the town hall meeting we went up him to speak to him more. He again asked about some details of the self-immolation hoax. We explained further, and told him we would send him the information. After a brief conversation, he was happy to co-sponsor.
At this point it seemed like we were making progress. However, a few weeks later, his name never showed up as a cosponsor. His staff gave some excuses, but it didn’t explain the change of heart. My first thought was that this may be a test of my forbearance (Ren). I noticed a complacency that had crept up after he agreed to co-sponsor. I relaxed on the government work to focus on other projects, but in reality, I had an issue with time management. The biggest mistake I did made was not realizing again that I was asking an everyday person to do something for us and Fa rectification. I even panicked a little thinking this resolution couldn’t move forward without him. After I took a step back and saw the situation from a different angle, I noticed I was thinking this congressman was the most important for H.Res. 343.
The many lessons I took away from this was that this work must be done by practitioners, that the one body coming together is crucial, and that any notions as to why they may or may not support us could be blocking us from reaching them.
I know that we have a lot of work to do on this, as there are eight more congressmen and women that are in my state that have not been reached with 343. However, I am much more confident in how to reach them. I believe these people are important to clarify the truth to, as the thousands of people they represent have elected them. Their decisions can affect many.
Master says:
“But beings capable of playing a representative role are by no means average beings. They are definitely kings of different universes, who represent their worlds, universes, or cosmic bodies.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
No matter what their reasons may be for not supporting us, they can be resolved with the truth.
Master told us in his lecture:
“If Dafa disciples aren't able to untie the knots in those people's minds when they clarify the truth, it's possible they are still in the process of coming to understand Dafa, and for the time being they can't be judged conclusively. At this time it can't be said that they are good and it can't be said that they are bad. It's possible you haven't done enough in clarifying the truth.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference”)
Many doors have opened for me since joining the government work team. I have had opportunities to work on many different projects with many different practitioners, all aimed at saving sentient beings. With every Dafa project that I am involved in, it seems that I am realizing new or deep-seeded attachments that I am constantly trying to cultivate through. Things like comfort, show-off mentality, emotions, even vanity, still show themselves, but are becoming less and less significant.
It has been a great honor to work with all these practitioners and on all these projects. I think there will be many more opportunities within the projects to come. I look forward to all of them, as they are all helping me cultivate and fulfill our vows of saving sentient beings.
Thank you, Master and everyone!
(Presented at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)
