(Minghui.org) My sister, who lived in New York, gave me a copy of the book Zhuan Falun in July 2001. She was not a cultivator, but after reading a Falun Dafa flier, she felt that the cultivation practice would be right up my alley.
I read Zhuan Falun from July 2001 to May 2003 by myself, and was quite taken by the insights in the book. I threw out all the Buddhism and Taoism books I had studied.
I came across a flier that announced an event to introduce Falun Dafa in Guadeloupe in May 2003. I went and met local practitioners. At that point I began cultivating diligently. I had finally found the cultivation path I had been searching for.
Teacher said,
“...if you want to be a cultivator, it’s completely up to you yourself to cultivate your heart and become enlightened…” (Zhuan Falun)
Putting My Heart into Cultivation
Studying the Fa and sharing with practitioners helped me understand that being diligent will enable me to cultivate in the Fa until I achieve non-omission and become a Dafa particle. From the day I began cultivating, I realized that I lacked compassion, which was completely different from how I saw myself before I practiced Falun Dafa.
I joined a small Fa study group, attended nine-day lecture classes, learned to send forth righteous thoughts, and became involved in truth clarification. In fact, before I joined Dafa cultivation practice, I had been following the news broadcasts from China. Now, however, I focus on how the communist regime persecutes Dafa practitioners.
Members of the small Fa study group were diligent. We clarified the truth not only to people in general, but also to government officials daily. Every week we had a group Fa study and read several Fa lectures. We also regularly showed movies to clarify the truth and organized events to teach people the five sets of Dafa exercises.
I thus gained a deeper understanding of the Fa. It felt that I was immersing myself in the Dafa energy and was protected by it. However, the more I participated in truth clarification, the more I felt the need to improve in the Fa. When I lacked righteous thoughts, I had problems when clarifying the truth.
I also began to realize that my body was undergoing some changes. I experienced how karma was being eliminated, as described in Zhuan Falun. As my wisdom improved, I was able to speak more fluently and had fewer problems with stuttering.
Another change affected my social life. I stopped drinking alcohol in any form. I also made sure that I did not order food that contained alcohol. No one thought this was strange.
I lived a simple lifestyle, did less socializing, and spent more time at home and at work. I also actively participated in truth clarification activities and helped take care of practice sites. I studied the Fa every day, did the exercises, and sent righteous thoughts.
Spiritually, I gained different understandings of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” It seemed that these principles permeated my body and affected my every gesture and glance. I enlightened that I needed to constantly pay attention to my behavior and cultivate myself.
Clarifying the Truth
It is our mission to clarify the truth. Through efforts at truth clarification sites and by handing out fliers, we hope to help people understand the truth about Dafa. To me, clarifying the truth is something as natural as breathing – we do it at all times when we see family, colleagues, or acquaintances.
When I began to cultivate, I clarified the truth to all my family members. Some learned the exercises, but didn’t persist. However, they all knew that Falun Dafa is good. Most importantly, they witnessed that I followed the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance at all times.
Likewise, I clarified the truth to all those I came into contact with at social gatherings, activities, and when I went on business trips. When I took an airplane, I talked to people. I usually started out talking about how the Chinese communist regime treated its citizens.
When the human rights torch relay event took place in my region, I noticed that people I had talked to showed up.
Most people I met at the truth clarification site did not mind hearing the facts. Some were shocked and agreed to sign a petition. Sometimes they asked some related questions. I also clarified the truth to government officials, but sometimes the results were not readily seen. But by visiting them we had planted the seed for understanding the truth about Dafa.
I met Chinese people when I distributed the Epoch Times. At times some people made me feel unwelcome as they didn't understand why I would practice Falun Dafa. Nevertheless, I did not experience any conflict.
Meeting people at the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibitions was another good way to clarify the truth. People often expressed their disgust over the violence committed by the Chinese communist regime. I met a young Chinese who stood for a long time in front of a piece of art. He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. He did not say a word, but when he left, he said thank you.
Measuring My Cultivation State
Maintaining strong righteous thoughts was of utmost importance. It helped bring about opportunities for clear and thorough truth clarification. I realized that having a good cultivation state and keeping the momentum for strong righteous thoughts were also essential, as they helped overcome difficulties.
People who understand our truth clarification message support Dafa, through either signing a petition or joining us to learn the exercises at the practice sites. There are also those who are willing to tell others what they heard.
I discovered that the rapport I had with my family members was a good indicator of my cultivation state. When any conflict or problem arose, it usually was related to my cultivation state. Therefore, how my family treated me became a measuring tool that showed me how I was doing in cultivation.
I have left the region that I used to live in for some time now, but I continue doing what a Dafa disciple should do.
Teacher said,
“Whether you can cultivate, whether you will succeed, and what level you can reach all depend on you, yourself.” (Zhuan Falun)
I was gifted with seeing the path that I have walked in another dimension, and I saw that underneath each footstep, there was a venomous snake. Only when I firmly believed in Dafa could I ignore these venomous snakes and walk forward. The path led me to a temple which I mistakenly thought was my final destination. But the people there encouraged me to continue walking forward, because there were many sentient beings who have not heard the facts about Dafa.
