(Minghui.org) Previously, when I was at school or at home, I was particularly competitive. If my teacher or parents would even hint I was wrong, I'd get angry... I've finally come to realize that I've got to work hard looking within in actual cultivation. I really think that if in this dimension you open your mouth to scold someone, then in another dimension your demon nature will grow.
Greetings honourable Master!
Greetings fellow practitioners!
I'm a young Dafa disciple. This year I'm 12-years-old. Normally in my spare time, apart from studying the Fa and doing the exercises, I'll browse through other practitioners' articles on the Minghui and PureInsight websites. Dafa disciples' Fahui are so sacred. I originally wanted to participate in the 8th China Fahui, however, it was a pity that at the time when I had the determination to write an article, my mother told me it was already well past the deadline for submissions. I read practitioners' experience sharing, article after article, each detailing his/her ascension based on the Fa. I got determined and thought that if I'm fortunate enough to be able to participate in the 9th China Fahui, I absolutely cannot miss out. So, I'd like to use this opportunity to report to Master and fellow practitioners my 12 years of cultivation in Dafa.
1. Bathed in the Buddha's Light
I'm extremely fortunate to have been born into a family of cultivators. My father, mother, grandma, grandpa and aunt all practice Falun Dafa. I remember when I was younger and at my grandma's house, as soon as I could speak, my grandma would teach me to memorize Master's Lunyu, Hong Yin and Hong Yin II. Unexpectedly, when I was so young I was able to follow along and recite. Grandma would recite the first line, then I'd recite the next line. During summer, every evening some other practitioners from another village would come to my grandma's house to exercise together. The adults would form a circle, and I would stand in the center of the circle to exercise along with them. As the slow, melodious exercise music played, I felt as if there was energy circulating around us that felt extremely comfortable.
My mother came to take me back to the city. When we went out to clarify the truth, because of my young age, I had no preconceived notions and I didn't know what fear was. After my mother clarified the truth to a person I would add one last thing: “Remember Falun Dafa is good and you'll have a beautiful future.” Sometimes my mother would take me shopping. Once, when we left the shop I asked my mother: “Mom, did you give the people a CD?” My mother forgot and said: “You give that lady a CD.” So, I ran up to the lady and gave her a truth clarification CD.
2. Studying the Fa, Wisdom Opening
After third grade, my language class added an extra writing course. As I'm a Dafa disciple, Master opens my wisdom, and in this aspect it's quite noticeable. My teacher said my writing is like poetry. Actually, she doesn't know that it's because I study Dafa that I have this wisdom. Other young classmates don't like writing essays, such as my classmate who sits next to me. He says that once he starts writing an essay he gets a headache. Conversely, I really like writing essays because I've studied the Fa for so long. Whenever I eat I listen to “Minghui Radio” as well as audio files that were downloaded from “Sound of Hope” with other adults. So, when I write essays the words just flow like water.
Once, my teacher asked my mother to stand on stage at the parent's meeting to say a few words on how to teach a child essay writing. She had only three minutes to talk. My mother went onstage and played an 8 minute program from Minghui Radio titled “The Divinely Imparted Culture: The Moral Courage of Intellectuals.” After playing the program, she took out her own list and introduced the 5,000 year old brilliant culture that was left behind by our ancestors. All the parents watched in complete silence. Later on a classmate asked me: “That program that your mother played last time, which site did she download it from? My mother searched for a very long time but couldn't find it.” Through this, my mother validated the beauty and greatness of Dafa.
At the end of 2007, my mother and father were caught by the police and persecuted, leaving a shadow in my heart. At the time I was in first grade. When my parents returned I had developed some fear. I didn't dare let any practitioners come to my house. At night I often had nightmares, and I didn't want to bring up the issue of clarifying the truth. It was as though once I started to talk to my classmates I'd get persecuted and wouldn't be able to go to school. My mother and I studied the Fa and exercised together. We'd share based on the Fa, and gradually I got rid of the fear.
Once when I was on the bus, because of the snow, the ground was slippery. One of my classmates was getting off the bus and slipped in the snow. I quickly lifted her up. She really appreciated my help. I said that I ought to, we're classmates after all! She said in a quiet voice: “Lian Xin, it's not that I don't want to play with you, it's that another classmate said your father went to prison.” After listening I said to her calmly: “Xiao Xue (Alias), it's absolutely not because my father did anything wrong that he was taken to prison. It's because my father practices Falun Gong that the police took him to prison. Think about it, Falun Gong teaches: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. What's wrong with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Truthfulness is about being honest and trustworthy, not swindling others. Compassion is about helping others when they're having trouble, just like how I helped you. Even if you were a stranger I still would have helped you up. Forbearance is about if someone bullies me or takes advantage of me, I'll think about where I'm wrong and why others are treating me like that, and it's about not fighting back when being beaten or sworn at. (I said that when I was in 3rd grade, and that was what I enlightened to at that time). As I was talking, I was cleaning out the evil elements that had affected her. I also said, “Think about it, if a person who conducts himself according to these principles to be a good person is persecuted by the communist party, heaven will not allow it. You should quickly quit the young pioneers, otherwise, when heaven eliminates the Chinese communist party (CCP), you'll be one of its scapegoats. Xiao Xue immediately said: “OK, I quit!” I was really happy for her, another life saved.
One evening while my mother and I attended a sharing, we decided to take the bus home. As we were quite far from home and the sky was rather dark, my mother and I decided to take a taxi. We waved a taxi and sat inside. I said to my mother: “Mom, you talk to him, I'll send forth righteous thoughts.” Once inside the taxi my mother started talking to the driver. I sat next to the window sending forth righteous thoughts. At first the driver appeared to avoid the conversation and wasn't willing to listen. My mother had a hard time continuing the conversation. I was trying my best to clear out all dark minions, rotten ghosts, the evil CCP spectre and other evil elements that were stopping this life from being saved. Gradually he stopped talking and looked as though he was just quietly listening and thinking. As a Dafa disciple's heart to save sentient beings is pure, the driver became clear and felt our pure intention. He was touched by the end and upon arriving at our house he agreed to do the three withdrawals, accept truth clarification materials and a Dafa amulet. As we were getting out of the car he also waved goodbye to us. When Dafa disciples cooperate well, the power is tremendous.
Later on my mother and I shared about this and my mother said, “Because we wanted to get back home, I didn't want to clarify the truth to that driver. If it wasn't for you reminding me, that driver would have lost his opportunity.” After that, not only did I get rid of a lot of fear, but my righteous thoughts strengthened, and I experienced what it's like to cooperate with my mother. Little Dafa disciple's can have an effect. Absolutely never overlook sending forth righteous thoughts.
3. Studying the Fa together in a group, ascending as one body
Last winter holidays, the young Dafa disciples in our area all studied the Fa together over five days. At 8 a.m. we started by reading one lecture of Zhuan Falun, then exercised. If we still had time after that we read some short lectures. At 12 p.m. we sent forth righteous thoughts along with the Dafa disciples from all around the world. We didn't take a break in the afternoon, we meditated. In the time remaining we would study Zhuan Falun until the 6 p.m. righteous thoughts time, then we'd go home. Altogether there were six young cultivators of various ages. After five days we finished and everyone all felt they had elevated. My mother said: “It's very precious for everyone to be able to have the opportunity to study the Fa together. The adults have to find the time, find a good location, and go out and buy food at noon. The objective was to enable you all to study the Fa together.” After hearing that, I felt even more the preciousness of the environment.
The five days didn't really feel that long. Studying the Fa was OK, but if you mentioned the wheel-holding exercise or meditation, all the young cultivators felt it was not easy. Speaking of the wheel-holding exercise, all the adults were able to easily hold the wheel. For us children, we may just hold the wheel for a minute and have to put our arms down, then continue to hold the wheel, then once again put our arms down. After exercising we'd share based on the Fa. One particular practitioner said that she read an experience sharing article that mentioned that when holding the wheel, Buddhas, Daos and Gods in heaven sit on the wheel to see if you're able to endure it. In Zhuan Falun Master said:
“While doing the standing exercise, one’s arms may get tired from doing the wheel-holding posture. When one cannot bear it anymore and puts down the arms, one accomplishes nothing whatsoever. What does that bit of pain account for? I would say that it is simply too easy if one can succeed in cultivation by just holding the arms up like that.”
After sharing, we gradually all were able to persist with the wheel-holding exercise. Although it still was painful, upon opening my eyes and seeing other young cultivators persisting with the wheel-holding exercise, I thought that it would be too embarrassing to put my arms down.
Once when I was holding the wheel, the youngest cultivator among us didn't even move a little bit but persisted. After the exercise an adult practitioner asked her, “Could it be that it doesn't hurt?” The young cultivator said, “It hurts, but I just endured it.” After that whenever I hold the wheel and have any thought of putting my arms down I always remember what that young cultivator said, “Yes, it hurts, but I just endured it. Forbearing hardship can eliminate karma.”
Speaking of meditation, the adult practitioner asked us to sit in meditation for one hour. Even though normally I sat in meditation at home, I could only sit for half an hour, so I thought, I'll just give it a try. The exercise music slowly started. The field was very strong as there were a lot of us. I hadn't yet meditated for 15 minutes and I was already in pain. The feeling was like a painful cramp. I thought of what Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible. If you can actually do it, you will indeed find: "After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!"”
“This is because we have seen that when the legs are painful, the black substance moves to the legs. The black substance is karma that can be eliminated through suffering; it can then be transformed into de. Once the pain is felt, karma begins to be eliminated. The more karma that comes, the more pain the legs feel. Therefore, the pain in the legs does not arise without reason.”
As I thought of Master's Fa, one hour passed by without my even realizing it.
Once I really finished the fifth exercise my body felt like it was floating. When I walked I felt like I was bouncing. The Fa study group environment was particularly important. This is especially so because there are so many different factors out in society that can pollute the pure bodies of young Dafa disciples. Only through continuously studying the Fa, rejecting the polluting factors and cleaning them out can we maintain our pure and truly compassionate original nature.
4. Genuinely upgrading xinxing
Due to being amongst everyday people for very long periods of time, we are polluted more or less, thus giving rise to lots of very bad habits and mindsets, such as loving being unrestrained and at ease, not allowing people to bother me, and not wanting to care about other people. Once I got to sixth grade I seemed to have become rebellious. My mother told me that I needed to cultivate away that demon nature. But, when my demon nature got touched upon I seemed not to be able to control myself. However, only through continuous Fa study and studying in great depth, did Master's fashen help me to get rid of those dirty things. It's essential to clearly distinguish those bad things from oneself and send forth righteous thoughts to clean it all out.
In the past few days when my mother and I were studying Master's Lecture in Manhattan, Master said:
“Any type of habit that you form is in fact a material product. In other dimensions that material is there, and only thus does that state manifest here in this dimension. That thing is like a landmine, which detonates the instant you touch it. So it won’t work if you fail to remove that landmine. Thus, whichever region you live in, and whoever you may be, as long as you cultivate Dafa I will, starting this instant, remove that material substance for you.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan”)
Master also said:
“I will remove that material substance, but the associated habits and traits that you’ve formed have to be eliminated by you. And as for the habits that you’ve formed over time, those stem from your various attachments. Those who are attached to saving face will be made to hear things that are embarrassing, hitting upon that attachment that causes you not to be able to stand hearing others’ critical remarks.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan”)
Previously when I was at school or at home, I was particularly competitive. If my teacher or parents would even hint that I was wrong, I'd get angry. Even at school, if the teacher reproved me I'd stand up in front of everyone and refute the teacher. I wouldn't even allow the teacher to save even a little bit of face. My family members and other practitioners on many occasions shared with me based on the Fa and said, “Among everyday people, there is a saying to honour the teacher and revere his teachings. Even if he's incorrect, he's still your elder, you ought to respect him.” But, I was just stuck at that level and couldn't improve. I wouldn't take in anything they said to me. So I didn't leave any good impressions on that teacher. I was the same at home. The lady who studied with me said, “Lian Xin, you've studied the Fa in depth, and when you share it's all based on the Fa. You've really got to change your attitude toward your mother.”
I've finally come to realize that I've got to work hard looking within and in actual cultivation. I really think that if in this dimension you open your mouth to scold someone, then in another dimension your demon nature will grow.
5. Act in a Traditional Way
During the past summer holidays, and through meeting various conditions, we four young Dafa disciples were able to study the Fa together. After nine days of Fa-study, the adults said that it really wasn't easy to be together. Normally we don't have such conditions, and we should read through all of Master's lectures together.
Studying the Fa, all aspects of myself are slowly improving, along with all sorts of deviated notions slowly being cleared out. Through sharing, practitioners raised the principles of traditional culture, that boys should be masculine and women should be feminine. Just like how Shen Yun expresses it. In actuality, although I'm a girl, I have the personality of a boy. This has both it's good and bad aspects. For example, I have a very bold temperament and am very extraverted, but I lack the gentleness and gracefulness girls should have. I'm more like a boy, it's not so good. When on the road going to Fa study my father would teach me: “Girls shouldn't dress too revealingly; they should sit dignified, should talk in a soft voice, and be gentle. I think that Dafa disciples are to leave to mankind a proper culture, so we ourselves must do well.
6. Conclusion
The majority of young Dafa disciples obtained the Fa when they were born, unlike our parents who went through so many twists and turns in order to obtain Dafa. Sometimes I feel I don't treasure this opportunity and don't place enough importance on studying the Fa and doing well the three things. Previously my situation was also not so good, but one day another practitioner said: “The cultivators in the past had to go through so much hardship. Every day they would sit in a mountain cave and bitterly cultivate. Grass grew on their bodies, and they didn't leave the three realms. What they cultivated was still the assistant spirit. However, today we're able to obtain the universal Dafa, and it's the main spirit that obtains the gong. After consummation we can become brilliant enlightened beings. We really ought to do our best to cultivate.” Her words just woke me right up. Yes, we really must grab this golden opportunity and persist in actual cultivation, consummate and return with Master.
Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!
Heshi!
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