(Minghui.org) About 1,000 local New York practitioners attended the recent Orange County Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference held in Middletown on January 27. Seventeen practitioners talked about how they aligned themselves with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives and Dafa projects. Through looking within and letting go of various attachments, they were able to improve themselves and help save people. Attendees said they also learned a lot from the others’ cultivation experiences.

The Orange County Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference was held in Middletown, New York on January 27, 2024

Practitioners talked about their cultivation experiences.

Solid Cultivation

Anne works as a nurse in a college and she shared her understanding of solid cultivation. During the pandemic she had to help enrolled students choose the best healthcare plan in a short time and meet the vaccination requirement. Through these experiences she gained lots of understandings and is thankful to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa.

“Without salvation from Master, I would still be living in selfishness and accumulating karma out of ignorance,” she said. She said because of her ego and other negative aspects of her character, she might be lost in sentimentality and she would continue hurting others and herself. After she began practicing Falun Dafa, she felt light and compassionate. She no longer pursued fame, material interests, or sentimentality and was able to constantly rectify herself.

“To me, solid cultivation is the most valuable. During this process, I have experienced the test of life and death. There were many miracles and I am unable to write them all down,” she said. “But when facing major tribulations I remember these experiences. Cultivation is real and Master is so compassionate – there is no doubt about it.”

Anne said the universe is huge and she feels insignificant. It’s important to remain humble and work harder. “Living with no pursuit is my joy. Having compassion towards others is my joy. Seeing through the surface to gain understanding of the universe is also my joy.”

College Student: No More Video Games

Jack, a college student, learned some lessons the hard way. He realized the importance of studying the Falun Dafa teachings with his heart and eliminating long-standing attachments.

He used to play video games every day, including during his college years. He knew this was a bad habit, but when he was under pressure, he found relief in playing the games. He knew it was waste of time but could not control himself. Because he sometimes shouted when he played, his parents or teachers asked him to stop, but he did not care.

His mother recently experienced some severe physical tribulations, which reminded Jack of the seriousness of cultivation and the old forces’ interference. He remembered Master Li’s lectures and realized that he needed to study the Fa teachings with his heart. Knowing that these bad habits have interfered with him for a long time, he deleted all the games in his cell phone, along with live streaming and social media platforms.

“From that day on my mind was clearer. Master also helped remove many bad things from me, allowing me to focus on improving myself,” he added. When his cultivation improved, his mother also recovered quickly.

Teacher: Morality Is More Important Than Learning Skills

Katie Fitzgerald is a full time teacher and mother of four children. She experienced many challenges in doing her work well while balancing family life. She realized that the moral education of children is more important than developing their talents or skills.

Many parents, including herself, were lost while pursuing some advantages for their children in this society. They placed future success above character building. She said that this is a terrible mistake.

Ms. Fitzgerald noticed that many parents focused on providing a pleasant environment for their children. They focus on developing their talents and skills, while lowering their expectations for their behavior. “While encouraging children to develop themselves, we should also believe in fate,” she said.

In summary, Ms. Fitzgerald said that we should not overemphasize the importance of the children's success and a glorious future while ignoring their character. “Without good morality, our children cannot truly succeed no matter how many talents or skills they have,” she added.

Nine-Year-Old: No More Jealousy or Complacency

Wuxin is in the fourth grade and described how she let go of jealousy and arrogance.

Her school had a dance drama rehearsal, and the teacher selected another girl as the lead dancer. Wuxin was unhappy because she wanted that role, and she thought the other girl was not as good as her. When Wuxin offered to help the girl, however, her help was declined, which made her even more upset.

Through looking within, Wuxin realized that she was jealous because she was not chosen for the role. Because she considered herself the best dancer, she realized that she was being complacent. As a result, she assumed that she would be given the lead role or she would give pointers to whoever had that role. After this incident, she understood that these are human notions that should be eliminated.

These experiences also taught Wuxin to treat others with compassion. When encountering issues, unless one handles the issue with kindness, it will not solve the basic problem. “I realized that it’s more important to rectify myself with Dafa’s principles,” she said.