(Clearwisdom.net) Before practicing Falun Dafa, I was not unlike many people: simple, stubborn, narrow-minded, self-righteous, and of average intelligence. I never thought about the meaning of life nor could I understand why a person would want to become a monk or nun.
The world is so wonderful and there are so many things that have yet to be understood. When I was a little boy, I always tried to imagine what was beyond the Earth's atmosphere. I learned in school that the Earth lies within the Milky Way galaxy, so I asked myself, “What exists beyond the Milky Way?”
The theory of evolution was beaten into my head in school science classes yet I still wondered, “What is the origin of life? Where did the the Earth come from?”
I had never linked such penetrating questions to cultivation practice, mainly because I had been brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) culture. Nor did I think that I needed to know about cultivation practice or what the inside of a church or temple looked like.
When my father began practicing Falun Dafa, I also read the teachings in the bookZhuan Falun. I initially gained only a superficial understanding of Master's teachings. My father had often talked to me about cultivation and hoped that I would one day join the path of cultivation practice, but I was unable to put down the material interests of ordinary people. I always felt that practicing Falun Dafa was way too hard.
One day, while trying to rescue my father, who had been illegally arrested by the CCP, Master Li gave me hints about the gains and losses in life, human sorrows, and the joys of impermanence, thus guiding me back home.
When I truly entered the door of cultivation, I found it completely different from standing in the threshold of the doorway and looking in. In the past, when my father gave me Master’s lectures or other practitioners' articles to read, I thought they were all good, but I did not see their deeper significance.
After I began to practice cultivation for myself, I realized that Master's writings reveal infinite mysteries, and I found myself beginning to awaken. Usually, my reading and comprehension of Chinese writings was very poor. However, I can now see layers and layers of meaning behind the Buddha Law.
Master said:
"Actually, all of the Fa that I've taught is from the one volume of Fa. Take a close look at Zhuan Falun, and [you will see that] all the Fa that I have taught after the book's publication is an explanation of Zhuan Falun. If you don't believe it, you should go and look. Cultivating according to Zhuan Falun will lead you to success in cultivation. ”
(“Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital,” July 22, 2006 )
Practicing Falun Dafa, I felt like a fish in water. Dafa helped me regain my confidence.
Dafa cares for those who strive forward. Being a practitioner is totally different from being an ordinary person. The most shocking thing for me was to realize that Dafa is absolutely fair to everyone.
Before practicing Dafa, I often asked myself, “Why is Heaven so unfair? Why wasn't I born with a better brain?” No matter how hard I tried to learn, I still could not figure things out. As a result, I became introverted and jealous. But after entering cultivation, I found that Heaven is absolutely fair. I know the law of cause and effect, and I understand that nothing happens without reason. People's thoughts and actions are all being carefully watched and recorded by divine beings—without the slightest degree of error. In order to return to one's original nature, one must be spiritually sophisticated and refined.
It seems that the more one believes in Dafa, the more miraculous occurrences one will experience.
Early on in my practice, I was seized by the police. While I was being detained in the police station, an officer ordered me to stand still so he could photograph me. Although I knew that I should not cooperate with them, I did not say anything because it was always hard for me to say “No.” I was afraid of hurting other's feelings.
After the officer took some photos of me, I sincerely regretted that I had not offered any resistance. I said to Master: "Master, please give me another chance. This time I will not cooperate with the evil."
The opportunity to correct myself came almost immediately. After the officer checked the photos, he told me that his camera had malfunctioned, and the photos would need to be retaken.
Since I had promised Master that I would not cooperate with these people anymore, I braced myself and firmly said, “No!” The policeman did not ask me again. It is now clear to me that it is not hard to break through selfishness when we are determined.
After joining a truth clarifying team, I realized that the people around us undergo a change when we Falun Dafa disciples change.
I had never been a talkative person before and even found it hard to convince others of things I was positive about. However, the following experience I had with a taxi driver made me understand the power of Dafa.
As soon as I entered his cab, I wanted to tell him about the lawsuit against Jiang. The driver coolly replied, "I play a lot of mahjong and don't have time to watch the news. I never watch any news!"
It was like cold water had been poured on any thought of a conversation with him. Instead of backing down, I thought to myself, “No, you have to listen to me. I am trying to rescue you.”
Suddenly, Master’s words appeared in my mind:
"Today's people are really hard to save. [It seems as though] they'll listen only if what you tell them is in line with their ideas, and they'll listen only if you talk to them in a way that they like. In other words, if you want to save them, they have conditions for you to do so.”
(“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York”)
I immediately told him, “Watching the news will not get in the way of your playing Mahjong, so don't worry about it. I am not interested in interfering with you. I just want to tell you some big news.” Then, I started to clarify the truth to him. When I got out the car, the driver said, "I now want to watch the news. I want to learn how to use the Internet."
This is just a little experience on the path of my cultivation. I would like to tell everyone who has not entered the door of Dafa, please do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find your way back home.
