(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
Protected by revered Master and encouraged by fellow practitioners, I have gone through thirteen years on my cultivation path. This is a great chance for mainland practitioners to share their cultivation experiences, and I also would like to share mine with fellow practitioners.
Obtaining and Spreading the Fa
I started practicing Falun Gong in 1997 with my parents, when I was eleven years old. Before I obtained the Fa, I had many diseases. When I was in the fourth grade, I had to drop out of school for a year due to my severe myocarditis. My grandmother told me that she had recently heard of a very good practice called Falun Gong, and she wished that we could practice together. At this point I started cultivation practice in Dafa.
My mother had previously practiced many types of qigong, but she felt that none of them was true cultivation practice, nor could they truly improve your health. After my mother read the book Zhuan Falun, she knew that it was very precious and she was determined to practice Dafa. I remember that one day there was a big experience sharing conference. It was raining and very cold, and my grandmother was worried about my health. She asked me not to go to the conference, but to stay at home. My mother and I said together, "It's alright, we must go!"
After I obtained the Fa, all of my diseases disappeared. My family, friends, teachers, and classmates were all amazed by the great changes in me and the magical effects of Dafa in healing diseases. Dafa opened my wisdom and I was among the first three who scored highest in all the exams that I had taken. Since I'm also good at writing essays, I used this advantage to introduce the beauty of Dafa and describe in the essays how I conducted myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. My Chinese teacher was very satisfied with my essays and she asked me to read them to the class. Because the teachers and students witnessed the wonderfulness of Dafa, I began teaching them the exercises and guiding them to study the Fa. Some people asked for Dafa books, and some people did the exercises with me during lunch break.
Before the persecution began on July 20, 1999, my parents and I coordinated with local practitioners to do the exercises and study the Fa. We also went to some nearby villages to spread the Fa, and many people started practicing Dafa at that time.
Validating and Safeguarding the Fa
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the brutal persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples in 1999, but we didn't stop doing the exercises outdoors or studying the Fa as a group, and we didn't stop spreading the Fa either. Later, after the persecution became more severe, police officers began intervening in our Fa activities and destroyed our cultivation environment.
My cultivation then entered a new period. While I was cultivating myself, I also clarified the truth and validated the Fa.
At the beginning of the persecution, I had a good relationship with many people at school, and many teachers and students liked me. When they were deceived by the regime's slander, I immediately clarified the truth to them. I knew that this was my responsibility. After learning the truth, most people agreed that Dafa was good. At one time, our school collected signatures from the students to oppose Falun Gong. After I heard about this, I didn't go to school. Later, both my parents and I went to the principal's house and clarified the truth to him. Our school never had such activities again.
Before the persecution, we often spread the Fa with other practitioners from the city in all the stadiums, auditoriums, and by the river. In those activities, the younger Dafa disciples had a unique advantage, so as long as there were activities, I tried my best to participate. Once, before going to a large-scale activity to spread the Fa, I was playing soccer at school, and the ball hit me directly in my left eye. I thought at the time, "I am a practitioner, Master is protecting me, I won't allow anything to interfere with me in spreading the Fa." Later, I went to the activity site by myself. My left eye recovered after two hours of lost vision. Thank you Master for helping me!
One night we heard that the local practitioners were going to the provincial government to appeal for Dafa. The next day, before the sun came out, I took a bus with my mother and many other practitioners. I remembered my feelings very clearly. Although I was pressured, I wasn't afraid at all. My heart was peaceful and determined.
When we arrived at the government building, we found that many practitioners had already arrived and more practitioners were coming. All the practitioners were very quiet, and stood by the side of the street. No one was directing us, but not a single practitioner made any noise. Even though many of the practitioners didn't know each other, they smiled at each other, expressing their firm determination, and demonstrating Dafa disciples' great qualities. Since I am a young Dafa disciple, I stood in the front to safeguard the Fa.
Very surprisingly, the CCP "received" us with armed police. Our hearts weren't moved, but the atmosphere became very tense. At that time, a man behind me said, "You can stand behind me, let me stand in the front." I shook my head and told him that I had wanted to stand in the front. At the time, I thought, "As a Dafa disciple, this is something I should do. Master is with me, no one can harm me, I won't be afraid even if they fire at us."
Holding a gun in his hand, the young police officer standing in front of me was very nervous and didn't know what to do. How I wished I could tell him about the beauty of Dafa and have him benefit from Dafa.
At about noon, many buses came and the police began pushing the practitioners onto the buses. Both my mother and I thought they were persecuting people, and that we shouldn't follow them. So we went into the crowd and under Master's benevolent protection, we returned home safely.
I conducted my everyday life according to a practitioner's standard and took advantage of many opportunities to clarify the truth to my classmates. Before I graduated from high school, I prepared many truth-clarification discs and gave them to my classmates as the best graduation gifts.
Learning Technology to Make Truth-clarification Materials
After I went to college, our family began to make some truth-clarification materials and my personal cultivation also entered a new state.
It usually took me several hours to return home from the school by bus. In order to study the Fa with my parents as a group and to help them produce materials and clarify the truth, no matter how bad the weather or the traffic was, I returned home every week.
As soon as I arrived home, I began making truth-clarification brochures with my parents. One person operated the computer and printed the materials, while another cut the paper, and the third person stapled the brochures together. Since all the materials were made with compassion and righteous thoughts, they were of very good quality and they were powerful in saving sentient beings.
Each time we finished making materials, we studied the Fa and shared with each other about how we improved our xinxing that week, and other cultivation experiences.
At first, my parents and I weren't familiar with electronic devices, so we had a lot of difficulties and obstacles. However, with Master's hints and practitioners' help, we learned most of this technology very quickly. When we did the three things well, the process of making truth-clarifying materials also became very smooth.
When our cultivation states weren't good, however, our Fa-implements also began to have problems. We knew that if we wanted to fix the equipment, we first needed to fix our hearts. There must be something wrong with our xinxing that caused us to not be able to use these Fa-implements very well. We needed to look inward and study the Fa well to save more people. After we improved our xinxing, the problems were also solved.
Distributing Materials and Hanging Banners to Save Sentient Beings
We not only made truth-clarifying materials, but also went out to distribute them. In the evenings during the weekends, we went out to distribute the brochures and hang truth-clarification banners. We went to almost all the neighborhoods in our area several times, and we also went to nearby villages to distribute the materials. Sometimes we even went to remote villages. When we came back home in the late evening, we often encountered a taxi to take us home. We knew that this was all Master's compassionate arrangements. Sometimes after we walked a long time, our legs hurt, and in the winter our hands, faces and feet would become frozen. We knew we were eliminating karma. When we came to enlighten to the Fa and did the exercises, we always recovered.
One day on Chinese New Year's eve, I went out with my mother to hang banners before midnight. People were watching TV at home at that time of night. We hung different banners with fishing poles in the streets. By the time people came out to light firecrackers, we had already finished hanging all the banners. That was the best New Year's gift for sentient beings.
Clarifying the Truth and Persuading Sentient Beings to Quit the CCP with My Parents
As long as we had opportunities, I went out with my parents to clarify the truth to our relatives. All of our relatives and friends understood the truth and agreed to quit the CCP.
We clarified the truth to my uncle's family for years and they weren't against Dafa, but they hadn't quit the CCP. My parents had even given up on them. But I didn't give up, I said to them, "You already know how many bad things the regime has done. Now it is poisoning the Chinese people and destroying people's morality. It's the fundamental reason for all the hardships that China suffers today. When I ask you to quit the CCP, I truly mean good for you. If you have clearly seen the regime's history and nature, there is no reason not to quit." After my aunt listened to my words, her entire family quit the CCP.
Distributing Truth-clarification Materials on Campus
I realized that the university campus was one of best places to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. Every time I returned to school, I took hundreds of copies of truth-clarification materials with me. I went to the classrooms, library, cafeteria, and dormitory to distribute the materials. The university campus is very open and the students move around all the time, which provides me with a good environment to distribute the materials and clarify the truth.
In classrooms, I often put a brochure on the table when a student stepped away. In this way, after the student returned, he or she would see the materials. If there wasn't anyone in the classroom, I put the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, Shen Yun DVDs, or other truth-clarification discs on the desks. Sometimes I wrote "Falun Dafa is good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" on the blackboard to validate the Fa.
In the library, I often put truth-clarifying bookmarks in the books that talked about traditional Chinese culture or other content. Every time I went to the library, I tried to use as many storage cabinets as possible. I often left some materials in the cabinet, so when other students used the cabinet, they would find the materials. In the university computer labs, I often left some anti-Internet blockade cards on the table or left the anti-blockade software in the computer itself to help more students have a chance to learn the truth themselves.
In the dormitory, I often hung materials on the door handles or windowsills. Typically, when a student discovered the materials, she would take them to her room and share them with her roommates. I never saw any discarded materials. Several times I was very moved when I saw my classmates carefully using the bookmarks that had information about breaking the Internet blockade, that I had given them secretly.
During four years in college, I posted the truth-clarification message, "Heaven will eliminate the CCP" in the women's restroom countless times. At the beginning, the restroom janitor tore the message down. After she removed it, I posted another one. Gradually, the message was no longer torn down.
Clarifying the Truth in Person
As I made progress in cultivation, I realized that I shouldn't depend only on distributing materials for truth-clarification and that I should start clarifying the truth in person. I usually started by discussing the great gaps among different social ranks and the corruption of CCP officials. In this way, it's easier for the other person to agree with what I said. I then disclosed crimes committed by the CCP in depth, including how they are persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Every time I clarified the truth, I started with the basics, including what is Falun Gong, the beauty of Dafa, the truth of the Tiananmen Self Immolation hoax, that Dafa has spread all around the world, and the brutality of the persecution. In the end, I told them about the huge impact of Shen Yun Performing Arts around the world.
I tried my best to explain the truth thoroughly and show the beauty of Dafa, as well as the evil of the CCP, to sentient beings. All of my classmates to whom I have clarified the truth agreed that Dafa is good. After understanding the truth, some people shouted out loud in the dormitory that "Falun Dafa is good." Some classmates introduced Shen Yun to their families and friends. Some classmates borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from me and expressed their wish to learn Falun Gong in the future, and some classmates asked me to help them and their families quit the CCP. Seeing that so many sentient beings have been saved, I felt very happy for them. This also encourages me to cultivate more diligently and save more people, and not let Master down.
Sometimes, when I see sentient beings busy working and oblivious to their real hope, Dafa, I feel really sorry for them, as they are accruing karma unknowingly. I often shed tears for them. So I tried my best to save as many people as possible. I distributed materials and clarified the truth on the buses and on the street.
One time, when the Chinese New Year was approaching during my senior year. I prepared some gifts of antithetical couplets for my classmates and took that opportunity to clarify the truth to them. Before graduation, I felt that many professors were very kind hearted, so I introduced Shen Yun to them, hoping they could be saved after watching Shen Yun.
When I felt tired, I remembered:
"A Great Enlightened One fears no hardship
Having forged an adamantine will
Free of attachment to living or dying
He walks the path of Fa-rectification
confident and poised"
("Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions," from Hong Yin Vol. II)
When I faced xinxing tests or slacked off in cultivation, I remembered:
"The awakened esteem what is beyond this world
The devout cultivator sets his heart on Consummation
When great is the ordeal, keep steadfast
The will to be diligent never bowed"
("Steadfast," from Hong Yin Vol. II)
When I couldn't let go of my attachment, I reminded myself that I shouldn't care about personal gain, and I should let go of the attachment of selfishness. When I had conflicts with fellow practitioners, I reminded myself that I should be responsible for the Fa and sentient beings, and I should let go of self and look inward unconditionally. And when I was amidst tribulations, I maintained strong righteous thoughts and remembered:
"Dafa is what you carry everywhere,
Zhen Shan Ren, rooted in the mind;
A great Arhat walks the earth,
Gods and demons fear with awe."
("Benevolent Might," from Hong Yin)
Be More Diligent in Saving People
Every time when I encountered tests or tribulations, I thought as Master's disciple, what couldn't I let go of? If I can let go of every attachment, then what test can't I break through? Each time I thought of the protection and guidance from revered Master, tears flowed from my eyes. I can only repay Master's infinite grace by cultivating more diligently.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, practitioners!
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