(Minghui.org) I am an elderly practitioner. When I first became our local coordinator, some practitioners disapproved of me. They complained about my old age and my introverted personality.
I knew that I needed to look inward to improve myself. Master said, “For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference,” Teaching the Fa at the Conference IX)
I enlightened that I should study the Fa well. At the same time, I should always keep practitioners and sentient beings in my heart, devote myself to saving people, and be prepared to bear hardship. I must be broadminded and compassionate.
1. Setting up Material Production Sites
At the beginning, I only organized the local practitioners to study the Fa together. Like a messenger, I ran around to keep other practitioners in the loop, like doing a job. I knew that we did not have any local material production sites, but my strong attachment of fear made me unwilling to set up any.
I looked at lessons learned from other areas and was afraid for the safety of our local practitioners. I was afraid to take responsibility and deal with consequences. But I asked myself if, by doing this, I could actually fulfill my mission of saving sentient beings and lead the local practitioners well.
I shared my attachments with other practitioners and my thoughts of setting up a local material production site. A practitioner with technical skills actively helped me buy equipment and materials. He patiently taught us the techniques step by step.
The practitioners who wanted to help out were at first scared, anxious, and easily discouraged by setbacks, but we improved together. Eventually, we were able to cooperate well and make high-quality materials.
After some time, Master hinted at us to make breakthroughs. Master encouraged practitioners to build up materials production sites everywhere. We set up the second one, then the third one. Now, we produce enough Dafa materials, DVDs, and calendars to supply both our local practitioners and the surrounding areas.
2. Getting Rid of Party Culture
I lived under the CCP's culture for decades and realized its evilness after I began practicing Dafa. I tried very hard to get rid of it, but my actions and my words still carried them. When I coordinated things, I subconsciously ordered other practitioners around and looked at their shortcomings instead of their strengths.
After a while, a gap was formed between the local practitioners and me. When we shared experiences as a group, I was the only one talking. Others were not as enthusiastic as before to do Dafa work together, let alone cooperate with each other. I saw this as a sign of them not being diligent, and I often blamed them for being uncooperative and irresponsible.
Once, a practitioner from another area came to our group. When he asked if our group would like to help, one of our local practitioners pointed to me and said, “You ask her. Our opinions don't count.”
These words woke me up. I realized that I was too dominant and arrogant. I did not place myself among practitioners but above them, as their coordinator. I apologized to our local practitioners, saying that I was not in line with Dafa. I also told them I sincerely wanted to do well.
Master said,
“Falun Dafa is for cultivation practice—it is not a job. All of our volunteer workers must first be genuine cultivators with high-level xinxing, as they are role models for xinxing cultivation. We do not need the types of leaders like those among everyday people.” (“It is not a job, but Cultivation Practice,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
The practitioners understood me, and the gap between us disappeared. We worked together like before, discussing things together and thinking of new ideas.
3. Clarifying the Truth Together and Improving as One Body
Once, we decided to go to the countryside to clarify the truth to people. I wanted all local practitioners to participate and cooperate.
Practitioner A is handicapped. She was not doing well and was unable to walk at the time. I thought she could still participate by sending forth righteous thoughts at home.
When we informed her about the plan, she was really excited to be part of it. She felt that she could help to save people as well. Since then, she became more active and kept improving her cultivation. She has become a true particle of Dafa.
At another time, we went to the countryside to distribute truth-clarification calendars. Although we ran into some situations, everything went smoothly at the end. When we shared our experiences after we came back, we realized that every practitioner cultivated themselves and cooperated well with each other during the process.
One practitioner had diarrhea the day before the planned date and had the thought of not going. But she realized that this was interference, which she should negate. When she went along with us, the diarrhea stopped. Another practitioner was afraid at beginning but overcame her attachment of fear and continued distributing calendars. She felt really good. Two practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts after they spotted a police car looking at practitioners distributing calendars. After we finished, we were able to catch the bus right away, even though the bus ran once every half hour.
We also looked inward in response to interference. We found that some practitioners did not pay attention to their environment and distributed the calendars in front a vendor cart that sold calendars. The cart owner reported us to the authorities. It was because of us that he unconsciously committed a crime against Dafa. We realized that we should always be conscious of others and think of others first.
We realized that we should clarify the truth to make people truly understand the goodness of Dafa and choose to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. But there were still things blocking us from implementing it. So we studied the Fa more, sent more righteous thoughts, read sharing articles, and looked inward.
When we first knocked on the door of a farmer's home, they took us in cordially. We clarified the truth to the family, and they happily agreed to quit the Party. In total, we had 24 people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations on our first trip and collected 13 signatures on a petition to report the crimes of former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin. We all knew that Master helped and encouraged us. We became more confident.
During another trip, a young man did not want to listen to us and wanted to report us. We kindly told him that we were good people and respected his choice. We went into his neighbor's home. His neighbor's family withdrew from the CCP and its affiliates. They kept saying “thank you” when they saw us off. The young man stood outside his door and kept looking at us.
So, we went to two more houses down the road. After we came out of the third house, the young man caught up with us and told us that he was wrong. He asked for the calendar and materials, then happily quit the Young League.
We wanted people to understand the truth after we talked to them so that they were really saved. We did not pursue quantity. The process of saving people is also the process of improving ourselves, and Master is always helping us along the way.
4. Bringing Back Lost Practitioners
Practitioner B moved out of our local area shortly after the persecution began. I heard that he had recently come back. I told other practitioners about it and encouraged them to get in touch with him. But nothing happened after a few weeks.
I began to have negative thoughts about Practitioner B and other practitioners. However, I immediately realized that I should have looked inward. I made up my mind to talk to him myself.
I went to B's neighborhood three times and finally ran into him. I was really excited. He had been cultivating by himself and was really happy to join us. We taught him how to send forth righteous thoughts and prepared a full set of Master's books for him. Now, B is doing all the things he should be in Fa-rectification.
Practitioner C's family no longer supported her cultivation after she was released from incarceration for practicing Dafa. They cut her ties with other practitioners and abused her at home. She eventually ended up having to undergo an operation because of sickness karma. We shared our understandings of her situation and wanted to help her.
Two of us went to her home several times when her family members were not home, but C refused to open the door. We looked inward and found out that we were too anxious and impatient and had the attachments of resentment and laziness. We sent forth righteous thoughts to cleanse ourselves.
When we visited her again, she opened the door and cried when she saw us. She regained her righteous thoughts after several conversations. Our local practitioners also took turns going to her home to study the Fa with her regularly. Now, she is saving people by phone.
Practitioner D also encountered interference after she was released. After her daughter-in-law had a baby, she was busy taking care of her and the baby. She had no time to go out, study the Fa, or do the exercises. She also had the interference of sickness karma.
We visited her and shared our understandings with her. She realized the consequences of being unable to fulfill a practitioner's duties and made up her mind to let go of the attachment to her grandchild. She talked to her son and daughter-in-law, and they respected her decision. She joined the group environment again and is now doing truth-clarification work.
While I was telling people about Falun Dafa on the street, I ran into Practitioner E. She told me she was also a practitioner and was new to our area. She used to practice Dafa along with her son. After the persecution started, her son stopped, and she practiced at home.
I visited her and discussed Fa-rectification a few times. I gave her Master's recent lectures. Her husband objected to her practicing. However, seeing her determination, he no longer interfered. She is very diligent now and doing the three things well.
I did not want to leave E's son, Practitioner F, behind. When he came to visit E, I met with him and discussed with him for more than two hours. He agreed to quit the CCP. After he read several of Master's lectures, he was shocked and determined to come back and do the three things.
F was very social in his hometown, so many people came and went by his home. We realized that his home was a good place for truth-clarification. When he left, he took a big bag of truth-clarification materials with him.
F's daughter had learned the practice with her father before and now wanted to resume her practice, too. She obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun and studied it all the time.
F is responsible for babysitting a pair of twins, who were blessed because she always told them to remember “Falun Dafa is good.” One of then jumped off from the third floor of a building while playing but was not hurt; he had only a scratch on his head. This miracle was well-known in her neighborhood, and people were amazed by the power of Dafa.
Bringing back a lost practitioner is saving a paradise or a universe. It is very important for all practitioners to look after one another and move forward together, so that all of us can fulfill our mission and go back to our home with Master.
Thanks to Master's compassionate protection, I have been able to go through 17 years of Fa-rectification. I will keep walking down the path diligently while shouldering the responsibilities of a coordinator.
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