(Minghui.org) After reading the article “To Fellow Young Practitioners: Cherish the Opportunity to Cultivate,” I was deeply moved. I was once a young Dafa practitioner. I cultivated for a while, but as time passed, I gradually separated myself from the Fa, using the excuse of academics. I was buried in the big dye vat of ordinary human society for several years, but deep down in my heart I was set on cultivating in Dafa.
1. My Predestined Relationship with Dafa
My predestined relationship started with my maternal grandmother when I was three-years-old. At the time, my grandmother had already started to cultivate. One day, I saw my grandmother practicing the second set of Falun Dafa exercises; I was very curious and wanted follow her. When I raised my arms, I felt something tremendous spinning in my inner arm and it made me dizzy. At the time I did not know it was a Falun, so I kept saying I was dizzy. After that I fell on the sofa.
My mother’s health was not very good and many gynecological illnesses have been ailing her. She was always relying on medicine. When Chinese medicine doctors couldn’t cure her, she would give Western medicine a try. She has tried many different types of medicine every day and nothing worked. My grandmother was able to convince my mother to cultivate. My whole family has seen Dafa’s miracles, and my mother is no longer ill.
I cultivated with my mother and grandmother at a very young age. As time passed, I got buried deeper and deeper in ordinary society, gradually falling away from Dafa. I remember a dream I had about doing the second set of Falun Dafa exercises with my mom. We were standing parallel in line but I was very minute, standing only up to my mother’s ankles. There was a voice saying, “You have become smaller because you haven’t been practicing.” I woke up crying. Now that I think about it, it was Master hinting at me. I did not continue practicing because my enlightenment quality was quite poor then.
Although I did not continue cultivating, I knew that Falun Dafa was good. Whenever my mother asked, I would do my best to help practitioners download Dafa materials. I also helped practitioners put documents together for their lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party, for initiating the persecution of Falun Dafa. I was deeply touched and moved by reading practitioners’ cultivation stories and news about practitioners being persecuted.
2. Coming Back to Dafa
I caught a bad cold when I was a university student, resulting in irregular heartbeats, making me feel very uncomfortable. Sitting for long periods when studying also resulted in a weak spine. One day, I was moving something heavy and I sprained my back. I was in so much pain that I had to stay in bed for two-and-a-half months and I was unable to sit for very long. I was very frustrated and worried for myself because I was still young. My mother encouraged me to cultivate since she believed I have a strong predestined relationship with Dafa. I did not take her words to heart and my ordinary thoughts prevailed.
Master helped me enlighten to something when I was doing the meditation one day. Thinking with my ordinary thoughts, I thought my back hurt from sitting for a long time, but in fact, it did not hurt. On the contrary, it felt very comfortable. Up to this day, I am very grateful to Master for still remembering me, a cultivator lost in ordinary society. Tears would roll down my cheeks whenever I thought about what happened.
One day during the meditation exercise, I suddenly felt a powerful vibration in my back, followed by a wave of cool air. I cried almost immediately. I knew that Master was cleansing my body for me. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely gave thanks to Master who endured everything for me. My back would experience the same symptoms each time I meditated. Now my back is completely fine and my heart rate also normalized. I truly feel comfortable.
My experiences with the wonders of Dafa strengthened my faith in the practice.
3. Cultivation Is Not an Easy Thing
After setting my mind to truly cultivate, my very first tribulation was thought karma. Many evil thoughts appeared in my mind when I did the exercises, such as not respecting Master and the Fa. I have been greatly affected by them.
One day my mother said that she dreamed when I was young, my clothing was all white and beautiful. I abruptly replied, “That’s nothing, what’s the point of dreams?” My mother said, “No, my understanding it that you are pure and came from a fairly high level. You should cultivate well! Don’t slack off!” After listening, I nodded, knowing that Master is hinting at me to do well.
My cultivation is not very solid, so when the thought karma appears I would get scared. I would struggle every day with these evil thoughts and at one point I even thought of giving up cultivation. While sending forth righteous thoughts, the thought karma appeared and I was very afraid. I did not know how these thoughts came to be and I started to fight with them. I became very restless and anxious. I told Master, “Master, I am very tired. I cannot take it anymore.” Master said,
“Once it transpires, one will be tested to see if one can overcome such bad thoughts on one’s own. If one is determined, the karma can be eliminated.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
The next day, I was no longer controlled by this thought and felt much better. I know that Master helped me upon seeing that I was determined to eliminate this thought. Up until now I still have a lot of thought karma, but I try to suppress it.
I also lack self-esteem. I always thought that the miracles and wonders that happened to other Dafa practitioners would never happen to me. I feel that I am lacking in cultivation. If there were principles on the Fa that I did not understand, I would read practitioners’ experience sharing articles on Minghui. Each time the articles I read would always be directed at my problems. I know that Master is helping me enlighten, always solving my problems at the root.
Whenever I would think about not cultivating, I feel very remorseful of Master’s compassion towards me.
4. Master Is Right by Our Side
I live in a small city in North America where there aren’t many Chinese. In the beginning of my cultivation, I was very troubled about how I would clarify the truth to Chinese. To my knowledge, there is only one small Chinese supermarket where I live. Usually I would go to the local supermarket and rarely the Chinese one. During that time, my husband would always ask if there was anything I needed to buy at the Chinese supermarket. I would say no.
Later on, I enlightened to the fact that Master is hinting at me to clarify the truth to Chinese. I prepared a set of truth clarification materials. When I was at the checkout at the Chinese market, I starting talking to the owner. I silently reminded myself that I should smile and look happy, have compassion and keep Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in my heart. Due to my timid character, I reminded myself not to stutter.
With Master’s help, I started chatting freely with the owner. When I learned that he didn’t know about quitting the Chinese Communist Party, he accepted my truth clarification materials without issue. I told him, “If you think it through, I will be able to come again and tell you more. My first time clarifying the truth was still lacking. After reading more of Master’s lectures, I learned what to say and how to say it.”
The second time, I arrived at my local Chinese market. When we got to the cashier, my husband asked if I wanted to go eat sushi. We usually never eat sushi. When we started to pick out the sushi on the racks, I heard two Chinese cooks talking. My eyes beamed. I knew Master was hinting at me, letting me know that there is truth clarification to do in this small city. I feel that Master is always by our side and watching over us. As long as we believe in Master and the Fa, Master will always arrange the best for practitioners.
I still have many attachments and my understanding of the Fa is still very shallow. As a new practitioner, I still have a lot to improve on. I will follow the principles of the Fa to progress diligently in cultivation and be a true Dafa disciple. Although I started to cultivate towards the end of Fa-rectification, Master has not given up on me. There are no words to express my gratitude to Master; all I can do is study the Fa better, do the three thingsto help Master in Fa-rectification and save more sentient beings.
Thank you, great benevolent Master. As a Dafa disciple, I express my most sincere gratitude to you.
I would also like to tell young practitioners like me: please don’t miss this opportunity. Let’s help Master rectify the Fa and go home with Master!
