[Fa-conference Sharing] Cooperating and Moving Forward with the Team

(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

Participating in daily exercises, online group Fa study, and weekly training and discussions are like “fresh water” for me, making me feel cleansed.

Master said, 

“It’s because our cultivation environment, our Fa-study environment, and what the students discuss and say when they are together are noble and form a rare and most pure environment. This is very hard to find in human society and is the most benevolent and most wonderful piece of pure land, so you mustn’t lose this environment.” (Teachings at the Conference in the Eastern U.S.)

While listening to other practitioners as they read the Fa, their humble and serious attitude, and their calm, pure and steady pace of reading, make me feel solemn, humble, and focused. I can absorb more clearly the meaning of the Fa. After Fa study, I feel energetic and clear-minded. My heart is softer and kinder. 

Identifying and Letting Go of My Zealotry

In August last year during one of our online group Fa study sessions, I was in a good state of mind. My mind was crystal clear, and I could absorb the Fa well. I felt a bit complacent, so when it was my turn to read, my tone did not sound natural and I smiled while I read. I sensed my zealotry and tried to eliminate it. 

At the end of the Fa study session, the host asked if anyone had anything to share. One practitioner said that when we read the Fa, we should be in a calm mind and take the Fa seriously. 

When I heard what she said, I felt everyone else read the Fa calmly, so she must be pointing at me. I was indeed not in a calm mind, so my tone must have sounded odd to the others. I silently thanked the practitioner for pointing out my shortcoming. I was able to identify my zealotry and remove it. 

Group Discussion Exposes Resentment and Attachment to Saving Face

Because there are so many participants in the training and discussion sessions, there are many opportunities to identify my attachments and temper my xinxing. When a question is raised, there are usually different understandings and opinions. Practitioners can peacefully present their ideas, consider situations from others’ perspectives, and are full of compassion. At the end of each discussion I feel that my capacity has expanded and my attachments and negative thoughts are eliminated.

A practitioner asked a question during a recent discussion. I didn’t hear the entire question when unexpectedly the host asked me to answer it. Without a second thought, my answer came out. Actually my anger emerged because I thought the practitioner mentioned things she said in a previous email. I still had grudges over that issue. Another practitioner later told me that she asked a different question. I was ashamed. I saw my anger and my attachment to fame. I lost face in front of everyone. Nevertheless, I realized it was a good thing: my attachments were exposed, and it was just time to remove them. I wrote to the practitioner and apologized for being rude. I thanked her for helping me see my attachments. I was also moved by her generous reply. 

Studying the Fa with a Calm and Focused Mind 

Master said, 

“When your eyes read the Fa and yet your mind isn't on the Fa, think about it, aren't you reading in vain?” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)

“If we look at it from another angle, when a person studies the Fa and his mind isn't on the Fa, it's not only a problem of just going through the motions, but also that the person studying the Fa is actually not being very respectful of the Fa.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II)

I know I should take this issue seriously, because I’m occasionally distracted by stray thoughts when I read the teachings. At one point I began listing each thought that popped up in my mind. At the end of the one-hour Fa study, I had more than 10. 

To solve this problem, I read aloud along with the practitioner as he or she reads. Now I feel my mind is more focused, and I can absorb the Fa better. 

I’m grateful to be in this group Fa study and cultivation environment, where I have benefited and improved. It gives me energy to continue working smoothly.

Our Practice Site Is a Good Place to Improve

I’ve been able to do the exercises outdoors with other practitioners during the pandemic. My heart may be stirred by different practitioners’ words or actions, and my attachments would be exposed, so the group environment helps me identify and remove those attachments quickly. I was sometimes lazy and could not do the movements correctly, especially when doing the Holding the Wheel Above the Head posture in the second exercise. I realized that when I sometimes turned around and saw practitioners quietly, steadily stand there with their hands perfectly positioned. I would immediately adjust my hand position and feel grateful in my heart for being with a group. 

A new practitioner recently came to our local practice site. After we finished doing the exercises and started reading the Fa, she sat in full lotus position the entire time—even during our short discussion afterwards. When we praised her, she said her legs were in pain but she just didn’t take them down. 

I was amazed and impressed by her endurance and strong willpower. I previously tried to remain in the full lotus position during our two-hour Fa study, but after one hour the pain gradually increased. I couldn’t endure it and loosened my legs. 

I saw my attachment to comfort and ease, and my lack of willpower to endure hardship. The new practitioner helped challenge me to push myself a bit more. I decided to sit in the full lotus position during the entire Fa study session. I tried to endure no matter how painful my legs became, and did a bit better, but I still can’t manage to remain in the full lotus position the whole duration every time. I’m determined to do better. 

A Wonderful Experience 

I sometimes experienced something special and beautiful when I had a good state of cultivation.

I reflected on my shortcomings one night, I felt I didn’t have enough respect for Master and the Fa. I sent forth righteous thoughts and eliminated any elements in my dimensional field that were disrespectful of Master. 

I thought respecting Master is not only reflected in the way I study the Fa but also in the way I do the exercises. Master is guiding us through the exercises, but my mind is filled with stray thoughts. That is disrespectful. 

The next morning when I did the second exercise, my mind was calm, and there were no wandering thoughts. I experienced something special: I felt the music was clean and holy, and it felt like I was enshrouded in crystal-clear, transparent spring water, which was fresh and soothing. I smiled. The feeling was really wonderful. It lasted the entire time I held the wheel—one hour. I could feel my capacity and endurance expand. 

I understood that when we do the exercises, Master purifies our bodies. When we read the Fa, our minds are purified. So if we do them sincerely and our minds are focused we will definitely achieve the state of being clean both inside and outside. 

Master said, “You truly have to be a pure Enlightened Being, from inside out, before you can Consummate.” (Teachings at the Conference in New Zealand) 

Precious Team Environment

I’ve benefited greatly from our special work environment. The team members’ dedication to their work always inspires me and I’m impressed and inspired not to slack off. I still can’t do well because I occasionally still feel lazy and reluctant to work. I also can’t complete my assignments in a timely manner. 

Sometimes when I proofread articles I’m reluctant to take longer ones, but once I open the file and began working on it, I’m drawn to the practitioners’ experience. It’s always a really wonderful experience for me. 

The training helps enhance my English skills. It does take some time for me to break away from my habitual way of writing, to grasping the skills and using them willingly and naturally. For example, one editor may have mentioned the same topic four to five times over the years. Each time I listen and understand, but I still felt it’s okay when I see errors. I felt it was good enough. Only after the most recent lecture did I feel I finally grasp it and willingly apply what I learned. My understanding is that repetition is necessary for me to grasp skills. I really appreciate the efforts and patience of our guest speakers during our training sessions. 

Cooperation and Team Work

Master said, 

“For Dafa disciples as a whole, in the process of validating the Fa, when you work together in concert, the Fa power is great.” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)

I have kept these words of Master’s in mind and thought that nothing should interfere with our team’s cooperation and coordination. I have cooperated unconditionally so that our website can play the greatest role possible in saving people. 

If anyone brings up a request, it must be that he/she indeed sees an issue and has to bring it up. No matter if what’s said agrees or disagrees with my way of handling things, I accept and follow the new way unconditionally. Sometimes I discuss my doubts or disagreement with another practitioner on my team. Her kind explanation or suggestion dispels my doubts immediately. My negative thoughts vanish. 

Doing the Best We Can

May is always our busiest month. A large number of greetings to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and Master’s birthday, celebratory reports from around the world, proclamations of World Falun Dafa Day from different levels of government in the U.S. and Canada, submissions to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day—the number of them is several times larger than the number of our daily assignments throughout the year. To guarantee the quality and quantity of our daily posting, everyone from translators, polishers, and editors to reviewers spend more time than usual. We work wholeheartedly, like a relay team to complete our tasks. Editors-on-duty arranged a variety of category articles so beautifully and perfectly that they are like pearls and gems shining amid the vast sea of beautifully designed greeting cards. Sentient beings’ gratitude, Dafa’s wonderfulness and extraordinariness form a contrast to the brutal persecution. The greetings and messages are quickly posted worldwide via the various languages Minghui is published in and awakens people’s kindness. In other dimensions they subdue, disintegrate, and clean out the evil. 

Another feeling I had from the Chinese New Year greetings when I browsed our website was wave after wave of powerful energy. We had more people help this time, so we were able to complete almost all the articles published on Chinese Minghui (including a couple of long sharing and greeting messages) each day. The articles are rich in content and added a lot to the powerful energy. It was an amazing feeling! 

Everyone involved feels duty-bound. We encourage each other, and quietly complement each other. I’m grateful and cherish such a pure land where we study and cultivate, and progress together diligently. 

The above is my experience and understanding. Please kindly point out anything that is inappropriate.

Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!

(Presented at the 2022 Minghui Team's Fa Conference)