(Minghui.org) When I look back at my 20-year-long cultivation journey, I realize that it wasn’t easy to obtain the Fa. It seemed like I picked up a book about psychic media at the airport by chance. I thought it was fascinating and read all of the author’s other books and then read books by various authors, including Edgar Cayce, the “Sleeping Prophet.” I later realized that all this was preparing me to cultivate, to question the so-called science that I grew up with, and to eliminate the atheism and ideology of evolution that was instilled in me since childhood.
My grandmother was well educated and could write beautiful calligraphy; she taught me how to read before I went to school. We had a huge basket filled with books, from Chinese classic novels to translated books from various countries, France, English, Russia… I read so many books back then that I was very content with just a book in my hand. I might not have had life experience, but I certainly learned many life experiences indirectly.
We were discriminated against because my father was labeled a “right-wing activist,” and no neighborhood children would play with my brother and me. My grandmother wouldn’t allow me to go out anyway because I was anemic and severely malnourished; every time I fell, I fractured a bone.
I found the Epoch Times newspaper in its early days, and the stories of Falun Dafa impressed me. I searched online and ordered an exercise tape and began learning them on my own. After a few weeks, I had an urge to look for local practitioners and I found them! They were surprised that I already knew how to do the exercises.
Only after I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2004, and after studying Fa for a number of months, did I finally realize what this is. I was listening to Master’s Fa lecture; back then, it was a cassette tape. At the end of the lecture someone talked about his cultivation experience. He said he no longer regrets that he was not born 2,000 years ago. From that moment on, I began looking at my cultivation from a totally different perspective. Practicing Falun Dafa is not just for fitness and health. I understood more when I studied the Fa.
Over the years of cultivation, I also realized that Master was taking care of me long before I started practicing. It also explained why when the situation seemed hopeless, someone helped me. People attribute it to luck. I no longer think that way after I began practicing Falun Dafa.
Amazing Body Purification
When I first began meditating, I noticed my nose couldn’t stop dripping, and I placed a large towel in front of me. Those who suffer from allergies know how miserable it can be. For me, the symptoms included insomnia, trouble breathing, dizziness, and fatigue. It initially only happened in the month of September. A few years later, it also happened in April. No medication worked! I had to do acupuncture every day in order to sleep. My seasonal allergy, which tormented me for over 7 years, was gone when I began practicing!
When I went to Manhattan with a fellow practitioner for the torture exhibition, I threw up the entire two-hour journey. My legs were weak, but my body felt light when I got off the plane. That night, I also developed a high fever and severe headache. We stayed in an apartment with six practitioners from various areas. I completely recovered the next morning, got up, sent forth righteous thoughts, exercised with the others, and went to Manhattan. The motion sickness and headaches I used to suffer from were gone.
I also have a few major body cleanses right after I finish a major project: It usually starts with a high fever, body aches, and I cough up sputum, which resembles those who smoked for several decades. What a way to eliminate sickness karma!
Inspiring Stories on the Path of Cultivation
My individual cultivation and Fa-rectification cultivation proceed together. I began participating in Dafa-related projects shortly after I began cultivating. I believe that when I was determined to cultivate and discipline myself in the daily exercises and Fa study, as well as devote myself to various Dafa projects, I felt Master’s inspiration, guidance, protection, and enlightenment every step of the way. I would like to share some stories about this.
The Perfect Size!
Local practitioners wanted to make a Dafa book prop that we could use for parades. They built one and asked me to print the title in Chinese and English. I tried with my printer and then tried on a bigger one at work; even the largest size I printed was still not large enough. It was very difficult to size the letters up. I went to an office supply store, and tried again. When I finally pasted the characters on the prop, it was a perfect match! Master helped me for sure. There was no way I guessed the correct size since the prop was not in front of me!
“I Knew Who Pushed Us Home!”
When we promoted Shen Yun in the early days, another practitioner and I went to a nearby state to help practitioners distribute information. There was a warning for a severe snowstorm. We left home early that morning; the trip took three hours, and after we distributed all the material, it was around 4 p.m. The weather seemed fine, so we headed home. The traffic was slow, so I decided to get off the highway and put gas in the tank. We still had two and a half hours to drive.
As soon as I opened the door, I almost fell; the ground had turned into a sheet of ice. The temperature drastically dropped. After filling up the tank, the other practitioner took over driving. He was a truck driver and had a lot of experience. Only then did I realize why the traffic was so slow; everyone drove with extra caution. We still saw cars in the ditch every one to two miles; even the police cars drove very slowly and tried to rescue people. It took us four hours to get home that night.
We did not go out the rest of the weekend. On my way back home from work the following Monday, I saw my gas tank was still full! Tears ran down my face, and I called the other practitioner and told him, “I know who pushed us home!”
“Add Us to Your List!”
About promoting Shen Yun Master said,
“If Master asks you to work on higher-end society, just do it with righteous thoughts, and you will definitely succeed.” (“Be More Diligent,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume X)
When our city prepared for Shen Yun, besides going out and posting information around town, the other practitioners and I thought about how to reach out to higher end society. Our initial efforts were clumsy; I collected top law firms, put the info into an Excel file, printed out labels, and put them on fliers to deliver. We expanded the list to include universities and hospitals. Even though the workload was heavy, I felt it was worth it. I felt each label was a brick laying the path for their salvation.
When I helped another state for its very first show, I found the top 25 law firms over the weekend. When we delivered to various firms, I noticed some other firms were not on our list, so I covered them. The staff came to us and said, “Add us to your list next year!” We felt so encouraged. Thank you, Master!
“I Would Like to Help!”
When the Super Bowl came to our city many years ago, the concierges of various hotels planned to have a meeting downtown. I also received the invitation because I had just contacted the visitors bureau of the city to try to promote Shen Yun. What timing and what a coincidence!
Everyone in the meeting stood up to introduce themselves and offered suggestions. I stood up and introduced Shen Yun. I said that it was an honor to be one of the local volunteers to pave the way for their coming, how local residents deserve to see a show of such caliber...after the meeting was over, concierges from various hotels came to pick up the fliers to display at their hotels.
A gentleman came up to me and told me that he was responsible for running the advertisements in hotels. “I would like to help,” he said. I just needed to send him the promotion videos and he would incorporate them into his program. It would run every hour on the hour for 4-6 weeks in every hotel room in and around town free of charge! He has helped us over the last ten years!
Cherishing My Cultivation Opportunity and Seizing Every Moment
I recently feel that the requirements for cultivation have kept rising. It’s no longer enough to do the three things. It’s about how well one does them, how one cultivate one’s xinxing, how one understands the Fa on the basis of the Fa—all these determine how one truly does in cultivation. I should not feel complacent about how many things I’ve done or how well they have been accomplished. I am a particle of Dafa. When I assimilate myself to the Fa, and have the wish to save people, Master will reinforce, support, and enlighten me on the path. My faith and respect for Master and Dafa are the prerequisite of whatever I can accomplish. I only have the wish and Master arranges everything!
Even though cultivators have no role models, I know what I look up to and how I should measure myself with. I am impressed with the Shen Yun performers. Their discipline, dedication, and devotion are hard to match. When I am tired, discouraged, run into difficulties, and struggle, I think of those performers. They must train every day, so why can’t I do the same?
Lately, I have paid particular attention when I do the exercises in the morning. I listened to Master’s instructions and followed my movement to the tee. That way, I discovered that my mind has less chance to wander. Whenever I have time, I do the one-hour standing stance. It requires more determination, will, and still mind to accomplish it. But what a difference it made whenever I was able to do it. I also made sure not to lean against anything while I meditate—that way, I don’t get too relaxed or doze off. I remind myself to sit up straight.
Another practitioner and I agreed to remind each other whenever we made a mistake when we read the Fa. We should pay attention to every thought and not indulge in negativity; whenever it surfaces, we point it out immediately and not let it slide. I make it a habit now; at the end of the day, I give myself five minutes to evaluate my words, deeds, and thoughts. If anything is improper, I try to change it.
We are cultivating in the human world, so how to balance life, work, and cultivation is crucial. I must pay attention to the needs of my family, colleagues, and fellow practitioners. Taking care of my family is my duty, and I pay attention to making delicious meals, cleaning the house, and organizing tasks so I do not overlook anything. It does take some discipline to do it. But it becomes easy to accomplish when I incorporate it as part of my cultivation.
Cultivation is always cultivating oneself; the standard is for me to measure up and meet since looking within is the magic tool. Whenever I come across any difficulties, problems, or hurdles in life, work, or Dafa projects, I first look at myself. Can I do something to change the situation? Should I take some time to work on it? Over the years, and after many setbacks, I learned to separate how I feel from what I should do. The former one not only wasted my energy, but also affected the outcome of things. The latter one helps to be more focused and get whatever needs to be done, done.
I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Unlike cultivation practices throughout history, we have no temples, abbots, or novice monks. I do not wait for assignments, orders, or announcements. I evaluate things based on what I understand based on the Fa teachings and see what needs to be done and what I can contribute. I will continue to cultivate solidly on the remaining path of the Fa-rectification period.
Thank you, Master, for your compassionate salvation!
(Selected submission to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)
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