(Clearwisdom.net)
"'Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master'--if you just have that wish you're all set. When it comes to who's actually doing it, it's the master. There's no way you could do that." (Zhuan Falun, The First Talk, English version 2003)
During my eleven years of cultivation to assist Teacher to rectify the Fa, I have come to a deep understanding of the meaning of "Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master ." If we have firm righteous thoughts, then our great and benevolent Teacher will guide us to improve in cultivation and assist Teacher to rectify the Fa.
1. Teacher Rescued Me from a Life of Misery
I started practicing Falun Gong in hopes of keeping fit and curing my illnesses. During the first several months of cultivation, my previous illnesses hypertension, low platelet count, neurasthenia, and surgery complications disappeared. Teacher purified my body from the start, and I became free from the torment of numerous illnesses. I really experienced the miracle of Dafa. Falun Dafa is the genuine science and the Cosmos' great law which can cultivate Buddhahood and Godhood. Our great and benevolent Teacher rescued me from a life of misery. I will follow Teacher to cultivate diligently and return to my true self.
2. Steadfastly Cultivating Dafa with Teacher's Guidance
When one hundred million Dafa disciples cultivated in Falun Dafa and it was spreading around the world, the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong nationwide on July 20, 1999. Suddenly there were so many rumors and slander about Dafa that it was as if the sky was falling, and Dafa disciples suffered unprecedented persecution. I only had one thought in my mind: "I must be determined in cultivation because Dafa is so great." Whenever I met someone I told them about the beauty and goodness of Dafa and disclosed the lies of evil. I persisted in studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. When I practiced in the evening, I usually did the Falun Standing Stance Exercise for two hours, and I was strengthened by Teacher. I normally read the whole book of Zhuan Falun once every three days.
Since I cultivated firmly, I underwent tremendous changes in my physical and mental health. I lost my excess weight and became fit. My heart became more steadfast, as if no one could shake my will for cultivating Falun Dafa. I wanted to validate the Fa and I went to the river bank, the beach, and the park to practice and recite the Fa in the morning.
To disclose the evil and protest the persecution, I made an appointment with fellow practitioners to post banners stating "Falun Dafa is good" and "Falun Dafa is righteous" in the evening before May 13 and July 20 each year. We clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to sentient beings and, in the process, also shocked the evil.
Once one day before July 20, I had prepared everything for our truth clarification activity, however my fellow practitioners did not show up that evening. I decided that I still needed to go even if I was alone. As soon as I started to go out, the practitioners came. I was very happy and I thanked Teacher for letting my fellow practitioners come in time.
We cooperated very well, and the huge banner stating "Falun Dafa is good" still radiantly calls for justice and awakens sentient beings. One morning several days after we put up banners, I went to the mountain to practice and check if the banners were still there. I was almost there, when suddenly a member of the United Security Team who was waiting in the trees jumped out fifty meters away from me. I turned around and walked to a small path, and he hurried to catch me. In front of me there were four children of seven or eight years old playing keyboard and singing. I walked toward them. There was an exit directly beside them, and I walked toward the exit; but the slope was slippery and steep. I peacefully walked on the grass and came down very quickly. I thought: "Teacher, please give me supernormal walking ability. There is an evil person behind me and I want to get rid of him." In a second I came to an exit of the park that I had never used before. I looked back and saw the evil person still walking back and forth along the slope, afraid of falling down. Maybe Teacher was strengthening me and stopping him, as he never made it down. I walked to the street where there was a tricycle waiting. I took the tricycle and came home peacefully. I greatly appreciated Teacher's protection.
3. Validate the Fa with Righteous Thoughts
Teacher taught us,
"In order to lessen the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples, I have asked disciples to send forth righteous thoughts to clear away the damage these beings deliberately do to the Fa-rectification, thereby lessening what Dafa disciples should not endure during the persecution and, at the same time, saving all sentient beings and consummating Dafa disciples' paradises." (Essentials for Further Advancement II "The Effect of Righteous Thoughts")
What Teacher told us to do must be the best. I really felt the power of Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts, and I understand that we can validate the Fa with righteous thoughts. When I clarified the truth with righteous thoughts, the effect was pretty good. I sent forth righteous thoughts before I distributed truth-clarification materials, and everything was fine. If a dog was barking, it would stop after I sent forth righteous thoughts. Sometimes when I studied the Fa around noon I felt tired, but after I sent forth righteous thoughts I never felt tired.
Once there was a meeting for criticizing Falun Gong at my work place. I chose a perfect spot and sat there sending forth powerful righteous thoughts. In the end all the speakers said they did not know about Falun Gong and they could not comment on it. Even the host said that he only arranged the daily work; the supervisor also said he did not know about Falun Gong. For more than two hours I kept sending forth righteous thoughts. As a result, the evil was shocked, and the so-called criticizing meeting became a meeting for repentance and work. The pure righteous thoughts manifested their divine power.
Once when I sent forth righteous thoughts in the afternoon, I let my five year old granddaughter sleep beside me. During the righteous thoughts, my granddaughter shouted: "Really beautiful." Later she shouted again: "So beautiful." I continued to send forth righteous thoughts unaffected. Afterwards I asked her what was so beautiful. She said when I sent forth righteous thoughts my whole body gave off white light which illuminated the room. She said above my head there was a grand golden door to the heavens that was open, and inside it there sat a golden Buddha. Our great Teacher let my granddaughter witness this wonderful and sacred scene, showing me that Dafa disciples righteous thoughts are powerful, and also encouraging me to make sending forth righteous thoughts a priority.
At present we should let go of human attachments, eliminate all kinds of interference, maintain firm righteous thoughts and seize the time to save people. With firm belief in Teacher and Falun Dafa, as long as Dafa disciples have strong righteous thoughts, Teacher will help us at all times. Several days ago, two former colleagues who worked out of town came back home. Before they left they came to visit me. I immediately thought Teacher arranged these predestined people to come to me; I must save them. I clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to them. As a result they understood the truth and quit the CCP and it's related organization. One day a student came to my home twice. The second time, I was alone at home and I thought: it's time to clarify the truth and persuade him to quit the CCP. After he listened to me, he was very excited. He held my hands tightly and said: "Yes, I want quit the CCP!" He was so excited, as if he knew it was his salvation.
We should follow Teacher's Fa-rectification, seize the precious time to save sentient beings, maintain firm righteous thoughts, go all out to offer salvation to sentient beings, and do well the three things that all Falun Dafa practitioners should do.
Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
