(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master and fellow practitioners!
I obtained the Fa and started to cultivate in Falun Dafa in September 1995. On September 14, 2011, I came to Canberra from China and continued to cultivate in Australia.
Before immigrating to Australia I had already been cultivating in China for 16 years. During that time, I went through the initial happiness of obtaining Dafa, the excitement of knowing that I have the chance to return to where I truly came from, and the amazing rebirth of my life after elevating my moral values.
Cultivating Solidly and Adapting to the Foreign Environment
Australia’s cultivation environment is different from that in China. I’m not only referring to the ability to freely cultivate in this society. But, it also includes the relationship between the practitioners within the cultivation group who came from different places and social strata. As our societal relationship, cultural background, education level, environment where we grew up, and life ideologies are different, we had to learn to understand and accommodate each other. However, I understand that no matter where I am, I need to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.
Learning the Ropes in a New Environment
When I first came to Canberra, I was expecting and hoping for practitioners to find me to do the three things together. I even voluntarily announced to everyone after the big group Fa study on Saturday, “I have just arrived in this country, and I do not work at this time. Thus, I have a lot of time to be involved in truth clarification work.”
However, one week passed by and no one approached me. Two weeks later, nobody made any arrangements for me to do anything. Three weeks later, nothing had changed. I told Master in my heart, “Master, I am staying in Australia so that I can cultivate properly, but no practitioners have approached me – what should I do?” Just then, a sentence suddenly appeared in my mind, “Cultivation is your own affair, and nobody else can do it for you.” (“Determination,” Essentials for Further Advancement). I suddenly understood that Master was reminding me that we should not wait for others to help us in our cultivation. We need to take the initiative to do it.
However, how do I take the initiative? I do not know anything, I do not speak English, do not know how to take the public transportation, do not know my way around the area, and could not remember my address well.
By chance, I had the opportunity to ask a practitioner whether there are very few truth-clarifying jobs here. But, from the information I found in China, I thought that there are many truth-clarifying jobs to be done overseas. The practitioner replied to me, “If you want to do truth-clarifying, it is a good thing, you can go to the lake side or the Chinese embassy. There are practitioners there.” This was good information for me. Later, when recalling my cultivation path, I realized that Master let me once again understand a Fa principle – which is waiting and relying on others is actually the attachment of seeking comfort.
Since then, apart from house chores and making meals for my family, I went to the lakeside, and the Chinese embassy, to distribute Shen Yun fliers, and to send forth righteous thoughts. As I often clarified the truth with other practitioners, I was gradually able to merge into the Canberra overall cultivation environment. I understood that I could not relax as Dafa is still being maligned by the evil. Many practitioners are still being cruelly persecuted in China. Practitioners are still clarifying the truth despite great difficulties and there are also many sentient beings who are being deceived by the malicious lies. The purpose of my life on Earth is for the Fa.
I began thinking that I should also make phone calls on the platform. However, as I was worried that I could not speak well, and I was also afraid that I would be reviled by people during the calls, I kept hesitating and did not start making calls. With the help of fellow practitioners, I was finally able to let go of my many worries and participate in the project to make automatic truth-clarifying calls on the mobile phone in May 2020. At first, I brought 2 mobile phones. Within less than a month’s time, I received many SMS [short message service] replies from Chinese people. This tells me that they have received the truth-clarifying calls, which made my confidence rise, and I bought another 2 mobile phones.
When monitoring the phones as they make the calls, I discovered a phenomenon. If I was able to do the three things well, maintain my cultivation state, and follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, I would receive many replies. If I did not do those things well, I received few or no replies. I understood that all these matters are closely related to my cultivation state – everything happens for a reason.
Some time earlier, there were more than 2 weeks when I did not receive any SMS replies from China. Just as I was pondering and worrying about it, Master arranged for practitioners to come and help me improve my xinxing. After I let go of my attachments and looked within without any condition, I received SMS replies again. I understood that only when I keep cultivating well, improved my xinxing, and elevated my realm was I able to awaken the conscience of more sentient beings.
I thought, since I had already participated in some truth-clarification projects, I did not need to participate in every project. However, one day, when I was writing a special topic program for Sound of Hope, which talks about how people can maintain good health, I realized that these projects are just like the different organs in our body. Every organ is essential as only through their mutual coordination would we have a healthy body that is full of righteous energy. Comparing this to the truth-clarifying projects in the human society, every project has its reason for existing. Therefore, I must change my perception and participate and cooperate well.
Maintaining Righteous Thoughts When Experiencing Illness Tribulations
Once, my arm and wrist were numb due to long periods of intense work. Through my cultivation for so many years, I normally would not tell my family members, who are not practitioners, when I am going through illness tribulation. However, this time, they all know without me having to tell them, because my arm not only was numb but also painful. My husband watched from one side and said, “Okay, this time your arm is crippled. There is no way to treat this problem. Don’t you get it? This means that you are disabled.” I was not moved by his words, but my arm still hurt. I did not know what to do.
Just then, the house rental contract was up, and we were asked to move. Therefore, all of us needed to help clean the house. There were seven people who co-rented this house. During normal times, the housekeeping has always been done by me. However, now that the problem with my arm prevented me from cleaning the house before leaving, my husband volunteered to clean the house.
When I returned home from work, I saw that the living room, kitchen, and bedroom were a mess. Three of the tenants had already moved out while my husband was sleeping. I woke him up gently and asked him what happened? He said that after I left for work, he did not know where to start. He felt that the pressure was too big. He said that since nobody else cares about it, we should not care about it. I smiled and comforted him, after which I started to clean the house.
I know that I am a practitioner, so I should think of others’ needs first. Since I can tolerate the pain I can also do the cleaning. This is the standard of a cultivator and it is also the process of giving up the attachments of personal gains and selfishness. Therefore, I used the stiff and painful hand to do the cleaning and did not complain.
When I was done it was 10.30 p.m. I felt that something blew on my wrist lightly, and the pain immediately disappeared! I stood there not knowing what to do. I pinched myself and confirmed that this is really happening. I touched my wrist again and it was no longer painful, and I could move it. Then, my husband woke up and walked out of the bedroom. He saw me standing there and that the kitchen was so clean and tidy. So he said loudly, “You do not want your life anymore? You do not want your arm anymore? Who asked you to do all that? Why did you not listen to what I said?”
I smiled and said to him, “Hey, look at my arm, look at my wrist – I have recovered.” My husband asked, “How did they recover?” I said, “They recovered just before you walked out of the bedroom. My Master cured it for me.” My husband did not say anything. He was no longer angry, but just went into deep thought. For the next few days, my husband kept asking me if my arm and wrist were still painful and I told him that I no longer hurt at all. I also told him that I became stronger. Master gave me strength after I passed this xinxing tribulation so that I could do this job that required physical strength.
During the past six years benevolent Master helped me increase my strength many times after I passed a xinxing tribulation. Master helped me to change from a weak person without much strength to a strong person. I was able to earn a living doing jobs that require physical strength, the only type of job I could get in Australia without knowing how to speak good English.
Last June, I came down with shingles. The inner side of my right leg was covered with blisters. I understood that this is just a fake display. On the fifth day, when I woke up in the morning, my leg could not even move an inch. My whole leg was swollen and I couldn't move. It was as if my leg had become detached from my body. I wondered how I could overcome this illusion. I thought that the movement inch by inch just now is something that even normal people with grave illness can also accomplish in order to survive. This is only a form of test of my determination and strength. It cannot be said to be a cultivator's righteous thoughts.
Master said,
“If you are a true cultivator, our Falun will safeguard you. I am rooted in the universe. If anyone could harm you, he or she would be able to harm this universe.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
“If a debt is owed, it must be paid. Therefore, some dangerous things may occur in the course of cultivation. When these things take place, however, you will not be scared, and neither will real danger be allowed to happen to you.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
I stood there and thought: Do I think of myself as a true cultivator? I quickly looked back on my cultivation path and used the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance to measure myself again and again. I confirmed that I am a true cultivator. I know that Master is protecting me and I will not meet with any danger. Therefore, I asked for Master’s empowerment. At that moment, a thought that this was an illusion came to my mind. Since this is an illusion, what is there to worry about? If I need to walk, I walk. If I need to do something, I do something. My leg should be controlled by myself and not by the fear of pain, nor the old forces. I immediately left for work. It was amazing! In the end, I was able to successfully complete the day’s work.
Since that day, despite the karma continuing to spread through my body, I was able to do my work. One week later, the blisters even started to appear on my body and face. Before that, during the night, I could not sleep due to the pain in my leg, but I was able to close my eyes and lie down to send forth righteous thoughts continuously.
I kept sending forth righteous thoughts, persisted in Fa study, and kept reminding myself with righteous thoughts that this is an illusion. I went to work, sent forth righteous thoughts, did the exercises (although I could only place my left leg in the meditation position), and studied the Fa. When I was studying the Fa, I had to memorize every sentence a few times before I could finally understand the meaning of that sentence. I was not discouraged as I knew that Master was by my side, looking after and protecting me. It was just that this tribulation required me to take the initiative to cultivate myself before it could be resolved.
Within less than 20 days, this karma finally vanished completely and I returned back to normal. This karma transformation experience made me faintly feel that my cultivation speed is way too slow.
I was determined to regain the initial spirit when I first started cultivating. I reminded myself that I needed to do well with the three things instead of doing them while leading a good life. Returning to my original true self is the actual purpose of my life.
Thank you, Master and fellow practitioners!
(2021 International Online Fa Conference)
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