Cultivating in Dafa and Obtaining a New Lease on Life
I am 60 years old this year. Before beginning Falun Dafa cultivation practice, I suffered from stomach ulcers, various aches and pains, and a multitude of other illnesses. By 1993, deteriorating health and frequent bouts of dizziness had forced me to seek help at a hospital, where I was diagnosed with diabetes. As a result, my diet was severely restricted and my already weak constitution deteriorated further, to the point where I was hardly able to walk.
I started cultivating Dafa in 1996. After studying the Fa at an exercise site for the first time, I distantly felt a big Falun rotating. I knew Master was adjusting my body, and from then on, I understood that this was no ordinary qigong.
In the spring of 1997, I fell ill and was bedridden for three days. During that time I lost a lot of fluids through excessive sweating, yet I was not able to keep down any water. The resulting dehydration made me feel like I was burning up from the inside out. I recalled Master’s teachings,
"When you feel very uncomfortable, it indicates that things will turn around after reaching the extreme point." (Zhuan Falun)
While in a state of semi-consciousness that night I felt a hand pat my chest, and a voice saying, "It is finished." The next morning I woke up feeling relaxed and full of energy.
Putting up Posters and Hanging Banners
From 2000 to the first half of 2004, putting up posters and distributing truth clarification flyers were the methods I used to clarify the truth and save sentient beings. In May 2001, a fellow practitioner and I were arrested while putting up truth-clarifying posters. My mindset and cultivation were greatly affected by this, and though I was eventually released, this incorrect state of mind lasted for six months. Even though I wished to step forward and distribute flyers, my fears held me back.
Under Master's arrangement, a practitioner came looking for me. At that time there was a severe shortage of materials, so we bought paper, ink, and brushes, and produced our own handwritten materials. This practitioner encouraged me by praising my handwriting. In this way, I persevered by producing posters to save people.
While putting up posters outside, I once felt a bit of fear. I repeated to myself a few times, “Master is looking out for me, I have nothing to fear,” until the fear vanished.
Our righteous thoughts increased with the increasing number of posters put up. During the peak of the persecution in 2002, other practitioners and I, riding our motorbikes after midnight, attached posters to utility poles lining the main road. Once, a big snowstorm and the resultant freezing weather froze the glue that I smeared on the utility poles. I unsuccessfully attempted twice to glue my poster back up, and my fellow practitioner commented, “It won't stick?” I replied that it definitely would. It really is as Master said,
“We have said that good or evil comes from a person’s spontaneous thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Zhuan Falun)
The glue I smeared on never froze again, and I proceeded to put up my posters very easily.
I remember that one time when I was trying to hang a banner from a tree, I tossed the banner up three times and missed each time, so I asked Master for help. My next attempt caused the banner to fly five or six meters high, where it promptly caught onto a tree branch and hung from there.
Establishing a Truth Clarification Materials Production Site
I heard fellow practitioners talking about a photocopier, which they had difficulty installing due to space constraints. I decided it would be a good idea to have the photocopier machine at my home. Soon after, Master arranged for a practitioner to visit my home, which gave me a chance to make my proposal. In the autumn of 2004, a materials production site was finally established in my home. I started by learning how to use the stapling mechanism, and learned how to use the photocopier in just a few days.
Towards the end of 2004, this practitioner also installed a computer and printer in my home. That night I dreamed I was sitting on the hood of a car, which someone was pushing quickly up a mountain. I realized afterwards that it was Master pushing, moving me forward. The next day this practitioner taught me how to use the computer. Among other things, I learned how to hold the mouse and how to switch on and shut down the computer.
In the spring of 2006, practitioners taught me how to print small booklets. In the winter of 2007, they installed a CD burner for me, so I could make copies of Master’s lectures and truth clarification CDs.
I have come so far from being illiterate. I can now read the Fa, operate a computer, type and print materials, and burn CDs, all because I cultivate in Dafa. Master has given me much wisdom and granted me extraordinary abilities.
Elevating One’s Level while Producing Truth Clarification Materials
In the process of producing materials, my attachments to showing off surfaced and interfered with my work. Towards the end of 2005, a practitioner asked me for a large number of materials, including New Year greeting cards. I wanted to finish making them as soon as possible for my fellow practitioner, but in truth, I was attached to the pursuit of gaining recognition and showing off. With this strong attachment to showing off my abilities came massive interference. Since my computer would not start up as usual, I was forced to travel back and forth three times to the nearest city more than 200 miles away to find a practitioner capable of repairing it. Each time I went to this practitioner’s place, my computer would function normally. Yet, when I brought it back home, my computer would refuse to boot. In the end, I finally admitted to this practitioner that there was no way I could produce the materials in time. I calmed down and started studying the Fa, and after a period of study my computer returned to normal.
One time when my printer broke down, a practitioner suggested that I search inward for the problem. Although I knew that the root of my problem lay within, my strong attachments to pride caused me to cover-up and vigorously defend that attachment. Just as Master said,
“And with some people, it’s even to the point that if they do something wrong and others kindly point it out, they make excuses for themselves. As soon as their error comes up they try to explain it away, telling bald-faced lies and trying to find some external reason for it.” (“Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan”)
In the process of producing materials, I have come to understand that cultivation must be treated seriously. A relative came to visit my home one day and saw the materials. He told me not to distribute them or I could be arrested by the authorities and sentenced. Faced with the situation at that time, I gave him a token agreement. After seeing off my relative, my normally functioning photocopier began to malfunction, printing out blurry copies with missing words. The more anxious I got, the more uncooperative it became, to the point that I felt like crying. One practitioner happened to drop by, and after listening to my story, said, “You promised the evil factors not to distribute these materials anymore, right? Of course it will stop you from printing more. Quickly, ask Master for help." I recalled my actions, and full of regret, asked Master for forgiveness. Afterwards I was able to photocopy as usual, and everything returned to normal.
Unconditionally Supporting Fellow Practitioners, Assimilating into the Whole
Homeless Practitioner B came to stay with me soon after the New Year in 2007. Practitioner B took on the responsibility of clarifying the truth to the local community, and collecting and organizing information on the persecution of local practitioners since July 20, 1999. Because of village practitioners' low literacy levels, many of the materials they produced were not written clearly, so Practitioner B had to do a lot of editing. After sending forth righteous thoughts in the afternoon, she often sat in front of her computer, editing until midnight. This went on for roughly six months while I took on the duties of cooking and doing the household chores for the both of us. Sometimes Practitioner B would express embarrassment at her lack of contribution to the household duties, but I told her, “Both of us are part of a whole. I am unable to do the work you are doing, so it is good that you are able to do more with the extra time I can give you.”
In the autumn of 2007, our county coordinator was arrested by the authorities, and Practitioner B voluntarily took on the job of coordinator in his place. She quickly immersed herself in organizing Fa-study groups for the various villages and small towns, encouraging practitioners to resume their group Fa-study.
Because of her contact with various practitioners, Practitioner B also met with criticism from some of them. Once after being criticized by a practitioner, she became very disheartened and wanted to give up her role as coordinator. I encouraged her and we started studying the Fa together. We read to the point,
“...someone may have irritated you today, someone has upset you, someone has mistreated you, or someone suddenly speaks to you with no respect. It is to see how you will react to these issues.” (Zhuan Falun)
Practitioner B stopped and re-read this passage a few times. She then understood that this was arranged by Master, a cultivation opportunity to cultivate herself and raise her level.
In the spring of 2009, while the coordinators were having their Fa study and group interaction together one night, a coordinator proposed that an election be held for the post of county coordinator. He also said that Practitioner B, being homeless, was not suitable for this post. That night after returning home, Practitioner B told me roughly about the discussion. She spent the next few days searching within for her shortcomings while studying the Fa, and discovered her attachments to looking down on fellow practitioners, her inability to accept criticism, and strong self-interest. Over the next few days we continued to share understandings, but we were also worried about the practitioners deciding to hold this election, which we felt diverged from the Fa. However we were powerless to do anything about it.
Seven or eight days after the election to choose a county coordinator, many practitioners in our county suffered from interference, and dozens were arrested. Four key coordinators were arrested and the majority of our materials production sites were interfered with.
Despite the widespread repression, the materials production site at my home remained unaffected. Originally we could have weathered this episode of persecution successfully, but Practitioner B suddenly manifested her attachment to fear, and wanted to leave my home for a while. I talked with her and pointed out that during the recent persecution, we had not encountered any form of interference. This meant that we were within the Fa and thus Master had protected our materials production site. Moving forward, we would have to study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts to break through the evil factors' arrangements. After our discussion, Practitioner B calmed down. Yet two days later a practitioner from the city called and asked Practitioner B to join them, so she decided to leave my home for the city. I had developed an attachment to relying on Practitioner B, and with her imminent departure, I blamed her a little for being irresponsible. Most likely because of my attachments to Practitioner B, an employee at the factory suddenly called and said, “Officials from the 610 Office just arrived. They have ransacked a few homes already, so it is best to tidy up your home.” My unbalanced heart allowed the evil factors to take advantage, and I developed an attachment to fear. I thus packed up my things as well and traveled with Practitioner B to the city.
I felt very uneasy after reaching my son’s home, recalling Master’s instructions not to bypass problems upon encountering them. By then my cultivation had reached the point where both my heart and mind remained firm, even in the face of the evil persecution. But my momentary lapse in righteous thoughts had allowed the evil to exploit my weakness, forcing this change of situation. Restless and full of grief, I was unable to stay at my son’s home and decided to return home. However, my son refused to let me leave. At this time my neighbor called, urging me to return home. Apparently I had forgotten to turn off the water main in my house, and water was now leaking into his place downstairs. I knew then that Master had seen through my heart and arranged for this to happen. Meanwhile, Practitioner B realized that it was irresponsible of her to abandon fellow practitioners at this juncture to fend for themselves, and returned with me. Ten days later, my daughter-in-law asked me to move in with them to help take care of my grandchild, so I left my hometown and started saving sentient beings in a new place.
In my ten years of cultivation, I have fallen quite a few times. From here on, I will place paramount importance on Fa study, cultivate solidly, and strive to vindicate Master’s merciful and compassionate salvation. Thank you, Master!
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