(Minghui.org) Time flies, and I have matured after 16 years of cultivation in Falun Dafa. With Master’s blessings, I continue to move forward in the right direction on the cultivation path arranged by Master.
First Encounter – A Young Practitioner Starts to Cultivate
According to my grandparents, I was taught to sit in the full lotus position in meditation and repeat “Falun Dafa is good” at home when I was a child. However, my early exposure to Dafa was negated by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) slander about Dafa. I started believing the CCP’s lies and indoctrination and became extremely prejudiced against Dafa. I refused to listen to my family members who were practicing Dafa and even began avoiding them. Yet, despite my prejudice, I started practicing Dafa by chance in the summer of 2007 after finishing elementary school.
One afternoon, several practitioners were studying the Fa in my home, when my grandparent asked me to read a passage from Zhuan Falun. Under normal circumstances, I would have left, slamming the door in anger. But at that time, an unexplained force broke through the barriers surrounding my heart. I quietly sat down and began reading the Fa. One paragraph became two, two became three, and before I knew it, I had stayed for the entire Fa study session. My prejudice against Dafa disappeared that day. I realized the teachings in the book did not match the misinformation about Dafa the Party was spreading, and I yearned to be a good person according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. More than 10 years have passed since, and thinking back to that afternoon, I realize Master was the one who encouraged me to sit down and read the Fa, kick-starting my cultivation journey anew.
That summer, with help and encouragement from fellow practitioners, I finished studying Zhuan Falun, watched the videos of Master’s lectures, and learned the five exercises. When the new school semester started in fall, I aligned my behavior with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Modern society promotes many negative trends, which can adversely impact the character of innocent students. But with the help of Dafa, I was able to distinguish between good and bad and resisted the temptation to fall into depravity. When I encountered problems, I looked inward, was considerate of my classmates, and relinquished chances to obtain personal gain. These principles slowly became part of my character under the influence of Dafa.
Soon after I started practicing again, I was returning home after a group Fa study session when I fell into a large pile of sand that had been left at a nearby construction site. My hands and arms bled profusely, and a large piece of flesh was gouged out of my palm. But I remained unafraid. My family also assured me that, as a Dafa practitioner, I would be fine. As Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“We have said that good or bad comes from a person’s initial thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I visited the hospital and asked that my injuries be cleaned and bandaged and then went home.
I had the good fortune to see Master in a dream. One night, I dreamed I was trapped, entangled by snakes on the ground. I was panicking over my predicament when Master appeared, wearing a traditional Buddhist robe and standing on top of a lotus flower with a golden halo behind him. Master stretched out his hand and those snakes immediately disappeared. Master also reminded me to let go of my human attachments. I realized that, as a new cultivator, there were many attachments I had yet to relinquish. When faced with all kinds of temptations in ordinary human society, I would have to pay attention to my words and deeds and abide by the standards of the Fa.
“It takes cultivating the mind,severing desires,casting off attachments.”(“Who Dares Renounce Human Attachments?” Hong Yin)
I lived on campus in high school. As my course load increased, I failed to participate in Fa study groups as often as before, and even finding time to study the Fa on my own became a problem. In high school, students adopted more complex social interactions and followed the latest trends. Against this backdrop, I gradually stopped studying the Fa and spent my first year in a haze. When I transferred to a new school in my second year, I found myself in a more relaxed and positive learning environment and social atmosphere. I knew Master had created this cultivation environment for me and that I should cherish the opportunity. Whenever I went home on weekends, I would take time to memorize one or two Dafa poems. I also brought a small copy of Hong Yin with me to school and would use a flashlight to memorize the Fa every night before going to bed. Although I could not attend my regular Fa study group, Dafa’s teachings were constantly in my heart and Master was always by my side. My grades also began to improve by leaps and bounds.
That year, as a by-product of my good cultivation status, I surpassed 100 fellow students in my grade on every exam. I remember it was especially windy outside our classroom during a hot summer. Those of us who sat next to the windows suffered wind-induced headaches, but those who sat away from the windows felt that closing them would make the classroom hotter. In consideration of others, I chose to sit by the window and leave the better seats to my classmates.
I wore a hat to protect my head against the wind, but even so, the wind remained physically and physiologically unbearable. I could hardly pay attention in class at all. But I knew that, as a cultivator, I had to look inward no matter what troubles I faced and practice tolerance. This went on until it was time for out mid-term exams. I expected my grades to fall, as I could hardly concentrate, but my results were unexpectedly excellent and my ranking significantly improved. At that moment, I realized that if a cultivator does his best and refuses to give in to interference, he will not lose out. Soon after, my classmates reached a silent consensus to close the windows, and I stopped suffering from wind-induced headaches. Although this test was longer than expected, I overcame it in the end.
Challenges in Obtaining Further Education
I left my hometown to attend college in another city. Due to restrictions in my living conditions, I could not practice the exercises and thus carried an e-book with me to study the Fa. I continued to encounter tribulations throughout my college years and learned that a cultivator should not long for a life of comfort. My scholastic abilities were never strong, but with Dafa’s blessings, I managed to earn a national scholarship and was even given the opportunity to pursue a Masters and then a Doctorate degree. However, the road to these accomplishments was not smooth.
In their last academic year, undergraduate students must complete an internship and prepare for the graduate school admission exam. The intensity of work varies at different internship sites. The lighter the internship workload, the more time students will have to study for the graduate school admission exams.
Two work units, A and B, were ideal as they were situated closest to campus and were easy to travel to. But as space in these two units was limited, many students resorted to using connections to get in. Some students even tried bribing the dean’s driver to obtain a good internship site. Peer pressure and the demanding graduate entrance exam workload made me anxious for a while. However, continuous Fa study gradually calmed me down. Since everything was arranged by Master, I would not lose what was naturally mine and should not try to take benefits from others. I calmly submitted my internship application.
When the results were announced, I was assigned to unit A for my internship. Many of those who had relied on bribes and connections had applied for unit B. Some within this group found themselves assigned to internship sites further away. Fewer students in my cohort had applied for unit A, fearing over subscription would mean an assignment to a less ideal location. I completed my internship and was admitted to graduate school. This incident taught me that following the requirements of the Fa is the only way to ensure I do not stray from my cultivation path. If I had lowered myself to the level of an ordinary person and relied on bribes, I might have been transferred to a worse work unit, like some of my classmates, and failed to secure a place to further my studies.
I decided to continue with my doctorate studies after obtaining my Masters degree. However, the hurdle this time round was higher. I had less time to study the Fa, and these combined pressures led to a wave of confusion and anxiety. During that period, I really felt that,
“Each and every barrier must be broken through,And everywhere does evil lurk.”(“Tempering the Will,” Hong Yin).
In the process of contacting advisors and applying to different schools, I encountered professors I later learned had serious ethical issues. I assumed that, based on my grades and having gained the approval of the advisor whom I applied to work under, gettting admitted would be a breeze. However, during my interview, the examiner did not ask any professional questions and ended the interview hastily. I was taken aback when I failed to be admitted but later realized this was not the path Master had arranged for me.
As I attempted to find another mentor, many advisors informed me that their own students were keen to continue their studies but that there were no vacancies left. My continued failures left me feeling confused and anxious. I could not accept discontinuing my studies. During that time, I often talked things over with my family members who practice Dafa. With their encouragement, I gradually let go of my attachment to pursuing further studies. My cultivation is arranged by Master, and I just need to do well and walk the right path. No matter where I end up, I will encounter those I share a predestined relationship with and save those I am meant to save. I have waited millions of years, not to fulfill my need for fame or fortune, but to fulfill my predestined vows.
After eliminating this attachment, my mind felt lighter, and I stopped worrying about this issue. I filled in the necessary application forms and prepared to take the exam, determined to adhere to the requirements of the Fa and accept whatever the outcome.
Opportunity comes when you least expect it, and I was admitted to work under my favorite tutor at a university! When my notice of admission for my doctoral studies arrived, I felt no excitement, nor did I rejoice at my luck. Instead, I experienced a sense of peace, knowing that this was the result of following the Fa’s requirements, and that I had elevated to a higher level. Looking back, perhaps this is tribulation was arranged by Master as a test so that I could improve myself.
Dafa's Extraordinary Powers
In 2023, I realized that many people with COVID-19 were working on my floor. One morning as I passed by an office, I heard the person inside coughing. After that, although my throat felt slightly sore, my first thought was to deny any illnesses with strong righteous thoughts. The COVID-19 virus was here to eliminate members of the Party and would not affect Dafa practitioners. Later, as I was eating a candy, I started to choke, which made me cough and even vomit. I realized Master was adjusting my body, and this adjustment in another dimension was the cause of these symptoms. I took advantage of my lunch break to do the first exercise and sent forth righteous thoughts whenever I had time. I felt much better that afternoon and was fully recovered the day after.
I was riding my bicycle past the entrance of a parking lot last summer when a car flew out of the lot and hit me straight on, knocking me and my bicycle to the ground. As Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“Normally, we are not frightened at all upon encountering these things.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
In the immediate aftermath, I remained unafraid. I worried that my bike had scratched the car, and I would have to pay to get it repainted. The driver of the car got out of the car and limped toward me, asking in panic if I was injured. He explained that he suffered from gout in his feet and had failed to brake. I did not chastise him, brushed the dirt off me, and reassured him that I was okay. I asked him about his car, but the embarrassed driver assured me that, as long as I was alright, the condition of his car was not important. I did not want to cause trouble for the driver and urged him to leave. I only later realized I should have taken the opportunity to clarify the truth to him.
I am fully aware of my many shortcomings and attachments, such as jealousy, playfulness, lust, and frustration. Moreover, I am still lacking when it comes to clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. I hope to exchange experiences with fellow practitioners, especially young practitioners who are still in school, so we can learn and make progress together. I also want to seize this opportunity to encourage myself and other practitioners to do better.
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