(Clearwisdom.net) I began to practice Falun Gong in 1995. Under Teacher's compassionate guidance I passed a very pleasant period of personal cultivation. Since 1999 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to madly persecute Falun Dafa, my belief in Teacher has never wavered. Over these years I have used up over 800 bottles of paste to post truth-clarification messages. We have a custom that on Chinese New Year's Eve we make dumplings. Beginning in 2001, I no longer made dumplings with my family. I used the time to hang truth clarification banners and posters instead. In recalling the path of validating the Fa over the years, I am filled with emotion. This period of time is worth cherishing
With the concerted efforts of local fellow practitioners doing face to face truth clarification over the past years, the situation in our local area has greatly changed. Now when we talk about the truth of Falun Gong, people are very relaxed. Some say, "Oh, Falun Gong," and smile. Many accept the truth. I think everything that practitioners do plays a great role, now in this dimension and in other dimensions as well.
Validating the Fa in the Workplace
I was transferred from the police department to an enterprise of collective ownership that was not doing well at the time. However, no matter where I have worked, I have always measured myself against the standards of Falun Dafa so that my colleagues and supervisors will have a good impression of the Fa.
The office director was a veteran Party member. He was full of the Party's false reasoning and heresy and often argued with me. However, I never felt angry or resentful of his attitude I gave him a copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and talked to him about Falun Gong. I always respected him, despite our differences and arguments. When he retired, he said to me, "Don't take what I said seriously. People will change."
Three years ago, my work unit got a new leader from a science department. He had some bad ideas about Falun Dafa and often called practitioners names. At a banquet, he tried very hard to talk me into drinking alcohol. He said, "I can certainly 'transform' you!" I treated him compassionately. Sometimes when I was alone with him, I would use the opportunity to clarify the truth to him. I knew he liked to read books such as Yijing. I told him about the prophesies, the blossoming of Udumbara, the fact that a saint would come to the earth to rectify the world, the "Stone with Hidden Characters" in Guizhou Province, and the fact that what practitioners have done has nothing to do with politics. He was really touched after hearing the truth and did not mention anything about Falun Gong anymore whenever we had meetings. He also tried to evade or take a perfunctory attitude toward the persecution of Falun Gong assigned by the CCP.
At the same time I tried to do a good job at every task I was assigned. Our staff was responsible for a residential building project, and there were a lot of cumbersome approval procedures. I went through all the procedures so the leaders of my department would be completely satisfied with my work. At their recommendation, my work unit issued an order promoting me to the position of deputy section leader (which was equivalent to my position previous to the persecution). When they discussed my appointment, they shared the same view: "Belief is belief and work is work." A colleague who was very close to me told me that, although the position was not high, it was very significant. It shows that the leaders trust me again.
Stepping Forward to Clarify the Truth and Save People
Saving people is the sacred mission of a practitioner. I went out to clarify the truth during my spare time, including festivals and holidays. Sometimes, when I had nothing to do at work, I also walked down the street to clarify the truth (I have a very loose work environment.). I once saw two people in a parked car. I went up to them and gave a Falun Dafa amulet(1) to the driver. I told him, "You are always on the road. Take an amulet with you and remember the words on it. I wish you a safe and a pleasant journey!" He said, "Can you give me another one if you have any? We would both like to have one." I gave him another one. After I left, I heard them shouting in the car, "Long Live Falun Dafa!"
One day after clarifying the truth to a man in the street, he agreed to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Then he asked, "People in my village all said that the DVD handed out by the Falun Gong practitioners was very nice. Can I have a copy?" I had not brought any DVD's with me at that time, but when I saw how eager he was, I asked him to wait there for me. I went back to my workplace and returned with a copy of the DVD in hand. After I gave him the DVD, he thanked me repeatedly.
On another occasion I met a young man on the road. After I clarified the truth to him he said, "I have something to tell you. One evening when I went out, I saw a young lady putting up Falun Gong posters. I turned around and returned home. The following day when I was asked if I had seen anyone putting up the posters. I said, 'No, I did not.' I have children myself, so I will not do anything bad, such as reporting people to the authorities." I told him, "Your compassion will bring you rewards. Please remember that Falun Dafa is good and it will keep you safe!" He said, "I will remember that." I gave him a Falun Dafa amulet. He carefully put it into his pocket and said, "I am not afraid to carry it with me." He shook my hand and said, "I wish you safety, too!"
Studying and Cultivating the Fa Well
To study the Fa well is the basis for our cultivation. If we fail to study the Fa well, we will not have strong righteous thoughts, and the results of our efforts to save people will not be good. I seized the time to study the Fa before 1999. Basically, I read Teacher's works one by one in accordance with the time sequence. Everyday I would not go to bed before midnight. When I woke up the next morning, my mind was filled with the Fa. This laid a solid foundation for me for my activities in validating the Fa later on. In the last few years I slacked off in my Fa study and therefore suffered from a very strong interference. Teacher said,
"Cultivating as if you were just starting will surely result in achieving your ultimate rank." ("Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference")
I must break through the obstacles and become more diligent to be truly responsible for myself and sentient beings.
On negating the old forces, I always had one thought, that they have nothing to do with practitioners' cultivation and saving sentient beings. Sometimes when official documents malign Falun Gong, some practitioners discuss what the Party will do and so on. However, I have simply kept the one thought that it was not related to me and that I should do what I need to do. Actually, this is what I have done. I think many things have happened because of practitioners' attachments of pursuit. If practitioners all have very strong righteous thoughts, the evil forces would not dare to touch us and would be unable to interfere with us.
Teacher said,
"This is the difference between a human and a God. If you can let go of life and death, you’re a God; if you can’t let go of life and death, you’re a human—this is the difference.” ("Teaching the Fa in New York City" from Lectures in the United States)
Practitioners must let go of life and death. Of course, the persecution has nothing to do with our cultivation; however, in all circumstances practitioners must be able to let go of life and death. Only then can we reach consummation, the realm of an enlightened being. Now, in some places, the evildoers are still rampant with their brainwashing sessions. One of the reasons that I can think of is that some practitioners are still unable to let go of life and death and do not have a clear understanding of the seriousness of cultivation. Another factor is that they are lacking compassion and have failed to rectify the environment.
This is my personal sharing. Please feel free to comment and correct.
Note:
(1) Amulet - In China, practitioners sometimes clarify the truth by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.
