(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings Revered Teacher! Greetings Fellow Practitioners!
I would like to report my cultivation experiences to Teacher in the Fifth Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China.
In Zhuan Falun, Teacher talked extensively about the issue, "Your Mind Must be Right" (Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun, 2000 translation). He also said "One righteous mind can subdue one hundred evils" ("Spirit or Animal Possession," Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun, 2000 translation). I would like to share nine years of my experiences in developing my cultivation environment through righteous thoughts and actions. My understanding is limited by my cultivation level, so please point out my deficiencies.
1. Firmly Cultivating Falun Dafa Amidst Persecution
I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I traveled with other practitioners to Beijing to appeal the injustice. Later I worked with other practitioners to establish a truth-clarification materials distribution center to help validate the Fa. During the CCP's nine years of persecution, my cultivation was quite smooth and I did not have many breathtaking, heroic or moving stories to share. I maintained continuous righteous thoughts and actions. This is the main reason why I walked a smooth path to validate the Fa.
One day in October 2003, I received a call from my company informing me that I had been reported to the police department as a Falun Gong practitioner. I was told that the main police department sent its staff to my local police station and residential committee to collect my personal information.
Since the CCP began their persecution activities, I never stopped clarifying the truth. Wherever I went, I clarified the truth to people. As the persecution approached me, it was time for me to clarify the truth again. My husband and I decided to act quickly. Before the police arrived, my husband spoke to my company and government officials, while I spoke to my residential committee. We told them the facts of Falun Dafa and of the benefits to my entire family after I became a practitioner. We also told them that those who participated in persecuting Falun Gong would receive karmic retribution. The evildoers had formerly threatened to arrest me and ransack my home, but they lost their resolve when faced with a Dafa disciple's righteous thoughts and actions.
The next day, I received a call from the government office overseeing my company. They apologized, "It was a mistake that the police came to investigate you." What an odd ending! But this was to be taken seriously, because a different thought would have brought about a different result. Teacher said, "Steadfastly cultivate Dafa, the will unflinching" ("True Nature Revealed," Essentials for Further Advancement II). Only when we practice the Fa with our hearts can we overcome all the obstacles that are set to test us.
2. Develop a Good Cultivation Environment Around the Home
Since 2003, I've participated in materials distribution work. For five years, I have distributed countless materials along with my fellow practitioners; large or small packages and boxes, from city to village, and from local to remote areas. "The Fa's principles spread throughout the world" ("Tathagata," Hong Yin Vol. II, Translation Version A). I have witnessed how Dafa's mighty virtue and miracles have saved the sentient beings poisoned by the CCP's lies.
Actually, many things are accomplished without pursuit. We are in the Fa, and we know what and how to do things, so we can accomplish these tasks. I am a responsible person. Since Dafa has chosen me and I have chosen Dafa, I treat my cultivation seriously, and take full responsibility for fulfilling my mission.
There are many apartment buildings in my neighborhood. Many residents are senior retirees, and have a lot of free time. Usually, there are many people in the street playing games or cards, babysitting, or chatting. With so many people watching, it is difficult to distribute Dafa materials. To develop a good environment, I need to let people know the truth first. I had clarified truth to many of them before; some understood and some didn't.
Since I had the truth-clarification materials, I began to distribute them door to door in my neighborhood. I would give people VCDs if they had a player at home; otherwise, I gave them the truth-clarification pamphlets. I told them openly, "I am delivering good fortune to you. Please watch (or read) this carefully. Bring them back to me after you are done." People were very happy to receive the materials. When I met people who were ill, I told them to recite, "Falun Dafa is good." I also played Teacher's Fa Lectures to some of them. When the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published, I provided it to well-educated people along with Disintegrate Communist Culture. When the DVD/VCDs of the Divine Performing Art's Chinese New Year Spectacular performance were available, I invited my neighbors to watch them in my home. People who understand the truth have an enlightened side. They know what they should do.
In this way, not only did I eliminate the CCP's lies, but I also broke the barrier that the old forces set up between practitioners and non-practitioners. We provided people with good opportunities to choose the right future. Therefore, since I started talking to people about quitting the CCP, it was quite easy for my neighbors and many of their family members to quit. My understanding is that to do this well, we need to position ourselves at the right place first, then set up the right relationship between practitioners and other sentient beings. Practitioners are the only hope for sentient beings to be saved. We need to let them know clearly that we are saving them. When we have righteous minds, the field surrounding us will become righteous and the evil factors will be disintegrated.
During the nine years of the CCP's persecution, many practitioners have come in and out of my home. If I was not at home, my neighbor would inform me when I returned, "So-and-so came to see you today." My neighbors all knew that I was very busy. They gave me a lot of help, such as sewing quilts and making zongzi (pyramid-shaped snacks made of glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves) at the Dragon Boat Festival for me. When they found some special vegetables in the fields, they would take them home, wash and boil them, then give them to me so that I could cook dinner. They would say with a grin, "We know you are busy and have little time for this." I am moved and grateful for the relationships with my neighbors and grateful for Teacher's arrangements.
My family environment is also very good. My husband is very supportive of Dafa. He takes care of most of the house work. Sometimes he jokes with me, "See, how lucky you are! You are a fully dedicated Dafa worker." I appreciate his support, and I am also happy for him. Anyone who devotes himself completely to Dafa will have a wonderful future. I also wish that he becomes a true practitioner soon.
I also want to talk about the issue of respecting Teacher and Dafa. As practitioners, we need to respect our Teacher first. On Teacher's birthday every year, I buy a birthday cake and share it with my neighbors. I tell them that today is my Teacher's birthday, and let them share with me Teacher's enormous and powerful grace. Once, a neighbor wanted to use our apartment while my family was away on a trip. I said, "I have no requests except that you need to burn incense to my Teacher every day." She agreed, and when I returned she told me, "Not only did I burn incense every day, but I also bought the best fruits to respect him." I was moved to tears. I was in tears because I was moved to see the lives wakening under the evil clouds. I was also in tears because I felt sorry for those who were still lost because of the CCP.
I believe that only when practitioners have righteous minds and thoughts, will sentient beings become righteous. If we are not righteous, how can we save people? Fellow practitioners, let us shoulder our historical responsibilities! Let us use our righteous thoughts and actions to play the main role in this historical play well! Let us save more sentient beings!
Thank you Teacher! Thank you fellow practitioners!
September 25, 2008
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