(Clearwisdom.net)
A great number of Falun Dafa practitioners who have access to the Internet read experience-sharing articles. Although I have read many articles, I always felt that there was nothing I could write about nor had I done anything of great importance. Then, when the big truth-clarification material site in our area stopped operating some time ago and was divided into countless smaller sites, practitioners from our local site suggested that I write down our experiences of running the truth-clarification-material site in our area over the past few years.
This truth-clarification material site of ours has been operating through thick and thin for more than three years. Over the past three years, I actually have had many insights, thoughts, and experiences and learned many lessons. Today I would like to share my little cultivation experience of downloading information from the Internet to make truth-clarification materials. Fellow practitioners, please kindly correct me if there is any shortcoming.
I have stepped forward to appeal against the persecution of Falun Dafa since 1999. I used to be responsible for delivering the truth-clarification materials. Because of my own loopholes, my home was ransacked in 2001. My husband and I left home to escape the persecution, and we came to the truth-clarification material site. There, both of us were responsible for making truth-clarification VCD's. Fellow practitioners sent the master VCD's over and we both edited the contents and checked to make sure that there were no errors. Then we mass-produced the VCD's. Not long after that, however, the practitioner in charge of the site was arrested. Because the material site was a big one, it was not a good idea for us to always go to other places to get the master copies, and doing so was an inconvenience to both parties. After deliberation, my husband took the initiative to take on the responsibility to access the Internet, download information, and compile small brochures.
I was responsible for making truth-clarification VCD's. Practitioners who have been involved in making VCD's know that the truth-clarification video files usually come in big files. In particular, the mpg format takes a long time to download. Failing to overcome my fear, I always waited for practitioners who lived very far away from me or who were very busy to deliver the master VCD's to me instead of downloading the files myself. Not only did I waste fellow practitioners' time, I also delayed the chance for people to understand the truth. During that period, my husband suggested many times that we download truth-clarification video files on our own so we could lessen fellow practitioners' burden and take on the work that we should have done on our own.
Through studying the Fa and constantly understanding and improving from Fa-principles, I heard Teacher's words in my ear:
"So in clarifying the truth, don't wait, don't rely on others, and don't just hope for changes in external factors. Every one of us is creating history for the future, that's why everyone is not only participating in group activities, but also taking the initiative to look for things to do." ("To All Students at the Nordic Fa Conference")
In the evening after reading one chapter of Zhuan Falun (1), I turned on my computer and logged on to visit the FGMTV website. Because I accessed the Internet via a telephone line, the downloading speed was very slow. I remember clearly the first time I did it: I sat before my computer to watch the download process; time passed little by little. Yet, I did not feel scared at all. The download process took more than two hours. Then I converted the file to another format. After four hours, I cannot describe how pleased I was when I sat in front of the TV and watched the video program that I myself had just created. It was the kind of pleasure I got after overcoming my fear and elevating my realm, and it was beyond description. This experience of downloading truth-clarification video files enabled me to understand more of the Fa-principles. Teacher simply wants us to cultivate Buddhahood and cultivate our mind diligently. As long as we break through our own restriction, everything will be the best for us.
From that point on, my husband and I were responsible for accessing the Internet and downloading information. After a truth-clarification video file was downloaded, I was responsible for editing the master VCD. My husband was responsible for making VCD labels. Everyday, after we finished practicing the five exercises very early in the morning, we studied two or three chapters of Zhuan Falun together. Then we started to work. Together we strived forward diligently on the cultivation path. Little by little, we made breakthroughs in the amount of time accessing the Internet. At the beginning when we logged on to access the Internet, we would be very nervous if someone came to our home. If we were logged on to the Internet too long, we would be reminded to log off as soon as possible. We always thought that it was not safe to access the Internet for a long period of time. Ever since we made a breakthrough by staying logged in for two hours, we no longer had that kind of fear. During that period, there were more truth-clarification video files on the FGMTV website, so I had to do the downloading everyday. The downloading time went from two hours to three hours, to four hours. It kept increasing, and, eventually, we logged on to the Internet via a telephone line from morning until 11 p.m. at night. I downloaded all the truth-clarification video files from the FGMTV website so that I could make different truth-clarification programs for different people. The truth-clarification video material in our area was indeed very rich and abundant.
One day I spent more than five hours downloading a truth-clarification video file. When it was about 99% complete, the dialog box for the download data disappeared. Without thinking too much about it, I downloaded the file again and instantly wasted over five hours of effort. I was very upset at the time and was not in the mood to work. So I turned to read the book. At that time, I knew that it was interference, yet I did not think deeply about it.
A few days later I again logged on to the Internet to download files. The download speed was slow or something else would be wrong. It was not until then that I took it seriously. I calmed my mind to look for the cause. I reflected on what had happened recently. Because there were many kinds of different truth-clarification video files, I got carried away and tried to compare and compete with other areas. Looking inside myself, my mentality was no longer pure and clean. Can I work under such conditions without being interfered with? Teacher says:
"Do you realize that as long as you're a cultivator, in any environment or under any circumstances, I will use any troubles or unpleasant things you come across--even if they involve work for Dafa, or no matter how good or sacred you think they are--to eliminate your attachments and expose your demon-nature so that it can be eliminated, for your improvement is what's most important. If you are able to succeed in improving yourself this way, what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred."
("Further Understanding" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
By looking inside myself, By looking inside myself, I realized that cultivation is like downloading a truth-clarification file. With 99% of a file-download and only a little bit more to completion, this file is still incomplete and cannot be viewed. The same is true for cultivation. It does not matter how many years you have cultivated. Even if you are only a small distance from completion, if you don't strive forward diligently, if you let up on yourself, you could ruin yourself in one day. Through this experience, I understood from Fa-principles the seriousness of cultivation. I should not let up on my cultivation. I should hold myself to strict standards and follow Teacher's requirements until I reach consummation in my cultivation.
What guarantees safe access of the Internet for long periods of time? It depends on righteous thoughts and righteous faith in Teacher, Falun Dafa, and also on cultivating ourselves well. Our accessing the Internet will not be changed by any external factor. Teacher said:
"Wherever we practice Falun Gong will become a good place. We're remaking the environment, not selecting the environment."
Falun Buddha Fa Teaching the Fa at the Assistants' Fa Conference in Changchun
I have been interfered with while downloading files from the Internet. Although I was attacked, I did not feel scared. Meanwhile, I also discovered my bad thoughts and the mentality of accomplishing a task. Through this incident, I realized again that, no matter what interference I encounter, if I just search within myself, sure enough, I can find some bad thoughts or the old forces would not have dared to cause damage. I also have read in experience-sharing articles that staying logged on to the Internet too long was not safe. The safety of Internet access is not based on the amount of time you stay logged on. It lies in our mentality in handling the work. If we understand the Fa from the Fa and everything we do is in line with the Fa, then it doesn't matter if we use a telephone line or a cell phone to access the Internet. It doesn't matter if we spend a long time or a short time accessing the Internet. In our mind, we will no longer have the notion of worrying about being unsafe.
Note:
1) Zhuan Falun is the book that contains the complete teachings of Falun Gong.
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