(Minghui.org) I am a relatively new practitioner, having stepped into the practice in 2010. When I first started to cultivate, I experienced everything that Teacher mentioned in the book Zhuan Falun when discussing different scenarios that could be used for elevating one's xinxing, such as how to approach being hit by a car, being wrongly accused by colleagues or framed, and receiving gifts.
I followed the Falun Dafa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, adhered to the Fa, and thus could deal with everything just as a practitioner should.
One time, our physical stamina was supposed to be tested at work. The supervisor of our department told us to get a waver from a doctor to be excused from having to take this test. My colleague said that he would ask his brother, a doctor, to give us a waver. I agreed.
That night my back suddenly began to hurt. I looked inward and immediately thought of the waver. Wouldn't I be cheating if I used it? Would I not be truthful? I immediately called my colleague. He indeed had gotten a waver, but I told him that I no longer needed it as I would take the test. Then I was no longer plagued by the backache.
I experienced the seriousness of cultivation, as well as the wonderfulness of it.
Threatened with Dismissal after Turning into a Good Person
I am a policeman who once directly participated in persecuting practitioners. I learned the facts about Falun Dafa through frequent contact with practitioners and reading their truth-clarification materials. I became a practitioner in 2010.
Last year, my superior and internal affairs personnel took me to task because I distributed copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and informational pamphlets about Falun Dafa at work.
I was ordered to renounce Falun Dafa, or I would be fired.
I remembered what Teacher said:
“Wherever you run into difficulties you can't avoid them and go around them. Wherever there's a problem, that's where you need to go resolve things and where you need to go clarify the facts. You must remember this! Once a problem comes up somewhere, that's where you need to go clarify the facts.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference”)
I realized that this was a good opportunity for me to explain the facts about Dafa and validate the Fa. I asked Teacher for support and sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors behind these colleagues. Then, I spoke to them about the changes I had experienced since learning Dafa.
I said: “In the past, I was a well-known drunk and gambler, and had many girlfriends. I did all the rotten things a police officer could do. I skipped work half of the time and often fought with colleagues. After learning Dafa, I turned into another person and no longer drank, gambled, or skipped work. I cooperated with everyone. Two months after I had learned Dafa, my wife's mental disorder, which she had suffered from for 13 years, and her other illnesses disappeared.”
I continued: “You guys did not care when I was a bad guy, but you want to fire me now that I have become a good person after learning Dafa. Doesn’t it mean that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not allow people to be good? I have benefited from cultivating in Dafa, and I believe in the practice because it is good.”
They quietly listened, so I took the opportunity further tell them why Dafa is good and the CCP is cruel.
I finished by saying: “The Chinese Constitution says that people have the freedom of belief. So Falun Dafa is legal and protected by the law of our country. As people who enforce the law, I'm asking you to point out which law I have violated; then I will take the punishment. Otherwise, you are persecuting me.”
My department asked the city police department to fire me. It was a difficult test, waiting for the decision, and lots of my attachments surfaced. I worried about being fired, that my parents wouldn't take it well, and that friends and relatives would look down on me. I even thought of getting help from ordinary people.
Through Fa study and sharing with fellow practitioners, I worked hard to rid myself of these human notions.
I repeatedly recited Teacher's words:
“If you face death today—regardless of what form of death—and are completely fearless, if you aren’t concerned about it whatsoever and think, 'Perhaps I’ll go to Heaven after I die,' then death will truly no longer take place.” ( “Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Europe”)
“'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them'--then they won't dare to do that.” (“Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
A few days later, although everyone believed that I would be fired, I wasn’t. I was only demoted, but transferred to a higher-level department. People said that I must have had inside contacts who had helped me. I responded, “True, I had my Master.”
Soon after I was transferred to the new position, the department head and staff from internal affairs told me that according to reliable sources, I would be fired and sentenced to prison as soon as I was fired. It was still not too late for me renounce Falun Dafa, they said.
I replied, “My belief is not going to change.” They asked me to apply for retirement due to sickness. I said: “I am not sick. I cannot lie.” In my mind, I thought that what they said did not count.
Ten days later, the city discipline department informed me that they would not fire me. With the righteous thoughts I learned from Dafa, as well as the support of Teacher and help from fellow practitioners, I was thus able to reject the persecution by the evil and pass the tribulation.
Distributing Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs
Fellow practitioners and I distributed Shen Yun Performing Arts DVDs and software to break through the Great Firewall. We went out at least once a week and distributed hundreds of DVDs.
Before we left to distribute materials, we recited Teacher's Fa in our minds:
“I rescue lives by spreading the truth It’s the Divine that calls me to save people” (“It's the Divine Saving People” in Hong Yin III)
I've encountered all sorts of people. At first when people berated me, threw away the DVDs, or tried to stop me from distributing materials, my attachment to fighting would be aroused. I would say, “I am going to do it even more since you've tried to stop me.” I would stare at the person and forget that I was a practitioner when someone hit me. I forgot to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors behind him.
I looked inward afterward and found that it was because of my attachment to fighting and to saving face. The root cause was that I did not study the Fa diligently.
During a college entrance examination, fellow practitioners and I distributed over a thousand copies of the Great Firewall-bypassing software to parents waiting outside the classrooms. The distributing process itself was a cultivation process.
During a high-school entrance examination, I did it by myself. I distributed over 400 DVDs and taught people how to use the software at the same time. It went very well.
However, my attachments to zealotry, showing off, and validating myself gradually developed. Then I remembered that all of the work was actually done by Teacher, and I was only doing the mechanics of it, so there was nothing to show off. This way, I was able to get rid of my attachments quickly.
Once when I gave DVDs to two people in a car, one of them grabbed my bag and said, “Falun Dafa! You have the guts to distribute this software here.” I replied, “This is legal.” He called someone and reported me. They took 90 copies of the software from me, but let me go.
I regretted to not have told them about Falun Dafa and stopped them from committing crimes against Dafa. I did not send forth righteous thoughts toward them either. I thought, “Where were my righteous thoughts?”
I realized that I often focused on the people themselves and neglected the evil factors behind them. I forgot Teacher’s Fa. I vowed to be more diligent in the future.
Teacher said:
“The old forces don't dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What's key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston” )
“After the instruction, the master will again tell it: 'You still have many attachments to remove. You should go out to wander about.' Wandering around in society is rather torturous. It must beg for food and meet different kinds of people who will scold, insult, or take advantage of it. It might encounter all kinds of things. It will treat itself as a practitioner and balance well relations with others, always maintaining and upgrading xinxing. It will not be moved by the temptations of different benefits among everyday people. After many years, it will return from wandering around.” (“Z huan Falun” )
Cooperating with Fellow Practitioners to Establish One Body
Even before I became a practitioner, I felt respect toward practitioners. They were truly remarkable, willing to take risks for others. They remained steadfast in their belief. I wondered about the force behind them and wanted to do something for them.
One day I thought: “I will use my actions to support them. I will learn Falun Dafa, too.”
As my xinxing improved, I understood the preciousness of Falun Dafa.
Teacher said,
“The master leads you through the entrance, and it is up to you to practice cultivation.” (Zhuan Falun)
I thank Teacher for guiding me.
After I began to cultivate, I wanted to support fellow practitioners. Teacher must have seen my wish, arranging for me to meet many practitioners. I helped sending forth righteous thoughts for those who faced tribulations. I shared with local practitioners and helped them with looking inward.
Everyone began to look inward, and the whole group elevated.
In helping fellow practitioners, I benefited the most. I know very well that Teacher has arranged it all, so that as a new practitioner I could elevate quickly.
But, then I deviated from the Fa, becoming dependent on and begnning to worship a practitioner who had a better understanding of the Fa. I also developed sentimentality. The situation led to the formation of several small groups and almost destroyed her. I also stumbled, and my cultivation stagnated for some time.
Teacher gave me a sign by making me unable to pull my legs up for the sitting meditation. But I did not enlighten to it. In the beginning of this year, I was unable to speak for a week, so I studied the Fa at home and read articles on the Minghui website.
I gradually came to understand that one who studied the Fa well could improve his understanding of the Fa and raise his level.
Teacher said:
“Take the Fa as your master.” (“Lecture in Sydney”)
I always said: “One must follow Teacher’s words and do whatever Teacher asks us to do to be a true cultivation disciple.” Embarrassingly, I did not do it myself. However, as long as one can sense it, one can improve. I will work hard and make up for my losses and do the three things well to catch up with Teacher’s Fa-rectification.
Looking back at my cultivation over the past two and a half years, I thank Teacher for protecting me every step of the way. All I can do is to work harder. I also want to thank fellow practitioners for their care and help.
