(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master and fellow Dafa practitioners:
I have been practicing Falun Dafa for over 20 years, from being ignorant of what cultivation was about to experiencing the beauty and power of cultivation. Master's boundless benevolence and Dafa's immensity have manifested for me in the process.
Vague Understanding in the Beginning
I started practicing Dafa in 1997 without really knowing what Dafa and cultivation entailed. I watched Master's Fa teaching lecture videos with other practitioners, but I did not understand what Master was teaching. I felt a thick layer of substances covering me.
But, I had the feeling that I ought to continue to practice Dafa. Master also gave me numerous hints, and clues along the way to guide my cultivation.
As the persecution started in July 1999, I went to Beijing to petition for the right to practice Dafa. I was arrested, detained in a brainwashing center, and imprisoned. I never wavered in my faith and kept cultivating throughout the years.
In retrospect, I didn’t know whether my own knowing side helped me pull through. But, I do know that Master has been protecting and strengthening me all along. My bond with Dafa was always kept tight.
Awakening
The city I lived in experienced a mass arrest of practitioners in 2012. Three coordinators in the area suffered various degrees of persecution. All of a sudden, all practitioners felt a strong atmosphere of terror.
Feeling a sense of responsibility, I started to coordinate practitioners to share understandings, and to set up material production sites, hoping for a better cultivation environment for all practitioners. Soon after, I began to have conflicts with other practitioners. I felt some of them did not cooperate, so I harbored a lot of resentment.
Later, Master helped me realize that the method I insisted on was not feasible, and I had to give it up. A few such experiences made it clear to me what is being attached to oneself. I started to pay more attention to Fa study and searching within.
When I look back, I understand that Fa study and xinxing cultivation go hand in hand. Fa study alone cannot lead to the actual cultivation improvement, while simply wanting to upgrade one’s xinxing without studying the Fa would lack proper guidance.
Master said:
“So now you know the two reasons why people might not get results with their practice: one is that they can’t make spiritual progress if they don’t have the higher guidance of the Way; and the other is that they won’t get higher energy if they don’t work on themselves or strive to perfect their character. These two reasons sum it up.” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Master has already told us the essence of cultivating in the Fa. Although I had read the book for many years, I did not truly cultivate based on the Fa.
A Hiccup
A practitioner in my region was arrested in 2016. When it came to rescuing arrested practitioners, many found excuses to avoid participation, such as lack of experience, lack of necessary legal knowledge, having fear, and so on. I was one of them. So, we relied on another practitioner who was very skilled in this regard.
But, this time, when the arrested practitioner’s family member sought help from practitioners, the expert practitioner sent him to me without discussing it first with me. I was caught off guard, thinking it was a joke, and I would never be up for the task.
I managed to help the family member compile a document and told him to submit it the court. He pleaded, “Can you go with me?” I looked at him for a few seconds in surprise and agreed, knowing he really needed my help.
I had not been mentally prepared for dealing with such a situation. It was exactly this situation that later proved to be a fundamental turning point in my cultivation.
The coordinating practitioner decided on forming a team of three, the family member, myself and another practitioner, to tackle the issue directly, while other practitioners sent righteous thoughts.
With some experience in prior rescue efforts, I had to take the lead, such as sharing experiences with all practitioners in the region, writing the required documents, hiring and accompanying lawyers to various government entities, and so on.
Since we did not know of any precedent, we followed the document template on the Minghui website and proactively contacted the court, and detention center. We successfully attained the right for the family member to participate in the court argument.
The lawyer got involved in the case two days before the scheduled trial date. He later had a heated argument with the judge and court staff, which prompted the judge to postpone the trial. Even the lawyer himself was amazed, and cited Master's poem,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide” (“The Master-Disciple Bond,” Hong Yin II, Translation Version A)
When the lawyer misunderstood us, we kept calm and continued to support him with our righteous thoughts, which eventually led to the total turnaround in his attitude. He proactively helped us solve various issues, just as we originally had hoped for.
When human notions and attachments came to control me, and I felt too exhausted to continue, I kept the arrested practitioner in mind and resisted my selfish thoughts. As I took a step forward, the situation soon seemed to ease up, and the problems were resolved.
When I felt my ability was pushed to the limit, I recalled Master's Fa, and I was encouraged and uplifted by Master's strengthening. The feeling was so vivid and intense, as though I was immersed in a strong energy field.
In the end, although the arrested practitioner was convicted and sentenced, the prison term was the shortest among all similar cases. At the same time, all practitioners involved in the rescue efforts had an improved understanding of the Fa, and we felt we had grown up and matured in our cultivation.
Master said,
“So you have to make it through on your own, for the Fa has been taught to you and you are cultivating. Anything can be resolved through cultivation. It's only a question of whether you cultivate diligently. If you truly do cultivate diligently, anything can be resolved.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IX)
My biggest benefit in the process was that I became enlightened to the true meaning of “cultivate diligently” in the Fa.
Since then, I became fully aware of the power and preciousness of Dafa and realized the key in cultivation was aligning my thoughts and deeds with the Fa. Also, from then on, I formed the habit of searching within and looking for answers in the Fa, when facing conflicts and difficulties.
This opportunity Master arranged for me was a turning point in my cultivation, which entered a new phase. I also realized that every practitioner could do it as long as he or she had the will and the courage, because the actual power comes from Dafa.
Superlative Arrangement
There used to be many practitioners in my region. Over the years, some quit cultivation after the persecution started, some passed away. And some moved out of the region for various reasons. The number dropped a lot. With fewer practitioners, I gradually got into a mindset that the regional coordinating practitioners were not doing a great job, and their otherwise well thought-out work would go a long way in achieving the overall improvement of the region as a whole. On the surface, it was a very reasonable thought. However, when it formed a fixed mindset in my head, it became against what Master taught us,
“I have imparted to you a broader, most ideal form of cultivation, for, 'the Great Way has no form'!” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
Each practitioner had their own individual oath before they descended to the human world. They could make different choices in their cultivation. Different regions might have different arrangements, and there was not a single right way to follow. If I forced my own idea and understanding upon others, it would violate the Fa.
I had tried to influence several practitioners with my mindset. Eventually they were estranged little by little, which made me wake up.
I soon realized my attachment of overly emphasizing the importance of coordinating practitioners, and focusing on other practitioners' personalities and work style. I turned my attention to my own cultivation instead.
When my project needed urgent help, others did not seem to care due to different understanding of the importance. When project team members suddenly quit, leaving me high and dry, or fellow practitioners changed course in the project without consulting me first, I would not feel at loss or hold a grudge. I would cooperate in the best way I could, and make it a priority to achieve success for the group as a whole.
Along the process, I found that what I thought to be fellow practitioners' issues turned out to be my own issues. When experiencing xinxing conflicts again and again, I got rid of the attachments of relying on others, holding others to a high standard, fame, too much attention to formality, being selfish, being arrogant, and various other human notions deeply rooted in my mind. When my state of mind turned humble, calm, and peaceful, I was able to see fellow practitioners' strengths and everything made a turn for the better.
Master said, “'Cultivation' is the perfection and fulfillment of a being.” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.”)
After I uplifted my cultivation level, I realized that what Master had arranged for practitioners was the best way to perfect and fulfill a being. Therefore, I held the most profound gratitude toward Master, as well as gave my thanks to fellow practitioners.
Validating the Fa with My Pen
In the early years, I turned down many practitioners asking me to write letters to persuade people to do good deeds, and stay away from evil. The reason was that I had bad grades in my Chinese classes in school. Also, I did not like writing and felt talking to people face to face was a better way to save them. I kept telling practitioners that I had yet to see the “magic pen” Master would have gifted me, thereby hinting to me that I should take up the work.
The situation changed when I participated in the rescue effort. As no one else would do it, I had to prepare the documents. It was a difficult process when I was writing the defense materials to be handed over to the court on behalf of a given practitioner. As it would be used in court, and submitted to various government entities, the language needed to be accurate and professional.
I sat in front of my computer for two days without any progress or even any idea where to start. A fellow practitioner with some legal work experience shared his experience with me. He did not demand I do certain things, rather, he tried to remind me why did I do this. Afterwards, I still did not have a clue, and I even could not think clearly.
All of a sudden, I asked myself, “Why am I so restless? What am I doing and wanting to achieve?” Then I searched within and thought about what the practitioner just shared with me. I found out that I was trying to get this rescue attempt over with as soon as possible, without thinking that this was to save more people. Then, I calmed down a little and was gradually able to gather my thoughts.
Following the lawyer's defense strategy, I talked about the legality of practicing Dafa, how the authorities violate the law, and the positive transformation practitioners had after cultivation, mentally and physically.
I also included the heart-felt plea from the practitioner's family members, in an attempt to bring out government officials' kindness and sense of justice. My language was accurate, but peaceful, without too much human sentiment. It only took me an afternoon to complete the document of over 10,000 words.
There was a saying that good articles come from Heaven. I realized that writing articles was cultivation as well, and the wisdom in a great article came from Dafa, as long as the writer's xinxing was up to Dafa's standard.
I came to understand that as long as we put Dafa in the first place and hold a righteous view of what we are doing, Dafa would reveal its power to us.
Then, whenever I witnessed some issues in practitioners' cultivation or learned of some touching stories shared by other practitioners, I would have a strong sense of urgency to write it up. Most of the articles have been published on the Minghui website.
Now, I no longer wait for others to act, rather, I would proactively do the writing whenever I see the necessity regardless of what field of knowledge was required.
When I could keep a righteous mind and good attention, I found that I rarely had many hindrances, and the writing could accomplish as if I was pouring my thoughts into a glass. It was truly a manifestation of Dafa's magic power.
Also, whenever I see issues in Minghui articles that should be corrected, I would provide feedback and inform the Minghui editors. I think this is a practitioner's natural responsibility.
Our Responsibility
One day I went to visit a fellow practitioner. Her kindergarten age grand-daughter had been unfriendly to visitors and interfered with practitioners' sending righteous thoughts, as she wanted to play with her grandma all the time, and have her all to herself.
This time she was the same and kept interrupting our conversation. I looked at her and asked, “How about we sit down and send righteous thoughts together?” She ignored me.
I said to her, “You should not bother your grandma. Aren't you here for the Fa yourself? Come here. Let's send righteous thoughts together.” I then put up my hand to show her how to do it. She watched me for a while, and then came over from the sofa. She sat down by my side and put her own hand up straight to imitate my gesture. I asked, “Let's go home with Master together. Do you want to?” She clearly uttered the words, “I do.” Her grandma was watching us and stunned by her reaction, as she had refrained from talking to her about Dafa fearing that she might talk about it outside the family.
Even more unexpectedly, after that day, she acted like a totally different person, kind and friendly, not bothering her grandma anymore. When her grandma slacked off, she would sit down, and put up her hand in the gesture to send righteous thoughts in her own unique way to remind her grandma to be diligent again.
The child's transformation was inspirational to me and her grandma. All beings were waiting for Dafa's salvation.
Master said,
“In practicing cultivation, you are not making real, solid progress on your own, which would effect great, fundamental changes internally. Instead, you rely on my power and take advantage of powerful external factors. This can never transform your human nature into Buddha-nature. If every one of you can understand the Fa from the depths of your mind, that will truly be the manifestation of the Fa whose power knows no boundary—the reappearance of the mighty Buddha Fa in the human world!” (“Cautionary Advice,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
Dafa practitioners should get rid of human notions and attachments as quickly as possible, and achieve the state of a divine being. This is urgently needed in the process of practitioners' uplifting as a whole and saving sentient beings.
Conclusion
One day, I saw from a tall building the foliage of a tall tree moving in the breeze. The leaves on top seemed flimsy, and not as robust as those near the bottom. I thought that it was not important where or which level a being was at. What really mattered was that all the leaves formed the whole tree, and became part of it. As Dafa practitioners, no matter what projects we are involved in and what roles we play, the key is that we are all part of the whole, acting toward the same goal, purifying ourselves, validating and harmonizing the Fa, and thereby demonstrating Master's boundless benevolence and Dafa's virtue.
Thank you, Master, and thank you, fellow practitioners!
