(Clearwisdom.net) I have been practicing Falun Dafa for over ten years and have passed through many difficult situations under Teacher's protection. I almost lost my life during the evil and severe persecution. I have broken through with righteous thoughts due to Teacher's hints and merciful protection.
Studying the Fa Well and Looking Inwards
Teacher has often emphasized “studying the Fa well” in the lectures. Although I have studied the Fa every day for over ten years, when I looked back to see how well I was doing in my practice and carefully examined myself, I found that I had not broken away from my human shell. I still had many human notions. The 60 to 70-year long influence of the evil Communist Party culture had poisoned me deeply. When ordeals came, my first thought was not on the Fa, but was based on human principles, I felt the biggest cause was that I had not worked hard enough on “studying the Fa well.”
After I realized this, I truly compared myself to the Fa and looked inwards. I improved very quickly. I understood many Fa principles, especially from studying “Cautionary Advice:”
“If you do not want to change your human state and rationally rise to a true understanding of Dafa, you will miss the opportunity. If you do not change the human logic that you, as an ordinary human, have formed deep in your bones over thousands of years, you will be unable to break away from this superficial human shell and reach Consummation.” (“Cautionary Advice” from Essentials For Further Advancement)
I weighed every thought of mine, trying to find which were human notions and which followed the Fa. What were my human thoughts? Some simple examples were: I am right, he is wrong; I must save more money for my children; I should enjoy life because I am the mother-in-law; I get sleepy while studying the Fa, because I am old and did not rest well; and so on. When I clearly distinguished between Fa principles and human thoughts, I felt like a wall had suddenly fallen. Actually, I have been like an everyday person who seemed to “forever crawl within the boundary delimited by their own ignorance” (Lunyu from Zhuan Falun).
Looking Inwards for the Root of Problems
One time I went to my former place of work to deal with a matter that usually cost money. The office leader told the staff not to take my money. Another colleague said, “Aunt, after being retired for so many years, you still carry a great deal of weight around here. Even if someone actively employed here wants to get this thing taken care of, they'd still have to pay half the cost, yet you were able to get it done for free.”
After I went home, I continued to think about what my colleague had said. I realized that I must not become joyful or sorrowful over a little profit. I remembered Teacher's Fa and found my attachment to zealotry, showing off, and human emotion, but I felt I had only searched superficially. There was another attachment that seemed to be hiding very deeply. I looked further inside myself and found the root cause. It was the attachment to “fame.” I understood Teacher's hint. When I looked deeper, I found I had the attachment to fame on many issues. For instance, I was unwilling to be harmed and I liked to hear pleasant words. For a period of time, my hand was not straight and I leaned to one side while sending forth righteous thoughts. I looked inwards and saw the attachment to fame. I realized that I must remove it at once.
After I understood, I firmly negated it and removed it, and I said to Teacher's image: “Fame, personal gain and human emotion are formed post-natally and do not belong to me, I do not want them.” I saw Teacher remove the bad things from my body. I immediately felt light. I burst into tears. I knew that I must do well and keep my hand straight while sending forth righteous thoughts.
My cultivation needs to be a process of studying the Fa more, looking inwards, and assimilating to the Fa. All environments are good places for cultivation. As long as we handle everything compassionately, study the Fa well, and look inwards to find our own shortcomings, any problem can be solved.
Once I asked my son to upload my list of names to the website to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party and its associated organizations. The Internet suddenly disconnected in the middle of the transfer and lost all my information. He was upset and complained loudly, “This piece of junk should have been replaced long ago!” I smiled and said gently, “I won't acknowledge the demonic nature of reacting this way. You can't move me, I won't be taken in by this trap.” I smiled, and so did he. I felt the pure, auspicious compassion in the field of righteous thoughts. I was indeed warmed by it.
Studying the Fa Well, Saving More Sentient Beings
In clarifying the truth, we meet people from all walks of life, especially those that are deeply poisoned by the evil Party culture. These notions often targeted my heart. I always think, “Teacher is watching me, so I will have no fear.” Every time I go out to discuss the facts about Falun Dafa, I always know that I am saving sentient beings, and it goes very smoothly most of time.
I am quite busy and much housework, but I need to do the three things well, so I sleep less. The morning market is the place I often go to explain the facts about Falun Dafa. I ran into plainclothes police several times, but escaped under Teacher's protection. One time, a lady took out her cell phone to report me to the police, but with Teacher's wisdom, I told her the principle of good being rewarded with good and evil receiving retribution. She then quickly put away her phone.
I often ride with young practitioners at night to go to the countryside to distribute informational materials and hang up banners. Amazing things have often happened on those trips. One dark night, it was very hard to ride on the country road, so I had to walk and push the bike. After a while, a young practitioner told me to get on the bike because it would be easier. As soon as I got on the bike, a light illuminated 2 to 3 meters in front of me. I thought a car was coming up behind us, so I loudly warned the other practitioner, but she said there was no car coming. I looked up and saw that the sky was dark, there was no moonlight, and the stars twinkled but were hard to see. So where did the light come from? Suddenly I realized that Teacher was watching over me! Teacher's Law Body lit up the road for me, and Teacher saw me home. Tears filled my eyes and would not stop for a long time. I am thankful for Teacher's merciful protection!
Teacher said that the people on earth were all his family, so aren't they our family, too? Can we let so many sentient beings be eliminated? Once this thought emerged, my ability to endure hardship also improved. It is so urgent to save people, so why do we care what people say about us?
I am here to save people. Once our righteous thoughts go out, all evil is disintegrated. We have Teacher's protection and the help of divine beings. I go out to save people everyday, and there are always people who can be saved.
Being Clear on the Fa and Validating Dafa
At one point, several practitioners had sickness karma, and others had some conflicts. Sometimes when they came to me, I was unwilling to cooperate in the beginning, but later I wondered if Teacher had actually arranged this path for me
I did not know what to do in the beginning, but studied the Fa with the practitioner first, and then exchanged views, regardless who the practitioner was.
An elderly practitioner had symptoms of sickness karma, so I went to see her. She was having an intravenous drip and taking lots of pills, her whole body was swollen and she was finding it difficult to breathe. I asked about her situation, and it turned out that she could not let go of some human emotions. She could not study the Fa and be diligent, and this caused her condition.
I studied “Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston” with her. In it, a practitioner asked, “How should we understand the idea that disciples of true cultivation don't have health problems?” Teacher's answer was very long.
After we read half of Teacher's response, I stopped to ask her, “Do you have sickness?” She thought about it for a moment and replied, “I have no sickness.” It was a precious thought. I felt she had enlightened. We continued to read the Fa. Before we had finished reading, I asked her again, “Do you have sickness?” She loudly answered without hesitation, “I have no sickness.” I thought, “Why are you still taking injections and pills?” But I did not mention it.
I went to see her again in a week, and she was much better. However, I was surprised to hear her say, “My husband always used to swear at me, but he treats me really well now.” I asked her, “What do you mean?” She said, “He brings me medicine and water everyday, and tells me to take this first, that after.”
I smiled and said, “Teacher said, 'those who want to have you obtain good things in ordinary human society, are demons.' (Zhuan Falun) Do you remember?” She said “Oh.” We kept on studying the Fa, and she seemed to become more aware.
I did not say anything about her taking the pills, and I left. I went to see her after another week. She held my hand and said, “I am fine now. I stopped taking the pills and burned them. I can go to distribute truth-clarification material now.” This is the Fa's power. She broke through the test.
I also met practitioners with other problems. Some broke through, and some passed away, regrettably. In this process, I realized that I was helping practitioners with Fa study and sending forth righteous thoughts only on the surface. I truly assimilated to the Fa only after I unceasingly looked inward and regarded fellow practitioners as my mirror. This allowed me to abandon my human notions of showing off, zealotry, and fame.