(Minghui.org) Looking back over my two decades of cultivation practice, I feel that I have just begun to understand how to cultivate.
Even though I had been practicing Falun Dafa for 10 years, I was in a state of cultivating on and off. I behaved like an ordinary person for a long time. In 2014, a practitioner enlightened to the importance of cleaning out the other dimensions in our local area. It was suggested that practitioners who were able should send forth righteous thoughts close to the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) offices. I joined in. From then on, my cultivation state gradually improved. I later began helping contact lawyers to rescue imprisoned fellow practitioners. I sent forth righteous thoughts and exchanged experiences many times with practitioners who had sickness karma. I would like to tell you about some of my cultivation experiences.
My Attachments Exposed
I seemed to have a lot of complicated problems in my everyday life. There were a lot of reasons that made me look at these problems negatively and not take the Fa’s requirements 100% seriously. I realized that these “reasons” were exactly the attachments that I needed to let go of. The path was right there and Master already arranged everything. It was my choice whether I would lift my heavy feet.
When I started joining the others to send forth righteous thoughts, the times for sending forth righteous thoughts and working at my job always conflicted. Should I go when the day came or not? When I made the decision to let go of my ordinary person’s job and go send forth righteous thoughts, I decided what my priorities were. It worked out just right because my workplace announced that day as an off day. After experiencing this many times, I couldn’t help but feel that “the appearance stems from the mind.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting” in Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
A practitioner in a neighboring county took the public transit to send righteous thoughts there, even when no one else was going, rain or shine. This practitioner would stand holding an umbrella while sending forth righteous thoughts. Later, he told everyone that he was surprised how much he elevated in cultivation. It was exactly as Master said, “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master. (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Everything that happens in day to day life is related to our cultivation. The key is to see whether or not we remember that we’re practitioners.
When I was taking my driver’s license test, there were four categories and I scored a perfect score in three out of the four. My score was the highest. I have many human attachments, and while taking the test, my attachments were boiling over. I felt restless and my heart rate kept increasing. The second test was scheduled for noon. Not many had successfully passed the morning test and the atmosphere was filled with anxiety. While in the waiting room, my thoughts were all jumbled, but when it was nearly 11 a.m, I suddenly remembered that I was a cultivator. I was a Dafa disciple!
The test center was close to a CCP government building. It was a great opportunity to send forth righteous thoughts in close proximity. I sat down and my heart rate became normal. At that moment, the pass rate was announced and I was able to pass the second category.
The requirements of Fa-rectification cultivation are rapidly changing. Through the process of assisting Master in Fa-rectification, the role that cars play became more and more important. Two local practitioners were kidnapped by police while clarifying the truth. The coordinators decided to hire lawyers to defend them. I said that I owned a car and was willing to be the driver. At the time, few practitioners owned cars. This is how I got involved in hiring and chauffeuring lawyers.
There were safety issues for both the practitioners and the vehicles of those involved in the project. It required a lot of righteous thoughts. Conflicts arose due to the attachments that I had yet to let go. I just maintained one thought: I would do what needed to be done.
The lawyers needed to go to the courthouse. One of the lawyers was driven by a practitioner from out of town and due to time constraints I drove the other one. I parked my car in a spot that I believed to be safe. When I saw the practitioner from out of town and the other lawyer get out of their vehicle, I suddenly realized that I was only looking out for my own safety. Were they safe? I only thought of myself and I found my selfishness.
I had a lot of reasons to be afraid but how could I put the needs of Fa-rectification second? I had to get rid of this fear and selfishness. Master said, “If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)” Essentials For Further Advancement II) The Fa awakened me once again.
The attachments that I had not cultivated away were exposed and my selfishness was very obvious. I had all the “reasons” to dodge the problem or escape it. Yet these were exactly what I needed to overcome and the attachments that I needed to eliminate.
Stepping Up and Fulfilling My Responsibilities
When one of the elderly practitioners was kidnapped, we needed to work with his daughter to rescue him. The daughter did not practice Falun Dafa. She was a teacher and was very smart and articulate. When her father was arrested she was filled with anxiety and anger. She lashed out at practitioners. We needed to work with her to hire a lawyer, so communicating with her was important.
Everyone felt that it was hard to speak with her when we discussed what we needed to do. Who would be the one to talk to her? My cultivation state was not solid and I wasn’t a very good speaker. I felt I couldn’t do this. Then I remembered an article I read. A practitioner had a home-based materials production site. He made truth-clarification materials as well as the weekly news. Not only did he print them, he also handed them out. Sometimes, he could not deliver them in a timely manner. He had conflicts with the other practitioners and the tribulation was drawn out over a long time.
He later dreamed that everything he was doing was what he had vowed to Master before descending to earth. He was so busy and tired yet the other practitioners would not help! From his dream he realized it was actually because this work belonged to him and not to anyone else. His heart immediately calmed down. So I thought to myself, why were the other practitioners all silent? Could it be that this is what I had vowed to do? I asked myself repeatedly, what was so difficult when Master was right by my side? I said, “I will go. Please send forth righteous thoughts to help me.”
When I went to the daughter’s home, she was furious and filled with anger and complaints. I kept my cool. I continuously reminded myself to not be moved by her emotions and just calmly listen and try to understand her concerns. Master gave me wisdom and every sentence I spoke was on point. I broke through her anger and frustration as I explained to her the compassion that other practitioners had shown when helping her family. The misunderstandings were cleared up and she agreed to work with us to hire the lawyer. The practitioner was released after his case was brought to trial.
This experience truly helped me elevate. Faced with challenges, I reminded myself that I was a Dafa disciple, that Master was always by my side, and that I had to use the righteous Fa principles to look at problems. If the Fa says that something is doable, then Dafa disciples can definitely succeed. I need to let go of complaints and learn to be tolerant. Other practitioners may not be pushing away the responsibility since it wasn’t theirs. Those working on stage and those working backstage form one body and they complement each other. It is all a cultivation process and a process of harmonizing and cooperating. There should be more cooperation and less finger-pointing.
Righteous Thoughts Make All the Difference
When one of the local practitioners was imprisoned, the prison guards would not allow the family to visit on the grounds that the family members were also practitioners. After sharing our understanding, we realized that we needed to cooperate and change this situation. We sent forth righteous thoughts to clear out the other dimension behind the prison as well as other interfering factors.
Another practitioner and I went with the family members to the prison to clarify the truth. At that time, the “Beidaihe Conference” was taking place so the CCP was crazily doing security checks. I didn’t know much about security checkpoints so I was concerned.
I knew that we were not doing anything wrong; we had to go to the prison to create a good environment for the practitioner. When we got there, I had no more fear. The security check was an ordinary people’s thing. It had nothing to do with Dafa disciples. The security check was meant for bad people and to ensure the safety of the heads of the CCP. Practitioners are good people. What was I worried about?
A checkpoint was set up near a toll collection booth. All the vehicles were checked and the drivers were questioned. A long line had formed. As we approached the checkpoint, in my mind I said to the guards: “You came for the Fa. You came to support Dafa, not to harm Dafa. Despite your job, you should choose to protect Dafa disciples.”
The van in front of us had their ID checked, their license checked and the passengers questioned. At that moment, a lady got out of her vehicle and began yelling loudly, “What’s going on? Why are you checking us? We’ve waited for such a long time! We have an urgent matter to tend to…”
A man who looked like he was in charge approached our car. He said something to the people at the checkpoint. The van in front of us was finally allowed to pass and when it was our car’s turn, a soldier told us, “We are not checking anymore. Leave quickly and pay attention to safety.” Another soldier signaled to us to pass. The practitioner driving said, “Oh, they are not checking anymore and they were polite about it.” I said, “Let’s go. We’ve done the right thing.”
With everyone’s cooperation, we were able to change the minds of the prison staff and they agreed to allow visitors for the imprisoned practitioner. We also spoke with the head of the brigade and the atmosphere was quite good.
For a long time our local police station tried all sorts of ways to monitor us. They tried to track down the truth-clarification material printing sites and even came many times to kidnap and raid the homes of practitioners. Terror reigned over us and a few Fa study groups were even discontinued. Many practitioners began hiding their Zhuan Falun. After some discussion we coordinated times to send forth righteous thoughts and agreed that we would rescue the practitioners who had been taken away.
We needed to read the Fa to guide our cultivation and we needed to use the printers and printing supplies to produce materials to save people. Dafa’s resources protect cultivators and play the role of eliminating evil, but they were being nullified by our fear and other attachments.
We need to completely eliminate anything negative in our thoughts. When fellow practitioners are kidnapped, does it mean that if we go out to clarify the truth we’ll also be arrested? Some practitioners’ homes were raided. Does that mean our homes will be raided as well? What kind of logic is that? This is an issue of our understanding. We should first deny this persecution, and not acknowledge it because it really has no connection to us. From the standpoint of the Fa, isn’t this persecution and karmic sickness all illusions? Otherwise, we are acknowledging and accepting this persecution.
A practitioner returned home after group Fa study. When he opened the door of the building, he saw a youngster run out frantically and dive into a car parked outside. Other practitioners cautioned him: “Your home is under surveillance. Be careful.” He replied, “It doesn’t matter at all that they are watching me.” After a few days, the car downstairs was gone and later they heard from an insider that the police were no longer watching him.
Any changes in the external environment are tests to see if our attachments arise and whether we cling to selfishness and ego. Coupled with negative thoughts that limit our thinking, we can be trapped in conflicts and tribulations.
In the 754th edition of Minghui Weekly, there was an article titled A Celestial Eye View: The Last Leg of the Journey. It had a great impact on me. I am quoting a passage here to share it with you. “We need to cooperate well without any human attachments or notions to walk the last leg of our journey. Only by being pure and indestructible like diamond can each practitioner reach that goal.”
My understanding is, when we run into any situation, as long as it is consistent with the Fa and as long as it is what Master wants, we need to do what we should do. We should set aside our emotions, warped notions, and negative thinking. Then the practitioners around us will try to harmonize as one body. Only when we cultivate away these human things will we be able to work through our differences. Even if other practitioners have attachments, they will be influenced by our righteousness, return to the right path, and become diligent in cultivation. This is a manifestation of what Master said, “The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and harmonizes everything.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
I feel what’s most important is: We should cooperate with each other with a positive attitude and harmonize as one body. As long as it is consistent with the Fa and it is what Master wants, we should do it. This is how we cultivate ourselves and enlighten to Fa principles. I feel this is part of our responsibilities and mission. While we are doing specific tasks, we need to be guided by the Fa principles and to look at things from the perspective of cultivation and always remember to look inward.
If I've said anything that is not in line with the Fa, please compassionately point it out.
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