(Clearwisdom.net) For the past eight years of cultivation, in wind and rain, I have been firm in my faith toward Master and Dafa. Our magnificent Master and Falun Dafa have changed me from a person who had numerous illnesses and was arrogant and hot tempered into a healthy, kindhearted, and respectful person. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to Master and Dafa. I am at loss as to where I shall start, since there is so much to say. To make things short, let me just tell you a couple of things I have done on my cultivation path.
1. Creating a cultivation environment
After the persecution started on July 20, 1999, I went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa but was detained. When I returned home the environment was tense. The head of the evildoers frequently ransacked my residence and detained practitioners. Both my husband (a non-practitioner) and I were laid off from work. Our son was going to school, but we had no income. My husband started to hit and verbally abuse me. My husband often berated me and said, "Cultivating for what? You don't have anything to eat. Go earn some money to make your family rich first!"
The mental pressure and the financial crisis I faced were worsened by the fact that I was not allowed to move around freely. I felt devastated. However, my faith in Dafa and Master was never shaken. At home I would study the Fa more. I searched inside myself and found that the reason for this development was that I had not cultivated well. I should cultivate myself well. Master said,
"For a cultivator, all the frustrations he comes across among everyday people are trials, and all the compliments he receives are tests." ("A Cultivator is Naturally Part of It" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Everyone around me--my family members, relatives, and colleagues--all have predestined relationships with me. I should tell them that Dafa is being persecuted so that they would not be fooled. I should use my personal experience, and how Dafa is being spread overseas, and some other facts to prove to them that Dafa is good.
I often clean the hallways inside my apartment building for everyone. I never care if I lose some advantages in doing things with either family members or other people. I am always kind and friendly. I offer a hand to anyone who needs help. I also use every opportunity to tell people the truth about Dafa and tell people to say, "Dafa is good. 'Truth-Compassion-Tolerance' is good." People understood the truth of Dafa by seeing and experiencing the magnificence of Dafa. My mother-in-law, husband, and our son all supported me. They sometimes even helped me to distribute Dafa materials. I was detained four times, and my family helped to rescue me. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and son all voluntarily quit the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. Almost every member in my family has quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. My husband and son have seldom been ill in the past few years. Colleagues and neighbors would lead the evildoers away if they saw them coming to bother me. The neighbors even informed me of any updates they knew of. Neighbor Xiao Ke often says Dafa is good. His chronic headache was healed. Some families that previously used to frequently fight have also become more harmonious and have even helped to disseminate the truth about Dafa. They have experienced the magnificence of Dafa.
I found a part time house-cleaning job, which gave me time to do some Dafa work. My husband started a small business. We lived an affordable life. My mother-in-law sold our old family home to support our son at college. In the past four to five years the environment has been very good. With Master's help I have no obstacles whenever I go to clarify the truth or join group study. Although we are not rich, I am very happy. I can do the three things well to rescue more people.
2. Raising xinxing
A fellow practitioner that was acting as coordinator had been inactive for over two years, ever since the Dafa materials production site was damaged by the authorities. We practitioners discussed it among ourselves and offered to help her to once again join us to do Fa-rectification work. She was initially extremely fearful. We encouraged her. She and I worked together successfully several times on some group projects. Recently, since there were a few materials to print, we suggested that she once again take up some Dafa work. The others also suggested I work with with her. She said there was no one available to teach her the technical skills needed. I told her a certain practitioner from out of town could teach her. That fellow practitioner, though, did not know her well and had a tight schedule. He did not arrive for a long time. I took some time off from work to see that practitioner, spending much time and effort. At long last he arrived. He said, "You should learn together so that you will be able to help each other." Yet, unexpectedly, she told two practitioners from out of town, "I will not cooperate with her. I will learn by myself."
I was on the verge of crying, so I picked up a precious book to read. Master said in "What is Forbearance (Ren)?":
"Forbearance is the key to improving one's xinxing. To endure with anger, grievance, or tears is the forbearance of an everyday person who is attached to his concerns. To endure completely without anger or grievance is the forbearance of a cultivator." (Essentials for Further Advancement)
Wasn't I behaving like an ordinary person? I searched inside myself to see if I had grown some attachments. I failed to find any, so I just kept on studying the Fa. "The Fa can break all attachments." ("Drive Out Interference" in Essentials for Further Advancement II) I realized that it was for me to raise my xinxing and to let go of my concern of losing face.
Master said,
"Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating. A cultivator cannot achieve Consummation when laden with human thoughts, laden with karmic debts, or laden with attachments." ("To the Chicago Fa Conference")
This time, with the guidance of the Fa, I understand thoroughly: nothing was accidental. The old forces and the CCP had arranged to interfere so as to separate fellow practitioners. They intended to stir up arguments and disagreements among our practitioners. I calmly looked at it and laid aside all of my attachments. I denied all the interference and sent forth righteous thoughts more often and studied the Fa more. I never got upset with the other practitioner, but helped her instead. Consequently, although I was not a technically skilled person and had only recently learned certain computer skills with Master's help and fellow practitioners' encouragement, I could produce very beautiful leaflets and booklets with which I could distribute to rescue more sentient beings. As Master said:
"If you can actually do it, you will indeed find: 'after passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!'" ("Lecture Nine" in Zhuan Falun, translation version 2000)
Written on June 4, 2007
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