(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, Teacher! Greetings, Fellow Practitioners!
I became a Falun Dafa practitioner in November 1997 in China at the age of 11. Now I study at a university. There are so many things I want to share with Teacher and everyone else as I look back at a journey of 10 years practicing Falun Dafa. Here, I would like to share my cultivation experiences from my college entrance exam to university life. Please correct any mistakes with compassion.
Successfully Passing My College Entrance Exam with Righteous Thoughts and Actions and Teacher's Protection
I grew up cultivating Dafa. I could attend group Fa study often, so my environment was very good. The wisdom I gained from cultivation carried me effortlessly from elementary school to high school. I was among the top students. In my senior year of high school, the study requirements were difficult. I had less time, but I studied the Fa every day regardless. Bedtime came after sending forth righteous thoughts at midnight. I often distributed truth-clarification materials with my mother. I clarified the truth to my classmates and helped them to quit the three different Communist Party organizations. Passing my college entrance exam in an open and honorable way was possible because I had grown up practicing Dafa and had Teacher's protection.
Students in general in China are encouraged by the schools to be a bit "flexible" and copy other students' answers. This raises the scores and allows a higher percentage of educated students to enter the universities. My thought was that a practitioner's actions are left for the future and should be the most righteous. No matter what we do, we leave an example for future beings and cannot just drift along with the current of average people! Even if others copied, I wouldn't be tempted to. Teacher said: "...just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2005 Canada Fa Conference")
My scores dropped several points in the final simulated test, while the scores of those copying each other remained the same. My teacher spoke to me several times, telling me to copy others so I would not fail. My teacher asked my father to convince me to copy. I would not copy no matter what they said. My father, a non-practitioner, was very angry. He pointed at my nose and scolded me, "You practitioners are too extreme and do not comply with the conditions of everyday society." My mother, fellow practitioners, and I enlightened from Teacher's Fa that I should not copy. A Dafa practitioner should have steadfast righteous thoughts and faith! Telling me not to act openly and honorably and telling me not to comply with the Fa is also a form of persecution, and I do not acknowledge it!
At the time of the exam, I sent forth righteous thoughts to clear away all the bad elements that were interfering with me, to enable me to exhibit the abilities a practitioner should have and to validate Dafa! Then I calmed down to answer the questions. I found that when I truly calmed down, my wisdom was like water flowing out of a spring. I successfully finished each subject's exam and nobody interfered with me. A few people wanted to copy my examination paper during the last exam, but they could not find me. I was actually sitting behind one of them, next to another, and the other person was behind me, but they just could not find me. What was even more interesting was that the male student in front of me even asked the supervising teacher, "Where is No. 17 (my exam number)?" The teacher said, "I will not look for you!"
Teacher is protecting students! I behaved strictly according to Fa standards. The exam results were published; my marks were outstanding and I successfully entered university.
Abandon the Attachment of Sentimentality
When I first went to university, there were no fellow practitioners to discuss things with. I was with non-practitioners every day. I felt isolated and lonely. I would listen to Teacher's lectures every day, which made me feel a bit better, but I remained lonely. Things began to happen at school. This environment is saturated with attachments and emotions. My attachments of competition, showing off, jealousy, and many others started to emerge. I felt contaminated by them. Gradually, the feeling of being alone became stronger and stronger. Sometimes I even wanted to cry during my calls home. I wanted so badly to find a fellow practitioner!
About that time, I met a male student at an activity and explained the truth to him. He willingly listened, the first time this had happened at my university. He even quit the Party. He was the first person at my university to do so and I thought I had found a "friend." He knew I practiced Dafa and said he wanted to practice. I thought if we were together and practiced together, it would be a good thing. Then we could share about any matter in the future. I began to show him the exercises and teachings. We communicated more frequently and became boyfriend and girlfriend.
Although I knew that it was wrong according to the Fa, I let evil take advantage of my attachment of fear. The loneliness was so intense that I gave into it and could not escape. I knew that Dafa practitioners have no time to waste during Fa-rectification. We are too busy saving people. My attachment was not abandoned, but instead it brought up many other attachments. I clearly knew what was right, but I could not pull myself out. I always had a sense of guilt when I was with him. I wanted to break off the relationship, but I could not let him go. I was afraid of feeling embarrassed should we meet afterwards.
I went home during the winter holiday and shared about it with my mother. She said if I was an ordinary young person at this age, then I could, but I am a Dafa practitioner. I grew up knowing Dafa and should not do this! We studied together.
"Question: Some students want to use their marriages as a way to have people learn the Fa. How will Teacher's Law Bodies arrange this?
Teacher: About this matter, I want to tell everyone this: Don't mix together your personal life with cultivation, and don't mix your work with cultivation. Cultivation is very serious. Dafa is solemn. It's not like we have to beg people to obtain the Fa. If they don't want to, so be it. Certainly the student's intention is good, thinking, "I'll sacrifice my marriage so that you can obtain the Fa." I can see that the intention is excellent. But I think you don't necessarily have to handle it like that. The Fa is solemn, and your sacrifice for him would then mean that he obtained the Fa out of pursuing something; he would be learning the Fa only to gain something, and that wouldn't work for him, since he didn't qualify from the outset. It's not that Dafa has to be obtained by him." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference")
It was clear that I was wrong.
The school term resumed and after several difficulties, he proposed breaking up. Later I found out that he did not genuinely want to practice. He had deleted all the Dafa books I emailed him. I asked if he still wanted them. He said, yes, he did. So, I again emailed the Dafa books to him. I told him to remember, "Dafa is good," no matter what happens in the future and not to give up learning Dafa. He said he wouldn't. We parted amicably, but I continued to miss him. Then, I would study the Fa or send forth righteous thoughts to clear the air and completely negate the old forces' persecution. After awhile, I finally abandoned my sentimentality towards him and became diligent again. Teacher says in Zhuan Falun:
"This form of interference can come from either demons or from the master, who transforms one object into another to test you. Both forms exist because everyone must pass this test. We begin cultivation practice as everyday people. The first step is this test, and everyone will run into it."
Not only me, but all the young practitioners of my age have encountered this issue. We have learned Dafa since childhood. Children do not have this issue, but we have grown into adults now. Evil beings are covetously staring at us, looking for any loophole or attachment they can enlarge to drag us down. This is another form of persecution.
The demon of lust took advantage and it was indeed dangerous! My body displayed an incorrect condition. At that time, I felt my entire universe become very gloomy and bleak. After I truly let go of the human notion of sentimentality, stabilized my righteous thoughts, understood the Fa from the Fa, and became diligent again, I truly felt:
"In realms ultra-finite, ultra-vast,
all declined matter is subdued,
Stretching the Ten Directions, tiny to vast,
the Firmament meets the eye;
The heavens clear,
the cosmic body transparent,
the universe rectified,
With the ultimate catastrophe now past,
lucent is the whole Cosmos."
("After the Catastrophe" in "Hongyin")
Make Vigorous Efforts to Catch Up on the Path to Godhood
After going through this "catastrophe," I thought, "I must make vigorous efforts to catch up on the path to godhood during the Fa-rectification period of cultivation. I must follow the process closely." Although I am very busy with my studies, I recite about one page of Zhuan Falun daily, meditate for an hour every night and, if conditions allow, and practice the standing exercises in my dormitory. It is truly: "...with attachments left behind, the lightened boats sail swiftly" ("The Knowing Heart" in Essentials for Further Advancement II). My schoolwork improved and I received a scholarship at the Year End Scholarship Appraisal.
I was independent at the university, but did not balance the relationship between cultivation and study correctly. I only focused on my studies. My attachments to fame and self-interest emerged, and I was interfered with by sentiment. I did not handle it well and did not get the scholarship. Everything became good after I clearly distinguished between the importance of studying the Fa and schoolwork, improved my cultivation condition, melted into the Fa, and let go of fame, self-interest, and sentiment.
I have tried to explain the truth to classmates, but many people are typically "atheist" educated by the Party. I spoke while I sent forth righteous thoughts. Some people would change the topic or directly ask me to stop after just a few sentences. Some people understood the truth about the persecution but still did not want to quit the Party. I tried to find a solution. I sent the telephone numbers and QQ numbers I collected from the university students to the Minghui/Clearwisdom website. I hope that fellow practitioners overseas can help to save them. The current university student groups, in my opinion, have been poisoned so deeply by the evil Party that they are, indeed, pitiable.
Now our curriculum is very tight, and I have to study until late every night. I have so little time to study the Fa that I did not think I had time to write an experience sharing article. I decided to write one even though the schedule is tight, because harmonizing Dafa is also the responsibility of every practitioner. The next day our morning class was canceled, because the teacher suddenly had to take care of another matter. I enlightened that Teacher was giving me the opportunity and time to write a sharing article. I quickly went home to write my experience. I happened to see the video of Teacher's "Fa-Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners." So great! I know all this was Teacher's careful arrangement.
I know Teacher's mercy exists everywhere and I shall be more diligent.
Heshi to my great Teacher!
Heshi to my respected fellow practitioners!
