2023 Mid-US Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference Held in Chicago

(Minghui.org) The 2023 Mid-US Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference was held in the western suburbs of Chicago on Sunday, August 6, 2023. Practitioners from various states in the Midwest attended the conference. Fifteen practitioners spoke about their cultivation experiences. Whether it was participating in projects to clarify the truth, promoting Shen Yun, or putting the teachings of Dafa into practice in their daily lives, they overcame difficulties guided by Falun Dafa's principles.

Practitioners spoke about their cultivation experiences during the 2023 Mid-US Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.

Rectifying Oneself 

During the Fa rectification period practitioners have the mission to assist Master Li (Falun Dafa’s founder) and save people. Only by cultivating well can one accomplish this mission.

Sara has practiced Falun Dafa for over two decades and always tried to make Fa study a priority. However, she was often unable to calm down and stay focused. A year ago, she accepted an invitation to join an online study group that fit her daily schedule. She seized this precious opportunity to study the Fa diligently and tried her best to eliminate her negative thoughts. Gradually, the quality of her Fa study improved and she experienced her character improving naturally as a result.

Sara has persisted in clarifying the truth to government officials. She used to prefer to do things by herself rather than work with others. She realized this was caused by her laziness and fear of criticism. In the process of telling government officials about Falun Dafa on the occasion of World Falun Dafa Day celebrations, Sara kept looking within and improved communication with members on her team. The project moved in a positive direction and they received many support letters and proclamations from government officials.

Gary grew up in a family of practitioners and is now a university student. He introduced his classmates to Falun Dafa and told them about the persecution in China. One student wanted to know more and Gary discovered that he was not able to explain things in detail. He began to search for videos and articles online, and learned how to clarify the truth in-depth. 

When the weather is good, Gary does the exercises outside. In the beginning, he was self-conscious and wondered how others would see him. He later let go of his anxiety. Since he does the exercises in public, he focuses on doing them properly. He felt a sense of freedom after doing the exercises. He got to know other practitioners through the “Friends of Falun Gong” group at the university. Everyone worked together to host movies and other truth-clarification activities. It was a long, hard process but his exhaustion dissipated when the event was held. He said that there are many resources in schools that can be used to raise awareness about the persecution, and young practitioners can always find a suitable way to promote Dafa.

Helen is from China and was persecuted for practicing Falun Dafa. After coming to the U.S., although she does not speak English or drive, she cherishes the opportunity to assist Master. She participated in promoting Shen Yun and helped out as part of the catering team during the shows. Every year, for several months, she worked long hours, handing out fliers, putting up posters, and helping out in the kitchen in different cities. She does whatever is needed to promote Shen Yun. She is extremely grateful to Master for these opportunities. 

She occasionally had conflicts with other practitioners. Whenever she felt resentful, Helen realized she has not met the requirements of Dafa and quickly reflected on her shortcomings. She feels encouraged when she sees other practitioners working hard without any complaints.

Putting the Principles of the Fa into Practice in Daily Life

Lonn was introduced to Dafa by her mother and brother in 2011. However, she did not know what cultivation was. With increasing pressures in life, in February 2013 she decided to sincerely practice Falun Dafa.

Her 3-year-old son was diagnosed with autism, and he misbehaved and acted aggressively. When he was six and a half years old, he got worse and attacked Lonn every day. He pulled out her hair, gouged her skin with his fingernails, and kicked and bit her. Lonn was covered with injuries. Her son would even hit his head on the wall resulting in large holes. When he attended summer camp, he was sent home for hurting other children.

Lonn thought she should be tolerant of her son’s behavior from the perspective of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. It could be her karma that made him abuse her like that. But in the end, Lonn realized such understandings were not entirely correct. “No matter what I did to him in a past life, after all, I am his mother in this lifetime. Our relationship should align with traditions at the human level. He cannot keep assaulting me like that. When I realized this, although there are still times when he is angry, his physical attacks lessened.”

On another occasion, she was hurt while taking care of her son and had to be supported by crutches for three weeks. Lonn was depressed and looked within. She discovered she was too busy with truth-clarification projects and did not take care of her autistic son well. One day, she looked him in the eye and sincerely apologized to him in her heart: “I am not angry with you, I don’t know what kind of relationship we had in a past lifetime, however, you are my son in this life, therefore I will take good care of you.” Her compassion for her son came out naturally and his attitude towards her improved.

Her son’s behavior has improved tremendously. Looking back, Lonn feels that her son actually helped her let go of many attachments in the process of her cultivation for over 10 years. If not for her son, she would not persist in getting up early to send righteous thoughts and do all five sets of exercises. It was hard to overcome her drowsiness, but it has now become easier for her to get out of bed. Now, even though she sometimes only sleeps for three or four hours, she is still able to wake up to send righteous thoughts and do the exercises. This is very important as it gives her enough energy to continue to move forward in cultivation.

Lonn said, “I finally understood why practicing cultivation among everyday people is the fastest and quickest way. At times, we run into greater challenges but every day there is an opportunity for us to practice cultivation. When I remember that I am a cultivator, things often turn for the better quickly. I feel very lucky to be able to practice Dafa. If not for the guidance of Dafa, I don’t think I would be able to endure the hardship of bringing up a severely autistic child like my son. Dafa has helped me see things in life differently.”

New Practitioners' Cultivation Experiences

Today’s world is full of chaos. The COVID pandemic has had a huge impact on people but also became an opportunity for predestined people to practice Dafa.

When he was a child Jose migrated from Mexico to the U.S. with his family. Through hard work, he became the first in his family to obtain a degree. He started a new job, got married and things appeared to be going well for him. However, he felt inexplicable emptiness and even became depressed. He often fought with his wife and their marriage broke up. When the COVID virus started to spread, a coworker introduced him to Falun Dafa and suggested he recite “Falun Dafa is good” every day. In the beginning, Jose did not take it to heart but after watching Shen Yun for the first time, he had a deeper understanding of Falun Dafa. 

As the pandemic worsened, his grandmother passed away in 2020 followed by his brother in 2022. Jose grieved for the loss of his family members and became depressed. One day, he was involved in a car accident. He was frightened but said he felt that Master was looking after him. He thought of the meaning of the phrase “Falun Dafa is good,” and decided to read Zhuan Falun. Now, Jose no longer feels life is meaningless. He's not despondent or anxious. He participated in many Dafa activities and his gratitude towards Master grew as he practiced cultivation. He hopes to return to the community he grew up in and let more people know about Dafa through sharing stories on Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.

Lina is a dentist and manages a dental and a medical clinic. She heard about Falun Dafa in October 2020 and started to practice cultivation. A few years ago, she developed reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) which led to bleeding in the space between the brain and the tissue covering the brain. 

One day as soon she came home from work she suddenly had a terrible headache. Her blood vessels contracted which affected her spine and blood rushed to her brain. She was rushed to a hospital. Even though she was recovering, she often suffered from unbearable pain. Her goal was to regain her health and more importantly reconnect with God. Two years later, she read an article about Falun Dafa on the Epoch Times website and out of curiosity, she went to the Falun Dafa website. She found and listened to Master Li’s lectures. As she listened, she was reminded of the chaotic state the world was in at that time – the COVID pandemic and the whole idea of nature and trust in God was falling apart. Master Li’s teachings resonated with her and she became aware of a powerful energy field that can elevate one’s life.

Lina contacted a practice site to learn the exercises and began to read Zhuan Falun. She said that one of the most important things she learned from Falun Dafa is to look within. Don’t blame anyone for your shortcomings. Now, as a result of practicing Falun Dafa, she is able to handle life’s pressures. When she feels stressed, she looks within and it is a great help.

At the end of the conference, many attendees said the speeches were inspiring. They plan to practice cultivation more diligently when they return home and fulfill their missions.