(Clearwisdom.net) I would like to share some of my
cultivation and Fa validation experiences. Please point out any
shortcomings.
1. Clarifying the Truth and Saving Sentient Beings
Clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings is one of the
three things that Teacher asked us to do during
Fa-rectification. In ancient times, some cultivators went from
place to place among everyday people in order to eliminate their
human attachments. The process of Dafa practitioners clarifying the
truth with a variety of people is a process of redeeming our own
prehistoric vows, as well as a process of eliminating human
attachments. During this process, many attachments, such as the
mentality of showing off, the competitive mentality, zealotry, and
fear, are exposed so that we can see and eliminate them.
As long as we are thinking of saving people, we will meet
predestined people wherever we go. Some of these people we know but
have not seen for a long time, such as our teachers, classmates,
and friends. From this I could see Teacher's merciful arrangement.
I remember how in one evening, I ran into a former elementary
school teacher of mine while I was walking. I hadn't seen her for
many years. After we talked for a while, she remembered me, and I
told her about my experiences over the years. I told her about the
fake self-immolation staged by the CCP, how Dafa is spreading in
the world, and talked to her about withdrawing from the CCP. From
my words, she got a certain amount of understanding about Dafa, but
she objected at first to the idea of quitting the CCP, since she
thought it wouldn't matter. I didn't know when I would see her
again after that day, so I was determined to save her. We sat down
after a short walk, and I sent forth righteous thoughts while
talking to her. After about half an hour, she agreed to quit the
CCP.
One day, I went to the countryside to clarify the truth. On the bus
there, two passengers started to argue and then broke into a fight.
They stopped only after many other passengers urged them to stop
fighting. On the return trip, I took a private minivan. The girl
who sold the tickets started to argue with her father on the phone.
She was crying while arguing. Why did I encounter such things? Was
it a hint to me that I needed to eliminate some attachments? I came
to understand that it was my competitive mentality. During the past
few days, I had argued with my daughter at home and fought with my
colleagues at work. It was time to eliminate it. How merciful our
Teacher is! Teacher saved us from hell, cleared away much of our
karma, and gives us hint after hint to help us improve. Words can't
express how grateful I am.
In the past, I paid too much attention to the quantity of my
efforts. My zealotry surfaced if I succeeded in having more people
quit the CCP during the day, and I would feel dismayed otherwise.
This was because my heart was not pure. We should clarify the truth
with a heart of no pursuit, which will ensure that we save more
people.
2. Making Truth-clarification Materials
When I had cultivated for a year, we were encouraged to create more
small materials production sites throughout China. At the
suggestion of a practitioner, I started learning how to go on-line,
and download and make materials. At that time, I didn't even take
the time to finish reading all of Teacher's new lectures. I had
heard from older practitioners about how dangerous it was to make
your own materials. I had much fear in my heart, but I also knew
that it was my duty to save people.
After I got the computer and printer, I was in constant fear. At
that time, I kept reciting Teacher's words,
"So as a cultivator, what is truly remarkable is when you can be
steadfast and have righteous thoughts so firm that nothing can sway
you. Be solid and firm like diamond, or granite, and then nothing
can affect you--evil will be afraid at the mere sight of you. If
upon encountering trying circumstances your thinking can be truly
righteous, then, when faced with the evil's persecution and when
faced with interference, just one sentence of yours fortified with
steadfast righteous thoughts can instantly make the evil
disintegrate (applause), and it will make those who are being used
by the evil turn and flee, it will make the evil's persecution of
you dissolve, and it will make the evil's interfering with you
disappear without a trace. One thought born of righteous faith is
all it takes. And whoever can hold firm that righteous thought and
go the distance will become a magnificent god forged by Dafa."
("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa
Conference")
I had many attachments and did not understand the Fa. Several times
when I was doing the exercises, my ten-year-old daughter saw evil
beings from other dimensions wanting to grab me. One day when it
was time for sending righteous thoughts, CCP agents came banging on
my door. I told my daughter that this was the time for sending
righteous thoughts, and we wouldn't open the door or answer the
phone no matter what. We sent forth righteous thoughts for an hour,
and they left.
A year later, I was able to make materials independently. One
evening I started printing on a brand new printer, and after
printing only two pages, the paper jammed and I couldn't be
removed. I sat down and looked for my shortcomings. I remembered
that my workplace had given me 50 yuan, but that money was not
obtained fairly. Although it was not my decision and I was not the
only person who had taken the money, I was not following the Fa. I
returned the money the next morning. In the afternoon I took the
printer to the store and everything was fine. I understood that I
need to look within when problems occur. I need to maintain a pure
heart when making truth clarification materials.
If things don't go smoothly when we are validating the Fa, we
should recognize that a problem is occurring, look for our
attachments, and improve ourselves accordingly.
My site provided enough materials for myself and several other
practitioners. After the 2008 Shen Yun DVD was out, I got a DVD
burner. The DVD's brought the beauty and wonder of Dafa to many
people.
3. Studying and Reciting the Fa with a Calm Mind
A practitioner can save people well only when he cultivates well
himself. By studying the Fa, I understood the Fa better. I felt so
lucky to have become a Dafa practitioner during the
Fa-rectification period. At the same time, I worry about so many
people who do not yet know the true facts about Falun Gong and the
persecution.
Because of my attachment to get things accomplished, I was so busy
making and distributing Shen Yun DVDs that I studied the Fa less.
As a result, sometimes my mind was not clear while sending
righteous thoughts. Soon, 610 Office agents asked to talk to
me, and my colleagues talked about me behind my back. One colleague
once loudly blamed me in the office for talking about Falun Gong,
and relatives reminded me of my dangerous situation. Looking at it
all, I firmly believed that Teacher was watching over me, and I
refused to acknowledge any type of persecution. But I often missed
the opportunity for further clarifying the truth. I thought that I
should talk to people one-on-one, but not to several colleagues at
once. Once when a colleague faulted me, I said that it was not
wrong to be a good person. But for the sake of easing the tension,
I thanked her for her consideration, and said that I would consider
what she had said. I lost a good opportunity to clarify the truth
to her because I was afraid of losing face. I was shocked, though,
when I read Teacher's lecture:
"As a Dafa disciple, everything of yours is formed by Dafa and is the most righteous, and it can only be that [you] rectify everything that is not righteous. How could you bow to the evil? How could you promise something to the evil? Even if it doesn't truly come from your heart, it's still giving in to the evil. This is bad conduct for humans, too, and Gods absolutely would not do such a thing. Even if a Dafa cultivator truly casts off his human skin during the persecution, what awaits him is still Consummation. At the same time, no attachment or fear could possibly enable you to reach Consummation. And any attachment of fear is itself a barrier that prevents you from reaching Consummation, and is also a factor in your being "reformed" toward the evil side and in your betrayal." ("Dafa is Indestructible" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Why did I compromise with what she said? I regret it deeply and
also realized the seriousness of cultivation.
In order to better assimilate to Dafa and save people, I decided to
memorize the Fa. In 2006, I recited Zhuan Falun once, but
the second time, I was unable to finish. More recently while again
reciting the Fa, more of the Fa principles became clearer to me. I
saw more of my attachments to doing things, showing off,
resentment, lust, problems following "no second cultivation way,"
being anxious, seeking comfort, not cultivating speech, and others.
As I saw these, I kept correcting myself. After a while things
became normal again. Then for a long while, I could not get up at
3:50 a.m. to do the exercises. After reciting the Fa however, I had
no trouble waking up on time, and my mind was clear after getting
up. I do the exercises, send righteous thoughts, study the Fa and
then I am not tired at all.
My daughter had been quite sick on and off for seven years before
she practiced Dafa, which healed her completely. A year later, she
stopped practicing, since her initial purpose had been only to get
rid of her illness. At that time, I did not have compassion and
often blamed her for not progressing diligently. She started
practicing Dafa again after she entered middle school. This time,
she did so because she really knew that Dafa was good. We have very
different personalities. She does things very slowly, and I am very
fast. I am very clean, and she is messy. We often have conflicts. I
had a hard time getting rid of my mentality of trying to change
others and pointing out other people's attachments. During her
vacation, the more I forced her to do chores around the house, the
more she disliked it. The more I asked her to clean up, the messier
she got. I complained more about her. Eventually she didn't even
want to study the Fa or do the exercises. I realized that this was
serious and looked inward. I noticed that I had strong emotions
towards my daughter. I always thought since it was Dafa that had
given her a second life, she should progress diligently. I didn't
praise her when she did well. I didn't show enough compassion, and
I often blamed her. The result was that she tried to avoid talking
about cultivation with me. After I realized my own problem and
began to eliminate this sentiment toward her, her cultivation
started improving again.
Thinking back on the past five years, every step of mine has been
under Teacher's protection and guidance. I see the wonder of Dafa
and how Teacher has guided us. I am proud to be a Dafa practitioner
during Fa-rectification. During this precious time, we can only
repay our Teacher by doing the three things well, saving more
sentient being, and progressing diligently.
