(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master and fellow practitioners!
Since I was a child, my mother was a seeker of different spiritual practices, among which there were metaphysical readings. Therefore, starting at an early age, I was attracted to the ancient teachings that speak about the true meaning of life.
During my adolescence, I suffered from depression, leading to addiction. I wore my hair long and dressed in hippie style clothes. I walked with a drum and sang for people. Although on the surface I appeared to be a positive and cheerful young man, there was a constant emptiness and sadness in my heart.
During a trip to South America, I was taught indigenous rituals with the use of plants, and other types of meditations. Thus, I experienced a change and my outlook improved. Upon my return to Mexico, I no longer associated with my old and harmful friends and let go of bad habits. However, after two years, I returned to the old me and it seemed that nothing had changed after all.
When I was introduced to Falun Dafa, I was going through a difficult time. What started out as a conflict-free relationship turned into constant disagreements and discussions. Although I had stopped drinking alcohol or smoking, I restarted these discarded problems and was destroying myself.
During a Chinese medicine conference in my hometown, I learned about the cultivation practice of Falun Dafa. After I returned from the restroom, my mother told me that I missed the discussion about a very good qigong technique. People that appeared to be Chinese introduced a book. They spoke briefly about this technique, and then they sold all the books immediately. I was looking for you to see if you were interested and give you this book as a gift for having achieved your acupuncture career, but they sold all books very fast. However, they promised to bring some more books before the end of this conference.”
I got and read the book Zhuan Falun. I was moved by the depth of the teachings. After having searched for so long, I finally found what I had been looking for. The Master’s words were not arrogant or disrespectful but had a directness that was powerful. There was great compassion and infinite wisdom. I felt that the book spoke the truth, which told me that I finally met up with a great living Buddha.
At first, I felt fear and nostalgia, because I knew taking this path was not easy and the task was monumental. But, after learning of the Great Law of the Cosmos there was no turning back and the life as an everyday person no longer made sense. I was determined to follow this path.
Master said,“The entire human society is on the same level. From the perspective of supernormal abilities or of the great enlightened beings, these lives should have been destroyed upon falling to this level. Out of their benevolent compassion, however, the great enlightened beings gave them one more chance and constructed this special environment and unique dimension.” (Zhuan Falun)
“One should return to one’s original, true self; this is the real purpose of being human. Therefore, once a person wants to practice cultivation, his or her Buddha-nature is considered to have come forth.” (Zhuan Falun)
When I read the above Fa for the first time, I was struck by the Master telling us the present state of humanity and the compassion that the great enlightened beings hold for us. It gives us the opportunity to return to our origins. Then, I understood that I had in my hands the true guidance to achieve this.
Without any effort, I could let go of my addictions to alcohol and smoking. I no longer was depressed, but instead, I felt great inner peace for the first time in my life.
Since I did not know any practitioners, I learned the exercises from Master's instruction video and I felt tranquil, as well as energy going through my body. I experienced exactly what I had read in Zhuan Falun. I had no doubt that this was a really powerful practice and thus wanted to share it with my friends and family.
When I began to practice the exercises, I was in the southern mountains of Mexico, in a community where we drank water from a spring. Shortly before returning to my city, I began to experience symptoms as if I had intestinal parasites, as did others in the community. These symptoms continued for more than a month. I took herbal and homeopathic treatments, but when I thought I was close to being well again, I had diarrhea. My family began to worry, because I lost a lot of weight and was very weak. Then I read Lecture Two in Zhuan Falun.
Master said,
“With this body, it is impossible for you not to have any reactions when it is purified all at once. Thus, you will have reactions. Some people will throw up and have loose bowels.” (Zhuan Falun)
My mind became clear, and I understood that I was not ill, but my body was being purified, and this was a test to see if I really accepted this Fa as truth. Besides, it showed that I could endure a little suffering. After I understood this Fa truth, the illness symptoms disappeared.
After reading Master’s lectures and articles, I understood the importance of bringing this practice to others, so I invited some of my friends to a park to practice the exercises. At the beginning, I did not know anything about how to teach the exercises and do the practice with a group but based on the video instructions we learned together. Afterwards, I understood that with Master's guidance we established an exercise site and a Fa-study group.
Shortly after, I created a WhatsApp group where I added people interested in the practice. When there were seven people who said that they would come to the practice next Sunday, I felt very happy,
Then, another person, whom I met in a Facebook group, and who had practiced another kind of meditation, joined us. Although his comment was not very positive, I thought, if he could get to know the practice, he would find out that it is really good.
After this person joined our group, he advised us that he had made some modifications to the Falun Dafa method to make it more effective, discrediting Master and His teachings. I focused on being as benevolent and tolerant as possible with him and just spoke about the Fa I had learned by studying Master’s books, without contradicting him. But, his comments were hurtful, and he continued to blaspheme against Dafa. I got scared and some people started leaving the group. He tried to convince me to learn from him and mentioned that we could reach unimaginable heights with the changes he had made to the technique.
Master said,
“Whether it is a Buddha, a Tao, an immortal, or a demon, they should not move your heart. In conducting oneself this way, success is bound to be in sight.” (Zhuan Falun)
I thought that I had attracted a demon because of my unrighteous heart and that I was unconsciously pursuing fame and personal benefits because of my involvement with the practice site. It was something very delicate. I had to go through this test to understand the purity of heart that is needed for transmitting this righteous Fa.
He continued provoking me and suggested that my Teacher prevented me from being rude to him and that I had to endure him. He mocked me, so I just stopped answering his messages and fell asleep. After I woke up, I knew what to do, I had to eliminate him from the group before he continued to cause more damage. After I put my thought into action and removed him from the group and from Facebook, I no longer heard from him.
Master says,
“The evil will soon be completely eliminated, the vile ones in the human world will receive due retribution, and sins can no longer be allowed.” (“Towards Consummation” from Essential for Further Advancement II)
I understood then there was a thin line between forbearance and allowing evil to continue committing sins and doing more harm.
Other practitioners taught me how to send righteous thoughts after some time. I learned the formulas and hand signs and then understood this principle more deeply.
When I talk to people about Falun Dafa, I briefly tell them about my experience and the great positive changes I experienced in my thoughts, concepts, and my entire being. I tell them that Falun Dafa is like an oasis in the desert and that I know of nothing that would compare to it.
I tell people about how the communist regime banned this practice – they felt threatened because there were more people who practiced Falun Dafa than members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I asked them to share this information with their acquaintances so that more people become aware of the crimes committed against Dafa and its practitioners.
(Presented at the 2017 Mexico Fa Conference)