(Clearwisdom.net)
Introduction
Master has been looking after us since many eons ago. He spent much effort making sure we can obtain the Fa during this period of time. After we learn Falun Dafa, Master continues to look after us so that we can walk every step well and pass every test. We are like little children who have just started learning to walk. We stumble often as we move forward.
Life is Full of Tribulations, Yet We Are Protected by Master
My life has been full of twists and turns ever since I was little. My mother said that when I was born, I did not cry, and the doctor had to slap me to make me cry so that I could start breathing on my own. When I was about three years old, I was seriously ill and almost died. That experience left me with a profound impression.
Other than illnesses, I was accident prone. I almost drowned twice when taking baths, and once I nearly fell into a well. There were many more incidents, but I cannot remember them clearly after all these years.
Fortunately, I survived all my mishaps, and obtained the Fa. I believe that it is because Master has been looking after me. He has kept me alive through all the tribulations and eliminated the enormous karma that I had accumulated over such a long time so that I could live to this day and obtain the Fa. My life has long been immersed in the immense mercy of the Buddha Fa. If I cannot cultivate Dafa diligently and cannot do the three things well as a Fa-rectification period disciple, then I feel that my life is not worth living.
Back in 1998, I borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from a practitioner. After reading through it once, I hastily returned the book. Because of my incorrect notions at the time, I missed that opportunity to start practicing Falun Dafa.
Having Righteous Thoughts about Dafa Is the Foundation for Obtaining the Fa
On July 20, 1999, former president Jiang Zemin initiated the persecution of Dafa and Dafa practitioners. At the time, the television showed slanderous programs every day. Those programs disgusted me. I have always disliked the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When I was young, my mother told me many evil deeds the Party had committed. Because of that, seeing Dafa slandered, my instinct told me that the Party was again trampling on people. When I talked with friends and family about it, I often said, "See, the Chinese Communist Party is bullying people again. The Falun Gong practitioners are forced to kill themselves for the right to practice!" (At that time, I did not know the truth about the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident, that it was completely fabricated by the CCP.)
From 1999 to 2000, I was an advisor at a middle school. The school officials asked me to pass down regulations to the students to "prohibit Falun Gong practitioners from going to Beijing to appeal." I told my students, "You all should stay home. Don't go to Beijing. If you are arrested by the Chinese Communist Party, they can be really ferocious." The students all laughed with understanding upon hearing this.
Obtaining the Fa
I was teaching geography in school. Later in 2001, I taught physics and shared an office with a Falun Gong practitioner who also taught physics. This practitioner was very firm in his belief. He often clarified the truth in the office. Whenever he did that, I could also help a little. Sometimes, he would tell me something from the Fa, but I would hold firm to my own notions and argue with him. However, after one year with him, I understood the truth about Falun Gong. In the days after, I was able to clearly explain to people around me the truth about the self-immolation.
During that period of time, the local police station sent people to investigate this practitioner. They talked to me privately. The two police officers did not get any information from me. In 2002, we taught different classes so we did not work together.
In 2003, this practitioner and I worked in the same office again. He continued to tell me the truth about Dafa and some recent teachings from Master. At first, I still argued with him. But four weeks later, the thought emerged from deep within that I wanted to cultivate Dafa!
When I told this practitioner about my thought, he laughed, "You must be joking." He really thought I was joking. At the time, the persecution environment was still very evil. Besides the local police station sending people to investigate him, the school officials also named him in the school meetings. But I still said to him seriously, "Really, I want to practice!"
Later, he gave me a copy of "Zhuan Falun". When I opened the book, the first thing I saw was Master's picture. He looked so familiar to me. As I was looking at the picture, I felt a tightening on my forehead and then a drilling feeling inside. Master had opened my celestial eye at that moment! I read the book carefully but quickly. When I read, "When one's Buddha-nature emerges, it will shake 'the world of ten directions,'" my tears flowed.
In two or three days, I finished reading Zhuan Falun for the first time. In the next few days, I learned the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Several days later, I saw my gong column when I was doing the third exercise, "Penetrating the Two Cosmic Extremes."
Master put so much effort into helping me obtain the Fa. First, I was arranged to share an office with a practitioner. Through this practitioner, I fully understood the truth. Furthermore, the Fa he shared with me eliminated some of the most stubborn notions in my head, and cleared the way for me to obtain the Fa when the time came. It was not easy for me to obtain the Fa, and I should cherish it whole-heartedly.
From another perspective, when we are clarifying the truth and spreading the Fa, we should not become attached to one particular moment, one incident, or one person's gain or loss. When confronted with difficulties, we should try to clarify the truth again and again. If someone does not understand the truth until the last minute of the Fa-rectification, that is okay too.
Studying the Fa
I started practicing Falun Gong at the end of September 2003, relatively late compared to other practitioners. I spent a lot of time studying the Fa in the next few months. I finished reading all the articles Master had written before and after the persecution started. After that, I re-read Zhuan Falun or the new articles every day. From the teachings, I soon understood what a Dafa disciple should do during the Fa-rectification period. The reason that I could understand and do the "Three Things" as a "Fa-rectification period disciple" was largely because I studied the Fa well. Only then could I understand what I should do and how to do it.
Clarifying the Truth to Students
A Dafa practitioner should clarify the truth. As a teacher, I taught several hundred students. Could I clarify the truth to my students? That was a question I thought often about during the three months after I started the practice. To be honest, I thought about it for a while. What if someone found out? What if someone reported me to the police? The attachments to fear and self-interest constantly emerged.
I studied the Fa, and I studied the Fa more. I finally found the answer. What is my purpose here? I am here to save sentient beings. Why do students come to my class? They are here to hear the truth. Isn't it right to tell them the truth? Yes. This is the most sacred thing, and no evil has the right to stop me. What kind of mindset should I have when clarifying the truth? I should have the compassion for saving lives.
As I stood on the podium in front of my students, my heart was beating fast at first. As soon as I opened my mouth, every obstacle disappeared. I was surrounded by warm energy. My thoughts were clear and my words were fluent. I felt that Master was strengthening me, and He was helping me with my righteous thoughts. The obstacles formed by the evil in other dimensions disappeared in the blink of an eye!
Later, I had a better understanding from studying the Fa. Why was I not afraid when I clarified the truth before as an everyday person, but after becoming a practitioner, I was afraid? The reason was that the evil factors from the old forces in other dimensions were interfering with practitioners.
Why are ordinary people curious about so many things, but not about the truth of Falun Dafa? For example, many people are very interested in talking about the "June Fourth massacre," but they are afraid and avoid talking about Falun Dafa. The reason is that the evil factors from the old forces are blocking the sentient beings from knowing the truth, and they even block the curiosity people normally have.
As a result of this understanding, I put more emphasis on studying the Fa well. I also understand the importance of sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil.
Clarifying the Truth by Utilizing Truth-Clarifying Materials
Other than clarifying the truth face to face, I also use truth-clarifying leaflets. At the beginning, I only distributed a few copies, then a dozen, a few dozen, and now over a hundred copies.
I usually send forth righteous thoughts and ask Master to strengthen me before distributing the materials. With Master's help, I have always been able to return safely from distributing the materials. Just as fellow practitioners have said on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website, "When we distributed the truth-clarifying materials, the dogs did not even bark."
My understanding is that no matter what means we use during truth-clarification, our state of mind is very important when we do it. Is it for ourselves or for others? Is it for accumulating virtue or for saving others? One's thoughts can determine a different mindset and a different result.
There Is no Taking a Break on the Path of Cultivation
I have also made mistakes on my path of cultivation. The reason is that I was not able to let go of human notions. I want to share my mistakes, and I hope that other practitioners can use them as warnings.
After I started practicing Falun Gong, I was teaching two classes. As I studied the Fa more and more, it was getting easier to clarify the truth to the students. When I told them about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, I mainly talked about the history of the Party's killing. Many students cried after hearing it. Many of them wanted to read the Nine Commentaries. They also wanted to help their family members to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party. When I talked about Falun Gong practitioners still thinking of others when they themselves are being persecuted, the classroom was filled with applause.
Slowly, the attachment of zealotry as well as the desire between husband and wife started to get strong. As a result, the evil took advantage of my loopholes. In one class, a political science teacher said that Falun Gong was not good, and the students immediately corrected him and told him, "Falun Gong is good." When he asked them who told them so, the students told him, "The physics teacher said so." This teacher had the same experience in three different classes because I taught physics to all three classes. He was very upset, and reported me to the school officials. The school officials thus threatened me in a school meeting without naming me, and it put me under a lot of pressure. There was a surplus of teachers at my school, and the extra teachers were supposedly being transferred to elementary schools.
I studied the Fa calmly and found my attachments. While sending forth righteous thoughts, I thought, "Although I have attachments that I have not given up, I will not allow the old forces to interfere with my clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. My attachments will be eliminated through my cultivation, but what you wanted was to destroy all sentient beings, which is a crime and must be eliminated. No matter where I am, I will do what I should do from the beginning to the end."
I continued to clarify the truth without being hampered. At the beginning of this semester, instead of being transferred to an elementary school, I was transferred to a better position at work.
There is no place for resting on the path of cultivation. It is one test after another. If I pass a test well, it is the mighty virtue of a practitioner. If I become overly zealous for having done well, or become tired and depressed, or become attached to human things and want to indulge in qing, or want to take a break, then the old forces will take advantage of my loopholes. My attachments then become bigger, and I become less diligent until I stumble hard.
Conclusion
Whenever my child helps me wrap truth-clarifying materials, I always have this thought: "Dafa is invincible!" Even a disciple of such a young age knows what to do and takes the initiative to do it, not to mention all the countless other Dafa disciples. The path to godhood is not far off.