(Clearwisdom.net) With sincerity in her eyes and a warm smile, a slight build and a gentle temperament, Cindy might remind you of some of the young ladies you often see in your neighborhood. It is hard to imagine that such a lady has already experienced quite extraordinary things.
Cindy grew up in Poland and graduated there with a master's degree in Political Science. She currently lives in New York and works in media. In 2004, Cindy and her husband left Canada and went to Asia because of a job transfer. At that time, she worked for an international human rights organization, whose headquarters are located in Germany. Cindy and her husband visited many cities and villages during their spare time while working in Asia, and they introduced Falun Dafa to many local people, bringing them happiness and hope.
How did a Western woman who studied Political Science become a Falun Dafa practitioner and work hard to introduce the Buddha Law in remote Asia? Cindy shared her experiences at a gathering in Manhattan, New York, celebrating World Falun Dafa Day.
Cindy (left) at the gathering in Manhattan celebrating World Falun Dafa Day
1. A Turning Point in Life
Like many other Falun Dafa practitioners, Cindy started practicing because she witnessed her husband's miraculous recovery from a fatal disease. She recalls, "At that time, Yong was studying for his doctoral degree. He was diagnosed with a rare and fatal nerve disease, which makes the person's muscles weak. The muscles will gradually stop functioning and eventually cause the heart to stop working. For modern medical science, it is an incurable disease. Although Yong's syndrome was not in the late stages and he was still able to walk, drive, and study, the disease couldn't be restrained, and Yong knew what the future held for him."
A turning point occurred eight months after his disease was diagnosed. A friend gave him an instructional tape of the Falun Dafa exercises. Cindy details the highlight, "Yong was interested and tried to practice it. Less than a month after he started practicing the exercises, he completely recovered. You can imagine how the doctor reacted during his check up. He thought it was unbelievable.
"Because of the miracle I saw with Yong, I started practicing Falun Dafa. Regarding my own experiences in practicing Falun Dafa, it was not just the physical changes (including getting rid of my eyeglasses, which I have worn for many years) that are most important, but also the spiritual changes. My attitude toward the world has changed quite a bit. I became a happy and strong person."
She said, "I used to pay too much attention to others' attitudes toward me. I often worried about many things. After I practiced Dafa, I was able to view the world from a wider angle. Those who used to bother me and from whom I was unable to extricate myself, are no longer able to affect me. I became more and more peaceful and reasonable when facing conflict. I am able to stop myself from getting into a conflict or being overpowered by tribulations. Therefore I can live naturally and in a more detached way.
"For example, there is always the person who expresses his opinion at a wrong time and in an improper way, which would 'offend' me. I used to react with anger in such a situation because of my selfishness. Now I have changed my habit of blaming others, and I pay less attention to others' faults. Instead, I look inward and try to find which button is being touched inside. Those buttons are usually linked to fame and self-interest. Once I found them, I was able to restrain and remove them. Therefore I was able to avoid being driven by emotion and irrationality. When I thought of others first, based on the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, instead of thinking of myself, life became more harmonious and filled with more genuine happiness. "
2. Promoting Buddha's Law in the Land of Ancient India
One thousand three hundred years ago, a famous monk from the Tang Dynasty traveled to ancient India and brought the Buddha scriptures back to China. A thousand years later, the Buddha's Fa, which originated in China, was brought to India by practitioners from all over the world. Cindy is one of those honored to do so.
Falun Dafa brought wonder to Cindy and her husband. They wanted to let more people know about and benefit from it. In 2004 Cindy and her husband worked comfortably in Canada for an international human rights organization. However, they decided to transfer to Thailand, and they worked there for three years. While there, they taught the Falun Dafa exercises in parks and villages in Thailand. They even went to the neighboring country of India to introduce Dafa.
"We have been to India many times to promote Dafa with other practitioners. Buddhism originated in India and was later spread throughout the world. It is a country with deep connections to gods. The good people of India have a strong predestined relationship with Dafa."
Many teachers and principals who believe in Catholicism or other religions are honest and kind. They were pleased to hear about Dafa and quickly decided to learn it. It seemed that Dafa is just what they have been expecting and awaiting since ages ago.
"We taught about three thousand teachers and students to do the exercises within three or four days. At one school, we spent about ten minutes introducing Dafa to the principal. He was immediately agreeable and invited us to teach his students right away. Within ten minutes, he had gathered over a thousand students in front of us... We taught the exercises and left some Dafa books for them." Later, in some schools, Lunyu from Zhuan Falun was selected as the first article for the materials to teach English.
Cindy teaching the exercises at an Indian school
Students from a public school in India doing the Falun Dafa exercises
Lunyu from Zhuan Falun in the English teaching materials
"In Southern India, we have taught the Falun Dafa exercises to thousands of teachers and students. They learned very quickly and did them very accurately. We were invited to participate in a Falun Dafa experience-sharing conference at a school. I will never forget what a six-year-old boy said. He was a very delicate and short boy. He walked to the stage and said, 'After practicing Falun Dafa, I feel I have become very, very strong...' He didn't say much, but from this, I saw that a living being that was originally feeble became strong and extraordinary!"
Falun Dafa has been shared for over 18 years. More and more people know it and treasure it. More and more people have benefited from practicing it. In its original country however--a country with an ancient civilization and a long history-- Falun Dafa has been slandered and practitioners have suffered persecution for a long time. "The CCP's persecution of Falun Dafa has severed the connections between the Chinese people and Buddha and other gods. The evil lies have destroyed the precious opportunities for people to cultivate." Cindy feels this is the greatest grief and sorrow.
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