(Minghui.org) Every time I attend the annual Experience Sharing Conference in Taiwan, I meet with some challenges that turn out to be opportunities for improvement. Master wrote in “A Congratulatory Letter to the Fa Conference of Europe”:
“Our Fa conference is about cultivation. For a cultivator, cultivation is to cultivate oneself. Pressures coming from outside the group of Dafa disciples are tests and opportunities to advance diligently; conflicts and pressures coming from within the group of Dafa disciples are tests and opportunities to advance diligently as well. With the exception of Master, everyone among you is a cultivator. Whether you are doing well or poorly are all manifestations of your cultivation states, and no one is an exception.”
Taking the Rental Bus to the Conference
Several buses were rented to take practitioners in our region to the conference venue. I was told to take a different one the last minute because there were not enough people to share the rental fare for that one. I didn't think much of it at the time. On our way to the second stop, I was switched back to the bus that I was supposed be on. I couldn't stop thinking, “There are so many people on this bus. They must have paid a much cheaper fare than me.” I saw my strong attachments to money and suspicion, and quickly sent righteous thoughts to eliminate them. Later I realized that practitioners on this bus paid more than I did and felt very ashamed of myself.
Forming Large Characters and Patterns
Before the conference, I knew that I was going to participate in the character formation activity outdoors, so I prepared clothes for chilly weather. But to my surprise, it was very warm. As I was waiting to get to the appointed spot, I became very sweaty and a little anxious. I went to the bathroom and tried to take off the excess clothes. It only made things worse because my arms were then exposed to the sun. I had to put the clothes back on. At the moment Master's words came to mind,
“If that attachment is relinquished, that material itself does not have any effect. What really interferes with a person is the attachment.” (Zhuan Falun)
Suddenly I felt a cool breeze. I knew that as a practitioner, I shouldn't be falling into ordinary thinking when it came to physical challenges.
As I was looking for my bus, I saw many tourists from China. I went to talk to them about the persecution. They seemed nervous when they heard me say “Falun Gong.” I couldn't help but think that the Chinese regime had thoroughly poisoned these people with its propaganda against Falun Gong. The propaganda was influencing them, even as they were witnessing so many practitioners freely holding various activities in Taiwan. This is one reason why it's so hard for us to save them.
It started raining and I hid under an awning with several other Chinese tourists. I told them about the persecution, and a woman gave me a thumbs-up. I then told her how important it is to quit the CCP. She readily agreed to quit the Communist Youth League with the alias that I gave her.
Then several men approached, wanting to hear what I was saying, but I got a call from a practitioner saying that the whole bus was waiting for me. I didn't want to keep the practitioners waiting, but I felt a sense of urgency to save these Chinese people.
One of the men asked me if the Falun Gong I practiced was the same as the one practiced in China. I told him that Falun Gong is practiced all over the world and that they should be proud that such a great practice originated from China.
“Isn't it strange that such a popular practice is banned in China?” I asked. I knew Master was helping me, as a practitioner showed up at that point with informational materials that explained the importance of quitting the CCP. As the practitioner patiently explained to them what happened in the persecution, I left for my bus. I truly hoped that their trip to Taiwan could help them understand the truth and be saved.
The Experience Sharing Conference
Master sent a congratulatory message to the practitioners who attended the conference,
“Whatever the circumstances, however, the requirements for cultivators are all the same. Cultivation is about cultivating one's heart and cultivating oneself. When there are problems, conflicts, difficulties, and unfair treatment, one is still able to search oneself and look inside, and that's real cultivation, and only then will one be able to continuously improve, walk straight on the path of cultivation, and head toward Consummation!” (“A Congratulatory Message to the Taiwan Fa Conference”)
I was moved to tears by the message. I felt ashamed, feeling that I had not done well in what I was supposed to do. Master taught us this magnificent practice without asking anything in return. He only wants us to seize the unprecedented opportunity to cultivate ourselves and help save people.
My heart was deeply moved as I listened to the practitioners speak during the conference. As I heard how hard other practitioners have worked to memorize Zhuan Falun, I saw how I could be more diligent in my own efforts to do the same.
I also realized how dangerous harboring a human notion could be. It could lead us to give up the practice if we failed to catch it. One practitioner had a leading role in a truth clarification project. He was later removed from that position and put in charge of preparing meals. The practitioner couldn't accept the change and thought about quitting the practice. He later realized how he was letting his human notions take over his mind and the old forces exploit his gaps. As he calmed down and looked within, he was able to eliminate the interference and return to the right path.
“Why Are You So Kind?”--A Story from My Cultivation
One day my husband and I drove a truck of oyster seeds to the seashore. Many people like to go fishing in that area, and there were many cars parked by the shore. My husband tried to drive the big truck through the narrow road, but couldn't get through. As he was backing up, the oyster shells scratched a luxury car. I got out a pen and a piece of paper to leave our contact information for the car owner. My husband grabbed the pen and paper from me and scolded me. He worried about getting ripped off by the owner for the damage repairs. I still left our contact information when he wasn't looking. He was furious with me and blamed Falun Dafa when I told him what I did.
After we finished putting all the seeds in the farm and came back to the shore, the car we scratched was still there. A young man was approaching the car and I could see that he was the owner. I explained to him what happened and apologized. I claimed full responsibility. The man looked at the note I left him and said in disbelief, “Why are you so kind? Nobody does this anymore.” I told him that Falun Dafa teachings guided me to be honest and considerate.
A few days later he called me and only asked me to pay a small portion of what he paid to fix the car. I offered to pay him the full amount. He turned it down and said, “It's enough for me that you are so sincere. I often travel to China. Because of you I now have a different view of Falun Gong. It will be fine if you just cover part of the expense.”
It is vital that we always follow Dafa's principles, as in this case a life was saved because my actions were aligned with the Fa.
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Category: Improving Oneself
