(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master. Greetings, fellow practitioners.

I started to practice Falun Dafa in 2006. During my entire process of cultivation I have been gradually maturing and learning things from the perspective of the Fa.

I’ve been a member of the European Tian Guo Marching Band since 2013. This year, I lost both of my parents within six months, but my path in the band was determined and arranged by Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa).

I remember the first parades and the joy of participating in each event despite my limited musical skills. The following years were a long learning process but also a hard cultivation path with many tribulations.

I began having pain in my wrists in 2014, and later in all my joints. However, I never gave up going to rehearsals or participating in any parade with the band.

I studied all of Master Li’s lectures that dealt with karma and looked inside to see where I was falling short, but my condition did not improve. Eventually, after three years, I had to turn to Western medicine.

I was finally able to travel to the Fa conference in New York in 2019 for the first time. I asked myself, “How are you going to see Master when you’re in this state?” I felt that I should destroy these bad substances inside me and do my best to stop taking the medication. So in April I stopped taking it.

I was very happy during the entire trip. I felt at home and felt the presence of Master at all times. But on my way back from the trip, the pain came back even stronger, and I had to take the medication again. I know that based on the Fa, it was not right to take it. I shared my situation with several practitioners and they all encouraged me to continue according to what I felt was right, and not to get discouraged. Many times I felt inferior because of this.

Looking inside based on the Fa, I discovered that I had never prioritized Fa-study, cultivating myself solidly, nor regarded them as essential. Even in recent times, although I had more time, I dedicated only one hour to Fa-study and rarely did all five exercises every day. For example, if one day I did the first four exercises, the next day I did the meditation.

So how could I expect to be cured? And how could Master help me? When I read the next paragraph from Master’s teachings, I felt that he was talking about me—it was like a “stick warning.”

“Of course, whenever that situation comes up, usually the person is given one chance after another in Dafa over a long period of time, because he has obtained the Fa, after all. He is continually given chances and doesn't die, and he is given chance after chance. But if that person still doesn't get it after being given chances for so long, even if he has cultivated for years and has followed others in doing Dafa work, if he still can't let go on a fundamental level of his attachment to getting healed, then on a fundamental level he is still not a student, and he will depart when he reaches the end of his lifespan.” ( Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York)

I felt the urge to correct this state and decided to start reading two lectures per day and do all five exercises every day, no matter how busy I was. I am now improving.

But the tests did not end there. That same year, just before the European Fa conference, I encountered an intense tribulation involving qing. I argued with a very close friend of mine and the relationship was cut short. Looking inside, I hadn’t been compassionate, and I deeply regretted the things I said to her, after reading something Master said:

“When you think that another person hasn’t done well, when you can’t get over it in your mind, you should think about it: “Why is my mind troubled by this? Does he really have a problem? Or is it that there’s something wrong deep inside me?” You should think about it carefully. If you indeed don’t have any problem and what he did is really problematic, you should tell him with kindness, and that won’t lead to conflicts. It’s guaranteed. If the other person isn’t able to understand it, that is his own problem. What you have said is said.” ( Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference, 1999)

I can’t describe how I felt. It was like she detonated something deep inside me that shook my entire being. I had never experienced anything like that, and as much as I tried to reconcile with her, there was no way. I wanted at all costs to make it happen and I lost a lot of time doing almost impossible things for her, but it was all in vain. I felt very sad for a while. Later on I felt that very negative and low-level energies were trying to make me waver in my faith in Dafa. I then clearly understood that it was an old forces’ trap and interference.

Master said:

“Worldly affairs are not the concern of Dafa disciples, who are cultivators, but I, Li Hongzhi, know about all such affairs.” ( Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York)

The following months were very difficult in the face of that challenge, but Fa-study and regular parades gave me the chance to gradually overcome this xinxing test.

From this experience I learned that whatever we do, we should have compassion and tolerance for ordinary people. How can we save them otherwise?

The Tian Guo Marching Band 2020

I was very happy when the parade was finally confirmed in Prague. I participated with all my body and soul in this event, since I felt that it was perhaps the only one for the year.

When we finished the event on Sunday in Prague, for the first time I was able to take a walk on the famous Charles Bridge, where we have paraded year after year.

On my way back from that short walk in the square where the local practitioners were still clarifying the truth, I took flyers in different languages and started handing them out and talking to people. The feeling I experienced in less than an hour was incredible. I met all kinds of people from many different countries, and they all condemned the CCP.

Shortly after I returned from this trip, they announced that the next event would take place in Vienna. I was aware of all the news about the pandemic, so when they asked us to send righteous thoughts to eliminate possible interference, I sent them with a lot of strength and determination.

Unfortunately, I did not appreciate the situation in Spain, and I neglected to stay determined before I was due to travel to Vienna. In order to enter the country, I had to have a PCR test (Covid-19) 24 to 48 hours before the trip.

I had passed the music test with the coordinator of our section, had my suitcase packed, and was just waiting for the results. But on a deeper level, I was wondering what the results would be, and my thoughts were not firm and determined, so the test came back positive. When I saw it, I couldn’t believe it—I knew it was totally false as I didn’t have any symptoms.

I reflected on all of this during a long walk around the city. In the previous few weeks I had several xinxing tests, and even though I had passed them, I saw when looking inside that I was not calm in my heart and was in a constant state of being overwhelmed by several events that occurred.

I realized that the old forces had taken advantage of my gaps to make the test look positive and prevent me from traveling to Vienna. This was a great lesson for me. It taught me that I shouldn’t take everything for granted, and should have used the power of righteous thoughts to remove all obstacles up to the very last moment.

The next day I was very calm. I thought to myself, “Wherever I am, I will do what Master asks us to do and I will not miss any opportunities.”

I feel that the path is getting narrower and there is not time for mistakes or not being diligent. Time is short and the only aim at this time is to save more sentient beings.

I would like to end my experience with Master’s words in Rationality:

“You are here not to alter history but to save people amid history’s gravest peril. Things such as clarifying the truth and encouraging people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations and to sincerely repeat the true words are the best panacea and the best ways to save people.” (“Rationality”)

Thank you to my fellow practitioners who encouraged me to look inward and write this sharing.

Thank you, Master, for the infinite opportunities you have given to me and your infinite mercy.

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Category: Improving Oneself