(Minghui.org) At the “Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference,” Master clarified a point that he'd previously made:
“What I said is, those Dafa disciples who've fallen behind are to be brought back. However you left you can return the same way.”
I reread these sentences several times, and recalled the faces of former practitioners who had fallen behind during the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 17-year persecution of Falun Dafa. I then realized that these were some of the very people Master was referring to!
I shared my understanding with practitioners in our area. We agreed that we must bring back these practitioners, starting with the ones we personally know.
One former practitioner started practicing Falun Dafa with her daughter in 1994. She and I were later incarcerated in the same forced labor camp for refusing to give up our faith.
She was very steadfast in her belief in the labor camp. She encouraged many others who had given up their beliefs as a result of torture, to resume practicing. She also persuaded more than 10 practitioners to rescind their signed guarantee statements to stop practicing. Her kind actions gained her the admiration of the guards, and she was well known throughout the camp.
Her husband, a non-practitioner, was constantly pressured and harassed by the authorities, and thus harbored negative feelings towards Dafa. With pressure from the father, their daughter gradually stopped practicing.
I lost contact with her after being released from the labor camp, but later learned that she had suffered a stroke, which left her paralyzed and bed-ridden for several years.
When I finally managed to locate her, another practitioner and I decided to pay her a visit. Her husband had to take care of her every need. We shared our understanding of the Fa. She told us that many practitioners had previously visited her, but she couldn't bring herself to resume the practice.
She explained how she had succumbed to sickness karma and gradually lost confidence in herself. We encouraged her to deny the old forces arrangements, and not to behave like a helpless patient. Before we left, she said, “Thank you for coming. I am now filled with hope!”
We visited her again a few weeks later. We sent forth righteous thoughts and encouraged her to read Zhuan Falun. She managed to read eight pages without stopping, which really surprised her. We were very happy for her.
I encouraged her, saying, “As long as you keep reading the book, your health will improve.” She sat up, pressed her hands together, and with a voice filled with emotion declared, “I now have boundless hope! Thank you, Master!”
When I knocked on her front door a few days later, I was surprised to see her holding the door open for me. She excitedly explained how she was able to walk by herself the day after our last visit. Her whole family was stunned at her miraculous improvement.
In an effort to recover as soon as possible, she asked me if she could stay at my home for a few days, so she could join our group Fa study and group exercises. I wholeheartedly agreed.
She packed some clothes and off we went.
She quickly recovered after being in a group cultivation environment. She was able to complete all of the exercises without stopping, and decided to persuade her daughter to resume practicing too.
While bringing this former practitioner back into Dafa, our local group's xinxing had dramatically improved. We made a point not to criticize, complain, judge or make any negative comments about her. Instead, we kindly encouraged her so that she could regain the confidence that she needed to resume her practice.
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Category: Improving Oneself
