(Clearwisdom.net)
Obtaining the Fa
I began my cultivation in Falun Dafa on May 26, 1996. Previously, I had all sorts of illnesses, was bedridden, and the hospital could not do anything to help me. After I began my cultivation, I became healthy, and lived happily. I knew that it was all because of Teacher's effort.
Can you imagine what it felt like when I became healthy after being ill for so long? I felt that the sky was bluer and the river was clearer. I was as happy as a young child, tempted to hop and sing when walking. I was grateful to Teacher from the bottom of my heart. I was thankful that Dafa gave me a second life. Dafa gave me a healthy body, and I learned how to be a good person. I learned that the ultimate reason that a person comes into this world is to go back to his original, true self.
Those days the sun and the rain nourished the land while cleaning my dust-covered heart.
Staying Steadfast with My Cultivation and Maintaining an Unwavering Heart
The persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999 and spread all over the country. Immediately the world was totally covered with dark clouds. Fully-armed policemen harassed older men and women who just wanted to follow "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance," to become good people and to gain good health. The police stole their tape recorders and arrested those who did the exercises. Armed and plainclothes policemen were everywhere. The police cars rushed by with screaming sirens, creating an atmosphere filled with horror.
I knew very well that the Chinese Communist Party would use the police force to carry out the persecution. It had always used these tactics in the past. They do not care what the people think. For three consecutive days I went to the morning practice site, but could find no place to do the exercises. Police were everywhere, and they would arrest anyone who persisted in doing the exercises.
Rather than slowing down in my cultivation, I worked even harder studying the Fa and doing the exercises. I began reviewing all of Teacher's lectures. At that time the propaganda against Falun Gong could be seen and heard everywhere. I sat with my husband while he watched TV in order to point out the lies or fabricated stories when they appeared. My family members would then be able to see the facts right away and not be deceived by those lies. This created a favorable environment free from interference for my later Fa-study.
Teacher said,
"When a Fa of this magnitude is taught, how could anything be outside the arrangement? Isn't what has happened a test for Dafa disciples' xinxing? What is cultivation? When you say it's good, I say it's good, and everyone says it's good, how can you see a person's heart? Only at the critical moment can we see his heart. If he doesn't let go of certain attachments he might even dare to betray a Buddha--could this be a minor problem? Some people were scared. But what were you afraid of? My disciples! Didn't you hear me say that when a person succeeded in cultivating Arhatship, he stumbled because he developed fear in his heart? Every human attachment must be removed, no matter what it is. Some disciples said: "What's there to fear? My body would still sit there even with my head cut off." When you compare them it's clear at a glance how well they cultivate." ("Huge Exposure" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I had been studying the Fa every day before the persecution began. But I felt that I could now focus better. I could memorize it and understand it. Teacher's Fa was engraved in me and I truly wanted to continue steadfastly with my cultivation. I quietly made up my mind that no matter how the environment became, I would never say no to Dafa. With Fa in my heart, my thoughts were steadfast and righteous.
In those evil days of horror, my answer to anyone who asked me if I was to continue with my exercises was always a resounding "yes." It did not matter where I was nor who was asking me, be it a former practitioner, or an ordinary person I did or did not know. How could I not continue with such a good cultivation method?
A Great Mission and Responsibility
In those troubled days, I fully appreciated the importance of studying the Fa, the seriousness of cultivation, and the importance of having righteous thoughts. Teacher and other divine guardians were helping us at every moment. I remembered that I was moved to tears when I saw the notice on the web that practitioners around the world would begin on May 27, 2001 to send forth righteous thoughts on the hour four times each day. What an honor it is to be a Dafa disciple during the Fa-rectification period. Can we not do our best for such a great mission and responsibility?
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun: "My Law Bodies will protect you all the way until you're able to protect yourself." The benevolent Teacher has taught disciples a powerful formula. We are now able to protect ourselves.
The evil old-forces stare closely at all our thoughts and actions to find omissions through which to persecute us. One day I was dosing off with my head resting on the desk. A voice appeared in my head saying, "You can still have a very bad tribulation even if you do not have that much karma." Hold it! I immediately became alert. This is not right. This is not what Teacher has said. What Teacher said was,
"If a person doesn't have that much karma, he absolutely won't have tribulations that severe. You should clearheadedly distinguish personal cultivation from evil's persecution of the Fa." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference in 2000")
So I denied the arrangement of the old forces on the spot and did not let them prevail. Neither is any old principle nor any life qualified to test Dafa disciples. Teacher does not recognize any of them, nor do disciples. We should deny them completely.
Teacher said:
"If you always keep a compassionate heart, and a peaceful state of mind, when you run into problems you'll handle them well because it will give you space as a buffer." (Zhuan Falun)
Our states of mind are very critical. If we have proper thoughts and conduct, Teacher will be able to help us dissolve adverse factors and resolve conflicts for us.
Sometimes bad thoughts would come to me when I went out to distribute Falun Gong materials. "In case..." I would tell my husband to be careful. He would say, "There is no 'in case'," and then repeated, "No 'in case', absolutely not." I realized immediately that it was Teacher hinting at me and telling me that my head was not as clear as even a non-cultivating person. With those bad thoughts in me, the evil could have easily taken advantage of my loophole.
The Fa-rectification has proceeded to its final phase. Teacher smoothed the path ahead of us when he called upon us. It is up to us to march forward. Now Teacher has cleared away all the evil factors in other dimensions that control human beings. Human beings are awakening and numerous sentient beings are waiting for Dafa disciples to save them.
"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")
Teacher Gave Us Immeasurable Wisdom
Telling people the facts about Dafa is a disciple's inexcusable responsibility. But in the beginning I did not quite know how to do this, and was too shy to do it. I tried to learn from fellow practitioners on the Internet and that was very helpful. By practicing it slowly, and continuing to learn it from fellow practitioners, I can now do it quite naturally.
Teacher's articles supplement Zhuan Falun. The Epoch Times newspaper published the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and many clearheaded people the quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and erased the mark of the beast. I found in Zhuan Falun the teachings about this,
"I've said something to the officials of the China Qigong-Science Research Society: in ancient times, Concubine Da turned the royal court upside down, and that fox was running wild, but her behavior still wasn't as wild as today's fake qigongs, which have turned just about the whole country into a mess, and so many people have been victims! They might seem pretty good on the surface, but do you know how many people have those things on their bodies? Once a fake qigong master sends out that stuff you'll have those things. They're way too rampant. So it's hard for ordinary people to tell from the surface."
Didn't being able to join CCP or its associated organizations feel very good? How many people have those things on their bodies? Once it sends out that stuff you'll have those things. It is just running wild. It is destroying the sentient beings. Now people truly need to hasten to quit the CCP and its associated organizations so that they can have a future.
Tell People the Facts, Give them the Nine Commentaries, and Urge Them to Quit the CCP
"Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master." (Zhuan Falun) As long as we have the wish to save people, Teacher will bring to us those with whom we have a predestined relationship. Those who come across Dafa do so because of their predestined relationships, and those who can understand it are truly the lucky ones. Dafa disciples are the ones who bring good fortune to these people. One time, when I was rushing home on my bicycle, a young lady walking toward me began saying hello to me from a distance. But I found that I did not know her. But I knew that she was a person with a predestined-relationship. I said to her with a smile, "I am sorry, but I cannot remember if we have ever met." She said, "Didn't you live at so and so place?" I said, "No, I did not. But it is our fate that we meet today. Gods are now annihilating the CCP. Have you heard that one should quit the CCP and its associated organizations to be safe? That is indeed true. You must have joined the Communist Youth League or the Young Pioneers. Only if you quit them will you be safe in the future. You will be OK even if a big tsunami comes. You will be fine in all situations." She said, "I already quit them a long time ago." I said, "That does not count. You were branded when you swore to join them. You need to solemnly declare it to erase the brand to be safe. Why don't I make up a fictitious name for you so you can quit the CCP." She agreed and a life was saved within those few minutes.
"If someone considers his individual Consummation the most important thing, I'd say that he's not worthy of being a Dafa disciple of the Fa-rectification period." ("Touring North America to Teach the Fa")
Elevate as One Body
Dafa disciples are one body. They elevate as a whole.
Being able to point out each other's deficiencies is the greatest benefit of being a practitioner. A true practitioner will recognize their deficiencies, correct them, and diligently make progresses. Although being criticized is extremely painful, what we get rid of is not truly a part of ourselves. Teacher is so benevolent and would not drop a single disciple. He is doing everything for us. We just have to do our best.
We need to study the Fa as diligently and as well as we can. We need to look inward, and examine ourselves at all times. When faced with any problem, we should ask what the reason is, and what attachment of ours has caused the problem. We should follow Teacher's directions and do what a Dafa disciple needs to do. This way we can stay steadily on the path that Teacher has arranged for us and go back to our original true selves.
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.
