(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1994, really just to improve my health and slow down aging. I only did the exercises without studying the Fa teachings for the first two years. I put all my Dafa books in the warehouse where I worked. The heating system in the warehouse exploded, and all my Dafa books were ruined by the water. I was so sad that I dried the books page by page. It was not until the winter of 1996 that I understood how important it is to study the Fa.
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Dafa in July 1999, I was determined to firmly practice Dafa and safeguard the Fa.
Looking Inward
Practitioner Ban (alias) was always late for appointments. Sometimes I waited for over an hour, but he still didn't show up. He also gossiped about me behind my back and tried to smear my reputation. Other practitioners all knew that he was badmouthing me. His behavior made me angry, so I told him to go away.
I thought about what I’d said and knew that, as a practitioner, I should be compassionate. So I tried to tolerate him and endure it, but it was very difficult.
I could feel my demon nature wanting to get angry with him, but I tried to persevere and forbear. Through studying the Fa I knew that demon nature could prevent one from achieving consummation. I felt that I was improving a little, but then I faced a bigger tribulation.
When I was at Ban’s house, I looked at Master’s portrait and said, “Master, please strengthen me.” Ban said that I was being disrespectful of Master and verbally abused me. I felt wronged but managed to hold back my tears. However, I cried on the way home. I asked myself, “Am I being disrespectful to Master? How can Ban say that?”
I looked inward and wondered whether Ban was right. Wasn’t he indicating that my behavior was somehow disrespectful? I was indeed talking to Master’s portrait casually and asking for blessings. Although I didn’t want to be disrespectful to Master in my mind, my behavior was indeed disrespectful.
But I was still upset about Ban’s remarks and attitude. How could he talk like that? I still didn’t want to admit I was wrong.
I later realized that Ban was right! I can’t accept such negative messages reflected in my mind and claim that Ban was bad because of this or that. He's a Dafa practitioner, and so am I. We are the same—we follow Master.
Ban had raised a point so that I would look at myself. I thank Master and Ban for helping me to look inward. The resentment and anger then disappeared.
Being Isolated by Fellow Practitioners
When a local practitioner was arrested, many practitioners donated money to hire a lawyer. I didn't think the lawyer they chose was suitable and insisted on getting my money back. Other practitioners then isolated me, gossiped about me, and didn’t let me study the Fa with them for nearly a year. This was the most difficult time for me to look inward.
Master said:
“In the past, some people said that it was impossible to succeed in cultivation. How could one succeed in cultivation? [They couldn’t succeed] because that was the biggest obstacle, and nobody was willing to find faults in himself amidst problems. When a person feels hurt, or when he encounters misfortune, it’s really difficult for him to still examine himself and see if he’s done something wrong. If a person can do that, then I’d say that on this path, on this path of cultivation, and for the eternity of his existence, nothing can stop him. It’s truly the case.” (Teachings at the Conference in Singapore)
I didn't try to defend myself or argue during that time. I studied the Fa at home, clarified the truth about Dafa, and did the three things that a practitioner should do.
During the process, I kept thinking about other practitioners’ attitudes toward me. Anger and grievance bothered me from time to time. I knew that as a practitioner I should look inward and let go of my attachments, but the resentment inside of me was as big as a mountain and it was hard to control.
I told myself to discard this thought. I shouted, “I have to be compassionate and kind! I have Master and Dafa! There is nothing else I need!”
I told the old forces, “I am created by Dafa and follow the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. No one can sway me. I don’t want negative thoughts.” The more I shouted, the louder I became.
The resentment weakened, and I was also able to eliminate my attachment to fear this way. Selflessly and unconditionally, I looked for my own problems and not for those in others. I found problems with myself and needed to adjust myself all the time.
Gradually, when I heard others talking about me and my human notions were stirred, I could instantly discover the bad thought and get rid of it. I became able to prevent bad thoughts from controlling me and I managed to stop looking outward.
I realized that I shouldn’t look at a fellow practitioner’s surface layer and negative aspects. We are all Dafa practitioners who followed Master down to the human world. We can comprehend and understand each other and think from others’ perspectives. We can tolerate everything.
I was right to hold on to my principles at that time, but I lacked kindness and understanding. I should have no resentment or hatred. Master allows us to make mistakes in the process of cultivating and also allows us to correct ourselves. I can’t blame other practitioners.
A year later, my mind was calm and we practitioners were again one body.
Being Tolerant of Neighbors
The building where I live provides one toilet for two families. I am fond of cleaning, but the toilet caused me a lot of trouble. It also provided me with many opportunities to improve my xinxing.
I got along well with my old neighbors. I told them about Falun Dafa and helped them to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations.
They later moved away and rented out their apartment. The tenants changed periodically. No matter how many tenants came and went, sharing the toilet was always a problem. If not for me, no one else would clean the toilet after using it. Even after I had just cleaned it, someone messed it up again. They didn’t value my efforts at all.
My mind was full of resentment and negative thoughts, but I still cleaned the toilet. Not only that, I forced myself to tell my neighbors the truth about Falun Dafa in order to help save them because they were sentient beings and I shouldn't look down on them. I studied the Fa more to improve my endurance and kept talking to them about Dafa.
Thus, one family after another came and left. Eight years have passed. I still clean the toilet, but my mind has changed from being full of anger and complaint to being calm and kind.
Master said:
“Do not complainHold on to your kindness” (“Dispelling Your Delusion,” Hong Yin IV)
When people come to seek the truth and leave satisfied, I can only thank Master for giving me this opportunity to cultivate myself and awaken the conscience of more sentient beings.
I have told not only my neighbors but everyone in the entire building about Dafa. They have seen the kindness and compassion of a Dafa practitioner in my everyday words and deeds.
Turning a Negative Impression of Dafa into a Positive One
Practitioner Chen (alias) was behaving improperly while working on a Dafa project and in his life. I raised my concerns to him, hoping that he would change, but the result was not good. He later became bedridden. His family didn’t care for him very well and had bad thoughts about Dafa because of him.
I exchanged my understandings with fellow practitioners. No matter what loopholes Chen had in his cultivation, he was still a practitioner. We thought we should use this situation as an opportunity to clarify the truth to his family.
His family members were unwilling to keep him clean, so we did. I washed his bed linens and pants, cleaned his room, and put the wash out to dry. With other practitioners’ help, I bathed him. Practitioners brought him daily necessities and food. Chen’s family was touched and sincerely said, “Only you Dafa practitioners can do what we can’t!” Five of them accepted our information and quit the CCP.
Chen’s elder brother was strongly against Dafa, but after witnessing what we did, he understood his brother’s behavior couldn’t represent Falun Dafa or other practitioners. He now knows what kind of person a Dafa practitioner is and what Falun Dafa is about.
Chen later passed away, but his family ended up believing that Dafa is good.
Although Chen had shortcomings, we used our compassion to let other people know the truth and correct their misunderstanding about Dafa.
Raising Awareness of Dafa
I have been letting people know about Dafa since 2005. I was the only person in our area doing this at the time. I studied the Fa in the morning and clarified the truth in the afternoon. I was able to help about 10 or more people quit the CCP on a daily basis. There was a danger of being reported or arrested, but with Master’s protection, I never was.
Master gave me wisdom so that I could tell at a glance the profession of the person I was going to talk to.
I once greeted two women and pointed to one of them, saying, “You're a lecturer at a university.” Then I pointed to the other and said, “You're an accountant.”
They were surprised and asked if I was a fortuneteller. “No, I am a Falun Dafa practitioner,” I replied. My celestial eye is not open, so I go by my feelings. Sometimes I can even tell people’s names.
I asked the women if they had heard about quitting the CCP to stay safe and clarified the truth to them. They agreed with what I said and quit the Party.
My compassion could reach down to their microcosm, so I could convince people to quit the CCP within just a few minutes. I think that when our compassion comes forth, we can dissolve the evil’s control over people and help them quit the Party.
Now I say to people, “Life is precious. I hope that you and your family will stay safe through this pandemic. Why is the pandemic here? The CCP is corrupt and persecutes Falun Dafa practitioners. It even harvests the organs of living practitioners for huge profits. Heaven won’t allow it. We have all raised our fists and sworn to give our lives to the Party. But it does all kinds of evil. We can’t be accessories to its crimes. We need to invalidate that pledge we made to be blessed.”
I’ve said the same thing to police officers and others in law enforcement. When I do, I ask Master to strengthen me because I know Master is by my side.
People were waiting in line to board a bus, when I saw a man who looked like a plainclothes police officer standing in the line. His backpack was full of stuff, and half of it was hanging out. I said to him, “Be careful. Your backpack is partly open and things could fall out.”
When he thanked me, I said, “You're welcome. You know, it doesn’t matter what kind of work you do, I hope you and your family can be happy and safe by quitting the CCP.”
He looked at me and asked, “Am I still qualified?”
That told me he had done a lot of bad things. I answered, “As long as you agree to quit, gods will save you. If you align with Dafa, Dafa will save you. Then you can stay safe. I hope you will gain happiness and inner peace.” He told me his real name and used it to quit the CCP.
Lockdown
My city was in lockdown due to the pandemic, so there weren't many people out and about, but I still went outside at one p.m. I spoke to whoever I saw. Awakening people’s conscience is the only thing on my mind. Locking down the city won’t stop me.
There is a place where college students often pass by, so I go there to clarify the truth. Many of them agree to quit the CCP’s organizations. I told a girl with flowers in her hand about Falun Dafa. After hearing what I had to say, she insisted on giving me the flowers.
Some people invited me for a meal and some kept thanking me after they accepted my words about Falun Dafa. Some wanted Dafa amulets, some repeatedly said, “Falun Dafa is good.”
All beings have a knowing side. Once people understand the truth, they generally express their gratitude.
Clarifying the Truth to 610 Office Agents and Domestic Security Officers
When many practitioners were released from prison over the past few years, local 610 Office agents, domestic security or police officers often went there to pick them up and continued to persecute them.
Fellow practitioners exchanged their understandings, and we all realized that we couldn’t allow this evil arrangement to continue. We had to pick up the practitioners to keep them from being taken away again.
There was a male practitioner Kim (an alias) who was incarcerated in another city. On the day of his release, we drove there in two cars and parked in front of the prison.
Agents from the 610 Office and police officers from Kim’s hometown were there, too. Seven tall, strong men got out. I was scared and my heart started jumping. A battle between good and evil had begun in another dimension.
We walked to the entrance of the prison and I clarified the truth to the guard who had escorted Kim out. I said, “I hope you treat Falun Dafa practitioners kindly, as you will be rewarded with good fortune. Have you even joined the CCP? You look kind. Can I help you to quit the Party?” He agreed. I asked him to hand Kim over to us and not to the police.
After Kim changed his clothes, the three of us held Kim and hurried to our car. Domestic security officers blocked our car so we couldn’t leave. They took photos, videoed us, and threatened to have us arrested.
Another female practitioner and I were already in the car, while a male practitioner was calmly but firmly talking to them. Seeing this, I was suddenly no longer scared. I thought to myself, “What am I doing? Dafa practitioners are not afraid of evil!” I got out of the car and began to talk to the police as well.
After a while, three officers from the local police station arrived. One of them said, “I’m not afraid of being exposed. I will beat you practitioners until the end.”
I looked at him and said, “You still have a chance. Don’t do bad deeds. Treat Dafa practitioners kindly, and you will stay safe and have a good life. Remember 'Falun Dafa is good' and it will help you to have a good future.” I clarified the truth to them in turn.
Some officers were sitting in their car. I opened the door and told them, “You are all good people. I understand your work. We are also good people. Stop persecuting Dafa practitioners and leave a way out for yourselves.”
Master said:
“So, regardless of the setting or circumstances in which you run into problems, you must maintain a compassionate and merciful heart in handling everything. If you cannot love your enemy, then you cannot reach Consummation.” (Teachings at the Conference in Australia)
I told the policewoman, “Sister, don’t do this. Dafa practitioners are all good people. Treat them kindly and you will be rewarded. The CCP is violating the law to persecute Falun Dafa. Can you put your life at stake for them? I hope you will have a good future.”
We practitioners began to surround them while clarifying the truth. They gradually softened their attitude and let us drive away, but they followed us in their cars.
We drove to an empty house and invited them for a meal. They refused and soon left.
We realized that Master was by our side. When our compassion came forth and our righteous thoughts were strong, Master took care of the rest.
There was a female practitioner who was illegally sentenced. She firmly believed in Dafa while in prison. The prison officials refused to release her when her sentence ended. We went there and clarified the truth to the prison director. He finally agreed to release her. We went to the prison and applauded when we saw her leave. A guard said, “This Falun Dafa is so powerful. They even rushed to the prison to applaud you.”
When fellow practitioners were released, we would go to the prison to pick them up and not let them be taken away by the police or 610 Office agents. At the same time, we clarified the truth to them. Some were local, while others were from different cities.
They were fierce at first. They took pictures and videoed us. We just clarified the truth to them with compassion. Later, they were afraid to see us and dared not take the released practitioners. Some of them even quit the CCP.
Closing
Believe in Master and always look inward to correct oneself. Only compassion and righteous thoughts can dissolve all evil.
I appreciate how Master changed the lowly person that I was into a Dafa practitioner. I was selfish and full of demon nature. Dafa cleansed me bit by bit and let me know what a good person is, what a cultivator is, and how to become a true Dafa practitioner.
I gradually understood what compassion is and how to cultivate compassion. I also realized that the purpose of my life is to awaken the conscience of sentient beings.
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Category: Improving Oneself
