(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1996. When I first began, I was really happy. I got up at 4:30 every morning and went to the practice site at 4:50 a.m. to participate in group exercises, never missing a day except in exceptional circumstances. After less than two months, my chronic cholecystitis, enteritis, sinusitis, stomach ulcers, and lumbar strain disappeared. My body was light, I was happier, and I was bathed in the benevolent energy of the Fa.
Starting July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader at the time, Jiang Zemin, launched the persecution of Falun Dafa. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners were, and continue to be, persecuted. I was threatened, but I never gave in. My home was ransacked, and I was sent to labor camps multiple times. As a result, my husband and children were greatly impacted. Because I wouldn't give up my faith, my family, relatives, and friends exerted pressure on me, and eventually, the mental anguish became too much to bear.
Although I still followed Falun Dafa's teachings and did the exercises, I stopped clarifying the truth about Dafa to people for nearly a year. Although I was studying the Fa, doing the exercises, and sending righteous thoughts, I was doing these things in form only. My mind was not on the Fa.
As soon as I got home from work, I turned on the TV to watch my favorite series. I didn’t know that my xinxing level had fallen. Since I could not focus on Fa study, the Fa principles at different levels did not manifest themselves to me, and I couldn't improve my level of cultivation.
One day, a young practitioner came to my house. As we talked about our experiences, she noticed that my state of mind and physical condition were not right. Although this practitioner did not see me often, we knew each other very well and she treated me with respect, like an elder. But that day, she spoke to me very candidly, and I could see she was worried about my cultivation state.
She said, “When I first started to practice, I wasn’t very diligent. You once said to me that there is really no point in living in the world without Dafa. I listened to you, and after that, I became more diligent.
“But today, I see that your cultivation state is not as good as it used to be. To put it politely, you have fallen. Master Li asks us to look inward when we encounter problems, so why don’t you look to see why you have fallen? Are there any attachments that you cannot let go of?”
At first, I didn’t quite accept her well-intentioned words. Although I didn’t say it, I was thinking, “I have experienced much more than you.” But because her words were selfless and entirely for my benefit, they had an impact on me.
I realized that I was afraid of being arrested again. That fear was a roadblock on my way forward in cultivation. I told her about my fear. The more fear I had, the less diligent my practice would be; the more comfortable my life, the less righteous thoughts I would have. This was why the old forces were able to take control and exploit my situation.
My fears were the root cause of my cultivation problems. I then consciously worked on suppressing, changing, and overcoming fear from the bottom of my heart.
Master said,
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
At that time, I was busy at work. But as soon as I got home, I tried to squeeze in as much time as I could to study the Fa, do the exercises, and send righteous thoughts. The fear gradually went away, and slowly I began to go out and talk with people about Falun Dafa and help save them.
My family lives in the countryside, and I work in the city. I am familiar with the environment of rural life. Every week, I would go into the village with other practitioners and distribute information about Falun Dafa door-to-door.
This continued until the outbreak of the CCP virus (coronavirus). I tried to participate in the weddings and funerals of relatives and friends. I used those opportunities to tell people the facts about Dafa and persuade them to quit the CCP and its organizations so they would have a better future. I spent my own money to print informative pamphlets about the persecution for many years.
Master said,
“But as I just indicated, having made it through to the final phase, we should do even better at what we are supposed to do, for things are all the more critical toward the end.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2019 New York Fa Conference”)
After the outbreak of the CCP virus, the roads were closed in many places around the country. With travel being restricted, I talked with people I ran into about Falun Dafa and gave out pamphlets whenever possible. I talked to people on the way to pick up my grandchildren from elementary school every day. In a big market in the countryside, I didn’t miss any opportunities to tell people the facts.
In recent years, cameras have been posted up and down the streets and alleys to monitor people. As long as we are in a good cultivation state, Master is protecting us. Oftentimes, when I was ready to post a Dafa banner, I noticed hidden surveillance cameras and would choose a different spot.
More than 10 years have passed. Thanks to other practitioners’ help and sharing their experiences, I have come this far in cultivation. I have truly experienced the power of cooperation among the “one body” of Dafa practitioners!
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Category: Improving Oneself
