Shared at a recent Experience Sharing Conference in Melbourne, Australia
(Clearwisdom.net) My wife and I came to Australia from England just over three years ago. We were fortunate to obtain the Fa almost two years ago. Now, on the eve of our departure back to England, we have had the opportunity to look back over these last two years of our lives as Dafa disciples and reflect on some of the experiences we have had and changes we have gone through.
We found the Fa through an elderly Chinese practitioner who gave us a pamphlet. We were walking through Melbourne when there was an activity in City Square. There was an anti-torture display that we did not notice at all. I only saw a group of people doing some kind of exercise, and then we were given a pamphlet.
As I look back on this and the other events, I would like to share that I am reminded of the compassion that flows from Dafa. I have realized more fully that I should not treat events that occur or people I meet as mere coincidences and how selfishness affects my ability to consider myself a Dafa disciple at all times. Moreover, overcoming these notions enables good things to happen.
During this year's Chinese New Year celebrations in Melbourne I was helping at our stall in the city. I was wearing a gold exercise suit for the exercise demonstration that I kept on throughout the day. We needed a few small things to help with decorating the stall and getting everything set up, so I went over to a news stand to buy a few things. I ended up having to go back and forth several times, and I thought that I should tell the shop owner about Falun Dafa. The next time I went over I took a pamphlet with me. Just as I was walking up to the counter a young man walked in and said to me "Wow, I really like your suit. Why are you here?" So I told him about the Dafa stall and gave him the pamphlet, instead. I came back later to give one to the shop owner.
Later in the day it rained very hard and we went over to a restaurant across from the stall to seek shelter and eat some food. However, I had forgotten to pick my bag up off the floor of the stall, and many of my things got wet, including my copy of Zhuan Falun. When we returned from eating I was a little shocked that I had let this happen, as I have tried to look after my Dafa books well. However, I calmed down and set about drying it out.
I then thought to go and buy a new copy from a nearby shop that sells the books. When I was in the bookshop I asked if they could put some plastic covering on the books I bought to protect them better. I had to wait a while for them to do this and it all meant that I was much later catching the train home than I wanted to be.
Although many things in my bag had gotten wet, my change of clothes hadn't. So I was wearing a Dafa T-shirt. As I waited for the train a young Chinese university student walked past me and read the writing on my T-shirt. Then he came and stood next to me and asked me about Falun Gong. I told him I was a practitioner and we started to talk.
He told me that he didn't believe what the CCP has said about Falun Gong. However, because he hadn't been able to talk about it with anyone, he didn't know if it was good, either. I clarified the truth to him and told him about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. He said that he didn't think the nine commentaries were true, but he also said that the CCP was not good and that he thought things should, and would change in China.
A few stops later, some of his friends got on the train and he told them I practiced Falun Gong. So we talked some more and then we arrived at my stop. As I got up I nervously said I knew a bit of Chinese. As he looked at me I said, "Falun Dafa Hao." He just smiled at me and seemed a little surprised at what I said, and I left.
Later, I thought about this whole encounter and realised all the little and seemingly coincidental things that happened. That is, I was wearing a Dafa T-shirt while waiting for a train just as this young Chinese man walked past me. At that time I would have never thought that just wearing a T-shirt or a gold suit could be a way to clarify the truth to people and validate the Fa. This has made me consider, in a new light, many of the things we do as Dafa disciples. It also reminded me of the importance of maintaining the standards of conduct that we are to meet at all times.
More recently, I was organizing one of the "Free China" rallies that we hold to mark another million quitting from the CCP. At the time, because I hadn't really shared with other practitioners, I was feeling quite isolated and stuck on my own. Due to negative notions, I found myself thinking that if nobody else seems to care about it then why should I make the effort and do all this hard work on my own?
As the day of the rally got closer I suddenly realized that this wasn't just about my own hardship. There were many practitioners ready to come to this event and clarify the truth to people so that we can save more sentient beings. If I couldn't make this happen then my selfishness would take this opportunity away from those other practitioners. I thought about all the encounters like my Dafa T-shirt and gold suit experiences that others might miss out on and the chances that could be lost.
The responsibility I had as the coordinator, suddenly struck home. I corrected my thinking, had more righteous thoughts, asked for help and shared some of the work. In the end everything came together quite well, and we also had some media show up that day. However, because of my selfishness, it almost didn't happen at all.
The last thing I would like to share has happened most recently. I have discovered some notions that have been making me nervous about starting conversations with and clarifying the truth to Chinese people. The attachment of fear and thoughts of self have kept me quiet when I sit next to Chinese people on buses and trains. I know I should have said something but have been scared to do so on several occasions.
This omission had been on my mind for a while when another practitioner shared that practicing the exercises at tourist sites popular with the Chinese is a really good way for westerners to clarify the truth to them. She said that she could hear them stopping, looking at us and talking as we practiced. It reminded me that if I maintain my righteous thoughts, step out of selfishness and remember that I am a practitioner at all times, in just about anything I do there can be a way to clarify the truth to people regardless of their nationality.
Through all of this I have learned about the meaning behind not taking so-called "chance encounters" for granted. I have seen the need to take advantage of these precious opportunities and not restrict my truth-clarification efforts to organized activities during which it is at the forefront of my mind.
And so as we sell the contents of our house before we move back to England, we are not just letting go of meaningless sentimental attachments, but we are also making an effort to give the Nine Commentaries and other truth-clarification materials to the people who are coming to buy things, especially the Asian and Chinese students. The next step I have seen that I need to take is to say a few words to them to increase the effect of these actions, even if it is just to say that "Falun Dafa is good" and that the CCP does not tell the truth about it.
I have a poem to share that just wrote itself as I reflected upon these thoughts of mine:
One small step following another, leaving notions of self behind,
Upholding the principal of compassion in everything I do.
Allowing all beings to know the truth and have a bright future,
This is what remembering that I am forever a Dafa disciple means.
Humble thanks to merciful Master; I will do my best.
I will do my best and even better as I enlighten to Dafa's beauty.
Thanks to Master and thank you all, please correct me if I have said anything wrong.
