(Clearwisdom.net) I'd like to take this opportunity to report my cultivation experiences to Master and fellow practitioners.
Blessed to Obtain the Fa; Paying Attention to Fa Study
Before I obtained the Fa in 1994, I suffered from nine chronic illnesses. I was extremely skinny and had to swallow numerous pills every day. Yet, neither traditional Chinese medicine nor western medicine worked on me. I also tried five different kinds of qigong, to no avail. Because of my poor health, I grew very irritated and became short-tempered, feeling life was miserable beyond words.
Just when I was in despair, a friend recommended Falun Gong to me. I went to a practitioner's home and randomly chose three cassette tapes of Master's lectures to listen to. I felt that what Master said was quite reasonable, so I borrowed all of Master's lecture tapes from the practitioner. After returning home, I listened to the tapes in order. The more I listened, the more I liked it. When I finally finished all the tapes, I truly felt that Master's Fa was just great! I was certain that this was exactly what I was looking for in my life! I was very excited and saw hope for myself. I had never experienced such joy in my life before.
But where could I learn the exercises? I looked around and finally found a practitioner who had the videotape of Master's exercise demonstrations. As soon as I began to learn the exercises, Master purified my body. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be free of illness.
In the early years of my cultivation, I spent a great amount of time studying the Fa. As a result, my understanding of the Fa improved quickly.
Master has repeatedly told us to study the Fa more. Now looking back, I realize that I wouldn't have been able to pull through all these years of tribulations had I not studied the Fa diligently and laid a solid cultivation foundation. In my 14 years of cultivation, in addition to studying Zhuan Falun every day, I also study Master's articles and lectures on a regular basis. Every time Master publishes new teachings, I read them over and over again in a short period of time and revisit them some time later. I often gain new understandings when I study Master's articles again.
Remaining Unmoved Amidst Tribulations
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, my fellow practitioners and I went to appeal to our municipal Appeals Office. Seeing the CCP media bombarding the public with fabricated lies, I was extremely sad and couldn't sleep or eat well. The local police station, the street committee and my company each assigned two people to monitor me. My company had me go through numerous brainwashing sessions and exerted tremendous pressure on me, attempting to force me to give up cultivation. I kept Master's words in mind:
"In life, nothing sought,
In death, regretting naught;
Washing away all wrong thought,
Buddhahood, with less
adversity, is wrought."("Nothing Kept," Hong Yin)
The city police department sent me to a brainwashing center before the local police station illegally detained me. They also attempted to send me to a forced labor camp but failed.
On January 1, 2001, Master published the article, "Beyond the Limits of Forbearance." I came to the realization that we must not acknowledge the evil persecution and we must not cooperate with the evil. Not long after, a policeman and a street committee member knocked on my door. As soon as they stepped in my home, they demanded that I give up my cultivation and abandon my Constitutional right to go to Beijing to appeal for Dafa. I firmly declined their request. The policeman then called for reinforcements to come arrest me. Before he was able to open the door to let in his fellow policemen, I held the doorknob tightly and blocked the door. My family members also helped me keep the door closed. With the Fa in my mind, I sternly told the policeman, "You are committing a crime. In the past you persecuted me numerous times. Today there is no way I will go with you. If there's any harm done to me and my family today, it is because of you and you must bear all the consequences. I will expose you to the whole world. Call your buddies now and tell them to leave!" He was so scared that he even forgot where his cell phone was. I reminded him it was in his pocket. He took out his phone with a shaky hand and called his fellow police, asking them to leave. Then he rubbed his stomach complaining, "It hurts here!" He wanted to leave, but I stopped him and the street committee member and had them sit down. I then clarified the facts to them for over one hour. Finally he said, "I will never come to bother you again. I'll never come again." The street committee member also promised she wouldn't come either. I patted her on the shoulder and said, "Do not help the evil do evil any more."
This incident was really a shock to me. I realized that we can pass any tribulations as long as we study the Fa and firmly stand by Master. The evil is afraid of Dafa disciples' righteous thoughts.
Firmly Believe in Master and Maintain Righteous Thoughts
I have truly felt that Master is by our side protecting us at all times. One night I was crossing the road when I suddenly fell to the ground. When I looked around, I realized I had just been knocked down by a car. I immediately thought to myself, "I am a Dafa disciple and I will be absolutely fine." While sending forth righteous thoughts, I got up quickly and kept walking forward. I suffered no injuries at all. At that moment, the driver and passengers in the car surrounded me and I told them, "I am a Dafa practitioner. My Master has protected me today. Please remember that Falun Dafa is good." Seeing what happened, some passing-by drivers pulled over and said to me, "What a dangerous situation!" I assured them I was just fine.
Another time some sugary water got into my windpipe when I was having a meal and I couldn't breathe at all. I immediately thought about Master in my mind. My windpipe became clear instantly and I could freely breathe as if nothing had happened. The whole thing lasted just 3 or 4 seconds.
The above two incidents once again demonstrated that my life was given by Dafa. I am a particle of Dafa and there would not be me without Dafa. During the Fa-rectification period such incidents could take place because the old forces arranged them and attempted to take my life. It was compassionate Master who saved me. Master said in "The Master-Disciple Bond":
"When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide"(Hong Yin II)
As long as we maintain righteous thoughts, we are breaking through the old forces' arrangements.
Clarifying the Facts and Saving Sentient Beings
Master said in "An Announcement":
"Over the past year, you have clarified the truth and appealed to the people of the world and governments with goodwill, and you have done this in a righteous manner."
"I also hope that in the future while clarifying the truth and making appeals to the government they will not in any way neglect the importance of studying the Fa, because all of them need to progress towards Consummation." (Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I realized from the above passages of the Fa that we must put more focus on Fa study during this difficult time. And we need to appeal to the government as well as to the people of the world.
At that time I didn't have truth-clarification materials yet, so I tried talking to people face to face. I made a list of over 200 acquaintances, including my former classmates, friends and neighbors. I then found each of them to clarify the facts to. Later on when I got truth-clarification materials from fellow practitioners, I went to distribute them everywhere. These materials included articles published on Clearwisdom that validated the Fa and exposed the persecution, as well as copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I usually put the materials in envelopes and then wrapped them in nice plastic bags before passing them out. I also mailed these materials out to strangers whose addresses I found from various sources. When I took a bus or went grocery shopping, I also clarified the facts to everyone I met.
Whenever I went to clarify the facts to my relatives and friends, I always brought a small gift to them. Even though I didn't have much money, such a gesture could demonstrate my sincerity, demeanor and politeness as a practitioner. Every time before I went out to clarify the facts, I sent forth righteous thoughts.
Incorporating Personal Cultivation into Fa-rectification Period Cultivation
Master said,
"You want to increase your gong, but you don't take cultivating your character seriously, so your gong won't increase at all."
"So what I just talked about are the two reasons why doing cultivation exercises doesn't increase your gong: you have no way to cultivate if you don't know the Law at high levels, and if you don't cultivate inward, if you don't cultivate your character, your gong won't increase. Those are the two reasons." ("The First Talk," Zhuan Falun)
Master also said,
"Clarifying the truth isn't a simple matter--it's not only a matter of exposing the evil. When we clarify the truth we are saving sentient beings, and at the same time it involves the matter of your own improvement and your elimination of attachments during your cultivation, and the matter of Dafa disciples being responsible to the Fa in their cultivation, as well as issues like how you fill and enrich that paradise of yours in your final Consummation." ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference," Guiding the Voyage)
From the above passages of the Fa, I realized that we cannot neglect our own personal cultivation. Whether or not a practitioner can cultivate well is not only a personal matter, but also affects various aspects. Master told us repeatedly to look within and pay attention to personal cultivation. I realized that the path practitioners take is very narrow. If we don't pay attention to our xinxing cultivation, we could deviate from the Fa and walk a path arranged by the old forces. If we can't reach Consummation, we will harm numerous beings in our own paradise. Therefore, looking within and improving our xinxing is also for the sake of sentient beings. After realizing this, I began to pay attention to my xinxing cultivation.
During my truth clarification, when I encountered people who yelled at me or threatened me, I often hesitated and did not want to talk to them any more. After looking inward, I discovered I still had attachments of being competitive, resentful, jealous and fearful. I was shocked to see I still harbored so many attachments after so many years of cultivation. I was determined to remove these attachments and rectify myself. Later when I met people who refused to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated associations, I again checked myself to see if I did not have enough compassion or if I was validating myself instead of the Fa. I rectified myself as soon as I found my omissions. Only after removing human notions can my compassion emerge and can I then save people.
Writing this experience sharing article was also a process of looking within and cultivating myself.
The Fa-rectification period has come to the end. I am determined to do the Three Things well. I will walk well the last leg of the journey and live up to Master's and sentient beings' expectations.
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