(Clearwisdom.net) Like all Falun Dafa practitioners in China, I have encountered a lot of ordeals in cultivation during the Fa-rectification period. Having been arrested and harassed many times, I disintegrated the evil with righteous thoughts under Teacher's protection and merged into the mighty current of Fa-rectification. Especially after I became a local coordinator, I increased and improved my Fa study which led to an enhanced understanding of the Fa principles. Very quickly, I was able to jump out of the erroneous mindset of "counter-persecution," which in effect, acknowledged the persecution, and instead, comprehensively denied the persecution of the Fa. My sense of mission as a Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioner arose spontaneously, and I am now able to live and cultivate in an open and honorable manner.
1. Establishing Fa Study Groups and Solidly Doing the Three Things Well
I had a profound understanding that group Fa study is the cultivation path left to us by Teacher. It is what guarantees that practitioners are able to strive forward and consummate as soon as possible. It is not merely a rule of thumb, it is the key to whether or not we can form one body and effectively do the three things well. Faced with the situation of many practitioners not joining group Fa study and a lack of practitioners cooperating as one body in my area, other coordinators and I began to encourage fellow practitioners to establish Fa study groups. It was quite difficult in the beginning. Day after day, I visited each group one by one and helped match up practitioners with study groups. It gradually grew from four teams to nine teams. After a period of time, we all improved our understanding of the Fa and the study groups gradually became mature. We began to share our understandings of what Teacher said about everyone being a coordinator and helped those practitioners who had not stepped out previously to do so. By 2009, more and more practitioners in our area took the initiative to coordinate things that needed to be done, and more former practitioners rejoined us.
Each coordinator in our region looked after a certain area, and that made coordination easier. Later, I found that practitioners in some teams only studied the Fa every day and then went straight home. They were satisfied with only talking to relatives and friends about the truth of Falun Gong. We discovered that this condition was due to insufficient study of Teacher's new lectures and lacking a clear understanding of one's mission. So, we suggested that fellow practitioners study more of Teacher's new lectures, and there were great changes after a period of time. Some veteran practitioners gained a new understanding of the purpose of Fa-rectification period cultivation. Others realized their great fortune of being a Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioner and the importance of their mission to assist Teacher in validating the Fa and saving people. Therefore, they took the initiative to do the three things well from their hearts, and everyone came out to explain the truth to others face to face and distribute truth clarification materials.
Most of the elderly practitioners are able to study the Fa for half of the day and go out to explain the truth about Falun Gong the other half of the day. One team of elderly practitioners has been going out in groups and explaining the truth unceasingly for the past four years. The majority of our Fa study groups have material production sites and are able to independently post the names of people who quit the Chinese Communist Party on the internet, print truth-clarification materials, write messages on currency and make DVDs. Whether it is sending forth righteous thoughts globally or locally, or regularly going to the den of evildoers to send forth righteous thoughts and rescue fellow practitioners, everyone is very active.
2. Look Inward to Let Go of Oneself, Unceasingly Walk Out of Human Notions
In the course of doing what I should as a local coordinator for the past four years, I have discovered within myself many human notions and attachments.
I have been impatient, wanted people to do things quickly, and despised those who responded slowly or were less capable. When I began to teach practitioners how to use a computer, I disliked practitioners who did not understand it after studying it for a long time. Sometimes, I complained in front of them and made them nervous. I regretted it very much afterwards and realized that I had treated practitioners and the things that I was doing with human notions instead of using a practitioner's righteous thoughts. When I realized my shortcoming, I resolutely rejected and opposed it, and would not let it lead me. When I was annoyed, I cleaned up my thoughts and destroyed the negative thinking. After a period of time, I realized that the root of my human notions was sentiment. This sentiment was the same as selfishness and it grew into the attachment of validating myself when it was enlarged. Teacher said:
"The paths of cultivation are varied
But none is outside the Great Law
When one is attached to nothing
The path underfoot is naturally smooth"("Unimpeded", Hong Yin II )(translation version A)
After I found the root cause, I worked on eliminating the attachment to myself and often reminded myself to genuinely look inward in any ordeal.
Afterwards, I had a conflict with other coordinators that challenged my attachment of self protection. At a coordinators' meeting at the end of 2009, after studying Teacher's lecture "To the European Fa Conference", we began to look inward and share our understandings. Practitioners A and B had different opinions about a project they worked on together. A vented grievances and quit, leaving the whole project to B. We all said that looking inward could solve the problem, and sincerely urged A to continue her work. Then, A said that I had sided with B and expressed her resentment toward me. I could not bear it. I felt that A was creating a scene, and all of a sudden my anger and attachment of competing emerged. I was so moved that I could not calm down. The evil took advantage of my human notions and enlarged my attachment.
It was just like Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the Eastern U.S. Fa Conference":
"When some of you say that others are attached, is it because your own attachments are being hit upon, so you turn around and cover up your own attachments by saying that others are attached?"
As a result, the evil took advantage of my loophole, and I had the symptoms of a serious cold. Fellow practitioners at my Fa study group were concerned that I might not pass the test. One elderly practitioner said to me, "Do not be swindled by the old forces to have gaps among practitioners." Two days later, when I was exchanging views with a practitioner, she noticed that my voice was hoarse and asked what was wrong. I told her that I had not passed a xinxing test with another practitioner. She immediately said that she knew who it was (referring to A). Then she said that A had told her six months earlier that I was unusual and that she had been the one to set up the local coordination work, but that I seized her power. I began to look inwards, "What power? How did I seize it?" I tried my best to carefully recall every matter and my mindset at that time. I searched inward to see if I had the attachment of validating myself, the attachment of being unable to hear unpleasant words or even being attached to others' attachments and hatred. Through studying the Fa and looking inward, I gradually gave up my attachments. I no longer felt hatred or that I had been treated unfairly, and I became tranquil. I rectified myself by looking inward, but this process must be short as time does not wait for us. Master said:
"Once the illusion that you cannot let go of disappears, you will realize what you have lost." ("Practicing Cultivation After Retirement" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
I was determined to do the three things well, improve myself, and not have any regrets later.
I really appreciate fellow practitioners' reminders to make Fa study my first priority. I usually study the Fa with one of the teams for half a day, and I have integrated truth-clarification into my daily activities. I distribute truth-clarification materials, talk to people face to face, write letters and make phone calls. Sometimes I go out with other practitioners to clarify the truth and send forth righteous thoughts near the den of evildoers. I earnestly do what I can, and I do not differentiate between what should be done by practitioners and what should be done by me as a coordinator. I do whatever needs to be done, and I'm careful not to have the attachment of just doing things.
The attachment of just doing things comes from inadequate Fa study, not regarding the Fa as guidance for my behavior, having an incorrect mindset, not letting divine thoughts guide my words and actions, and being satisfied with doing things just for the sake of doing them. This attachment provides loopholes that the evil can take advantage of. Teacher requires us to save more people in the Fa-rectification period using ordinary methods among everyday society. Saving more people is what Teacher wants. Thus, I persistently do what I should. Actually, Teacher's Fashen (Law Body) is watching everything we do, and Teacher will give us hints if there is anything wrong.
At the end of 2009, the number of local Fa study groups and material production sites increased and the overall situation improved some. However half a year later, the police arrested ten people, including two practitioners who had recently started doing coordination work. The loss was huge. Areas that previously had two coordinators went into paralysis. In order to learn from this tribulation and improve as one body, we had sharing about "analyzing the persecution incident." Fortunately, many practitioners regard the persecution of fellow practitioners as the persecution of themselves. The first thought was to deny the persecution and take part in rescuing fellow practitioners. We did not blame practitioners' for their shortcomings, but instead, looked within to see if we also had the same problems. We rectified our own thoughts and actions based on the Fa. We regarded rescuing fellow practitioners as an opportunity to save more people, and as a way of cultivating ourselves well. Therefore, practitioners earnestly participated in the rescue.
At that time, several emails circulated among the group that were critical of the coordinators, and these caused quite a stir. One email specifically pointed out my problems and that I did not have coordinating experience, but that I proclaimed myself to be the main coordinator, taking more and more power. I immediately reminded myself to remain calm and not fall into a debate about who's right and who's wrong. I felt it was more important to let practitioners freely express their opinions. At the same time, I also approved the articles, as long as their elaboration was on the Fa. It is good for us to give up the mindset of regarding people as Master, admiring famous people, and relying on the coordinator. I worked hard to suppress my human notions and not let it have a negative effect. Cultivating oneself is the most important thing. We have Teacher and Dafa, and everything is taken care of by Teacher. We only need to maintain a pure mindset in doing things.
I was filled with emotion when writing this summary my practice situation. Because of having a lot of karma and poor enlightenment quality, I've had more ordeals than others. I'm constantly uncovering my bad notions and attachments, and I have to work hard to let go of my attachments in order to achieve tranquility. I am confident about my future. I thank Teacher for his merciful teaching and protection. I won't disappoint Teacher and will complete cultivation and return with him.
