(Minghui.org) My sharing is about the importance of practicing together and following the path that Teacher has laid before us.
I’ve been practicing Falun Dafa for about 8 years, but I’ve had my ups and downs and even behaved more like an ordinary person than a practitioner in many situations. I’ve been on the edge of my strength sometimes, feeling that I’m at a dead end and just can’t continue on this divine path, but Teacher Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) helped me get through these tribulations with the great compassion of the Buddha Fa.
Last year was filled with ordeals for me, and I even broke down mentally. It was all brought about by my weaknesses and inability to follow the Fa steadily. I was completely unable to sleep for a long period of time and saw or heard demons in my dreams the minute I fell asleep. It all started with a test of lust that I failed. This awful experience turned into a bigger test of life and death as my sleeping problem worsened and developed into a dangerous health condition.
Teacher said,
“We have some people who as they go about cultivating hold on to attachments and won’t let go. This causes the conflicts they face to grow worse and the hardships they need to overcome during their cultivation greater, rendering them unable to surmount them.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia”)
I reached a stage where I could barely practice because I was physically unwell and on sleeping pills. I had a breathing problem as well and couldn’t hold the exercise positions as I was in so much pain. This caused me to stop gathering with other practitioners as well. My only hope left was that Teacher would hear my prayers and help me out.
One day I stood in front of Teacher's picture and sincerely asked him to help me so I could practice again. Very soon after that, a fellow practitioner from my city invited me to spend New Year’s Eve with them and other practitioners. That night I had a very beneficial experience sharing with them, and we also sent forth righteous thoughts together. The next day, my pain was greatly relieved. This event showed me that Teacher was still looking after me and had directed me to go and meet with other practitioners. That filled me with new energy and hope, and the pure energy field that forms when we are in a group cleansed my bad thoughts.
Teacher said,
“On the road of cultivation, no one can necessarily pass every test really well—everyone makes mistakes. If you could pass every test well, I’d say you don’t need to cultivate, as you can already Consummate. You pass some tests well, and you fail to pass some well, but you regret it and you try to do well next time. You pass a test well, and don’t pass a test well, tempering yourself in the process. That is cultivation.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Singapore”)
I learned my lesson, recovered from my condition, and emerged stronger.
Another test came about with the surge of the current pandemic. Although I was still practicing at home, I was faced with the challenge of keeping up without the support of other practitioners. What convinced me even more of the power of the group environment was the following event, which I believe was an arrangement of Teacher.
It was the first day I could go to the group practice site in my city in a long time. I did the exercises with the others and felt strong, peaceful energy. I headed back home as it was already afternoon and I wanted to do some work before the day ended.
Because I live pretty far from the practice site, I needed to take the bus. But I felt so nice and light that I decided to walk and enjoy the sun. On the way, I was startled when a bus suddenly blasted its horn at me. I stopped and wondered what had happened, as I was safely on the sidewalk. Just then, I realized that across the street was a bus stop, and the exact bus I needed to take to go home was approaching. I looked both ways, crossed the street, and managed to catch the bus.
When I got off the bus, I felt a strong desire to take a particular path home that I normally didn’t use. As I approached it, I ran into my father. He asked me to keep him company while he took his daily walk, so I joined him.
He was in a good mood and unusually talkative and open. He talked about healthy lifestyles, and somehow the conversation turned to spiritual matters. I found a good opportunity to tell him more about Falun Dafa and about self-improvement. Although I’d been practicing for over 8 years, he would never listen about Dafa in the past and didn’t like my practicing, thinking that it was too vague and not practical. He was also very closed off about the practice every time I’d tried to clarify the facts to him, as he had a bad opinion of Dafa.
However, he listened to me this time. I felt as though his soul was seeking knowledge and faith. I talked to him about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance on a higher level, as he was ready to hear it. He understood and agreed to everything I said. I think he went through an internal transformation and finally saw Dafa as a good thing.
Through these experiences, I want to emphasize how much power there is in group practice and diligence. I feel that had it not been for the group practice that day, things wouldn’t have turned out in this benevolent way, allowing me to meet my father, talk to him and reach his heart, clearing away his bad notions about Dafa. I believe the timing was Teacher's arrangement. My state of mind was also elevated, which helped me say the right words at the right time. Thank you, Teacher!
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Category: Journeys of Cultivation
