(Minghui.org) I joined the Minghui editing team in 2004. At the time, I was still involved in other projects, such as serving as our local coordinator. I juggled different projects until 2010 when I decided to focus only on the Minghui project.
I knew that working on Minghui was fulfilling my vow, but all kinds of conflicts and xinxing tests arose when I told my local practitioners I was going to quit being their coordinator. Some of them expressed their wish for me to stay on, and I realized that I hadn’t cultivated solidly as I dealt with the fallout of my resignation.
Master said, “Because of that little amount of your inborn quality you have reached this state. In order to ascend further, the standard must be raised as well.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
The past eight years have seen me stumble and pull through various xinxing tests. It was just like Master said, “Yet how can that be a cultivator’s final criterion for completing cultivation? It is far from the end of cultivation! You must continue to improve yourself.”(Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
As we cultivate in the human world, our pursuit of fame, interest, and sentimentality becomes our fundamental attachments. I thought that I had long abandoned these attachments, only to see them pop up after I quit being our local coordinator. I found myself in a different cultivation environment–I no longer had that much contact or sharing with my local practitioners; I was no longer the center of attention. I knew that I must relinquish some of the habits I developed while being a coordinator. I remember another Minghui project member telling me then, “You must be able to be that least noticeable person.” It wasn't that easy for me at the beginning, as I always felt a need to voice my opinion on everything.
I realized I had a big ego, the mentalities of showing off and competition, the attachment to sentimentality, and a selfish heart of validating myself. Fortunately, Master always sent the right experience-sharing articles for me to edit. Those articles helped me gain a clearer understanding of the Fa principles and enabled me to relinquish my attachments. I often feel from the bottom of my heart that Master is by my side at all times. Every article assigned to me for editing is relevant to my cultivation and validation of the Fa.
I work with another editor to select and assign daily submissions for editing. I've had many miraculous experiences in this work. The articles assigned to me by the other editor often cover the same cultivation issues I was experiencing at the moment. I often feel my understanding of the Fa improving together with the authors as I read and edit the articles. I know that Master has made meticulous arrangements for me to edit those relevant articles. When it is my turn to assign articles, I set aside my personal preferences and just allocate articles between me and the other editor as needed. But again, the ones assigned to me are always relevant to my cultivation. I know that Master, not me or the other editor, was the one who made the decision for me to work on those articles.
When I first decided to quit other projects and focus on Minghui, I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision or walking on the path Master had arranged for me.
As I was pondering my decision, Master gave me a clear hint in a dream, in which I was doing exercises together with other local practitioners. As soon as we were done, everyone left swiftly. I saw some practitioners heading to a highway, and I grabbed my backpack to catch up. But as soon as I got on the highway, they suddenly disappeared. I turned to see a narrow suspension bridge with tall railings that only allowed one person to pass. A person was walking on it steadily by holding onto the railing. I enlightened that this was my path. Master has already told me to walk my path. Master has already made arrangements for me. I realized that I can't follow suit in cultivation and that walking on the path arranged by Master is the safest way.
Master has made it crystal clear how important Minghui is. Given that the majority of Dafa practitioners are in China and still being persecuted, we shoulder enormous responsibility that demands full devotion of time and effort. No matter how much I do, I always feel I'm not doing enough.
Little by little, I stopped questioning my decision. I made up my mind to stay focused on Minghui work, even if I still have tests to pass and attachments to remove.
This year, in particular, saw me enlighten to the fact that only by keeping our heart unmoved can we concentrate on Minghui work. The maturation process of the Minghui website is also the maturation process of us project members. How can we look outside of Minghui? My cultivation is closely related to Minghui's success. Only by doing the work wholeheartedly can I accomplish my mission and fulfill my prehistoric vow.
This enlightenment helped me pull through a difficult phase of my cultivation. Now I've experienced to a certain degree what Master said, “After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
Every year, Minghui sends out a call for articles for the China Fahui and a call for submissions to commemorate World Falun Dafa Day. It is a grand occasion for practitioners all over the world. It is also the harvest season and the busiest time for Minghui editors.
Each call for articles usually results in nearly one hundred articles. These experience-sharing articles vary in length and reflect the authors' different cultivation states, different life experiences, and different ways of handling issues. Reading the articles feels like I am wandering around and meeting all kinds of people. Some articles are rational, logical, and clear, while others are heartfelt and moving. Even if some articles need some trimming, parts of them are good enough to validate the Fa. We also have very short articles that are plain in language yet touching in content. As editors, I feel we are validating the Fa by helping the authors and benefiting from the articles at the same time.
It is a great joy when we finally pick good articles for publication. Screening and selecting articles are our responsibility, and they are also an assessment of how well we cultivate. When I read and edit good articles, I feel happy for the authors who have cultivated so well. Sometimes when I have an unclear understanding of the Fa principles, I tend to overlook certain details that are inappropriate and thus fail to fulfill my responsibility well as an editor.
During this year's World Falun Dafa Day celebration, we sent out calls for submissions that targeted practitioners all over the world, as well as Western practitioners in particular. Thus, we received a large number of submissions. While screening and editing articles submitted by Western practitioners, I was deeply moved by their sharing, which were free of Party culture. Long or short, their articles spoke to how Dafa touched their hearts and enabled them to embark on a journey to return to their true selves. Their sharing reflected my impurity that was a manifestation of the Party culture. I realized that I had trouble expressing myself truthfully and that I tended to exaggerate things. I was also inclined to tell lies, hold grudges, or fight for what I thought was right. This year was the first time that we had a specific call for submissions from Western practitioners. I really cherished the opportunity and read each article carefully to appreciate the authors' cultivation journies.
We also publish holiday greetings and birthday wishes to Master every year. I am often deeply moved by the gratitude Dafa practitioners, their families and friends express in their greeting cards. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to read every greeting submitted to Minghui. Whenever I go through a greeting, it feels like I just greeted Master together with the well-wishers. With tens of thousands of greetings, I feel that I've greeted Master tens of thousands of times. I often feel my heart being purified and cleansed during the process. There was one year when I tried to send forth righteous thoughts at the top of every hour while editing such greetings. Even though the workload was overwhelming, I didn't feel it was that much. When our coordinator checked to see if we were exhausted, I said no because we'd been greeting Master all day long. I was really happy to do that.
I usually check the published versions of articles edited by me to see whether the editor on duty made any changes to the articles. In the past, I didn't take it to heart when the editor on duty pointed out any mistakes for me to fix. But this year, I struggled to face criticism.
Twice this year, the experience-sharing articles that I edited were published first but then deleted from the website. My initial reaction each time was to find excuses for myself and to blame the editor on duty for deleting my articles.
Later I sent myself five emails to remind myself that the editor on duty was right in deleting those articles, as they contained negative thoughts that may affect our readers negatively. I also reminded myself how to deal with different opinions.
I reproduce one such email below:
A. regarding different opinions, I never gave it a thought or refuted them in the past, but now I’ve begun to think about why people would disagree with me. This in itself is a good thing, because we must follow the Fa, not others, in our cultivation. There will be many new articles to edit, and I may encounter similar issues where people don't share the same opinion as me regarding their quality.
In the past, I tried to follow other editors when it came to removing certain articles for publication. I was indecisive when it was my turn to edit articles. I didn't know whether I should drop certain articles. I saw that I was afraid of being criticized for making the wrong decision and afraid of facing disagreement. I tried to conform to other editors' criteria. Now I realize that I was following human beings in my cultivation. As an editor, I should have my own opinion based on my understanding of the Fa.
B. I should be able to take different opinions without harboring negative thoughts. I should share my opinion with others in a positive way and should be able to let go of self.
C. I recently behaved like a rebellious teenager when faced with different opinions. I must let go of self. Only when I share ideas with others without considering “self” can wisdom emerge.
I still have trouble taking criticism. I need to relinquish this mentality, which is also letting go of “self.”
Master said in “Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia,”
“I want you to cultivate to reach the kind of Consummation that is of a righteous Fa, with righteous enlightenment, and is one in which others come before yourself. That is removing selfishness, being able to remove “self.””
Not long after I wrote the emails, a coordinator called to explain how to set up folders to make it easier for her to manage our editing work. I immediately thought of how to do this so it was more convenient for my use. Then I realized that I didn't put the coordinator before myself and that I was just thinking of myself.
That same day, I worked with a person in a different department on some pressing issues. That person was supposed to send an email to update everyone. He didn't want to do it, so I took the initiative to email everyone. Later that department's manager said I shouldn't have sent out the email.
I didn't say anything, but I felt really upset. Then it dawned on me that it was a test for me to let go of my “self.” I recalled my motivation for sending out that email. I saw that I was doing it purely for other people's sake. If that was the case, I should take the manager's criticism lightly. I came to see that it didn't matter who was right or who was wrong. As long as I put others before myself and treat others compassionately, it should be good enough.
Above is my cultivation experience of doing Minghui work. Please point out anything inappropriate.
(Selected Experience Sharing Paper from 2018 Minghui Fa Conference, Abridged)