(Minghui.org) I'm a country woman living in northeast China, and I'll be 60 years old this year. I used to have all kinds of illnesses, including a brain tumor, heart disease, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and a serious gynecological condition. Later I developed angina, which occurred more than a dozen times a day. When the attacks came, I was in such pain that I rolled into a ball. It was in so bad that I wasn't able to put the medication into my mouth. Hospitals could no longer help me, and I could only return home to wait for death.
In 2011, I started to practice Falun Gong. It was miraculous! All my illnesses disappeared from the moment I sincerely said: “Please teach me the exercises.” I have been practicing for three years now, and I feel most deeply that we must always think of Master first when encountering any issues, and then everything will be fine. If we don't think of Master, how can Master help us? Time is pressing and we must make the best use of our time, be strict with ourselves, cultivate ourselves well, and save more people.
The following is a brief account of my cultivation experience.
Learning to Read
The first day I started practicing Falun Gong, fellow practitioners told me that it may seem easy to obtain the Fa, but that it's rather hard to cultivate oneself. I said without thinking, “If you say it's hard, then it's hard; if you say it's not hard, then it's not. It all depends on how one cultivates.” I later realized that this righteous thought came from the book Zhuan Falun. I knew that Master was already taking care of me.
Since I never went to school, I couldn't read. I got a copy of the book from a practitioner and took it home. When I opened it, I saw the pages were full of little figures in ancient clothing. I closed the book and opened it again, and this time the little figures were gone and they had all turned into Chinese characters. I asked the practitioner, “Where have all those little figures gone?” The practitioner told me that my third eye had opened. Suddenly I understood that I had obtained a book from heaven!
Every day I kept trying to read the book and asked passersby to help me with the characters I didn't know. I learned many characters from primary school kids this way. I still couldn't read through the book, though, and I got really worried. I said to Master in my heart, "Master, you have shown me the way, but I can't read the book because I'm illiterate. Please help me.” Afterward, I found it much easier to remember the characters. Soon I was able to read through the whole book. It should have been very hard for a 60-year-old illiterate to learn so many characters so quickly, but I made it with the help of Dafa.
Doing Things According to the Standards of the Fa
A practitioner must study the Fa with a clear head. I regard Fa study as a top priority and have made a timetable for myself. When it's time to study the Fa, I stop what I'm doing and go study. I finish what I need to do after Fa study. When I feel sleepy during Fa study, I put the book down and prepare to cook. When I am wide awake a few minutes later, I wash my hands and go back to read the book. When I am cooking, I make use of the spare moments in between little chores and pick up the book to read a line or two. The more I read the book, the more I love reading it.
I'm very strict with myself and try to make sure that my speech and actions meet the standards of the Fa. I used to swear, but after I studied the Fa, as soon as I used a swear word, I would realize I had made a mistake. In the past, I liked sitting on a chair with my legs crossed (a posture considered rude in traditional Chinese culture). After I began cultivating, whenever I sat this way, I immediately remembered to undo my legs. I quickly got rid of this bad habit. In the past, whenever I came across people who had offended me before, I would get angry and swear at them. Now I don't feel any resentment towards them. Instead I feel sorry for them. They have not obtained the Fa and have kept creating karma.
Everyday people just want to gain more, live comfortably, and enjoy themselves. They think it's good to work less and do lighter work. I tried to change this mentality in me and made sure that no matter what the weather, hot or cold, I get up on time to do the exercises. Now my outlook on life has completely changed.
Saving People in a Dignified and Upright Manner
I know that Master has extended my life and the time given to me is for cultivation. So, apart from managing well my daily life, I put all my efforts into saving people. As I'm a new practitioner, I feel I should make even better use of my time to save more sentient beings.
Each time before I go out to clarify the facts to people, I think of Master and say, “Master, we are going out to save people now. Please help me find those with predestined relationships.” Then I go out to distribute truth-clarification materials and put up posters. Things have gone well. Whenever there are any issues, my first thought is of Master. I firmly believe Master is right beside me.
Each time we get a new batch of truth-clarification materials, I take as many as I can without any hesitation. I'm able to distribute at least 5 or 600 brochures and put up over 200two hundred posters each time I go out. When I run out of posters, I write truth-clarification messages myself. Once while I was writing, I noticed that I was standing right under a surveillance camera. I said to the camera, “You are here to monitor bad people, not Dafa disciples. Don't help the evil do bad things and you will be saved.” Nothing happened to me.
Once while I was distributing materials, I came to a big gate and saw a lot of police cars and officers. I didn't feel any fear and continued to distribute materials. The police seemed so busy with whatever they were doing that they didn't even look at me. Another time while I was writing truth-clarification messages, two officers came up from behind and one of them said, “Don't you know that I can arrest you!” I said to him firmly, “I'll eliminate the evil behind you first!” He looked stunned for a second, then shook his head and said, “We dare not bother you! We won't bother you.” Then they left.
Of course, we need to be wise. When I come across someone I'm not sure about, I begin chatting with them or just say, “I'm distributing the materials. Please take one.” I feel that when we do things in a dignified and upright manner, everyday people won't cause us any trouble.
Some veteran practitioners kept reminding me, “You must be careful when you go out.” I developed some fear as a result. Once when I went out to distribute materials, I saw someone coming towards me and I got so frightened that my legs began shaking and I almost fell. Immediately I calmed down and thought, “What am I afraid of? Why do I have to be afraid? Have I done anything wrong like steal? Not at all. There is nothing I should feel fearful about! I'm doing the most righteous thing and no one can interfere with me. I have Master to take care of me. I must keep calm!” I strengthened my righteous thoughts first, then continued with what I was doing in a dignified and upright manner.
Some veteran practitioners in our local area busy themselves with their families all the time and work in the fields, raising chickens and pigs. I'm a new practitioner, but I understand that conforming to everyday people in society in our cultivation doesn't mean we should behave exactly the same as everyday people. Dafa disciples should not only be good people, but also save sentient beings. So when I go out to distribute the materials, I call a few veteran practitioners to come with me. After a couple of times, they were brave enough to do it on their own. I've encouraged a number of veteran practitioners this way.
I've never been to school and I'm illiterate. I know that all my wisdom comes from Dafa. I never feel I'm in any way inferior when it comes to saving people, and if there is something I can't do, Master will help me!
The above is just my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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