(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, I read an article in which a practitioner discussed the following: "After four years of being a Dafa practitioner, having aspirations and boldness of vision, why was I unable even to clarify the facts to my own family members? Perhaps, it was because I was not righteous and not being steadfast towards Teacher and Dafa. I dared not face my close relatives. Or were some other concepts of mine blocking me? Why was I not brave enough to surmount them? Could I then be a defender of the 'new cosmos'? My fellow practitioner's comments deeply touched my heart and spirit. I had always thought I had studied the Fa, sent forth righteous thoughts, and clarified the facts well, and thus had been more and more steadfast in my path of Fa-rectification. I thought that I was doing well in my cultivation. It appears that it was not so."
Here is another example. Two fellow practitioners shared their experience: "Dafa is being persecuted, Teacher is being slandered. We must say a few words to validate Falun Dafa." But one of them went to appeal because of personal desire to attain consummation. At Tiananmen Square, the policeman kicked the practitioner who went there to clarify the facts and said: "Go home to practice. Why come here to practice?" The other practitioner said when being arrested: "We came together." The policeman said: "I will just arrest you." Considering it superficially, the person, who went to say a few just words was told by the police to go home and practice. The other one, who went out of desire to attain consummation, was arrested. Being selfish and caring only for one's self allowed the evil to penetrate the gap. Having the concept of stepping forward as a result of being selfish and caring only for oneself is in fact not stepping forward and away from an ordinary person.
In 1997, due to heart disease, I began to practice Falun Dafa. Through Fa study, I gradually understood that Teacher was saving sentient beings. When I began the practice in 1997, it was because my whole family asked me to do so. In 1998, my spouse also joined the practice, but in July 20, 1999, my spouse quit the practice and the whole family wanted me to stop.
At that time, I was wavering between belief and doubt for two months. At the end of September 1999, my heart disease recurred. I realized that what Teacher said was true, and regained my steadfast belief in Teacher and Dafa. During that period, whenever my spouse saw me studying the Fa or performing the exercises, I was scolded and slapped. Until 2002, I was not assaulted when I practiced but I was interfered with until the Spring Festival this year (Chinese New Year).
My spouse said that since I believed in Falun Gong, I would eventually be jailed. For the past years, no matter how I tried to clarify the facts with my family members, they had all refused to accept them as they were deeply brainwashed by the television broadcasts. Because the whole family could not accept the truth about Falun Dafa, I cried.
Recently, my heart became suddenly completely clear after reading articles written by fellow practitioners. I did not have the correct intentions in my heart for my cultivation. My closest relatives did not understand Dafa and this was a great hindrance to my cultivation. My previous intent was to cultivate steadfastly to separate myself from the sea of sorrow in the human society.
Through reading the articles of fellow practitioners, I realized that the way I practiced would not enable me to be selfless and unselfish. Now I have a better understanding of why I am cultivating, that is, that everything is done to save sentient beings and to assist Teacher in Fa-rectification. From the day I corrected this understanding, my whole family changed their attitude towards me, and their understanding of the facts changed that very day. Teacher said:
"As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")
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