(Minghui.org) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
In recent years, each time our local coordinator asked me to write a cultivation sharing article, I would say that I would give it a go, but I was never able to do it in the end, which makes me feel quite ashamed. I have been cultivating in Falun Dafa for almost 26 years, and I know very well that writing an article to share my cultivation experience with others is also a valuable process of self reflection, and an opportunity to validate the Fa.
I’ve thought about why I always failed to write a sharing article in the past. The biggest obstacle was that I felt my understanding might not be considered deep enough by others, and I was concerned that I might reveal some of my problems which others don’t normally see. Most of all, I was worried that my sharing might not meet the selection standards. I knew that behind all these concerns was an attachment to fame, and I cared a lot about how others thought of me.
Some recent incidents helped me realize that the most important thing is to truly cultivate myself and let go of my attachments. As for how others think of me, it’s a superficial thing that I should not take to heart. I would like to share some recent incidents below and what I learned from them.
Letting Go of My Greed
I have recently become more aware of the attachment of greed in myself, not only in terms of material gains, but also on a spiritual level. In short, I have always wanted to maximize the gains of my efforts. For example, when shopping for things, I always wanted to get the best deal I could. When I failed to use discounts, I would feel that I had suffered a loss. When I snagged a good deal, I felt happy.
But my greed wasn’t limited to shopping. Each time I went somewhere, I worked out when to set off so that I would need to wait the shortest time before the train arrived. However, such meticulous calculations often resulted in my missing the train.
I always tried to justify my conduct, thinking it was a habit I formed during my hard times as a student, and that I was only being tight with myself, but when it came to Dafa projects, I was quite generous, and I didn’t infringe on anyone else’s interests anyway. However, I was never concerned about how much time I wasted on calculating such personal gains.
I recently found that this attachment has been prominent in my actions. Whenever there is an opportunity, I would start calculating and comparing options. For example, when I heard that the old Kindle e-book readers could be recycled and you could get a 20% discount when buying a new one, I quickly applied for the recycle program and mailed in my old device. However, I was told that the recipient address was not clear. It has been two weeks now, and I still don’t know where my old device went. I thought: I will lose 20% worth of my new Kindle, which amounts to dozens of euros! So, I often tracked the delivery status.
When I recognized my greed and wanted to get rid of it, I happened to be studying Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun, in which Master said:
“In the course of our losses, what we actually lose are the bad things.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I suddenly understood that with Master’s care and protection, all we lose in everyday people’s society are bad things, and yet I was trying so hard not to lose anything. Wouldn’t this mean that I wanted to keep those bad things with me? Is this what I really want? Of course not.
I have now begun to mindfully suppress my greed and accept what I used to think of as a “loss.” The truth is that with Master’s arrangements and protection, there is no need for me to protect my own interests at all.
My Understanding of “Cultivate with the heart you once had”
Master told us a saying in “Fa Teaching at the 2013 Greater New York Fa Conference”:
“Cultivate with the heart you once had, and consummation is certain.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2013 Greater New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XII)
When I first read this line, I felt a bit confused, because not long after I decided to practice Dafa and learned the exercises, I came abroad, and I was the only practitioner in my city. Thanks to my cousin, I was able to connect with some other practitioners in other places. But for a long time, I had a very shallow understanding about what cultivation really meant, and why we needed to study the Fa and practice the exercises every day. Especially when I tried to overcome the language barrier and get into the university as quickly as possible to reduce the financial burden on my parents, I placed cultivation in a secondary position. I thought what Master said about “Cultivate with the heart you once had” should not be referring to the time when I was in an “on and off” cultivation state. I later realized that it referred to the time when I truly began to understand what cultivation meant.
I remember when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa in July 1999, and the media was filled with slanderous propaganda. I asked myself, “What have I learned from Dafa? I learned the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Aren’t they good? Of course they are! Then, should I give up Falun Dafa? Of course not!” It might have taken me just a minute or two to make up my mind, but what Master has given me since then is immeasurable, but I will not go into detail here.
Each time I later participated in activities to raise awareness about the persecution in Switzerland, the interactions with fellow practitioners and the sharing of their cultivation experiences helped me a lot in deepening my understanding of Dafa. But it was not until we studied the Fa together continuously for a few days that I finally understood that the ultimate goal of cultivating in Dafa is to return to one’s true home with Master. Each time I thought about this, I was moved to tears, as I finally understood just how fortunate we are to be able to practice cultivation in Dafa, and I should always cherish the opportunity and be diligent in cultivation.
I now understand that for me, “Cultivate with the heart you once had” refers to my faith in Dafa, the firm determination to cultivate myself well to meet Master’s requirements and follow Master to return to my true home, and the immense gratitude I have toward Master.
The Power of Cooperating as One Body
For a long time, I always did things on my own and felt it gave me a greater sense of achievement. But from working in various projects in the past few years, including my participation in the Shen Yun production, I began to realize the power of teamwork.
When I watched Shen Yun’s dance piece “Yellow Blossoms” in the 2024 show, I was deeply touched by its incredible beauty. The beauty of the dance came from the great teamwork of the dancers, without which it would be impossible to present such a wonderful performance. My experiences later helped me to further understand the power of working together as one body.
Two days before Shen Yun arrived in Basel, we found that the theater had only one laundry machine available, and the other one we used last year was probably broken and not replaced. As I had other urgent tasks to do at the time, I didn’t think much about how the situation would impact the production schedule.
On my way home, I got a phone call from the coordinator, telling me to find a replacement laundry machine, and it needed to be ready for use in two days. My first thought was to say “No, I can’t do this,” because I already had some other urgent tasks to finish. Moreover, I had installed a washing machine before, and it was a rather painful experience with a lot of twists and turns.
But after the coordinator explained to me about the tasks everyone else was doing, I felt I really shouldn’t push the task off on others, and I agreed to take it on.
After I got home, I sent a message to a group of fellow practitioners, telling them that we needed to get another washing machine for Shen Yun, and almost immediately I received various suggestions. A few practitioners also started to search for used washing machines online. The coordinator also provided some tips based on her past experiences. Soon afterward, we narrowed down the choices, and we believed that with Master’s help, the problem would be solved.
I felt a lot more relieved and went on to finish my other tasks. The next day, based on all the feedback we received, we decided to buy a second-hand washing machine. Everything went smoothly, and it turned out that a fellow practitioner actually knew the seller, so we needn’t to worry about the quality. The machine was put into use in time. At the same time, I completed my other tasks and received very good feedback. All these things made me feel very grateful for Master’s fine arrangements and encouragement.
Looking back, I didn’t actually do much, except for searching for some information and sharing with fellow practitioners. If it hadn’t been for Master’s arrangements and the good cooperation between fellow practitioners, I can’t even imagine what a disastrous situation it could have been.
The fact that I, who had little experience in doing laundry for the performers, was able to get the job done was itself a testament to fine teamwork. Everyone was doing their best, and cooperated very well. Actually, I was the one who sometimes insisted on my own ideas and acted impatiently. I was truly grateful to fellow practitioners for their understanding and tolerance.
Having Trust in Fellow Practitioners
Two recent experiences in a project made me feel that others do not have enough trust in me. Looking within, I could see that I didn’t do very well, and I don’t have much to explain for myself. Still, in my heart, I was thinking, “Why don’t you trust me a bit more and give me more support with righteous thoughts?”
When a similar incident happened again, I started to seriously reflect on myself... While trying to do better myself and regaining trust of fellow practitioners, should I also have enough trust in fellow practitioners? When others run into difficulties, or what they do doesn’t meet my expectations, shouldn’t I still have full trust in them, support them with righteous thoughts, and quietly make up for the gaps?
I came to the understanding that as long as we do things according to Master’s arrangements and firmly believe that they are the best options instead of sticking to our own strong attachments, the result will definitely be good.
I realized that I didn’t do well in this respect. Maybe I wasn’t good at expressing myself, but I didn’t truly try to put myself into others’ shoes, or supported them with righteous thoughts. In fact, when I was under pressure, I would lose control of myself and become very emotional. All this showed the demon nature in me. Although I felt sorry for my behaviors afterward, I just couldn’t control myself at the time.
I would like to sincerely apologize to fellow practitioners whom I have hurt in the past. I will try my best to do better in the future so that I won’t let them down again. I will also keep reminding myself to always support fellow practitioners who are in need of help with righteous thoughts, so that we can do better next time as a team.
Looking back on my 26-year Dafa cultivation journey, I have benefited so much. Words aren’t sufficient to express my gratitude to Master for his compassionate salvation. The above is just some of the problems I found in myself lately and some personal understandings.
Please kindly point out if there is anything not in line with the Fa. I sincerely hope that I can truly cultivate with the heart I once had, and let go of my various attachments, such as attachments to comfort and fear. I’m determined to do the three things well and be more diligent in cultivation along with fellow practitioners.
Thank you, revered Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2024 Switzerland Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
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