(Clearwisdom.net) I am 77 years old. Recently I read an article, "Sharing About Older Practitioners Showing Their Age," on the Clearwisdom website. I would like to share my understanding here.
I. Holding Firm Belief in Teacher and the Fa and Following Closely Teacher's Fa-rectification Requirements
Before I started practicing Falun Gong, I tried all possible means, including many types of qigong, to cure my illnesses. However, my diseases were not removed, and only became more serious as a result. In 1996, I decided to give Falun Gong a try. To my surprise, my insomnia disappeared within only 10 days. From then on, I made up my mind to practice Falun Gong until the end.
At the beginning, I could only sit in the single lotus position. I tried to cross my legs into the double-lotus position, but couldn't get there. I was very upset. At the same time, I was interfered with by demons. As I studied the Fa, I enlightened to the fact that I should improve my xinxing and identify my shortcomings. From then on, I did well, and my xinxing improved rapidly. Teacher said,
"Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master." (Zhuan Falun)
One day when I started the sitting meditation, I prayed in my heart, "Teacher, please help me lift up my right leg." Then I moved my right leg upward and was able to successfully assume the double-lotus position. I was very excited. That was the first time I was able to sit in meditation with both legs crossed. From then on, I was even more determined in cultivation.
In April 1999, I went to Beijing with fellow practitioners to appeal for justice for Falun Dafa. In 2000, we went to Beijing again and validated the Fa on Tiananmen Square. In 2002, my supervisor tried to persuade me to give up Falun Gong. He said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members were not allowed to practice Falun Gong, and if I insisted on practicing, he would be in trouble. I resolutely chose cultivation over ordinary things, such as fame, self-interest, and sentimentality, so I submitted my letter to quit the CCP.
In 2004, with the help of fellow practitioners, I let go of my attachments to fear, such as being afraid of old age and hardship. I learned to use a computer and use the internet. I started to produce truth-clarification materials so that I could fulfill my role in saving sentient beings.
During the last several years, I've kept up with studying three lectures of Zhuan Falun and sending forth righteous thoughts eleven to thirteen times every day. I've never missed sending forth righteous thoughts four times a day at the globally designated times. I validate the Fa and clarify the truth to people to save sentient beings. On average, I explain the facts to three to five people and distribute 10 to 20 copies of truth-clarification materials every day.
II. Absolutely Denying the Illness Tests Arranged by the Old Forces
Experience 1
Not long after I started practicing Falun Gong, we bought a new house. My wife, a non-practitioner, borrowed a book about fengshui. I spent two days measuring the positions and directions according to the book. On the third day, I suddenly couldn't see things clearly and had to squint my eyes. I was very scared and didn't know what to do.
Later I realized that it was because I had read that book about fengshui and forgot Teacher's Fa on "not to undertake two schools of practice at the same time." (Zhuan Falun) I invited the trouble myself. At that moment, I became depressed, regretful and agitated. I decided to visit my parents, who were also practitioners. We studied the Fa and practiced the exercises together. Several days later, my eyesight was still bad. I was discouraged and thought about giving up cultivation. But all of a sudden, I had one thought: If I give up practicing, I will feel deeply regretful in front of my compassionate Teacher and Dafa.
One day, my younger sister said: "Practice with your heart. Teacher is testing you. Those things are nothing. They couldn't bring you any trouble at all. Just practice with your heart." Upon hearing these words, I suddenly enlightened that Teacher was using my sister's mouth to give me a hint. Then, I let go of my attachment, studied the Fa and practiced the exercises every day. I looked within to identify my shortcomings and constantly improved my xinxing. About one month later, my eyes recovered completely.
Experience 2
One morning in August 2000, when I had just finished practicing the exercises, I suddenly felt dizzy, and then my hand, arm, and leg on my left side went numb. Immediately, I realized that the old forces were persecuting me and made these symptoms of a stroke appear. I had no fear at all. I immediately told my wife, "If I fall down, please don't take me to the hospital, but shout beside me 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.'" I was very determined and did what I should do as a practitioner. I denied the arrangement of the old forces. After breakfast, my wife and I went to fix the water pipe at my old house. We worked on it for almost half a day, and then we went to the hardware store. In the meantime, we also clarified the truth to people. In the evening, I invited fellow practitioners to help me send forth righteous thoughts and eliminate the evil interference. In the following days, I did the three things well as usual. On the seventh day, I recovered completely. I experienced the truth of the words,
"When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide"
("The Master-Disciple Bond" from Hong Yin II, Translation Version A)
In recent years, as I was getting older, I became aware that my life had been prolonged by Teacher. Teacher said,
"There is a criterion, however, that the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your mind goes wrong a little bit, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over." (Zhuan Falun)
Therefore, I should be more diligent, do the three things well and save as many sentient beings as possible in my prolonged lifetime.
Experience 3
One day in 2004, I drove a motorcycle to visit a relative. At a winding road, I collided with a jeep. The driver cursed at me as soon as he got out of the car. He complained that I had damaged his car door and asked for compensation. I kept silent and felt that my face was bleeding. Then I told the driver, "OK, I will compensate you, but please first take me to the nearest hospital." At the moment when I was hit, I did not think of myself. Instead, I thought that the most important thing was that nothing could prevent me from saving sentient beings or undermine the image of Dafa practitioners.
In the hospital, I refused the anesthetic. The doctor said he was afraid that I would be in danger without anesthesia due to my age, but I insisted that there would not be any problem because I was healthy and free of illness. To ease his worry, I told him that I would shoulder all the responsibility should any danger occur. Therefore, the doctor sewed up my wound without applying any anesthetic. At the beginning, I felt much pain, but I could still bear it. Later, I did not feel so much pain and could even talk to the doctor while he sewed up my wound. He was very surprised and said: "You are really great! It's my first time meeting a person like you. You are so strong-willed for your age." I told him that I was practicing Falun Gong. I clarified the truth and successfully persuaded him to quit the CCP.
Upon arriving home, I talked to Teacher's picture: "I know that my loopholes were taken advantaged of by the old forces, but the bandage on my face might affect the result of my clarifying the truth to people. Teacher, please strengthen me to recover soon." On the third day, I changed the gauze by myself. On the seventh day, I recovered completely and there were no scars.
With this accident, I turned a bad thing into a good thing by validating the Fa and saving sentient beings.
III. It's My Responsibility to Do Dafa Work
I enlightened that working on Dafa projects is a very important part of my cultivation, and it's my responsibility. Prior to the start of the persecution on July 20, 1999, we bought two sets of portable audio devices, which were specially designed for spreading the Fa when several hundred practitioners practiced the exercises together. Whenever we had such a big event, I took the audio devices to the site by riding a bicycle or a moped. I was also responsible for the installation, maintenance and adjustment of the devices.
Falun Dafa is the Great Way without form, so we cultivate and do Dafa projects whenever we enlighten that we should do so. In the early years of the Fa-rectification period, I relied on fellow practitioners to give me truth-clarification materials or hand-wrote them myself. Later, with the help of practitioners, I set up my own production site and learned how to use a computer. Now I can log on the internet and download, edit, print and produce all kinds of truth-clarifying materials. This has not only solved my own problem of having truth-clarification materials, but also allowed me to help six other practitioners. I deliver the materials to fellow practitioners on time. Sometimes they feel concerned to have to bother me because of my old age. I often say: "I am not an old man, but a practitioner. There is no difference between young and old. We are all the same." As a result, everything I do comes easily for me. It's also a good opportunity to improve my xinxing. During the process, I've been able to let go of my fear of pain, tiredness, and hardship, my mentality of showing off, and other attachments. I also sacrificed and let go of my attachment to money. I feel that my heart and spirit were improved and tempered while doing Dafa work.
I often sleep for only four or five hours a day. Most of the time, I haven't been able to eat lunch and dinner on time, but I do not feel tired at all. It's easy for me to move a box of paper or move a moped that weighs 70 kilograms. Sometimes I help fellow practitioners to buy materials and do other things. I am never in pain or feel tired. I keep in mind Teacher's Fa:
"Let joy be found in hardship."
("Tempering the Will" from Hong Yin, Translation Version A)
I often remind myself: "I am not an old man. I am a practitioner."
I never feel troubled while clarifying the truth and distributing truth-clarification materials, no matter where the sentient beings are. I have clarified the truth not only to my relatives and neighbors, but also to my old classmates and their families, who lived so far away that I had to take a train to reach them.
I am still far from meeting all the requirements of Teacher and the Fa. No matter how old I am, as a practitioner, I have the responsibility to do Dafa work well. I cannot let Teacher down, and I must honor my historic vows.
IV. My Bicycle and Moped Are My Assistants and Fa Implements
I couldn't ride a bicycle before I started practicing Falun Gong, but I could do so after I started cultivation practice in 1996. My bicycle and moped have played a very important role during the process of my clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. I ride my bicycle when I go to places nearby and use the moped for places further away. It's fast and convenient. Actually, an old practitioner is already validating the Fa through the fact that he can ride a bicycle and a moped.
I often ride my moped to the villages, towns, and cities tens of kilometers away to distribute truth-clarification materials. Sometimes I send forth righteous thoughts close to the labor camps and detention centers, eliminating the evil elements that persecute Dafa practitioners.
Many non-practitioners have warned me: "You are old. Please don't ride the bicycle anymore, especially in the cold of winter when the road is slippery. It's not right for you." I often reply with a smile: "Thank you. I am a Falun Gong practitioner, so I am very healthy. No problem." Sometimes I tell them to recite and keep in mind the words: "Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good," which will bring them good fortune. I also take the chance to persuade them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Through all these years, wherever I have gone, I've never missed the chance to clarify the truth to people and persuade them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Sometimes fellow practitioners have also warned me kindly to ride safely. I have said: "We are practitioners, not old men. We will be alright even if we fall down. (Actually I have fallen down several times.) Just get up and go ahead. No problem."
My understanding is that no matter how old we are, we are cultivating both mind and body. If we can practice cultivation diligently, do what we should do and genuinely follow the principles of the Fa, then everything else follows.
Please kindly point out anything inappropriate. Heshi.
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
