(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am practitioner from Taiwan, and I have practiced Falun Dafa for 17 years. Through the years I have changed from a slacking off practitioner to a steadfast, truly cultivating disciple. Here I would like to share my cultivation process with Master and fellow practitioners.
I began to practice in 2001. At that time, my family had a bookstore that distributed Falun Dafa books. Those who bought books told me about the illnesses they had and their struggles—little improvement after taking lots of medicine. They also talked about how they recovered in a short time without medication.
Because they credited that to Falun Dafa, I became curious and started to read the books. At first, I learned that it is a cultivation way in the Buddha school that not only improves mind nature, but also includes five sets of exercise. That is, it practices both mind and body. Nonetheless, I did not practice diligently because I had to take care of the bookstore business and my husband was against it. But from time to time, Falun Gong practitioners who came to buy books often talked about their experiences, which triggered me to explore further. As a result, despite my husband's objections, I went to a practice site and learned the exercises, as well as attended a 9-day lecture session.
The mental pressure was huge for me. My husband reprimanded me every day, so I was always afraid when going to do the exercises. In addition, I did not have time. This situation continued for five years till 2006, when we closed the bookstore business. This gave me time to join group Fa-study. After seeing the diligence of fellow practitioners, I realized that I had missed many opportunities to save sentient beings in those five years. So I joined a project to clarify the truth by making phone calls, mailing letters, and chatting with people online. I also participated in the Tian Guo Marching Band.
The family tribulations became severe soon afterward. My husband locked me out of the house or drank heavily. I knew it was my karma, which surfaced because of my cultivation and could be used to improve my xinxing. I spent more time studying the Fa and handled these situations with a compassionate, peaceful mind so that I could improve based on the Fa. The conflicts between my husband and I would disappear whenever I followed Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. But they still recurred, giving me a hint that I needed to clarify the truth to him. So I told him what Falun Dafa is about, and why I told people about Falun Dafa. After some time, he started to read Dafa books and began to cultivate in March 2014.
In the first few years after joining Tian Guo Marching Band, I often had to support overseas activities, especially those in Hong Kong. I joined almost all of them. My husband did not object much in the beginning. But after a practitioner was detained in mainland China in 2012, he became strongly against it and even threatened me with divorce.
I knew that he was worried about my safety, but when I watched videos of Hong Kong parades, I saw Tian Guo Marching Band taking the lead and how it drew broad attention from people in mainland China. I would feel upset and was in tears for being unable to get involved. I realized that I needed a breakthrough in cultivation and treated it more seriously.
Although I could not go to Hong Kong during those days, my husband was not against other overseas activities. So I did not give up hope and kept clarifying the truth to him. By July 1, 2013, he finally allowed me to take part in Hong Kong activities. I was thrilled going back to Hong Kong. It was because there were so many people from mainland China standing on both sides of the road. They were surprised and shocked to see us. Such a large number of people from mainland China learned the facts about Falun Dafa and were saved. Thank you, Master, for giving me this opportunity.
Starting from 2015, however, many Tian Guo Marching Band members could not enter Hong Kong because their visas were not approved. I was one of them. We tried many ways, including Mainland travel permits or long-stay visas, trying to go to Hong Kong again. But these attempts failed and some practitioners who tried passing through the border were sent back.
We looked within and hoped to make breakthroughs. I thought to myself: Had the heart to save sentient beings faded away? We, Taiwanese members of the Tian Guo Marching Band, had to face up to the problem. The Communist Party wanted to stop us from entering Hong Kong, but members from other countries were able to enter. We believe that one day, all the members of the Taiwan Tian Guo Marching Band will be back in Hong Kong to assist Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings.
It has been twelve years since the Taiwanese Tian Guo Marching Band was established. Three years ago, the coordinator of the north region resigned for personal reasons and no one took over the position. A fellow practitioner recommended me for the vacancy. Various thoughts emerged, as I thought I was not passionate for the job and I was not competent enough.
Other lead players in the band declined their chance, so no decision was made at the time. Later that night, I felt warm currents flooding through my body while I was asleep. I knew it was Master Li encouraging me and helping me with “guanding.” In the second meeting, other practitioners refused again and some of them recommended me. I felt the warm current yet again and understood that it was Master’s further encouragement. I agreed to take on the task.
Right after I took on the role, some tests came. One practitioner talked with me after the meeting, hoping that I could replace an inadequate lead player. It was difficult for me since I did not know how to talk with that leader player about this.
I discussed it with several practitioners and they all had different opinions. One of them reminded me to treat other practitioners with compassion and to handle the issue in a more harmonious manner. I remember Master said in “What is a Dafa Disciple”,
“A person’s good side can’t be seen anymore, as it has been separated. What you see will always be the side that has not been cultivated yet. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a compassionate heart or should look at people in rigid ways.”
We have shortcomings in our cultivation and many of the conflicts are opportunities for us to improve. I could not push a fellow practitioner away, causing more harm to the Tian Guo Marching Band.
In Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York, Master said,
“If you were all one big harmonious group, everything was really calm and just fine with all of you, no one upset anyone else, and everyone was making others happy, then that would be bad, (audience laughs) it really would be, for you couldn't cultivate then. If nobody's antagonism came to the surface and you couldn't help each other improve, then it wouldn't be a cultivation group. What differentiates us most from ordinary people is, when conflicts and tensions arise, we are able to examine ourselves.”
Upon reading this paragraph of the Fa, I knew that if I interacted with the practitioner with compassion and pointed out his shortcomings, he would be willing to change. Isn’t that a good thing?
To avoid confrontation, I sometimes did not want to point out problems of others. Doing that will not resolve issues and probably make things worse. Furthermore, we may end up stuck in the attachment to sentimentality. In fact, fear itself is an attachment. In those days, I spent a lot of time studying the Fa every day. I hoped that studying the Fa more could give me wisdom. In “Drive Out Interference”, Master said,
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.”
Some fellow practitioners from the marching band had different opinions on improving skill, which caused barriers between practitioners. I couldn't avoid the conflicts any longer. We started intensive group Fa-study and discussions, as well as improvement of our xinxing as a whole. As we improved, our technical skills advanced correspondingly. I then communicated with practitioners on the issues mentioned above. I learned that when you treat practitioners with compassion, they will then accept your opinions and make changes.
With talking with practitioners, I realized that we have to put more effort on “Shan” (compassion). Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“You must try to really embody these qualities as someone aspiring to spiritual fulfillment. Holiness isn’t in fact that complicated.”
One time I said to a practitioner, “You are genuine and have cultivated Forbearance, but your words lacked compassion. That is, they are mingled with attachments of competition and showing off. We have to meet Master’s requirements, cultivating Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance all together in order go back to our origin with Master.”
That practitioner changed a lot after that and no longer pointed fingers at others. Another practitioner and I also discussed and exchanged understandings. Two months later, everyone improved and all these issues were resolved. Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners.
I also noticed that I felt inferior as I carried out my role. I felt that I had less ability and eloquence than the previous coordinator, and thus was less qualified. I also had the attachment to fear, being afraid that fellow practitioners might have some issues with me and would be offended if I couldn’t handle things properly. Out of these attachments to inferiority and fear, I found selfishness. Wasn’t protecting myself like this an attachment? Wasn’t I afraid of losing face? I kept dwelling on personal feelings and didn’t put Dafa first. How could I meet Master’s requirements and reach the state of non-omission? I needed to improve in order to meet Dafa's requirements of me.
Regarding Shen Yun promotion, Master said in “Be More Diligent,”
“There’s also the matter of Shen Yun ticket sales. I have said that we are now to focus on higher-end society, and only by making ourselves part of the cultural mainstream can we unlock society at large, have a greater impact, have more people attend, and have more sentient beings come to be saved.”
I took on a role as club president, thinking that only then could I have extensive contact with mainstream and higher-end sentient beings. Overwhelmed as I might be, I should do it without hesitation.
It wasn’t as easy as I had imagined. I had to spend lots of time socializing with club members. It affected my cultivation and Fa-study, and also wore me out. I regretted my decision and sometimes felt like just going through the motions. However, as a Dafa disciple working with ordinary people, I had to do it well to be a role model.
I then made up my mind to fit into the group and fulfill my duty. I reconciled conflicts among members, and after gaining their support, I got more chances to invite them to events that introduced Shen Yun. Some members introduced me to other clubs to deliver a presentation on Shen Yun and to visit with highly placed people.
The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra (SYSO) came to Taiwan and had four shows, with nearly 70,000 tickets sold, in Taipei last September. It was harder to promote SYSO because the target audience was smaller. I felt stressed as a contact person for the events. I set a goal of selling more than a hundred tickets and this motivated me. I sold one or two tickets at a time, so it didn’t go well at first. I wondered how long it would take to achieve my goal.
I later cooperated with a fellow practitioner who worked for the media. With strong righteous thoughts, she aimed to visit corporate executives and sell group tickets. We sent forth righteous thoughts together before visits and talked about our approach. Each time we could sell about ten tickets. One real estate general manager bought fifty-four tickets after our introduction. I knew that it was Master’s encouragement.
That practitioner specifically pointed out some bad habits of mine, causing some conflicts between us. I felt uncomfortable at first and didn’t want to work with her. After looking within, I found attachments to saving face, jealousy, and showing off. After that, I told myself to let go of these attachments.
Master said in “Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference,” “For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.”
Master also stated in Zhuan Falun, “One's gong level is as high as one's xinxing level.”
I understood that it is highly important when I study the Fa more, truly absorb the Fa, and put the Fa into practice to save sentient beings. When I improve my xinxing, the power of saving sentient beings will go up. I also realized that constant trials take place in the process of cultivation and I have to weed out the discomfort and incorrect thoughts whenever they surface. Now I see things in a positive way. Every fellow practitioner has their own strengths and weaknesses, and I should focus on their strengths and make the best use of it. Only when we coordinate well and complement and remind one another, can we accomplish our tasks well.
At the final stage of rectifying the Fa, I am very grateful for Master’s arrangement, for it allows me to have the opportunity to validate the Fa, eliminate attachments, and fulfill prehistoric vows.
I recently read “Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”,
“...when the end of the persecution is near, I’m feeling even more anxious than before. We have some people who just aren’t rational and are merely drifting along half-heartedly among Dafa disciples. So what are we going to do with you?”
What is Master anxious about? My understanding is that we cannot reach consummation if a great number of sentient beings haven’t been saved and our attachments haven’t been removed. I didn’t take cultivation and saving sentient beings seriously and always had the attachment of pursuit to do Dafa projects. I should always think of others' positive traits and tell them: “You should participate in this since you play your instrument so well.”
What I thought about was “myself.” I now have to reflect on myself again and save sentient beings with a purer heart. Not only will I strive to catch up with saving sentient beings, but I will also take cultivation more seriously. I will never drift along halfheartedly among Dafa disciples and will put in my utmost effort to return to our origins with Master.
The above is my sharing, please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
(Presented at the 2018 Asia Fa Conference)