(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Gong in 1999, shortly before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting the practice. Because I was afraid I would also be arrested and tortured, I did not ask other practitioners for their contact information, and I gradually lost contact with them.
During this time I was very firm in cultivation, and treated myself as a practitioner. I did everything according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance at work and in my everyday life.
Under Master's protection, and by doing the three things well, my xinxing slowly improved. My fear soon lessened, and I looked forward to one day being with fellow practitioners.
But in the oppressive climate of persecution that was spreading throughout China, how could I find other practitioners? The articles published on the Minghui website suggested sending righteous thoughts and asking Master for help. I then added one thought asking for Master's help when I sent righteous thoughts.
I had an opportunity three months later. I talked to a woman about quitting the CCP one day, and she told me that she had already quit with help from her friend. I asked her to pass my contact information to that friend, and a few days later, I got a phone call from her.
After I got in touch with other practitioners, they often pointed out my attachments. I was thus able to improve quickly. I also benefited a lot from our frequent sharings about cultivation experiences.
In this environment, when I had thoughts or actions that did not conform to Dafa, even though I might not have realized them, the other practitioners kindly pointed them out, so that I was able to correct myself and cultivate on the right path.
Many practitioners cultivated diligently, and I could feel their compassion and forbearance. When I saw the differences between their cultivation states and my own, I tried to improve myself.
Another practitioner and I were once working together to make Shen Yun DVDs. She did not show up on time however, so I had to do the work by myself. When she finally did arrive, she brought vegetables and asked me to buy dumpling wraps to make dumplings. I was not happy. I thought that I had taken this time off to make materials, and my husband had also taken time off from his work to care for our child. I felt that I shouldn't use this time to make dumplings, so I refused.
The practitioner, who did not know my situation, thought I was a little too harsh, but she remained calm and did not argue with me. She worked with me to get the job done.
Since all practitioners practice Dafa among ordinary people, we may have thoughts like ordinary people. I sometimes observe that practitioners who have cultivated very well may not act according to Dafa. Why is that? It could be that I still have similar thoughts and attachments. Master uses this approach to expose them and help me eliminate them.
While we were producing some materials, there was once a problem with a new printer. A practitioner tried for a long time but failed to fix it. I thought that with my electrical and mechanical background, I could fix it, but the practitioner would not let me touch it, and told me that I did not have enough righteous thoughts. Instead, I asked to make the booklets. I did not say anything and continued working on the booklets, but I did not let go of my anger even after I left. They told me the next day that the printer had been fixed.
Although we should practice tolerance according to the Fa, I could only endure with tears. One practitioner's response awakened me, and reminded me that this was such a small thing. The entire situation was not even worth it. But why could I not get over it? I really had to let go of my attachment.
I observed some practitioners' quiet contributions to getting things done and cooperating well, which inspired me to improve myself.
A practitioner was once working hard to prepare materials for me, but I did not pick them up. She was upset and said, “If you don’t want them, why did I have to rush?” I wanted to explain, but I could not find my problem after searching within. I was afraid to talk with her. I knew this was not right since Master asks us to look inward. If I could not find my fault, it meant that I should continue looking inward.
When I am in a good state of mind, the sky appears clear and blue, and I can feel that my environment is clean. One day while sending righteous thoughts, I added another thought, to disintegrate the barrier between us made by the old forces, and that we would work well together. I knew the barrier had been cleared when I got a call from that practitioner right away.
I have benefited a lot from being around other practitioners. Now when I look inward, I can solve my problems first, and point out others' issues with compassion. I trust my fellow practitioners and improve myself in the process.
One practitioner often says that we should assist others in achieving their goals. With this cultivation environment, we cultivate, help each other, and improve together to reach a higher cultivation level.