(Clearwisdom.net) I started practicing Falun Gong in 1998. I attended group Fa study and group exercise and raised my "xinxing" quickly. Soon all my illnesses disappeared. When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong, I validated the Fa. The CCP's education system treated me as a special target. I was illegally imprisoned several times. At first, I was very firm in safeguarding and validating the Fa. But because I did not understand the Fa in regards to opposing the persecution, and because I had an attachment to time and emotion, I did what a Dafa disciple should never do. Even though I was forced and did it against my will, I still left stains on my cultivation path and was not worthy to be saved by Teacher. Since 2002, I have continuously rectified myself in the Fa and walked a steadfast path under Teacher's guidance. I am often in tears when I read other practitioners' articles recalling when Teacher taught the Fa in the past. When I read the articles about fellow practitioners eating very little food and living in poor conditions, so that they can save more money to save people and how they save sentient beings while facing great danger, I respect their greatness and feel that I need to do more. All this has encouraged me to arduously strive forward and advance further on my cultivation path.
A. Treating the Fa as Guidance for Cultivation, Steadfastly Cultivating Myself to Improve My Environment
I was quite downcast after being released from the brainwashing center. It was Teacher's Fa "Touring North America to Teach the Fa" that gave me the courage to cultivate again and also let me understand my responsibility. I was assigned to a village school far away from my home. There were no practitioners in that village and people's knowledge about Dafa was just the lies they had heard from the state media. I said to myself that I must present to people the positive image of a Dafa disciple. No matter how busy I was, I never skipped Fa study. I adhered to the standards of Dafa, doing my work well, not fighting for my own interests or gains, forgiving and treating everyone nicely, including my colleagues, students, and even the old man who picked up the garbage outside. Teacher said,
"Even when in your daily life you pass by people so quickly that you don't have a chance to talk to them, you should still leave them with your compassion and kindness. Don't lose those who should be saved, especially those with predestined connections." (Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference).
"Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in spring. Righteous thoughts can save the people in this world" ("The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos," Hong Yin II).
I realized that when we do things righteously, sentient beings respect us a lot. At first, I focused on awakening their benevolent thoughts through conversation. Later, I directly told them the wonderfulness of Dafa and how it has been persecuted by the CCP. The parents of two students invited me to their homes, after their children told them what I had said. I was delighted to see them regain their consciences. In addition, a colleague of mine offered to save the informational materials for me.
Though I developed a good environment there, I knew I should not stay there too long. Otherwise, I would be acknowledging the evil persecution. The article "How I Got My Job Back after Clarifying the Truth with Righteous Thoughts" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2005/11/6/66566.html) was very inspiring to me. Therefore, I firmly decided that I must return to my city. I first studied the Fa with a calm mind, then I sent forth righteous thoughts and went to talk to the officials who were in charge of my work assignment. I did not give up when I was rejected. Instead, I looked inwards to search for my attachments and gaps and got rid of them. Then I went and talked to the officials again. I also sent forth righteous thoughts near those officials to disintegrate the evil behind all the people who are related to my work assignment. It's really as Master said, "When disciples have ample righteous thoughts, Master has the power to turn back the tide" ("The Master-Disciple Bond," Hong Yin II). Finally, with Teacher's protection and fellow practitioners' strong righteous thoughts, I returned to a good workplace in my city.
A harmonious home environment is very critical to a practitioner. It is the basis for us to do the three things well. The CCP's propaganda of lies and my imprisonment had brought hardships to my family and relatives. I should be more considerate of them. At first, I clarified the facts to them with strong emotions, which was not effective. Later, I treated them as sentient beings that I needed to save, and who had a special relationship with me. Besides caring for them, I also supported them financially. They then realized that it is not Dafa practitioners who do not care for others, but they are persecuted for their beliefs and this persecution is the reason that they are not able to return to their homes and families. I frequently sent out a firm thought: "Even if I have gaps, I do not let the evil use them as excuses to interfere or torture me. I will rectify everything in the Fa and follow the path that Teacher has arranged for me." My family and relatives witnessed the wonderfulness and superiority of Dafa through seeing my healthy body and the enhancement of my xinxing. I told them to say "Falun Dafa is good" and "'Truthfulness, Benevolence and Forbearance is good." Some of them had their illnesses cured. One relative was deeply poisoned by the CCP's lies. When I talked to him, for the sake of saving face, he agreed to quit the CCP and accepted a Dafa amulet, though he did not wear it. One day, he accidentally was hit by a ten ton truck. The truck drove over his body and then backed out again. He and other people witnessing the accident thought that even if he did not die, he would be paralyzed. When other relatives heard about it, they were really frightened. But I knew that he would be OK because he had understood the truth and quit the CCP. Indeed, he only had a few broken bones. I told him that this was because Dafa and Teacher protected him. Then not only did he wear the Dafa amulet everyday, but he also kept reciting "Falun Dafa is Good." His parents and relatives also believe in Dafa. Within six months, he totally recovered and could work as before.
B. Developing Benevolence, Clarifying the Facts with Wisdom and Saving Sentient Beings who have Predestined Relationships with Us
To be responsible for the Fa, for fellow practitioners, and for sentient beings and to complete our pre-historic vows better, we should mature in our success and lessons, thereby reducing the losses. My principle is that we should not let the evil persecute us. Otherwise sentient beings will misunderstand us or stay away from us. In the evil environment in China, Dafa disciples should pay attention to safety. However, safety comes from our studying the Fa with a calm mind and enhancing ourselves in the Fa, and of course, Teacher's benevolent protection. We should not omit everyday people's safety measures either. For example, when we have group Fa study at my home, I will disconnect my phones; when I go out, I leave my cell phone at home. Because I often clarify the facts face-to-face, I always send forth righteous thoughts before I go out.
Also, I would like to remind those practitioners who are not willing or do not dare to participate in group Fa study and group exercise, that this is the cultivation method that Teacher has given us. During these several years of evil persecution, there were many practitioners who left or took an evil path because they had left the group. The old forces are using this to separate us, so that they can break practitioners individually and weaken our group. We should not follow the arrangement of the old forces any longer! I realize that at this special time, Teacher truly watches over the Fa study and exercise sites. Not to mention the eight forms of heavenly law guardians and many righteous gods who safeguard us! As long as we do everything righteously, we will not get into trouble. The bottom line is still whether we believe in Teacher.
I often recite this Fa:
"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy--this is establishing the mighty virtue of an Enlightened Being." ("Rationality," Essentials for Further Advancement II).
The following are my experiences while clarifying the facts and persuading people to quit the CCP. I hope it will be helpful to other practitioners.
1. Using Different Methods for Different People.
For those who were tortured during the past political campaigns, I start with the CCP's history of torturing people, and lead to its current persecution of Dafa. For senior farmers who are facing both financial and medical pressure and also ill treatment from their son or daughter-in-law, I tell them that Dafa teaches people the principles of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance," the miraculous illness healing effect of Dafa, and that they should recite "Falun Dafa is Good." For office workers, I tell them the prophecies from both China and other countries, the fall of the Roman Empire, the current disasters, and tell them that the only way to save themselves is to quit the CCP and remember "Falun Dafa is Good."
2. Finding the Breakthrough Point and Clarifying the Truth with Wisdom.
Once I hired a tricycle taxi to take me home. I learned that the driver was from another town. Then I started to clarify the facts by asking him whether there are any Falun Gong practitioners in his town. He said, "None. But sometime ago some people came to our village and left us flyers. I didn't read any though." I said, "What a pity. They risked their lives to deliver them to you." I then talked about the wonderfulness of Dafa and the persecution caused by the jealousy of Jiang Zemin. He could accept that. I then asked him, "Have you ever joined the CCP, the Youth League, or the Young Pioneers?" He looked at me with some wariness. I said calmly, "We have never met before. This is the first time. I am not going to harm you at all. However, there is one thing, if I don't tell you about this I will regret it. Since the CCP took control of the country, they used the 'Three Anti-Campaigns,' 'Crackdown on Anti-Campaigns,' 'Five Anti-Campaigns,' 'Cultural Revolution', 'June Fourth,' and the current persecution of Falun Gong, which has caused over eighty million people their lives. That number exceeds the total death count of the two world wars combined. If human beings don't do something about it, Heaven will. Now, Heaven is eliminating the CCP. Let's not go down with the CCP. Don't you see that these days many natural and man-made calamities are occurring? Even bigger disasters are on their way. So if you have joined the CCP, the Youth League or the Young Pioneers, please withdraw quickly. You can use your nick name or create a fake name. Either name will work. It's just to save you and your family." Thereafter he quit and thanked me before he left.
Actually, there are many of these kinds of examples. As long as we want to save people, Teacher will arrange things for us. This summer, my child's brought his classmate home to play. I had just finished reading Teacher's "Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital, 2006"
"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."
I then thought that he is a sentient being that I need to save. So I discussed with my child about clarifying the facts to him. My child did not agree because he thought that school had dumped too much CCP stuff into student's minds and it would be too difficult to clarify the facts to him in such a short time. Then I invited him to stay for dinner and kept sending forth righteous thoughts during dinner. After dinner, I said to him, "You have been busy studying at school and do not have time to learn anything about the outside world. I just borrowed a VCD, I think is good for you." Then I played "Through the Storm" for them. Afterwards, I explained to him the critical necessity for quitting the CCP and the Youth League and he happily quit. I then asked him to tell the facts about Dafa and the news about quitting the CCP to his family and friends at school.
In conclusion, I do not seek to do things in a big way but rather step by step. I strictly treat the Fa as the guide for my cultivation. I use benevolent thoughts and a kind attitude to move sentient beings around me, and to let them feel the splendidness and wonderfulness of Dafa. I hope that more practitioners can gather more information, cooperate with Dafa disciples outside of China, clarify the facts together and save more sentient beings.
Due to my limited level, I hope fellow practitioners kindly point out my gaps. Heshi!
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