(Minghui.org) I'm a practitioner from the countryside who started practicing Falun Dafa in January 2007. I nearly stopped in 2009, as I hadn't established a solid foundation of Fa study during my first few years of cultivation. Master then used his great compassion to continuously give me hints and awoke me from my confusion.
I would like to report to Master and share with fellow practitioners about the past two years of my cultivation. If there is anything that is not on the Fa, please point it out compassionately.
The coordinator of my area asked me to store some office equipment and supplies at my home temporarily, while a local truth-clarification material production site was being established. I felt uneasy about it, but agreed to it because it was only supposed to be for a short time.
A few days later, the coordinator informed me that she wouldn't be moving the equipment anytime soon. I felt tremendous pressure that day. My non-practicing husband added fuel by saying, “Look at all this! Who has more things than you? What if we're searched [by the police]?”
I was very much afraid of being persecuted, as my father, also a practitioner, had been illegally arrested before. So how should I handle this problem?
I asked myself, “Why am I afraid? This equipment is going to be used to produce good things. These are Fa-implements that save people. Why should I be afraid? Besides, Master will certainly protect us when our minds are right. So what's there to be afraid of?” I felt more at ease after thinking this way.
Since then, I held this thought: These are Fa-implements that save people. They are not “evidence” for the evil to use to persecute me. The persecution cannot touch me. I might as well just use this equipment to create the production site at my home.
My husband and I run a small business at home. He used to be unhappy when practitioners came over, as he felt that this was holding up our work. I had similar thoughts too, such as the family business cannot do without me; my child is too young and needs my constant care; and anyhow, I'm already printing truth-clarification materials at home. I was content with just staying home and not joining fellow practitioners in other activities.
One morning in August 2013, I memorized one of Master's writings, “True Cultivation.” Compassionate Master saw my heart of wanting to be diligent, and arranged for me to attend an experience sharing gathering in the county.
During the experience sharing a practitioner talked about changing one's notions and opposing persecution. I was awakened when I heard, “Those practitioners who are not able to be diligent due to family interference, what will happen to your family when Fa-rectification of the human world comes?”
My husband was often unhappy when I was involved in projects to validate the Fa, and I went along with him. I soon realized that I was actually harming him and his future! Since my family and I are here for the Fa, I have to change my notions. I developed the firm thought, “The more diligent I am, the happier he will be!”
The experience sharing gathering ended in the afternoon after the last bus to my area had already left. Several practitioners wanted to drive to my town and continue the experience sharing there. They asked if we could get together at my place.
Never had so many practitioners come to my place at the same time. But I let go of many attachments that day. I called my husband, “Did the child cry?” He said no. I told him, “Please tidy up the house.” He understood that practitioners were coming over and agreed readily. There was no unhappiness in his tone.
Upon reaching my place, my husband greeted the practitioners warmly. He looked after our child and did not grumble when the practitioners stayed until 11 p.m..
Over the subsequent days, I often looked after our child while doing household chores. My husband always said, “Go quickly” when practitioners came to our house to ask me to join them. He then looked after our child and did the chores himself.
Often, I was so busy that I forgot to eat lunch, let alone prepare a meal for my husband. He remained cheerful even though all he had was leftovers. I was surprised that the change in my notions brought about such a great change in him. “Good or evil comes from a person’s spontaneous thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
Many practitioners were arrested in late September 2013. It was rumored that many practitioners' phones were being monitored and because of this, practitioners were unsure of how to contact each other.
Later on, many practitioners in my area became busy with the corn harvest and didn't even do the exercises. A practitioner said, “There aren't any more righteous thoughts. The only thoughts around here are about corn.” I felt anxious and helpless about my fellow practitioners.
One night when my family had gone to bed, I sat in the full lotus position and thought about my fellow practitioners, wondering what I should do to help them get back on track.
I recalled that Master said that we should look within at all times, so I looked back at what I had done for practitioners. I had done nothing. I was used to “waiting and depending” on the coordinator.
At this moment, a strong energy emitted from my head and a voice said firmly, “I must follow you home, Master! From now on, I will do, to the best of my ability, things that benefit the whole body.”
I was stunned by the voice. That was a vow. Maybe this was my true self that sent out that thought or it might have been my prehistoric vow that Master displayed to me. I said unwaveringly in my heart, “Since I've said it, I will definitely do it, Master!”
Since then, Master has been giving me hints continuously:
The next day, my mind was blank when a clear thought suddenly came in: cut off all ties with the old forces. So, I sat in full lotus position and sent a firm thought, “Listen up, old forces! I must cut off all ties with you from now on! Regardless of how I have done in my cultivation, you have no right to interfere. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Master will take care of me!”
Then, I felt very clear-headed and recalled Master's Fa,
“Rectifying Fa as I go, penetrating all layers of the cosmosAll choosing to oppose the rectification were eliminated” (“Rectifying The Fa” in Hong Yin III)
I now understood: Any negative thoughts or actions are associated with the old forces and will be eliminated by the universe during Fa-rectification. Previously, my mind was filled with negative thoughts such as, “I didn't cultivate well. Will I be able to return home?” I always treated these negative thoughts as myself and could not distinguish them from my true self. I went along with these negative thoughts and was dominated by them. If that were the case, how could my cultivation state be good? I understood that I have to catch hold of and eliminate any negative thoughts as soon as they appear.
My mind became very clear after cutting ties with the old forces. I sat in front of the computer, preparing to get on the Internet and wondered, “Can I get online this time?” A clear thought came into my head: “Firewalls should not exist!”
I realized instantly: The Internet should not block freedom of information. Even from the point of view of the law and righteous principles in the human world, this is unreasonable and should not exist – let alone should our divine website be blocked!
I inserted the Internet card and clicked on Freegate, the software designed to circumvent the Chinese regime's firewall. It displayed that the server could not be found. I said with strong righteous thoughts, “Why is the server not found! This will not do! Connect!” And it connected instantly!
Since then, I have been able to access the Internet smoothly, at all times. The concept of “sensitive occasions” (when the Internet blockade becomes even tighter) disappeared from my mind.
Unlike before, I now cultivate accordingly to Master's righteous Fa principles, “Completely negate everything of the old forces!” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
I am no longer depressed or despondent. I will do things that I feel will benefit the whole body.
Under Master's arrangement, a practitioner and I went to a remote village to help a practitioner who had been persecuted badly in the form of sickness karma.
The local practitioner then phoned other practitioners, “Two Dafa disciples are here. Come over so that we can share experiences together.” My heart stopped the moment I heard the words “Dafa disciples” and I thought of stopping the practitioner immediately, “Don't say such sensitive words on the phone!”
But a voice in my head asked, “What sensitive words?” I thought, “That's right! 'Dafa disciples' is the most sacred and beautiful word. What's there to be afraid of?”
At that moment, a clear thought emerged: “Monitoring of phones should not exist.” I understood immediately that the so-called “monitoring of phones” should be called “illegal wiretapping.” Even from the standpoint of laws in the human world, this is violating citizens' privacy.
After enlightening to this understanding, my long-standing attachment of fear concerning cell phones was gone.
However, I am still sensitive to other practitioners' concerns and either will not bring a cell phone, or else I remove the battery when interacting with other practitioners.
4. The State of a Divine Being
Master said, “Right away you will practice cultivation at high levels.” (Lecture One in Zhuan Falun) I understood that originally, we were divine beings from high levels but we are now lost in the human world.
So, what's the state of a divine being? Master's Fa came into my head:
“Compassion is the Divine's eternal state” (“Why Do You Reject It?” in Hong Yin III)
“Compassion is an enormous energy, the energy of righteous gods.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference”)
A strong energy enveloped my whole body as I thought of these passages from the Fa. I couldn't describe that beautiful, bright and warm feeling. I knew that I had enlightened correctly and Master was encouraging me. I suddenly felt tall and mighty when I stood up. I almost floated and had to consciously keep my feet firmly on the ground.
Since then, many attachments have disappeared and I could study the Fa with a calm mind. I felt a strong energy field when sending forth righteous thoughts. I used to quarrel with my non-practicing family members over trivial matters, but now, these matters no longer move my heart.
One sentence often rings in my head: “Other than Dafa, I don't want anything; other than Master, I don't want anybody else; other than compassion, I have nothing.”
Money is needed to print truth-clarification materials. The coordinator has to provide money to other materials production sites, as well as to my production site. I was aware of the financial pressure, so I tried to use my own money to buy supplies.
I have a small bag where I keep funds for the materials production site. After buying materials, I replenish the money. Although he knew that I had been putting money back into the bag, my husband asked, “Why don't I see the bag becoming less full?” I replied, “Our Dafa resources are inexhaustible and always available for use.” He said, “I estimated that you've spent at least five to six thousand yuan on supplies. Am I right?” I said calmly, “I don't keep track of it that closely, but that's probably about right.” He didn't say anything afterwards.
For a few days after that, when I thought of my hardworking husband who was reluctant to spend on food and clothing, I felt a little indebted. But on second thought, why should I feel indebted? Do I think that spending on everyday things constitutes normal expenses, while spending on Dafa materials is additional expenses? Dafa is fundamental to the existence of all beings. How can I repay Master and Dafa for my life? Does it matter if I spend a little money on Dafa?
I changed my notions: Spending money on Dafa is not an “additional expense.” In fact, it is the most important and normal expense.
Since then, my husband has never said a word about using our money for Dafa.
As compared to the previous year, I spent more time on Dafa projects in 2013 and naturally spent less time on our business. In addition, our business stopped selling a certain item in order to save time, plus, my eldest daughter was admitted to a specialized secondary school which incurred an additional twenty thousand yuan. Our family should have felt the financial strain.
Yet, I didn't think about our financial situation. I knew that we would receive blessings from cultivating Dafa. I didn't live frugally intentionally, but even so, a lot of money was left over.
Every elevation in cultivation is a result of a change in our notions. Master said,
“In high-level cosmic bodies, Great Enlightened Beings’ paradises and lives are born of righteous Fa-principles or are consummated through cultivating with righteous Fa-principles. Everything of theirs conforms to the righteous Fa-principles.” (“Dafa Is All-Encompassing” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I will follow Master's righteous Fa-principles and cultivate firmly to become a Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples worthy of the name!