(Minghui.org)
My Cultivation Experience at a Truth-Clarifying Site in the UK
Before my school semester ended last year, I shared with fellow practitioners my plan to travel to London to tell people about Falun Dafa and the persecution in front of the British Museum. I faced many challenges, including my studies, future career prospects, and difficulties from a broken family. I had many negative thoughts and attachments which prevented me from stepping out to clarify the truth to people. I would like to share some of my cultivation experiences over the past year at the truth-clarification site.
Breaking Through Anxiety Over My Future
I shared with fellow practitioners my concerns about my future career and where I might eventually settle. I realized that everything was pre-determined as to where my future work would be and where sentient beings would relate to me. It was no coincidence that I encountered this opportunity to clarify the truth to people in front of the British Museum. This was an opportunity for me to break through these issues and constraints, improve myself in the Fa, and better assist Master to save more sentient beings.
I understood that my future was predetermined. During the process, facing reality, I would have different reactions. The conflicts I encountered were tests for me to see if I could continue doing the three things well. While everyday people only have one path, Falun Dafa practitioners have two choices—a path arranged by Master, and the other arranged by the old forces. I realized I shouldn’t be attached to personal gain or loss, as the old forces could use my attachments to arrange challenges to move my heart and interfere with my cultivation. By facing reality, continually letting go of my attachments, refusing to follow the illusion the old forces had arranged, and steadfastly doing the three things, I would break through the old forces’ arrangements and walk the path Master arranged for me.
I realized that when facing hardships I only had to choose which path to follow—I could not arrange the path myself. Even if I tried my best to achieve a result considered good by everyday people, it was pre-determined whether I could obtain the desired result. During the process, if I failed to maintain my priorities, I risked spending time that should have been used to do the three things. Without overcoming hardships and elevating my xinxing, I would be faced with real loss and regret. Now, with sentient beings in great danger, I needed to let go of attachments quickly, improve myself, and do the three things with righteousness and dignity.
With these realizations I released my attachment to my future, fame, and emotion. I was determined to tell people about Falun Dafa in front of the British Museum, and I became clear about my purpose there.
Studying the Fa Well, Cultivating Myself Solidly, Eliminating Interference, and Saving Sentient Beings
During my time at the truth-clarification site, I realized that if I wanted to clarify the truth well, I needed to study the Fa well and cultivate myself solidly in daily life. Neither could be neglected.
When I clarified the truth to people, especially to Chinese people, there was a lot of interference. Without solid cultivation, many problems would arise. Cars continuously honked their horns, making it hard for people to hear me, strong winds broke the display boards and made it hard for people to open their eyes or concentrate on listening to me. Several people jumped out of the crowd to interrupt me, shout at or curse me, and some even damaged our display boards.
When I had an attachment that I couldn’t let go of, failed a test, or didn’t study the Fa enough, I was not able to persuade people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations, even if there was no external interference. I then couldn’t use my righteous thoughts to clear the evil elements that was preventing them from quitting the CCP.
I later realized that it was not accidental that there was interference. The evil in other dimensions saw very clearly that the interference could move my heart and where I had omissions in my xinxing. The evil would unscrupulously utilize that person’s bad notions to control him to do damage. If I didn’t have any omission in my xinxing in that aspect, I would not be moved. That aspect was not human notions but righteous thoughts. The evil couldn’t take any advantage of a field that was full of righteous thoughts.
I therefore maintained my cultivation state, and tried my best to study the Fa a lot with a focused mind. The Fa reinforced my righteous thoughts. When I came across xinxing tests or other interference, even though my first thought may have been a human notion, I was able to quickly look at the conflict with righteous thoughts. I first looked within. When I found my attachment—because my abundant Fa study had already reinforced my true self to a stronger degree—human heart and human notions couldn’t shake me. Facing the tests and tribulations, as long as I had strong will, I was able to overcome them, and negate and eliminate those bad notions and thoughts, such as my tendency to argue, worry excessively, have fear, etc. At that time I often felt that layers of my bodies became huge and could break through any restrictions and any human feelings and notions that prevented me from saving sentient beings. I was often brought to tears without any reason. Somehow, I felt that Master was strengthening me and pushing me forward.
Once my human side was no longer easily swayed, I found it much easier to use my righteous thoughts to eliminate those bad elements. When I rectified myself, it was very easy to handle my human side. My improved cultivation state ensured that no matter how much interference I came across, there wouldn’t be any problem. When my xinxing was elevated, my heart wasn’t moved. Then the disruptive and damaging elements couldn’t play a role.
Master said:
“I said that just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2005 Canada Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume V)
Actually at that time, no interference or disruption would occur.
Afterward, thanks to Master’s strengthening, I was able to mobilize my righteous thoughts to eliminate evil. I found that my righteous thoughts became purer and the energy I emitted became increasingly microcosmic. When faced with sentient beings, I developed compassion and clarified the truth to people naturally. I hoped that more people could learn the truth, quit the CCP, and fulfill the vows and wishes they made in prehistory. With compassion, I maintained my xinxing, was not moved by external factors, and considered other people first, despite interference and sabotage most of the time. The surrounding environment changed as my mindset changed. It became calm and peaceful, and no interference or disruption could arise.
Once, while I was discussing Falun Dafa and the persecution with someone, another Chinese person came by and glared at me with hatred. She appeared to say something and tried to interfere. Such things happened multiple times. During that time, I relied on solid cultivation, and refused to be moved by the incident. Finally, I no longer considered that she could interfere with saving sentient beings. I really thought of them, regardless of who they were and why they approached me. My compassion kept my heart unmoved, and nothing could cause trouble for me.
I had the thought of saving sentient beings and their true selves. Their true selves were not on the surface but at a microcosmic level. I then found that I could send forth strong righteous thoughts to clear the evil elements behind them. My compassionate field had covered them. On this side, that Chinese person wanted to say something but couldn’t say it. She tried several times to talk but couldn’t speak out. I noticed that she opened her mouth then closed it several times. Then she left and didn’t cause interference when I talked to the other Chinese person.
As I cultivated myself more, I realized that when I let go of one attachment, I felt my body become lighter and the power of my words become stronger. I could stop the person from leaving even if she wanted to go. My righteous thoughts could enter their microcosmic levels. My righteous thoughts became purer and stronger. Thanks to Master’s strengthening, my thoughts became purer. The sentient beings stayed and didn’t want to leave due to my compassion. I normally talked to people for five minutes. People liked to stand amidst the crowds and stay there listening to me until I finished. I thought of Master’s poem,
“Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in spring Righteous thoughts can save the people In this world” (“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos,” Hong Yin II)
I found that my wisdom flowed effortlessly. I could say things that I normally couldn’t articulate, and talked to people based on their reactions. They were drawn to me, and in the end they willingly quit the CCP.
My Thoughts on Display Boards Being Damaged
The worst damage in front of the British Museum was damage to our display boards. I realized that this was caused by our poor cultivation state. For example, we didn’t study the Fa as required, or our xinxing stayed at a certain level for too long. I had many lessons in this regard. If my cultivation state was not good on a certain day, there would certainly be interference or disruption when I clarified the truth to people, especially during the height of the tourist season. I looked within to find my cultivation issues. Even if I didn’t have obvious attachments at the time, when I encountered interference, my first thought was that I needed to cultivate better and let go of attachments such as competitiveness, resentment, fear, and reliance on the local police.
I later asked myself what I would do if I was in China when I came across the same issues as in the UK. When issues arose, problems occurred when our thoughts were not righteous. Though the environment in the UK was relaxed, the cultivation standard inside and outside China was the same. The Fa-rectification time is limited. Our xinxing shouldn’t stay at a certain level for a long period of time. So, whenever I came across conflicts, especially at the truth-clarification sites, I held myself to strict standards and raised my level. Even in adverse conditions when interference and sabotage were intense, I aimed to maintain my xinxing, address my shortcomings, and show more compassion to others. I am not perfect, but I am willing to cultivate diligently in the limited time remaining to achieve the standard Master requires of us.
Elevating Myself in the Fa and Walking the Path Master Has Arranged
At the truth-clarification sites, I noticed a range of reactions from ordinary people. Through Fa study, I understood that the responses of sentient beings from the old cosmos to the Fa- rectification would be displayed through everyday people in this world. This was portrayed to the fullest extent at the sites.
At the truth-clarification sites, passersby might randomly say something that increased the difficulty in saving the people next to him. Nearby stall owners often interfered with or disrupted our site, and many people played negative roles. The aspects of ourselves that we hadn’t cultivated well, along with those sentient beings who hadn’t been saved, remained within the old forces’ platforms.
Our cultivation path is narrow. If we fail to keep our cultivation state and our thoughts righteous, we will likely touch the mechanism of the old cosmos and come across interference and damage, and end up walking on the path arranged by the old forces. That path is the path of the old cosmos—leading to destruction of sentient beings, pushing them commit crimes against Dafa either intentionally or unintentionally, or interfere with saving sentient beings. I realize from the Fa that sentient beings who haven’t been saved yet are incapable of doing anything on the old forces’ platform. Like the gears of a clock, they run automatically, simply following the course set out for them. On the surface it appears that the person has their own thoughts and acts against us, but this is not accidental; their actions are aimed at causing interference in our efforts to save sentient beings. The old forces make arrangements layer upon layer in the old cosmos, and the sentient beings here are connected to higher elements.
During the process at the truth-clarification sites, I realized that countless mechanisms within the cosmos were running. As we tried to save sentient beings, we encountered mechanisms of the old cosmos whose arrangements prevented sentient beings from being saved. Human approaches could not solve problems above the human level; only divine methods were capable of breaking through arrangements and evil factors of the old cosmos that operate on a higher level.
Historically the old forces made detailed, systematic arrangements towards the Fa rectification. The thoughts, sentences, bad notions, and damaging behaviors of the sentient beings who came to the truth-clarification sites were not accidental; the old forces intentionally arranged them. Facing such situations, the more we let go of attachments under Dafa’s guidance during the tests and hardships, the greater our righteous thoughts and compassion became after we elevated our xinxing. At such a moment, facing sentient beings, our righteous thoughts can eliminate evil beings that the old forces arranged, and destroy the thought systems that the old forces planted into the sentient beings’ minds. If our intentions are truly for the benefit of sentient beings, their true selves will sense it. When we clarify the truth to them with compassion—after clearing away the evil behind them with righteous thoughts—we awaken their kind thoughts. This inspires them to make right choice, break free from the influence of old forces, and move toward the new cosmos.
Every arrangement made throughout history and in the universe has laid the foundation for Dafa disciples to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. Thank you, Master, for your sacrifice and immense suffering for us! We have a special mission and have been bestowed special favors. As Fa-rectification nears its end, this once-in-a-millennia opportunity has been given to me and enabled me to become a Falun Dafa practitioner. I will cultivate more diligently, keep a better cultivation state, assist Master in rectifying the Fa, and save sentient beings.
The above is my cultivation experience over the past year. It is my limited understanding at my level. Please kindly point out anything that is not in line with the Fa.
Category: Improving Oneself
