(Minghui.org) I am a 12-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner in Ireland. I began to practice Falun Dafa at birth. I have always studied the Fa and practiced the exercises. However, I never knew the true purpose of doing so. I was unable to concentrate when studying the Fa and always put my arms down when I practiced the second standing exercise. At times, I would also do things that are not aligned with the Fa.
Then, one day I began to focus on studying the Fa and doing the exercises. That’s when I understood the true meaning of cultivation. I began to assimilate to the Fa and followed the principles of Dafa – Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. I persisted in doing the exercises and never gave up. I would wake up at 6 a.m. every day, participate in the online group Fa study, and then go to the Chinese embassy to do the exercises.
Eliminating Karma Three Times While Upgrading My Cultivation
I went to school in Denmark for a year last year, and came back to Ireland during the school break. My gums became swollen, and I was unable to eat anything for three days. It hurt so much that I was unable to fall asleep. I had to send forth righteous thoughts, and do the exercises in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep.
The pain was unbearable, so I took pain medications. However, after taking the medications, I regretted it. Master had endured a lot for us, and only a little bit of karma is left for us to overcome. I was unable to overcome this tribulation and had to go to the dentist.
I eliminated karma for a second time around my mouth. My lips were swollen and one of my teeth became loose. It was extremely painful for me to chew, and I was unable to eat. At the same time I came down with tonsillitis, and there were white spots growing on my tongue and lips.
I was unable to eat for a week, and my daily stretching routine had to be stopped. I was weak and could not stand properly. There was a Dafa parade that week and I decided to participate by taking the train with other practitioners. The pain seemed to have lessened when I did not think much about it.
I was given the responsibility of carrying large speakers during the parade. My mother asked if I was able to carry the speakers, since I had been feeling weak for the past week. I thought about it for a moment and felt that I should carry the speakers since we were spreading the beauty of Dafa and clarifying the truth to sentient beings.
I endured the pain in my mouth during the parade. I felt I was about to faint many times during the parade. As soon as that thought surfaced, I negated it and sent righteous thoughts in my mind.
My tooth started to come loose again. It did not hurt this much this time. I realized that as long as I am not attached to the “pain” it would not hurt. I also realized that I needed to cultivate my speech. I felt that I’d never say anything to hurt anyone in the past. Hence, I never paid too much attention to the words coming out of my mouth. Now, I noticed that I should give my comments a second thought and think, “Will my words hurt them? Will this cause any inconvenience?” I also needed to strengthen my righteous thoughts. My mind would often wander off with wild thoughts and ideas, and I was unable to control it. I will do my best to control those wild thoughts and do better.
Clarifying the Truth on the Streets
I clarified the truth at Dublin’s city center every Saturday. Although I have an outgoing personality, I tend to be shy when I clarify the truth to people. I was able to quickly realize this was a form of interference. I rectified my thoughts to better clarify the truth. I was able to maintain a good state when clarifying the truth and people gave me hugs after learning the truth about Falun Dafa. I know that Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, was encouraging me.
Master’s Protection
I was swimming with some friends in a river one day when a large wave moved towards me. I was washed into the deeper end of the river and was submerged under the water. I did not panic and instead thought, “Wow, this water taste quite good.” My friends had to pull me out of the river. I broke into tears when I got home and realized how dangerous the situation was. I would have lost my life if Master hadn’t protected me.
Studying the Fa and Learning to Be Forgiving
While I attended school in Denmark, a boy, who was bigger in size, pushed me down to the ground while we were playing soccer. My right arm was hurt and the school nurse suggested that I had to go to a hospital. I chose not to go and my arm healed quickly. I was quite mad at the boy and wanted to take “revenge.” However, I knew I should be grateful to him since he had helped me eliminate karma, and that the idea of taking revenge was wrong. If I hadn’t cultivated in Falun Dafa I would have harmed him.
Learning to Look Inward and to Be Compassionate After Studying the Fa
I used to get agitated easily over trivial things that happened in the past. I always thought that as long as I kept those bad thoughts in my mind and did not speak ill to that person, I should be fine. But I kept reminding myself that I am a cultivator and should look inward upon encountering conflicts. For example, when I hear a family member badmouthing me, I start to look inward and know this is a test for me. Now, these situations don’t take place as often because I have eliminated those attachments. I need to be compassionate to everyone because Dafa disciples have the responsibility to save sentient beings.
Please point out anything that is not aligned with the Fa. Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners.
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