(Clearwisdom.net) I read the article, "Believe in Teacher" in "Minghui Weekly" Number 230, which was written by a Falun Dafa practitioner from Henan Province, China. I found the article deeply moving. The author wrote, "Teacher said this about the exercise site, 'my fashen sit in a circle.'" We certainly believe in the Fa taught by Teacher, because every word He speaks is the truth, but now I see that this belief is only on the surface. Teacher tells me something and I know it, but the real believing is the manifestation of the level you can reach, which is the result of cultivation. We know that Teacher's fashen sit in a circle around the exercise site, but ask yourself this: Do you really believe that Teacher's fashen sit around us? Do you truly believe that Teacher's fashen is actually behind me at all times? Do you actually believe that there's a giant behind me who protects me?
The article reminds me of an experience I had in autumn 2000. The persecution was then at its peak. Many practitioners were busy validating the Fa and most of us had no time to cook lunch or dinner. Many of us made do with simple meals of powered soymilk and steamed buns.
One day around noon, I opened a small bag of powdered soymilk with a pair of scissors and tried to dump it into a bowl. Suddenly the bag flew from my hands. It hit the floor with a pop and the powder was spilled. At the time I was a bit puzzled, but I didn't think too much about it. I just cleaned up the mess. Two days later I opened another bag and tried to pour it out the same way. This time it happened much faster. Before I could get a good look, the bag was thrown to the left and fell to the floor just a few feet from the dirty-water bucket. I was stunned and just stood there. Teacher's teaching flashed into my mind,
"Question: What should be done in case of food poisoning?" "Teacher: This type of thing rarely happens to our students who truly cultivate." "Teacher: When someone encounters this type of thing, [that item] won't go into his mouth no matter what." ("Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Yanji" from Zhuan Falun Fajie )
I stood there with tear in my eyes and thought: "Teacher! You really are always with us!" I was excited and had mixed emotions as I checked the timestamp on the wrapper to see if it had expired. Though the milk was old it had not yet reached the expiration date. I thought it was best not to eat it because Teacher knows everything. When I went to dump it out I met an experienced person who looked at the bag and told me that it was a fake product; he told me that nearly half of the powder was saponite (1).
At that the time, I held such an indescribable feeling, that what I felt was beyond description. I couldn't express my gratitude to Teacher. It was most touching to realize that Teacher is truly never away from us, even for a second. How much care Teacher takes of practitioners! Even such a minor thing is included. I saw then that no one is more blessed than Dafa practitioners who've obtained the Fa. I felt so blessed, and also ashamed for my shortcomings.
Afterwards I didn't tell many practitioners about it, just a few close friends. I kept it to myself because I felt I couldn't control my thoughts and worried that I might develop the attachment of zealotry and the mentality of showing off. Although days passed, I still felt only gratitude towards Teacher and the desire to be more diligent in cultivation. I didn't realize I should be looking inside for my weaknesses.
Reading the article, "Believing in Teacher," reminded me of this event, and I've enlightened to a new understanding. I realized that my belief in Teacher was not rooted deep within myself, but existed only on the surface. Teacher used my experience to show me that He is always taking care of us. Our hearts should ever follow Teacher, our minds should ever be on the Fa. We respect our Teacher by dealing carefully with every detail of our lives.
Note:
(1) Saponite - A complex hydrous silicate of aluminum and magnesium, occurring in soft, soapy masses in veins and cavities of rock. (Webster's New World Dictionary, Second College Edition)
July 9, 2006
