(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I began practicing Falun Dafa on May 1, 1997, and words cannot express my boundless gratitude to our compassionate and great Master. I’d like to tell about some of my cultivation experiences.
Before I began practicing, my health was so poor that only my liver functioned normally. Although I was in my 30s, I looked like I was in my 50s. I became healthy after I began practicing. I’m now in my 50s, but people think I’m in my 30s. My steadfast faith in Dafa and Master never wavered.
I was persecuted many times by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for my faith. In October 2013, after eight years of being denied a passport, I finally received one after much back and forth with the authorities. I came to Canada in July 2014.
However, due to the language barrier, I felt like I was deaf, blind, and mute, and I had to rely on my daughter. Young people often lack patience, and my authoritative demeanor, which came from CCP culture, led to constant friction and conflicts.
We had financial problems. My daughter began studying for her graduate degree in 2006, and we exhausted our family’s savings by 2014. However, I have a pension from China that far exceeds the refugee assistance provided here, so I can support myself without any issues. My daughter, on the other hand, needed to find a job and become self-sufficient. I told her that for most people to obtain residency here, it costs hundreds of thousands of Canadian dollars. I obtained my residency by spending barely $5,000 Canadian dollars, so I should be grateful to Canada for taking me in and I shouldn’t increase Canada’s burden by accepting benefits. After some discussions, we finally agreed that I would not apply for government benefits.
Other conflicts and arguments continued for the next 18 months until we slowly came to an agreement. At that time, I didn’t know how to truly cultivate or look inward. As I improved in cultivation, I strove to become patient and to eliminate my combativeness and other attachments. I finally developed kindness. My daughter found a job, and our life gradually fell into place. She often mentioned that my not applying for benefits was correct.
A Team Effort
I’ve been in Canada for 10 years now, and I have spent most of my time at the truth-clarification site at Pacific Mall. The other practitioners and I have continuously explored, improved, and updated our methods over the years. As a result, we transitioned from holding poles by hand to fixing them with ropes. This improvement is the result of the collective effort and hard work of all practitioners involved, not just one person.
For example, most of our banners were made by one practitioner who bought the fabric and taught the others how to print the messages on them. She also ensured the supply of banners to our site and repaired and cleaned them. Some practitioners paid for new display boards, and all our materials were stored at a practitioner’s home. When the banners got wet, they dripped all over her floor. When our sticks broke, practitioners bought new ones. One practitioner bought a small loudspeaker for our exercises. Others took the banners home to clean twice a year.
When vandals sprayed black paint on our banners, we quickly took photos and videos for evidence, then one practitioner took the banners home, washed them with gasoline several times until midnight, and the next day, the banners were clean and spotless again. Some practitioners bought nylon ropes, while others bought screwdrivers to fix the banners to the ground. Some provided truth-clarification materials. Over the years, different practitioners have taken turns transporting our display boards and banners. One very capable practitioner has repeatedly explored new materials and bought them to update our banners so we could achieve the current, best results.
Practitioners treat the truth-clarification site as their home, meticulously maintaining and enhancing it so more people can learn about Falun Dafa.
Every day at the truth clarification site in Pacific Mall, we displayed 20 banners, with 10 banners on each side of the road, stretching 50 meters and facing each other. This way, no matter where cars stop at the intersection, they can clearly see the messages. Although the foot traffic is not high, over 70 vehicles pass by every minute. Supporters honk their horns to encourage us, and the insults from detractors do not shake our resolve.
One day, only five practitioners came, including two in their 80s and three in their 70s, but we still managed to display all the banners and boards. According to feedback, many people said they learned about Falun Dafa from seeing us at Pacific Mall, which shows our site is significant. The CCP was afraid and deeply resentful, and incited and bribed brainwashed people to interfere. They twice used knives to cut our banners, once cut the ropes, and once sprayed black paint on the banners. While we repaired and cleaned the banners, we also looked for gaps in our cultivation.
Cultivation Opportunities
As a member of a truth-clarification site and part of a group of fellow practitioners, the tests to improve our xinxing (moral character) were everywhere and happened at any time. A practitioner told me another practitioner said something unpleasant about me, and when I heard it, my heart was stirred. These words lingered in my mind for several days and wouldn’t go away. My mind was in turmoil, filled with human thoughts. I didn’t like this person and thought she was cold and mean. My heart was full of resentment.
I realized that as a cultivator, I should look inward. Why did such a small matter provoke such a strong reaction? There must be something in my heart that I needed to eliminate. I found that I often gossiped about others behind their backs and failed to treat other practitioners kindly.
For example, I’m a perfectionist. When I roll up the banners, they must be neat and tidy. If something doesn’t meet my standards, I get annoyed. I even told another practitioner, “You wouldn’t be so careless at home, would you?” She was angry and defended herself. Only then did I realize I was too full of myself. Just because I did a bit more work, I started speaking louder and with less compassion to the other practitioners, and looked down on them. My human attachments grew. Our sacred predestined relationship brought us together as Master’s disciples. What right do I have to criticize my fellow practitioners? How shameful. I take this opportunity to apologize to those I hurt.
Another time, I received new banners from fellow practitioners and replaced the old ones. A practitioner suggested we continue using the old ones, instead of letting them sit idle. As long as there are more banners, they should be displayed, making the scene more eye-catching. I thought, accusing me of “hindering truth-clarification” is too much. Besides, if we only consider what we want to do, would the government allow it? I tend to be cautious and conservative in my approach, and I then had negative thoughts about the fellow practitioner.
The next day, she apologized to me. Actually, from the perspective of truth-clarification, she wasn’t wrong. This experience made me realize that, in the future, I should not be stubborn and reject good suggestions from fellow practitioners, clinging to my own ideas. In the end, after considering everyone’s suggestions, I added two more banners with different content. Everyone agreed with this approach.
Some people try to use Falun Gong for their application for permanent residence in Canada. They pretend to be one of us and have their photos taken us with us doing the exercises. The other practitioners ask them to leave. I just leave them alone.
A practitioner accused me of having an attachment to reputation and being a people-pleaser. I defended myself, saying, “You’ve already told them to leave, isn’t that enough? Why do I have to say something, too?”
In truth, I do have a strong attachment to saving face, but I found excuses and reasons to cover it up. I know I have vanity and fear of offending others, but it’s difficult to eliminate. Master was using the practitioner’s words to point it out to me. As Fa-rectification nears its end, reminders among fellow practitioners are very important. I must eliminate my attachment to self, my dislike of being criticized, the attachment to being pleased, the competitive mentality, and jealousy.
This New Year, the other practitioners suggested that we not take a break but continue doing what we should do. Through several years of truth-clarification, many people have come to understand the nature of the CCP and have chosen to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
There have been countless touching stories, but the one that moved me most was a lady I met on New Year’s Day. She approached me, her eyes wide with excitement, and expressed her strong support for Dafa. She asked several questions, and I answered them to the best of my ability. She happily agreed to quit the CCP.
After saying goodbye, she walked some distance but then hurried back, asking, “Can I hug you?” She then hugged me tightly for a long time and thanked me for saving her. I told her, “You should thank Master Li for saving you.” She said, “I understand. Thank you, Master. You guys are truly amazing and admirable.” She then bowed deeply three times before leaving. I was very touched. I felt we needed to do more.
At the Pacific Mall truth-clarification site, after years of honing, everyone is truly cultivating, looking inward, and cultivating their hearts. We formed a coordinated whole, constantly eliminating our differences. The cultivation environment greatly improved. Every one of us now is happy, has a radiant smile on their face, and speaks calmly. My greatest gain is that my heart’s capacity has gradually expanded. I can now tolerate others and treat fellow practitioners kindly. By focusing more on others’ strengths, I can calmly deal with everything around me.
Since I started cultivating, Master has compassionately supported and cared for me. The first time I went out to post truth clarification stickers in China, I walked alone along the lakeside on a cobblestone path. I felt like I was floating, and I floated all the way to meet fellow practitioners. Another time, I climbed on one chair on top of another to the top of a tall cabinet at home to hide Master’s new scriptures, and I slipped. It felt as if someone gently lowered me to the ground, and I landed safely.
I helped a neighbor upstairs get a job in my company’s cafeteria. However, she later criticized me behind my back. From a human perspective, she was an ungrateful person. I was furious and harbored resentment for a long time. Master saw that I didn’t elevate on this issue and I fell one day. I hit my head hard, and it swelled up immediately. Only then did I wake up and I immediately apologized to Master.
These seemingly trivial incidents all reflect Master’s boundless compassion for his disciples. Here, I respectfully thank Master. Master, please rest assured that I will continue to diligently advance on the path home, and not slack off.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2024 Canada Fa conference)
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