(Clearwisdom.net) I began to practice Falun Gong in 1996 and I am 56 years old now. Before I started Falun Gong, I suffered from several illnesses and it was a struggle just to live. Two months after I started to practice Falun Gong, all my illnesses were gone and I felt very healthy again. Falun Dafa gave me a second life and our great Teacher saved me.
I would like to report to Teacher and my fellow practitioners some of my what I have experienced during Fa study and genuine cultivation.
Teacher Has Given Us the Magic Formula of Looking Inward
During the last 13 years since I learned to practice Falun Gong, I have been able to persevere in studying the Fa earnestly and live according to the standards of Dafa. From 1998 to 2005 I read three lectures of Zhuan Falun every day. Since 2005, explaining Falun Dafa to others has taken a lot more of my time, but I still study two lectures of Zhuan Falun a day or I study the newer teachings for more than three hours a day, unless there are other urgent activities. I learned by heart the following verses,
"A wicked person is born of jealousy.
Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself.
A benevolent person always has a heart of compassion.
With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy.
An enlightened person has no attachments at all.
He quietly observes the people of the world deluded by illusions."
("Realms" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Whenever I was being tested or suffering a tribulation I always examined myself from the Fa in "Realms" to check in which realm I was in and to which realm I should go. This allowed me to find my gaps and elevate. Looking inward became a magic formula for me.
To cultivate from being a wicked person to being a benevolent one takes a long time; to cultivate from a being benevolent person to being an enlightened being is even harder. When I first read "Sage" in Essentials for Further Advancement, (http://falundafa.org/book/eng/jjyz19.htm), I thought Teacher was talking about Himself, but deep in my heart I understood that He was setting a goal for us to reach in the future.
I had been confined to bed by illnesses and always felt miserable owing to the unbearable pain. Until one day I declared to my family that I wanted to be like a young monk who would cook and do all the housework. During this process I changed from somebody who always whined and complained to someone who got along well with her husband and two children. We loved and respected one another. All this came from the Fa. In being tempered by the Fa I became not only healthier and happier but also could treat everyone and everything around me compassionately. This fundamentally changed me and my family members all knew it was Falun Dafa that brought all the changes and the happiness to the family.
Solid Fa study and genuine cultivation helped me to lay a fine foundation for my cultivation. When the inhuman persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999, my family members all supported me. When fellow practitioners came to my home to study the Fa and share experiences, they never opposed what we were doing. In 2000 when I went to Beijing to validate the Fa, my son helped me to evade the government agents who kept me under surveillance, and with his help, I was able to get on the train to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. Although the persecution was very severe, my family members provided cover for me when I went to distribute or deliver pamphlets explaining Falun Dafa. They also helped me to pass on or deliver the printed materials when I was under surveillance by government collaborators.
When the police or leaders from my work unit came to my home, I kept in mind the Fa from "Realms" in Essentials for Further Advancement, "A benevolent person always has a heart of compassion. With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy." I treated them like guests and served them tea, fruit, and cigarettes (a Chinese tradition). I also remembered to explain to them what Falun Dafa is really about. I had no complaints and felt no hatred towards them. I treated them well so that they would gain a correct understanding of Dafa, and to prevent them from making more karma and thus choose a glorious future.
I had improved and elevated my level during the years of Fa study and cultivation. In recent years I often used the Fa "An enlightened person has no attachments at all. He quietly observes the people of the world deluded by illusions" to guide my words and deeds. Although I was unable to do that well, I set high standards for myself. As a result, the normal pressures of society had no effect on me. I was not worried on "sensitive days" when the CCP is especially alert to Falun Gong practitioners. Whatever Dafa required me to do, I would do it. I tried to let go of my human attachments and put Dafa above everything else. At one point, Dafa needed me and my regular job also required my attention. I put aside the interests of my regular job and went to do Dafa work right away. After having finished my Dafa work, I tried my best to do a good job at my regular work. I think this is the best way of conforming as much as possible to the ways of everyday people.
Now my family members all understand Dafa and have accepted its teachings so that our family has become really happy and harmonious. My husband also became a practitioner and our two children have read Zhuan Falun, creating opportunities for cultivation. Teacher has given us this magic formula of looking inward and made it possible for me to have a good cultivation environment.
Letting Go of Human Notions and Persuading People to Complete the "Three Withdrawals"
In addition to Fa study, I plunged into the grand torrent of Fa rectification. I tried to do a good job personally explaining to others about Falun Dafa and urging them to do withdraw from CCP organizations in order to save them.
At the very beginning I only told my acquaintances about the true meaning of Falun Dafa. Since I spread the Fa and talked a lot about Falun Dafa, some people realized I was a Falun Gong practitioner. It became very natural for me to talk about it. Teacher encouraged us in his recent article,
"Dafa disciples, you are golden light in the mortal world, the hope of the world's people, Fa-disciples who help Master, and future Fa-Kings. Keep diligent, Awakened Ones that walk the earth: Everything of today will be the glory of the future. " ("Congratulatory Message," December 31, 2005)
Guided by Teacher's Fa I had the thought that being a Falun Dafa practitioner was most fortunate. Under all circumstances and to everyone who asked, I have answered with a smile, "Yes, I'm a practitioner!" Only on one occasion did I not answer "yes" to this question because of my human attachments, and I consequently failed to persuade the person to withdraw from the CCP. From then on, I never failed to admit to being a practitioner and the result has been very good. Many people who learned the truth were very grateful and said, "You Falun Gong practitioners are really thinking about the good of others and are risking your lives to tell us the truth. Thank you very much!" Others said, "There are so many Falun Gong practitioners. Several of you have already told me the same thing."
Now I have abandoned my human notions and let go of my attachments. Every day I work with other practitioners on Falun Dafa projects for at least three to four hours. We have combed the streets and alleys to explain the purpose of Falun Gong and have persuaded people to complete the three withdrawals. We have spoken sincerely and from the heart and have treated others as if they were family. We have tried to maintain a compassionate heart and dissolve misunderstandings in order to rescue and save them.
Other practitioners have told me that, because my smile comes from the bottom of my heart, whenever we do this work, it creates a field of compassion that lets me save people. However, sometimes we meet with people who do not understand us and make irresponsible remarks. I have then always patiently tried to reason with them and if they still cannot accept what I tell them, I say, "You can learn more about the things I told you later, when you have more time. We are here for your own good. When you bump into other people who tell you the same thing, please pay attention." This approach leaves me with a peaceful mind.
I usually persuade ten to twenty people to complete the three withdrawals, and sometimes I have managed as many as 50. Whenever I go out, I do not make specific plans about what to do but I simply talk to the first person I meet because he or she most likely has a predestined relationship with me. I simply do what Teacher's law bodies arrange for me. When I talk about Falun Dafa or urge people to complete the three withdrawals I use divine thoughts and immerse myself into the mission of saving sentient beings. This is truly reflected in the teaching: "An enlightened person has no attachments at all. He quietly observes the people of the world deluded by illusions." ("Realms" in Essentials for Further Advancement) "
I have done some things for Falun Dafa during the last 13 years, although I still have many shortcomings. The Minghui/Clearwisdom website has given me a good opportunity to share my experiences with you. How could I not to cherish this opportunity? I have only had six years of schooling, but I have been reading Falun Dafa books for 13 years now. I know clearly that compared with the standards given to Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners, I still have much room for improvement. These are only some of my thoughts.
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.
