(Clearwisdom.net) On January 4, 2009, more than one thousand Falun Dafa practitioners gathered at the Camberwell City Hall in Melbourne, Australia, to attend the annual Australia Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference. Over a dozen practitioners from across Australia shared their cultivation experiences, understanding and insights. Among the speakers were new practitioners who just started the cultivation, veteran practitioners who have cultivated for over a dozen years, elderly practitioners in their 70s, and a young practitioner who is only seven years old. In their sharing, they talked about how they abide by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their everyday life and cultivate their xinxing to improve themselves. They also talked about how, during the nine- year resistance to the persecution, they remained firm in their belief in Master and the Fa, overcame all kinds of tribulations and pressure, put saving sentient beings as the top priority, and took every possible opportunity to clarify the facts and offer salvation to people. Their sincere and unselfish sharing of their cultivation experiences touched the hearts of the audience members.
Australia Falun Dafa practitioners held a cultivation experience sharing conference at Camberwell City Hall in Melbourne
Practitioners share their cultivation experience
Seven-year-old practitioner shares her cultivation experience
A solemn and peaceful atmosphere permeated the main hall of the Fa conference. The image with Master's picture was arranged in the center, and on both sides were two vertical banners, each bearing one verse of a poem in Hong Yin Volume II:
"Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in spring
Righteous thoughts can save the people in this world" ("The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos")
An elderly practitioner in her 70s convinces 1200 people to quit the CCP in a year
Seventy-six year-old practitioner Ms. Zhu Yufang from Melbourne told of her cultivation experience in "clarifying the facts" and exhorting Chinese people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations (also called "Three Withdrawals").
Before practicing Falun Gong, Ms. Zhu had had her breasts removed because of cancer, and also had two-thirds of her stomach and gall bladder removed. She said, "In the past year, with Master's strengthening and help, I put saving people as top priority in my everyday life. I seized the time to rescue people. Whether in front of the Chinese Consulate, at the Quitting-the-CCP center, at tourist sites or riding a bus or walking on streets, whenever I came across Chinese people, I clarified the facts to them and exhorted them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. "
From last year till now, she has convinced 1200 people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. She said, "In the beginning, I trembled as soon as I picked up the phone, and stuttered when I read to the other side of the phone from my prepared written information. Now I can freely clarify the facts to Chinese compatriots and ask them to quit the CCP. This was unimaginable for me in the past. Now, my health has not deteriorated, instead, I have become strong and healthy. I can go out to clarify the facts and tell people about the 'Three Withdrawals' every day. All this is due to Dafa's blessing and Master's protection and strengthening."
Ms. Zhu also shared how she got rid of jealousy. She said that she sometimes felt uneasy if she saw other practitioners doing well in promoting the "Three Withdrawals." She found it was a strong jealousy, and realized that it was not what her true self wanted. So whenever she felt jealous, she asked Master to strengthen her to be able to get rid of this acquired notion, and not allow it to affect her truth clarification efforts. At the same time, whenever she noticed her attachment, she would not ignore it, but would dig out its root, and ultimately abandoned it, so that her mind remains pure and clean when doing the three things.
Offering salvation to precious Chinese people
As the CCP blocks the flow of information via TV, radio and Internet, the Chinese people in China have been prevented from knowing the truth. At this special historic moment, the telephone becomes a Fa implement that clarifies the facts to Chinese people in China. Practitioners in Sydney's Telephone Group have been making phone calls to Chinese people in China for several years, from at least one or two hours each day to three or four hours at most. In the past two years, the practitioners in the telephone group have been holding a Fa-study and exchange session on Thursday evenings. They improved through discussing with each other their experiences of making phone calls to Chinese people.
An elderly practitioner shared that once on her way home after having participated in a Fa-validation activity, being thirsty and hungry, she came to a bread store and wanted to buy some bread. Upon seeing that the cheapest bread was one dollar, she gave up her idea and returned home. She said, "I was really unwilling to pay one dollar for some bread, because I can make many phone calls with one dollar."
On another occasion, the numbers that a practitioner was assigned were all cell phone numbers. It is expensive to make a call to a cell phone with some phone cards. The practitioner wanted to change cell phone numbers to fixed-line telephone numbers. Later, the practitioner shared her understanding, "I suddenly realized that I still had an attachment to money. I felt I should improve myself. Since I want to save people, I can't be attached to money. The same night, I made phone calls to people on their cell phones in China and convinced eleven people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I understand that Master encouraged me and confirmed that I did the right thing."
Not only in making phone calls, when meeting with anybody or doing anything in our everyday life, if we keep in mind that we are rescuing people, not only doing things, than we may make use of all forms possible to offer salvation to more sentient beings.
Being saved in the nick of time, starting cultivation and walking on the path of offering salvations to people
Two new practitioners recalled their experiences when they were in China. One practitioner suffered a serious illness and wanted to commit suicide because he could not endure the tremendous pain,The other practitioner grieved over the loss of her beloved family member. After immigrating to Australia, they both were fortunate enough to obtain the Fa. Since then, their views on life have thoroughly changed, and they gradually realized that they are Dafa disciples who walk on the path of cultivation. They are grateful for revered Master's compassion and arduous salvation.
Mr. Gui is in his 50s, and just started practicing Falun Gong several months ago. Before immigrating to Australia from China, he had suffered a terminal disease. He was tired of this earthly life, and often thought of committing suicide. His family and life were gloomy. After arriving in Australia, he came across The Epoch Times newspaper and came to know about Falun Gong. Through reading Zhuan Falun, he was suddenly enlightened, and all his illnesses were cured, including his depression. He has fundamentally changed since then. He saw hope again. When thinking of practitioners in China who are slandered and smeared, and many practitioners are enduring the persecution he also picked up the phone and began making phone calls to the facilities where Falun Gong practitioners are held and persecuted. His phone calls subdue the evil and help predestined people learn the facts.
Melbourne practitioner Ms. Yu is nearly 70 years old. Before immigrating to Australia, her husband had had cancer and passed away. It had a great impact on her. She was thus plunged into despair and grief. It seemed that she had lost everything. Some practitioners in China persuaded her to practice Falun Gong, but because of the harsh environment, she did not start reading Zhuan Falun until she came to Australia.
Fa-study and the exercises helped her both physically and mentally. She let go of these emotional grievances, and became stronger and younger. Black hair can be seen growing out of her white hair, and her monthly period has returned. She and her family witnessed Dafa's miraculous effects and greatness through all these actual changes. She overcame the attachment to fear one month after she began cultivation. She now distribute newspapers, clarifies the facts, and at the same time, makes phone calls to friends and colleagues in China, asking them to do the "Three Withdrawal."
Righteous thoughts shocked the head of evil to flee
Frank, a practitioner from Queensland, recalled his experience when the Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party's Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, Zhou Yongkang visited Australia. Frank let go of all his notions and flew to Sydney from Queensland. In a seemingly impossible circumstance, he met Zhou, one of the chief culprits in the persecution of Falun Gong at the gate of the hotel. Frank immediately shouted loudly, "Zhou Yongkang, Murderer! Falun Dafa Is Good!" Zhou was appalled and immediately got into a car to escape.
Looking within, balancing relationships in family
Practitioner Kay is the mother of two children. She shared how she balanced relationships in her family. Living with non practitioner family members, she realized that it is important to cultivate while conforming to the state of everyday society, so the non practitioners can understand what she does, and further respect Dafa and her effort in clarifying the facts and offering salvation to people. After having gone through some difficulties, she constantly looked within, dug out her attachment to emotions and selfishness, and strove forward diligently. She can better balance her everyday life and her cultivation now.
Finding shortcomings through communication and striving forward diligently together
Many young practitioners' parents got inspiration from a seven-year-old practitioner's sharing. Some said that they will help their children do well the "three things," studying the Fa, doing the exercises and doing Fa-validation work.
The Fa conference concluded at 5:30 p.m.
