(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I wanted to participate in the previous five conferences, but it was rather difficult for me to write anything down. When I learned the sixth conference was calling for submissions I thought, "I cannot afford to miss this precious opportunity. I must clear away all barriers and interferences and share with fellow practitioners with a pure mind."
I will report to Master and to you practitioners my cultivation experiences of establishing a home-based Dafa materials production site.
Letting go of my ego and building a home-based materials production site
I began practicing Dafa in 1997. Two other practitioners and I began a Fa study group in early 2001. Two others joined us eventually, and now we have ten. We study the Fa and hold discussions during weekly sessions and improve quickly this way. Every practitioner in our group is able to step into the street and distribute flyers, but the source of Dafa materials became a bottleneck issue.
We used to obtain the materials from remote production sites. The quantity was limited and did not satisfy the demands of local practitioners. Following a discussion among us, in 2003 we decided to establish a production site for our Fa study group.
As Fa-rectification pushed forward, more and more practitioners stepped forward, but officials had destroyed some production sites. The quantity of materials produced at our site increased exponentially, which obviously increased the workload of the practitioners in charge. A practitioner said to me once during a discussion, "I think you really ought to start a production site, because you take the most flyers." I did not say anything but was not happy at all. I thought, "Everyone here is younger than me; why should I, a woman in her late 50s, do this instead of all you young people? Who says whoever gets the most flyers must start a production site?" I remained upset for quite a few days.
I mentioned the problems connected with the materials. My daughter, who used to practice Dafa but later gave up, said, "Mom, can't we do this on our own? That would make things so much easier!" Her response surprised me, and yet I hesitated, "But how? I don't even know how to hold a computer mouse." She assured me, "Don't worry, I will teach you." Her words gave me much-needed confidence, and my mind instantly lightened. I was determined to establish a home-based Dafa materials production site.
Several days later a practitioner told she was immigrating to another country but was in charge of producing materials for more than 20 practitioners, and no one had yet offered to take her equipment. She was anxious and asked me what to do. I realized Master was helping me. He saw that I wanted to produce Dafa materials and he gave me the equipment, ready-to-go. What reason did I have not to do well? I immediately replied, "You can leave your printers and other things with me and trust me with them." I asked her to help me buy a computer, and a production site was thus established.
I fear nothing because Master is here
My home-based production site was officially founded in April 2007, and my daughter is my capable and helpful assistant. We produced copies of the Minghui Weekly and other materials and met the demands of fellow practitioners.
The day after we produced a batch of Minghui Weekly copies for our practice site for the first time, one practitioner from another practice site arrived and told me a production site had been paralyzed and asked whether I could make 17 copies of the Weekly for them? I hesitated, because it was my first time making the materials. My daughter had done most of the work since I could not yet do it independently. However, I did not have the heart to say no when I saw the eager look on the practitioner's face, so I pleaded with Master to help me.
I turned on the computer as my daughter had taught me and opened the document sequence step-by-step. I did not know how to print, because my daughter hadn't taught me yet, so, again I asked Master to help me. I turned on the printer and randomly clicked the documents. The subsequent printout was horrible. The visiting practitioner could tell I did not know what I was doing and tried to comfort me saying, "Don't worry, it'll get better. Master is here!" I calmed down and collected myself and turned the printer off and on again. I re-set the page borders and number of copies, hit "OK," and, lo and behold, the printer put out a perfectly aligned copy of the Minghui Weekly.
Although it would only take 30 minutes to print 17 copies for other practitioners, it took me more than four hours and almost an entire ream of paper. I was still happy, though, because my righteous thoughts overcame interference from thought karma and the machine.
Since then I have printed materials on my own. I know I need not fear anything since Master is here. Master is right next to me, and it's up to us whether we believe Him.
Master gave me a lotus flower; I feel incredibly encouraged
Soon after I began producing Dafa materials I saw many practitioners' beautiful desktop pictures. I wanted one, too. My daughter immediately selected a picture of a pool of lotus flowers for me. However, the picture changed after a while. My daughter was the first one to notice it. She said, "Mom, you are really smart! You've learned how to change your desktop picture after only a few days!" I was puzzled as she continued, "Where did you get this picture? This is gorgeous! This is more than gorgeous! Why couldn't I find it?" My eyes widened--a large lotus flower had proudly blossomed in all of its glory, and pearl-like dewdrops glistened on its petals. Next to it were a seedpod and a lotus bud. Tears streamed down my face as my eyes fixed on this divine flower. I told my daughter, "My child, do you know that Master has bestowed this upon us? Master is reminding us that our entire family should cultivate Falun Dafa." She answered, "I know. The lotus bud is me, and the seedpod is my father." Now my husband and my daughter are practicing Falun Dafa.
I feel incredibly encouraged whenever I turn on the computer and see the lotus flower Master has bestowed upon me. I keep telling myself that I must make steady strides on the Fa rectification path. My determination in following Master assisting Him in rectifying the Fa has never wavered, regardless of the difficulties I've encountered. I pour my heart and soul into doing the three things and doing a good job with every single flyer. I play Dafa music or stories about divinely-inspired culture or traditional culture while producing materials, which cleanse my dimension and give the materials I produce a certain energy, which lets more sentient beings have a chance for salvation. Each time the practitioners get the materials they comment, "You make great pamphlets; everyone wants them." I know Master is encouraging me through fellow practitioners' mouths, and it is also a test for me. I cannot allow myself to slip into complacency and must do an even better job.
Cultivating righteous thoughts and dispelling fear
I felt pretty good when initially making materials. After a while, however, fear emerged. I was afraid the neighbors would notice the practitioners coming to my home, or they would hear my printer churning out flyers. I eventually shut the door and windows, as if I were a thief. The more I feared, the more frequently other practitioners came, and they would stay for a long time and talk loudly. I repeatedly told them to quiet down, but their voices got louder instead of lower. I was furious when they left and thought they had no concern for anyone else's safety, but I did not look inward. When I calmed down, I tried to find what went wrong and was shocked when I identified the problem: it was a terrible attachment to doing things, which is a crucial mistake for someone who produces materials.
Once I started making materials I spent more time each day on the computer and less time studying the Fa. I still studied the Fa daily, but my mind was uneasy. Master said:
"In order for Dafa disciples to walk their paths well and do the three things well, they must study the Fa well and take Fa-study seriously... That is because the Fa is the foundation; it is what's fundamental for Dafa disciples; it is what ensures everything; and it is the avenue by which a human being journeys toward godhood. Thus I would like to take the opportunity of this Fa conference in Australia to tell all Dafa disciples around the world: Whether you are a new or veteran student, all the same you must not neglect Fa-study on account of being busy. Don't just go through the motions when you study the Fa. You should study with a concentrated mind, and you must really be studying." ("To the Australia Fa Conference")
Master has repeatedly told us to calm our minds, to study the Fa more. Did I do that? I thought about computer files while studying the Fa, so, basically, I was not listening to Master. It would have been strange if I didn't have fear, based on the way my mind worked. I intensified my Fa-studying and memorizing efforts and sending righteous thoughts.
Great changes happened in me within a few days. Fear gradually went away, the printer became quiet on its own during printing, and other practitioners cut back their visits to my home. Then I realized what the practitioners did had helped me remove attachments and improve myself, yet I had wronged them.
I felt much lighter physically and mentally after the fear was gone, enabling me to regard everything with righteous thoughts should any thorny situation arise.
Last year the old forces were fanatically persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. One practitioner said, "You have lots of Dafa things at home. You should pack them up and put them elsewhere, because it's pretty tight these days." My mind remained unmoved and I said calmly, "No problem! They cannot touch me." I thought, "Everything at the production site is my divine tool. Master has given me these precious Fa tools; I must cherish and take care of them. I cannot move them back and forth." So, I sent righteous thoughts more frequentl, to disintegrate evil elements in my dimension. Over time I saw light when sending righteous thoughts and felt my own dimension to be basically clean.
It is just as Master said, "If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Fear removal made me realize the seriousness of cultivation. Everything we have comes from the Fa. We must regard Fa study as our top priority, no matter what kind of Dafa work we do. Frequent Fa study and sending righteous thoughts is now the number one priority on my daily list. Doing Dafa work comes secondary. My computer skills improved quickly. I can independently download, typecast, and print files. I know Master has given me this wisdom, and Dafa has given me this ability.
Cultivating and improving as a part of a whole body
My production site is responsible for providing more than 60 copies of Master's articles and various Dafa materials. I told myself on the day the site was founded, "I must do a great job with each and every flye, and do my utmost to satisfy fellow practitioners' demands." I saw the production site as a new cultivation environment where I would improve my xinxing, but that is easier said than done.
We have relatively more elderly practitioners at our site, and most of us distribute flyers instead of talking to people face-to-face. Therefore, a large quantity of materials is needed. They did not initially say anything to me, but after a while different issues arose. Someone wanted single-page flyers, someone wanted pamphlets. When I did as they asked they would say, "This is not as good as if it was done in another way." And they wanted me to change it right away.
An elderly practitioner said she liked a certain page in a Minghui Weekly issue and wanted more copies. I complied with her request. When finished she insisted I did it wrong. I answered, "It is correct! This is what you asked for." She was upset and said over and over again that I had done it wrong. I could no longer maintain my xinxing and thought, "You clearly said this was what you wanted, and now you are picking on me. You can't do it yourself, and yet you find problems with what someone else has done for you." Following this incident I developed notions toward this practitioner. When she came back to get materials I would say to her, "Are you sure you want this?" I was hurting her feelings while feeling hurt myself and always thought how hard it was for me, and how diligently I worked on it, and completely forgot that I was a cultivator.
Master said:
"For us cultivators conflicts come up suddenly. So what should we do? If you always keep a compassionate heart, and a peaceful state of mind, when you run into problems you'll handle them well because it will give you space as a buffer. If you are always compassionate and friendly to others, if you always consider other people when you do things, and whenever you have issues with other people you first think about whether they can take it or whether it will cause them harm, then you won't have any problem. So, when you cultivate you should follow high and even higher standards." ("Improving Character," The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun, 2003 translation version)
Master was pointing out my omissions. I did not show compassion toward others and did not conduct myself as a cultivator. The practitioner's words were not a coincidence. She helped me improve my xinxing, but instead of thanking her I complained about her. I was horrible! At the same time I became aware of my competitive mentality and resistance to criticism and the pursuit of praise, among many other attachments.
After I identified these gaps I calmed my mind, studied the Fa, and improved my xinxing. Once I made improvements my tone of voice changed for the better. I could humbly listen to different opinions and treat practitioners' state of cultivation as an excellent opportunity for me to improve my xinxing. As I changed, everything around me changed accordingly. Practitioners stopped picking one type of material over another. They could calmly share their ideas. We formed a harmonious one body.
Improvement as a whole body also contributed to a huge change in our cultivation environment. Over time we built several production sites, and everyone would pitch in to help if any practitioner encountered problems. A while ago a minor issue occurred with a machine at one site. All of us immediately sent righteous thoughts and took over the workload for that particular site, which ensured all practitioners received the Minghui Weekly and other materials in a timely manner.
Recent Internet access was difficult due to the CCP's heightened blocking efforts. As we sent righteous thoughts more frequently, we also worked as a unified body. If one person downloaded materials from the Minghui (Chinese version of Clearwisdom) website, soon everyone at all sites would receive copies of the same document. We have wielded the power of Dafa practitioners' one body in suppressing the evil.
Time flies, and I have been practicing Dafa for 12 years. When I look back at the path I have traveled, there is suffering, joy, and satisfaction, and also things that are less than perfect. The most important thing I have learned is to cherish everything Master has given me, cherish my current cultivation environment, and cherish everything Dafa has given me. I will never be able to repay Master; the only thing I can do is to cultivate ever more diligently, remove attachments, study the Fa more and rescue more people, and quickly improve myself.
Hereby, I want to thank all practitioners who have helped me.
