(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master. Greetings, fellow practitioners.
I obtained the Fa in March 1996. I have maintained daily Fa study and exercises ever since. I was so happy and relaxed, as all my diseases disappeared shortly after I started cultivation.
After the persecution started on July 20, 1999, I personally experienced the evilness of the communist regime’s suppression of Falun Gong. I was illegally arrested twice and suffered torture during illegal detentions. Thanks to Master’s protection and fellow practitioners’ rescue efforts, I was able to return home.
Although it seemed that I had regained freedom, the police still tracked and monitored me. My daughter in America asked me to leave China as soon as possible, so I came to the US and started a new chapter of cultivation during the Fa-rectification.
Here, I can freely practice, clarify the facts without interference, and expose the CCP’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. As time went by, I got to know more and more persecution facts. I realized that being outside of China, we bear the great responsibility of exposing the CCP’s atrocities and to help alleviate the persecution of practitioners in China.
Joining the Signature Drive
I learned about the CCP’s live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners after I got to the United States. I felt extremely sad when I initially heard the news, as if my own organs were being ripped out.
I decided that I must clarify the truth to the Chinese people as well as Americans to expose this unprecedented evil, and offer salvation to people with predestined relationships by rallying their support to end this crime against humanity.
Falun Gong practitioners’ rational and peaceful resistance to the persecution has lasted for 15 years. In addition to calling Chinese people to help them to quit the communist organizations and help with Shen Yun promotions, I have participated in the signature collection efforts to stop organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.
When I first joined the effort, I didn't think I would be able to personally collect signatures, as I don't speak English. So another elderly practitioner and I just demonstrated the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts to help clear the field, as English-speaking practitioners collected signatures.
Master said:
“If the vast majority of the people in this world today have really come from high levels to obtain the Fa, think about it—they aren’t just some simple beings, then. Even a Tathagata represents a gigantic group of beings. But they aren’t limited to Tathagatas—those who’ve come to the human world all have great abilities. Many cosmic bodies’ Kings and Lords have come here, and they represent gigantic cosmic bodies.” (“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
Thinking of Master’s teachings and seeing people passing by without signing the petition, I sensed the urgency. I couldn’t fall asleep after going home. What should I do?
Master said in “Rational and Awake” in Hong Yin Volume II:
“Pause for a moment of self-reflection, and increase your righteous thoughts Thoroughly analyze your shortcomings, and progress with renewed diligence”
I got up and searched for cardboard boxes and wooden sticks to make my own display panels for signature collection. The big ones can be placed on the ground with a support for people to read the facts; the small ones can be held in the hand to collect signatures.
I taped on the panels printed documents with vivid and detailed facts that fellow practitioners made. From then on, I started the cultivation process of collecting signatures to stop organ harvesting.
Breaking Through My Notions
I am a senior citizen who cannot speak English or drive. I have to ask others to drive me to places, and I don’t want to incur a burden for young practitioners. However, for the sake of saving people, I should let go of this concern.
During large-scale events, such as auto shows in Birmingham and art festivals in Ann Arbor that many mainstream American people attend, those of us living in the senior apartments would call around to other practitioners to give us a ride. At the events, we exposed the CCP’s atrocities and called on people’s conscience.
Take the recent Ann Arbor Art Festival for example, here is what I did: I put the big display panel on the ground standing, and held a few small boards in my hand so that several people could sign simultaneously.
I kept moving from one place to another to find more people. I would start with a simple “hello” to draw attention, and then I would hand them the board and flyer to inform them of the reason for the petition. People understood it right away by reading the flyer.
Although I could not understand what they said, I could tell they were very sad. An older lady even burst into tears after reading the flyer. I could feel her sympathy towards practitioners.
After signing the petition, some would bring their families to sign; some had passed me, saw the big display panel and came back to sign. I really felt happy for those kindhearted people. In addition to speaking to visitors, I also stopped by each booth to collect signatures.
Many booth owners also signed right away after reading the flyers and oftentimes customers at the booth would sign the petition, too. The whole process went smoothly, as if those people were waiting for us to find them. I gradually broke through the notion that elderly practitioners couldn't collect signatures due to their inability to speak English.
I collected 315 signatures on that day. I enlightened that as long as one has the heart to do it, one can achieve it. Ultimately, all are done by Master.
Looking Inward and Dissolving Danger
Cultivation is serious. Cultivation during the Fa-rectification period is even more serious. We should constantly remind ourselves not to indulge in human thoughts. When I attend truth-clarification activities and make phone calls to help Chinese people quit communist organizations, I often remind myself to stay righteous.
In the minutiae of daily lives, however, I sometimes forget that I am a practitioner. Here is a lesson.
One morning in July, I wanted my husband to help me remove the rust on a pot, but his friend asked to help repair a car. I was not happy and thought, “You want my husband to help repair your car, then you should help me remove the rust.”
I lifted the pot and “bang,” I suddenly fell to the ground. My foot and hand both swelled up, and my ribs also hurt. I had pain all over my body and felt that I had a fever instantly.
I immediately realized that I was wrong. Master told us that as a cultivator, if we fall down, we should enlighten to it. I shouted out, “Master, I was wrong, I was wrong!” I realized that I was very selfish and even wanted to bargain to trade for a small favor.
I started to send forth righteous thoughts right away, “I am a disciple of the Lord of Buddhas. I do not allow the old forces to persecute me even though I have omissions. I do not acknowledge anything that my Master doesn’t acknowledge.”
Since I looked inward and negated the old force’s arrangement, the pain quickly disappeared. I continued to do housework. This was a profound lesson for me.
We should always be vigilant of interference from human notions and attachments, so as not to leave loopholes for the old forces to take advantage of.
Lastly, I’d like to revisit with my fellow practitioners the first paragraph of Master’s “Lunyu” in Zhuan Falun:
“'The Buddha Fa' is most profound; among all the theories in the world, it is the most intricate and extraordinary science. In order to explore this domain, humankind must fundamentally change its conventional thinking. Otherwise, the truth of the universe will forever remain a mystery to humankind, and everyday people will forever crawl within the boundary delimited by their own ignorance.”
Let’s fundamentally change our conventional thinking, strive forward together firmly and diligently, and save more sentient beings to be worthy of Master's merciful salvation!
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
(Shared at the 2014 Mid-USA Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference)
