(Clearwisdom.net) Regards to Master and to my fellow practitioners!
My formal school education is limited, and I had difficulties writing an article, having begun three times and giving up halfway through. But I eventually got my thoughts organized, put them on paper and sent them to the Minghui editors. It is my duty as a Dafa practitioner to share my experiences with fellow practitioners.
I. Compassionately Offering Sentient Beings Salvation
In 2002, my husband bought a motorcycle, and I learned to ride it. The motorcycle became a divine implement for me to use when clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. We rode the motorcycle to all the villages and towns within a hundred miles of our county. We also rode to building sites, field plots, gathering places, mills, and schools, and persuaded many people to do the "three withdrawals" (withdrawing from the Communist Party, the Communist Youth League, and the Young Pioneers), and let them know that Falun Dafa was good.
In 2005, while initially persuading people to complete the three withdrawals, I was timid and always afraid of others saying that Falun Gong was getting political. At first I couldn't open my mouth and felt an invisible pressure. I gradually overcame this, and the fear abated. I persisted in persuading people to do the three withdrawals, and things improved. When I met strangers, I greet them quite naturally and then clarify the facts. To avoid building up certain attachments, I never counted how many people withdrew from the CCP due to my persuasion.
A. Offering Salvation to Police with Righteous Thoughts and Compassion
I met all kinds of people in my face-to-face truth clarification efforts and in persuading people to withdraw from the CCP. I had previously been quite nervous with police officers. Over time, I have realized that I should not treat them differently, and I couldn't avoid the police merely because of their profession. They are also lives who had come to Earth for the Fa, and Master also wants to save them. I couldn't let them miss the opportunity to be saved because of my fear. The crucial point is that I shouldn't always think that they will arrest me. Unconsciously I had categorized them as people who persecute us and thus set up a barrier in my heart between them and me.
Early last autumn a fellow practitioner and I took a package of materials to a town. I clarified the truth to a woman who sold watermelons and some other people waiting for the bus. After persuading several people to do the three withdrawals, I handed them fliers and discs. They gladly accepted them. Then a police officer approached me from behind and said, "What are you handing them?" When I saw that he was a police officer, my heart sank, but I made myself relax at once. I said calmly, "I am handing them fliers and discs so that they may learn something about Falun Gong. Maybe you don't have them yet? Let me give them to you." After saying that, I took out a flier and handed it to him with a smile. He looked at me and angrily took the fliers and disc away from the watermelon seller. She was very scared. The police officer said to me, "How dare you publicize Falun Gong in broad daylight." I said, "I know you are a police officer. You especially need to learn the truth about Falun Gong." Several bystanders had gathered around us by then. The officer replied, "I am from the Police Crime Team. My supervisor heard that Falun Gong members were publicizing themselves everywhere. The supervisor sent me here to arrest you." I calmed myself and thought, "If I don't do well, the bystanders who don't know the truth about Falun Gong might misunderstand the practice and thus be prevented from learning the truth."
I looked at the police officer again and thought to myself, "What a pity." The CCP had taken advantage of him, and I must save him. I serenely replied, "We venture out daily to present people with fliers and discs to offer them salvation. We have endured the persecution and have done truth clarification activities for almost eight years so far. We spend our own money to produce the materials. The only reason we do so is to make sure people will be safe if a disaster comes. You don't know much about us! Just read what you got after going home."
I once again handed the material to the watermelon seller, but she did not dare to accept it and looked at the policeman. I smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. He is a good police officer and will not arrest a good person." Then I put the material into her pocket. The policeman looked at me several times and then looked at the disc. I was not afraid of him and smiled at him the whole time. He changed his tone and said, "I really admire your courage. Weren't you afraid of being arrested? Look how hard you work on this. A large package like this, the one you have with you, is too obvious and arouses attention. Go away quickly." It seemed that he admired Dafa disciples because we were not afraid of him. Seeing that he had changed his attitude, I quickly took out my own amulet (1), handed it to him and said, "I give you this and hope you will be safe." He took it and said with a smile, "It looks nice. Do you have another? Give me one more."
Actually, all the evil that manifest on Earth are illusions to test Dafa disciples. Master will do anything for us so long as we act like Dafa disciples. Our mindsets should be as peaceful as possible during Dafa activities so that we can untie people's knots of misunderstanding.
B. Competitiveness Teaching me a Lesson
One afternoon this summer I went to a building site for truth clarification. Workers were eating together. I walked toward them, smiling. One person said, "Are you Falun Gong? If you are, go away. I like money. Will you give me money or offer me a meal?" Hearing this, I recited to him the second half of Master's "Enlightenment," with a competitive mindset:
"Those who survive the world without direction and with poor enlightenment quality live for money and die for power, being joyful or anxious over petty gains. They compete bitterly against each other, thus accruing karma throughout their lives. When such people hear the Fa, they laugh at it and spit from their mouths the word "superstition," as they are bound to find it hard to understand and hard to believe deep down inside. These people are the inferior persons who are difficult to save. Their karma is so much that it has enveloped their bodies and sealed off their wisdom; their original nature is gone. " ("Enlightenment" from Essentials for Further Advancement)
After the recitation I said, "If you don't like to listen, I will speak to others. You can't speak for them." He was angry but kept his anger under control, remaining silent and watching me clarify the truth to others. The others understood that Falun Gong was good and agreed to do the three withdrawals. I gave them flier and discs. I was about to leave when I turned back and saw that man grab another one's disc and break it into pieces. While doing this, he stared at me ferociously. I adjusted my mindset and explained the truth to other workers at the site. Several workers scolded that man for doing such a thing. He was ashamed and left.
After a while the crew returned to work. I stayed to clarify the truth and persuade people to do the three withdrawals. The labor contractor arrived and said I had interrupted the workers, and asked me to leave. I remained patient and calmly explained the truth to the contractor and helped him understand that Falun Dafa was good, and I asked him to do the three withdrawals. He also accepted a New Year's Spectacular disc. The workers all asked for the disc once they saw that the contractor accepted it. I said, "Don't to be in a hurry. I will give one to everyone of you. I don't want to interrupt your work." I handed each person what they had asked for and persuaded all of them to do the three withdrawals. One of them said, "Look out! A police car is coming toward us." The contractor said, "Don't be afraid. We are not afraid of them!" I immediately realized that Master was encouraging us not to be afraid. The car stopped behind me. Someone inside rolled down the vehicle's window and stared at me for a while. I looked back with perfect composure. I walked up to the vehicle and wanted to see how many police officers there were inside. They drove away before I got to them.
We should avoid competing with people, and treat them with compassion during truth clarification even if they made rude remarks. The person mentioned above destroyed the truth clarification material only because I didn't do well. I felt regret for it because I was unable to save him, and also compelled him to commit a crime relating to Dafa. Compassionate Master gave me another chance. I eventually met that person again at a later time, when I was with a fellow practitioner. I again told him the facts about Dafa. This time he did the three withdrawals but accepted some materials.
All practitioners know that our mission is to save people. Those who are waiting for us, whom we have not yet contacted and clarified the truth to might face destruction when the time arrives. Then it will be too late, and we may have deep regrets. We must hurry and use the time left to carry out our mission.
C. Rescuing Fellow Practitioners and Clarifying the Truth to People at the Justice Department
This April, the police arrested seven fellow practitioners. Practitioners in our county were greatly affected by this. I became depressed and numb for a period of time. I didn't know how to rescue fellow practitioners, and found myself to be attached to fear and self-protection. I always thought I was firm in the Fa and had let go of the concern for life and death. But after fellow practitioners were arrested, I clearly saw my true character.
The remaining practitioners then studied the Fa and shared with each other. We began to clarify the facts to people in governmental departments by making calls, mailing truth-clarifying materials, talking with them face-to-face, writing letters, and through other activities. Even though my formal schooling is limited, I couldn't help taking a pen and writing what I thought. I wrote a letter to people at the Justice Department and persuaded them to do good instead of serving the evildoers. In the process of writing, I felt my thoughts becoming defined, and writing the letter became a part of my cultivation.
Some practitioners eventually realized that we should go to the Justice Department for face-to-face truth clarification. We started to do it. One practitioner said, "Let's not set up hurdles for ourselves. We go there to offer them salvation. If we do it correctly, other places may look on this as an example."
Upon hearing this I became afraid. I thought that the Justice Department was not a place you could simply visit as you please. And if we cannot express ourselves suitably?..... Then I realized immediately that this thought had not come from my real self. I told myself that I am Dafa disciple who is undertaking the mission of saving people, and I was immediately filled with powerful energy. With tears in my eyes, I said to Master from the bottom of my heart, "Master, I am unafraid! I will try my best to make them understand the truth."
We were in good form that whole day. We registered at the gate and were taken to the office of the person in charge of the arrested fellow practitioners' case. The prosecutor was there, and we talked for an hour or so. As it was the first time we as relatives of arrested practitioners had publicly clarified the truth, we lacked experience and had not coordinated well with each other. We were all in a hurry to speak and failed to persuade the prosecutor to quit the CCP, but she still learned much about Falun Gong.
When we learned that the case had been transferred to the city's Intermediate People's Court, we went there in the afternoon. In the process we visited the Procuratorate, courts and law offices nearby. During our inquiries into the case, we tried to save people. Afterwards, more and more practitioners took part in this. With our truth clarifying efforts and support from overseas fellow practitioners, the case was returned to our county. Fellow practitioners became clearly aware that our truth clarifying efforts to local government officials didn't go very well. We needed to do it further.
II. Searching Within and Treating Fellow Practitioners with Tolerance
Some time ago a certain practitioner spread the rumor that I had a love affair. When practitioner A heard of it, she asked me three times whether it was true. I was sad and searched my conscience for cultivation aspects where I had failed to do well. I wondered what made her ask me repeatedly? I recited "Tempering the Will" from Hong Yin, and all of my grievances and agony came out. I recited Hong Yin and cried.
One day, as I studied the Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun, I came across this,
"In this universe, there is another principle: If you have suffered a lot, the karma in your body will be transformed. Because you have suffered, however much you have endured will all be transformed into an equal amount of de. Isn't this de what a practitioner wants? You will gain in two ways, as your karma is also eliminated. If the person did not create this situation for you, how could you upgrade your xinxing? If both you and I are nice to each other and sit there in harmony, how can it be possible to increase gong? It is precisely because that person has created this conflict for you that there is this opportunity to improve xinxing, and you can make use of it to upgrade your own xinxing. Isn't your xinxing raised this way? You have gained in three ways. You are a practitioner. With xinxing upgraded, won't your gong also increase? You have gained four ways in one shot. Why shouldn't you thank that person? You should sincerely thank him from the bottom of your heart--it is actually so." (Zhuan Falun)After reading that, I realized several things, but I still felt that it was a great shame to spread a rumor like this. On second thought, I reminded myself that the fellow practitioner perhaps misunderstood me, or maybe I was careless about some details in my daily life. Words like this came to me and indicated that I needed to cultivate myself in this regard.
I put the incident behind me and found my capacity for tolerance increased. We must not show conceit when fellow practitioners have disagreements with each other, much less should we look down upon others. We should help the person even if he or she did something wrong or had an attachment. We are not qualified to judge others. So long as Master wants to save the person, we must offer unconditional help. We should search within whenever we encounter anything and never forget to cultivate ourselves well in the process of helping Master in Fa-validation and saving sentient beings.
Writing this article made me profoundly aware that writing an article is not only a process of Fa-validation, but also a process of improving in cultivation. I managed to let go of my restraints and write about the things I had become aware of. I have not been imprisoned, and I think that this is all due to Master's compassionate protection.
We should pay attention to any details in our cultivation and firmly do the three things. Only by doing them well can we live up to Master's compassionate salvation and live up to what countless lives in our worlds expect of us.
Note:
(1) Amulet - In China, practitioners sometimes clarify the truth by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.