(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings to Revered Master! Greetings to fellow practitioners!
I am a 59-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner living in the countryside near a city. I am grateful to Master's compassion, giving practitioners in Mainland China another chance for an Internet experience sharing conference as a whole body. I became excited when I heard the news of the Third Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China on Clearwisdom. I was also anxious, because my cultivation is far removed from the requirement of the Fa, and it is difficult to verbally express my experiences. But this is an opportunity our compassionate Master has given us for our improvement. I wrote some of my experiences and hollow understandings. Fellow practitioners, please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
1. Dafa benefited me physically and mentally
I began Fa study in 1997. Before that, I had cranial nerve pain, back pain, leg pain, rhinitis, neurasthenia gravis, bursitis in the shoulder and various other illnesses. I wasn't able to open my eyes when walking out of doors, and I couldn't do farm work at home. I constantly suffered from the pain and felt life was meaningless. I've only had several years of elementary schooling. But when I read Zhuan Falun the first time, I was captivated by it. I finished reading it in two days. Falun Dafa teaches people to be good. The principles described in the book are wonderful. I then forgot about my painful illnesses. A while later, my illnesses were healed without me being aware of it. Life became meaningful. For the first time in a long time, I experienced the feeling of lightness. My gratitude to Master is indescribable.
When I had initially practiced Dafa, I only knew that Dafa was good. I didn't know about cultivating xinxing. I practiced the exercises diligently each day. Once, when my child spoke of something unpleasant to me I kicked him to the ground. He cried. I forbade him to cry. Thinking back on that incident, I didn't know to look within when encountering a conflict. I had not displayed kindness.
"What is xinxing? It includes de (a type of matter), tolerance, enlightenment quality, sacrifice, giving up ordinary people's different desires and attachments, being able to suffer hardships, and so on. It encompasses various things." ("Lecture One" in Zhuan Falun, March 2000 translation version)
This Fa quote made me realize my shortcomings. Master teaches us to treat everyone well, particularly family members! No matter what conflict we are in, looking within myself according to the Fa made me see how wicked I was before. If I hadn't learned Dafa I would have had no way of knowing. Only Dafa can let one see one's shortcomings and completely change a person.
Through further studying the Fa, I have been strict with myself, single-mindedly assimilated to Dafa, improved my xinxing and became a Dafa disciple bearing "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" in heart. My family and friends can feel my compassion that I have cultivated from Dafa. My daughter-in-law commented, "Such a good mother-in-law is nowhere to be found."
2. Realizing the importance of Fa-study
In July 1999 I saw that our compassionate Master was falsely accused and Dafa was persecuted. I felt really bad. I traveled to Beijing three times to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. I was arrested four times (illegally detained twice, illegally admitted once to a custody center, and illegally sent to a labor camp once).
When I was released in September 2001, I began copying Zhuan Falun. I thought that this was such a great Dafa, I must copy it completely. In over two months time I finished it at last. That was not easy for me, because of my limited education during childhood. I had forgotten how to write a long time ago, and I had not written anything in the past few dozen years. I said I was "copying," but actually I was "drawing" the words. My handwriting didn't look like the correct words to begin with. But I empowered my confidence, using a ruler to help me write. I finished copying Zhuan Falun in over 300 pages, with respect for Master and Dafa in my heart and mind. I was very calm while copying; at the same time feeling more and more the sanctity of Dafa.
One day a practitioner came to know that I had incorrectly copied the word "practice." I thought to myself that I was a practitioner, but I wrote the word "practice" wrong! I eventually realized that I had only focused on doing things on a superficial level. When I validated Dafa, my selfishness and the attachment of competing and fighting were mixed in it. I also worried about being left behind. Wasn't a "practitioner" also a "cultivator"?
Merely practicing the exercises and not cultivating oneself was not enough. That was also the reason for my persecution and walking a crooked path while detained in a labor camp! I corrected the word I had copied incorrectly. Later on I studied the Fa more. Only when we study the Fa well can we better rescue sentient beings. Now, several practitioners nearby will gather and study the Fa every other day.
3. Dafa practitioners are one body; we help each other to improve and rescue sentient beings together
In 2002 I met another practitioner in the street. She said that her area couldn't get Master's articles and truth-clarification materials soon enough. Some practitioners had not stepped out. I thought that it would not do, not having Master's articles. How would they rescue people if they lack truth-clarification materials? From then on I went to the city to find practitioners and help them to get materials. I was about several dozen li (1 li = 0.31 miles) from the city. I went to get materials every week, in all kinds of weather, accompanied by my one-year-old grandson. After I understood the Fa principles, nothing could block my cultivation path during Fa-rectification. Right now, the practitioners in that area have come together and are able to produce materials independently.
I live in an evildoers' den (labor camp employee complex area). Several practitioners and I made over one hundred banners during several nights. We hung them on the trees, which are planted on both sides of the street of the labor camp. It shocked and suppressed the evil and rescued sentient beings. Sometimes we heard of practitioner's family members going to the labor camp and asking for the their release. As soon as I heard it, I notified fellow practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts, distribute truth-clarification materials that exposed the labor camp, to sooner end Dafa practitioners' labor camp and prison detention.
At night, fellow practitioners and I went out to distribute materials. We set out at 7:00 or 8:00 p. m. and returned before midnight. Occasionally we traveled a long way and returned by 2:00 o'clock in the morning. We sent forth righteous thoughts frequently during our trips. Usually everything went smoothly. I thought that I would bring Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and other materials to all the neighboring areas.
I have a relative who lives in a remote area with very few truth-clarifying materials available. I took a bus to his area once in a while, carrying a big bag of truth clarification materials. Before leaving I would ask whose house had video players (for handing out VCDs), who was literate (for handing out a whole copy of the Nine Commentaries and wordy truth-clarifying materials), and so on and so forth. I handed out cards and bookmarks face to face. I gathered information ahead of time, so I knew what situation I was facing. Sometimes I didn't limit myself. I sent forth righteous thoughts and let predestined people see what they were meant to see.
I talked about quitting the CCP to my friends and family members first. There was an illiterate elderly veteran practitioner who had very few human notions and was very determined toward Dafa. She went out every day to clarify the truth. Because she was doing it for the good of sentient beings, to be frank, she could always persuade many people to quit the party. That was encouraging for me. I was also determined to talk about it with strangers. The first time I did it, everyone refused to withdraw. I went back home and was depressed for two days. Master said,
"While they're clarifying the facts some students often run into people who don't want to listen, don't accept things, or are even antagonistic. You shouldn't let one person's opposition be a mental setback for you or make you lose the courage to save sentient beings. A Dafa disciple... what's a Dafa disciple? He's a being created by the most magnificent Fa, (enthusiastic applause) and he's rock-solid and as indestructible as diamond. How could a few words from an ordinary, bad person count for anything? 'However evil you are, you can't change me. I simply must accomplish my historic mission, and I must do what a Dafa disciple should do.'" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Washington, D.C. Fa Conference")
Master's lecture helped me gain confidence. I went out to clarify the truth again. I spoke to many people, including passersby and store customers. Many people have learned the truth and withdrawn from the CCP and its affiliated organizations as a result.
4. Setting up a small truth-clarification materials production site
When I lacked Falun Dafa materials in the past, I bought pear-shaped greeting cards and wrote things clarifying the truth about the persecution on them. Practitioners and I would hand them out. The cards were colorful, and the people in villages liked them. I didn't think about producing materials by myself. Early this year, a practitioner mentioned setting up a small truth-clarification site. I felt good about it. Master had already asked us long time ago to set up material production sites everywhere. If I did the printing, I could also motivate surrounding practitioners, letting more sentient beings know that Dafa is good. On the other hand, I would be able to lessen fellow practitioner's burden and save the time spent on the road to get materials.
With city practitioner's help, we quickly set up a small truth clarification materials production site. It was easier than I thought. The key was for countryside practitioners to make a breakthrough: overcoming the blockage of the notion of illiteracy. That was a human notion. We were people walking on the path to godhood. Master would give us whatever ability we lacked. Now, we are able to hand out Master's new articles and truth-clarifying flyers and booklets to practitioners in the surrounding area. Sometimes the machine had problems; then I would listen to Master's lecture tape. I deeply search within for my shortcomings, and study the Fa often.
One day as I was printing materials, and my husband came home and saw me. He said angrily, "What are you doing?" Because he was a policeman I covered it up with words. The second time he suddenly came back and saw me again. He said, "Doing this again!" I replied, "So what if I am doing this?" He wasn't pleased. Later I looked within. Why was he scared and displeased? Was it because I had fear and my mind wasn't open and noble when I did the printing? Moreover, I wasn't compassionate enough. I had always thought that nobody could block my path of Fa-rectification cultivation. However, I was attached to competing and fighting. I was selfish and didn't harmonize my environment. I decided to make a breakthrough.
Now some practitioners are not moving and slacking off. It's mainly because of selfishness and fear. Master is waiting for us to advance. We need to hurry up and offer the world's people salvation. There are so many people living in the countryside. We should talk to every family; not leaving anyone behind, going to where people are. For those who live in the countryside, we should try our best to do well in our surrounding areas. It is more convenient for us to do it than having city practitioners come. So, the countryside practitioners should strive forward diligently even more.
"People with predestined relationships and those who can be saved can be made to--made to by Master's Law Bodies, righteous gods, or the immense field that Dafa has formed in the world--appear right before you in any of a range of settings, providing them with a chance to learn the truth. But you have to carry it out, and it doesn't work if you're not out there doing things."
("Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital")
This quote of Fa principles helped me understand more clearly that we should not leave any predestined people behind whom Master had arranged for us to meet. We should help them gain a beautiful future.
Let us be rational and use wisdom to clarify the truth and rescue the world's people. We must make strong demands on our every thought and idea, being sure that they conform to Fa principles. We must assimilate to Dafa, reach consummation and go back home together with Master.
To conclude, I cite Master's poem "Expedition" to encourage us to strive forward diligently,
"Ten thousand miles I gallop, breaking demons' battle array
Cutting down all dark minions, eliminating wicked deities
I heed not their thick fog or the gale winds they whip about
Mountain rains en route wash off dust from the expedition"
("Expedition" from Hong Yin II, translation version A)
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
