(Minghui.org) After reading the notice of “Call for Submissions to Commemorate World Falun Dafa Day 2021,” several practitioners and I had a discussion. Some said they wanted to write, but were not sure what to cover. Some would like to wait for a while. There were also a few who said they had never written sharing articles before and would still prefer to read others' articles. Below are my understandings on this topic.
A Precious Opportunity Not to Be Missed
The annual Falun Dafa Day is a sacred occasion for us. We Dafa disciples have been following Master in the cultivation practice, and we have benefited tremendously both physically and spiritually. We should cherish this opportunity and turn in a satisfactory report on our cultivation journey. In fact, divine beings in the entire universe are looking at Dafa disciples’ response to this. If we hand in a blank examination paper, how can we explain it? As we reach consummation and return to our heavenly abodes, the sentient beings we are responsible for may ask why we did not participate in submitting articles back then. How can we answer them? Writing an article or not makes a difference as such an opportunity comes only once a year.
Good Articles Are a Reflection of a Good Cultivation State
“I am not good at writing. Writing is something that belongs to those highly educated intellectuals,” one practitioner said. I think this is a kind of misunderstanding. An article is a reflection of our cultivation, which is independent of the education level. As many of us have noticed, having a good education does not necessarily mean one would cultivate well, and vice versa. During group discussions, for example, some elderly practitioners with poor education often had very good sharing that motivated us tremendously. Everyone’s path is different and we just need to record our experience as well as understandings of the Fa in our sharing articles. When we share our struggles, joy, and appreciation, readers could be moved by our modest language and real experience.
Writing Articles to Thank Master and Validate Dafa, Not to Validate Ourselves
As practitioners, we know Master has looked after us throughout the cultivation journey and sacrificed for us tremendously. Compared to the days before our cultivation, our mind nature and behaviors have undergone tremendous changes. We are no longer the old us. There could be many conflicts that had happened between us and others, including our spouses, children, parents, in-laws, neighbors, supervisors, coworkers, relatives, and other practitioners. We can share how we cultivated ourselves when encountering such conflicts, and how we looked inward and became more considerate of others. Our positive changes are witnesses of the mighty virtue of Dafa and Master. This is a chance for people to know Dafa and be saved. In other words, writing an article is not validating ourselves; rather, it is related to our responsibility of validating the Fa.
Our Improvements Amidst Trivial Matters Can also Touch People's Hearts
Every year when it is time to write articles to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day, there would be practitioners who say they did not have extraordinary experiences to share. Therefore, they feel it would be better for other practitioners to write. I think we should let go of this human notion. We are all cultivating in the everyday society and it is very difficult to find incidents that are truly unique and outstanding. On the other hand, it is through our daily life and consistent Fa-study that we always align ourselves with the Fa principles. With the power of Dafa and help from Master, we have gradually changed ourselves fundamentally and made progress. In fact, since our articles are mainly for everyday people, stories of us interacting with ordinary people could be easier for them to relate to.
Time Goes by Quickly; Let’s Hurry Up
Every year in my area there is the same phenomenon: Some practitioners had planned to write articles but kept postponing it. In the end, there were only several days left so they gave up with regret. Another phenomenon I've noticed was that, some practitioners only wrote a sketch of his or her experience without details. They then added quotes from Master’s teachings and their own opinions. Such articles are often hard to follow and do not show the authors' transformation in Dafa practice.
I think both phenomena can be addressed. Some articles are very touching not because their stories are special. Rather, they have details on the thought process of the author, which allows the readers to understand how Dafa has changed these practitioners for the better. When reading such articles, I was often impressed and had a better understanding on the author's cultivation process. This would better engage practitioners as well as everyday people.
From my experience of writing articles, the processing of writing itself is a process of improvement. This is because we have to review the path we have walked and that gives us a chance to think through our experiences and may have a better understanding of certain things. Even if our articles do not get published, we'd still have improved ourselves through the writing process. In any case, we could learn a lot from it.
Above are my personal understandings. Please point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Improving Oneself
