(Minghui.org) Greetings, compassionate Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
Most of the practitioners in our area live in villages. It’s usually hard to see each other because we live far apart. In order to have a group environment, we arranged a Fa-study site where we meet twice a month to study the Fa together and exchange cultivation experiences. In this way we have steadily made it through these last six years.
The following are practitioners’ cultivation experiences. I put them together to report to Master and share with fellow practitioners. Please compassionately point out anything that's inappropriate.
Practitioner A's story: I live in a mountain area that's about 40 miles from the group Fa-study site, and I had to walk to attend Fa-study. Through continuous Fa study, I furthered my understanding of the persecution and Dafa disciples’ missions and responsibilities. I realized that it’s urgent to let people know the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution.
There aren't many people living in my area. I soon clarified the truth to everyone around me. I then traveled across the mountains to let people in the surrounding areas know the truth. Many people understood and did the “three withdrawals,” referring to quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations.
In order to spread the truth to more people, four years ago I began to talk to people about Falun Gong over the phone.
I sent forth righteous thoughts before I made the calls, and asked Master for help. I then called the numbers in the phone book.
Not many people listened to me in the beginning. Some said bad words, while others even threatened to report me to the police.
After I studied the Fa I understood that I needed to look inward. I adjusted myself according to Dafa and continued to make truth clarification phone calls. Gradually, more and more people listened to me and quit the CCP. I realized that the efficiency of saving sentient beings was naturally improved as I upgraded my xinxing.
My truth clarification calls went better and better. I managed to finish the whole phone book in four years. I then bought a new phone book that had more extensive lists for more areas. I clarified the truth over the phone with my heart every day.
Practitioner B's sharing: One of our local practitioners was illegally arrested last year. Her family hired a lawyer, who made a not guilty defense for her. However, the court refused to release her, and instead threatened to sentence her. The family began to collect signatures to call for people's support in order to rescue her.
We discussed the situation and agreed that we should cooperate with each other to assist with the signature collection, as this was a good opportunity to expose the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong and clarify the truth to more people.
I took several signature collection forms, but had no clue how to start. I thought to have fellow practitioners sign at a group Fa-study site, but only a few practitioners came that day.
I then thought of my son and daughter-in-law, who ran a store. I went to my son's store and asked them to sign the form. The customers in the store heard us talking and were curious about what the form was for. I said, “This is for an elderly woman. She has been detained for several months and is facing sentencing merely because she practices Falun Gong. Her family needs people’s support to rescue her. I hope you can offer your righteous support.” They all nodded and signed the form.
I went to the next store and clarified the facts to the owner and his customers. Everyone put his or her thumb print on the form. I continued to the other stores nearby and people were very supportive. A hardware store owner signed her signature as soon as she heard the words “Falun Gong.” She shouted, “As long as it's for Falun Gong, I’m more than happy to sign my name.” She also told her customers the facts about the persecution and had them sign the form. As a result, I got more than 60 signatures within an hour.
Master said, “On the surface, we’re seeking support for Dafa from the world’s people. This is the thinking of the worldly human side, manifest in this human place. Yet it’s reversed on the other side. Whoever supports Dafa or advocates for Dafa is establishing for himself his being’s existence in the future and is laying a foundation for obtaining the Fa in the future.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference” in Guiding the Voyage)
Practitioner C's story: I’m a young practitioner who started practicing Falun Gong more than 10 years ago. It is under Master’s care that I've made it to where I am today.
A practitioner once asked me how many people I helped quit the CCP. I said, “A little more than 100.” He replied, “It has been nearly 10 years, but you only helped so few people!” I explained, “I’m often reluctant to talk. I’m afraid that others won’t listen to me. Sometimes I don’t know how to start a conversation.” He said, “If you don’t put your heart into it, how could you do it well? In fact, as long as you are willing to clarify the truth and save people, Master will help you for sure.” I felt that this was a hint given by Master. I immediately said, “Master, I will let go of my attachments and step forward to help people understand the truth of Falun Gong.”
One day I was washing my hands at a construction site. A man in his 40s came to the water tap as well. I wondered, “Should I talk to him?” A few seconds later I said, “You look like a well educated person.” He said, “I only finished elementary school.” I continued, “If you joined the Young Pioneers (an affiliate of the CCP) in school, please quit it now to have a safe future.” He asked why. I told him, “The CCP persecutes Falun Dafa, and it is an intolerable injustice. The heaven will punish and eliminate the CCP.” I didn’t say much, but he agreed to quit the CCP’s affiliated organization.
This helped me realize that it is actually not hard to talk to people. It was my human notions and attachments, such as saving face and being afraid of doing things wrong that blocked me from talking to people about Falun Gong before. I must remove the attachments so that I can do well in assisting Master with saving sentient beings. I also realized that Master will help us when we save people, as long as our thoughts are righteous.
Master recently arranged for me to meet many people who I had a predestined relationship with. I told them about Falun Gong and how it's being persecuted and helped them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Sometimes when I met someone, I hesitated to open my mouth. Then Master’s teaching came to my mind,
“When a person manages to understand the truth and be saved, it means that, speaking on a fundamental level, all of the lives in the cosmic system behind him that he represents are saved in conjunction. It means that immeasurable numbers of sentient beings and immense systems--so many lives--are saved.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference”)
I felt the importance of my mission and responsibility. With support from Master, I let go of my attachments and went ahead to help people understand the truth of Falun Gong. People usually did the three withdrawals after hearing a few words. It is really after I got rid of my attachments that my talking to people went smoothly.
Practitioner D would like to share the following: Some practitioners from my area were arrested several years ago. Practitioners tried various means to rescue them. Besides sending forth righteous thoughts to support the rescue efforts, I went to the Domestic Security Division directly to clarify the truth.
My husband who just started practicing Falun Gong came with me to the police department. I walked directly to the office of the head of the Domestic Security Division, who was sitting at his desk. I asked him, “I was arrested by you last year, do you remember?” He was nervous and asked how he could help me. I said, “You took away my MP3 player and haven’t returned it to me.” He said that my items were kept in a warehouse but he didn’t have the key. I then told him the facts about Falun Gong, and said, “You recently arrested good people again. I hope you can release them as soon as possible. Do not persecute good people anymore!” He said that he couldn’t make the decision on his own. I then asked for my MP3 player again. He replied, “Come back the day after tomorrow.”
I went there two days later. As soon as I walked through the gate, I saw him driving away. I went directly to his office and sat there and waited for him. He returned after a while, and I asked for my MP3 player. He led me to their warehouse, where I saw many Dafa books. I took two books and an image of Master. I said to him, “How many bad things you have done! It's very wrong to take practitioners’ Dafa books away.” He couldn’t find my MP3 player and told me it might be held in another place. I saw a copy of Zhuan Falun and said, “I need to bring this book with me.” He asked why. I said, “To study.” He didn’t say a word and followed me out. I managed to take back three Dafa books and one image of Master, and return home safely.
Another practitioner was subjected to persecution last year and the case was sent to the local Procuratorate and court. I went to the responsible government agencies and clarified the truth to each of them. I talked to the officials at the court and demanded the practitioner’s release. They advised me to look for the county politics and law committee, who had the right to make that decision. I went there and tried to talk to their party secretary, but I couldn’t meet with him. In the end, I wrote a truth clarification letter and hand delivered it to his assistant.
I managed to speak with many government agencies about Falun Gong in the past few years. I realized that as long as I’m in the Fa, the old forces cannot interfere with me. It is as what Master told us,
“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”)
Practitioner E's story: I live in the county and I’m in my 60s. I used to be attached to the notions that I developed in everyday life and considered what was right in my opinion as correct. This caused a lot of conflicts between me and fellow practitioners.
A practitioner once didn’t pronounce a word correctly during Fa-study. I felt her pronunciation may sound like a word that contained a different meaning from the Fa, so I pointed it out. I thought that by correcting her I was defending Dafa. However, she kept debating with me, which caused my competitive mentality to come out. I began to argue with her.
I didn’t realize that it was actually my heart of defending myself that led me to argue with her. The attachment of ego blocked me from fellow practitioners. I looked down on the practitioners who did less on truth clarification. I felt it was unfair if I read fewer paragraphs at group Fa study. When I saw practitioners leaving the Fa-study site together, I suspected they were talking about me behind my back.
One practitioner from a village was busy building a new house, but had some conflicts with ordinary people that led to a lot of interference with the construction. I felt we should help each other. So I brought the issue up at the Fa-study group and asked everyone to share opinions. However, the other practitioners said that it was inappropriate to discuss the issue, as it was time for Fa study. I didn’t agree and began to argue with them continuously. In the end, I said to them, “I will not join your group anymore.” I then got up and left the group.
I didn’t realize I should look at my own cultivation, as I was blocked by my ego and notions at that time. One day, I thought of a practitioner who I felt was clear on the Fa principles. I went to share my experience with him. I told him the above stories. The more I talked, the angrier I became.
After I finished talking, he asked me, “Are you still angry?” I felt immediately that his question touched something in me. He continued, “Usually when we argue with each other, we argue for what we think is right; but that’s just one’s own opinion. One may think he or she is defending Dafa, but it is actually defending one’s ego. If one can let go of the competitive mentality and look inward to get rid of attachments, then that is really defending Dafa.” I asked him, “Do I really have those problems?” He said, “No matter what the reason, continuous argument is a reflection of human attachments. Since it has happened, isn’t it a good opportunity to look inward to upgrade your xinxing? Why bother trying to figure out who’s right and who's wrong? This may be Master's arrangement to help expose your attachment.”
I studied the Fa with a concentrated and calm mind after I returned home. My ego became smaller and smaller in front of profound Fa principles. I no longer felt angry or wronged for the past conflicts, and it was as if nothing ever happened.
I went back to our group Fa-study. As soon as I walked in, everyone was applauding me. The energy field was so compassionate and peaceful. I was very touched and almost burst into tears. I was able to talk about some of my attachments and how I was determined to get rid of them. But compassionate Master already removed them for me. It's of utmost importance to look inward. Only when attachments are removed can one feel real happiness. I deeply appreciate Master’s compassion and care, as well as fellow practitioners’ selfless help.
(10th China Fahui on Minghui.org)