(Minghui.org) It was mid-July when I heard about the upcoming European Fa Conference in Warsaw in September. My family members who also practice Falun Dafa planned to go to the conference and urged me to go with them. I hesitated because I don’t know the language and would have difficulty getting around Poland.
Breaking Through Interference
Ever since I moved to a small country in Europe, I had some mental barriers because I don’t know any English. I rarely got a chance to talk with other practitioners. I always kept a low profile anyway due to the project I had been involved in, and I gradually became used to being isolated at home.
My family told me that simultaneous interpretation would be available during the conference, which helped get rid of my main concern. I also wanted to meet other practitioners and become motivated to cultivate more diligently. I finally decided to go to the conference.
However, interference arrived as the departure date got close. Two adult practitioners in my family developed fevers. They had pain throughout their bodies, with the sharpest pain in their throats. The pain was so bad that it was hard for them to swallow. Another adult practitioner had an inflamed toe, which made it hard for her to walk. We were worried and wondered if she could participate in the parade that would be held in Poland. Our six-year-old practitioner got a mosquito bite on his arm. It swelled up, broke open and bled.
By the time we arrived in Warsaw, the adults’ illness symptoms were gone, but the six-year-old developed a fever. Our whole family participated in the candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate that evening. Our little fellow practitioner was with us for a couple of hours, but he didn’t feel cold. Despite his continued fever that night, he participated in the parade the next day, and felt completely fine afterwards. He told us that he could feel strong energy from the parade, and that Master’s law body and a grand Falun were at the parade too.
Eliminating Dislikes
While we were meditating and sending forth righteous thoughts at the candlelight vigil, I was happy to see Western practitioners from our country distribute flyers to passersby. However, I suddenly felt unhappy when I noticed that they were chatting most of the time (there were very few passersby at that time). I complained in my mind, “You haven’t actively distributed flyers in our past activities. Now that you’ve come all this way to such a solemn event, why can’t you stop chatting?”
I couldn’t stand it. All the righteous thoughts in my mind were replaced with complaints and dislikes. I fought the strong urge to dash over and stop them.
Then I thought, “Why am I so upset?” I realized it was because their behavior didn’t conform to my notions. I had proactively distributed flyers during our local activities, so I was critical of those who weren’t proactive. I remembered an article published on the Minghui website a few years ago. It mentioned that Western practitioners didn’t look proactive about approaching passersby in Chinese practitioners’ view, but this was due to their culture differences.
Master enlightened me, and I realized that the key was to eliminate my dislikes through fellow practitioners’ behaviors. I was filled with gratitude to Master. It was selfish of me to put my own notions in front of anything else. My selfishness and self-righteous attitude came from the Communist Party culture. Lack of compassion was my loophole. I realized that I should look at fellow practitioners’ merits and have a bigger heart.
Moved by Parades and Practitioners’ Experience Sharing
Practitioners from 35 countries participated in the two parades held over the course of the Fa conference. The Tian Guo Marching Band played heart-shaking music throughout the grand parades. People said that our endless procession was a beautiful scene in Warsaw. Many people stopped to watch and waved at us. Many opened their windows or came out onto their balconies. Tears came to my eyes several times. No words can describe how moved I was by the magnificence and harmony of the parade.
Master sent his greetings to the Fa Conference,
“During the Fa Conference, you will be sharing personal cultivation experiences with your fellow practitioners, and, thereby, finding your own shortcomings so as to improve yourselves in cultivation down the road. This is terrific! As Dafa disciples, this is necessary because only by improving yourselves in cultivation can you do well what you should do. I wish your Fa conference complete success!” (“Greetings to the European Fa Conference”)
Every practitioner’s experience sharing deeply touched my heart. Their tireless work brought Shen Yun to European countries. Their quiet contribution in kitchens provided the Shen Yun artists with hearty food. Some practitioners persisted in protesting in front of the Chinese Consulate in London for over 20 years, rain or shine, despite countless threats and abuse by the Chinese Communist Party’s agents...
When we walked out of the conference center on the afternoon of the last day, we were thrilled to see a huge double rainbow in the sky!
I was able to connect with practitioners in an Internet Fa study group in another country and joined the morning and evening Fa study sessions after I came back from the conference. We also discuss our experiences after we read the Fa. It’s a great feeling to break through my isolation!
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Category: Improving Oneself
