(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, Honorable Master!
Greetings, Fellow Practitioners!
I began to practice Falun Gong in April of 1998 and have walked on the path of cultivation for more than ten years. During these years, Dafa disciples have cultivated themselves, saved sentient beings, eliminated evils, and followed Master during Fa rectification. Under Master's protection and guidance, I did what a Dafa disciple should do and have felt Dafa's mighty power.
Cultivating myself guided by the Fa
On July 20, 1999, while I was detained at the police station, an officer asked me, "What is Falun Gong's objective?" I was not able to answer immediately. After a while, I said, "It's principles are Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." I had practiced Dafa for over a year but still did not truly understand the Fa. I felt really ashamed.
Master said in Lecture One of Zhuan Falun, "Without knowing the Fa at high levels, one cannot practice cultivation." I am Master's disciple and should listen to Master. If I want to know what Master tells us and what he requires of his disciples, I must study the Fa more. During that time, I felt really good while studying the Fa. The more I studied, the more I wanted to study. I could read three to four lectures a day. Sometimes, I saw the book shining with beautiful colors. I made up my mind that not only would I study the Fa, but I would also recite it. After reading a chapter, I recited it during the rest of the day. The process of reciting the Fa was the process of improvement and the process of getting more mature in cultivation.
Master, you indeed have told us the whole process of Fa rectification. You have told us how to cultivate, how to enlighten, and everything we need to know. I felt the magic after reciting the Fa. When I ran into any problem, Master brought the Fa into my mind. For example, once I had a problem with my computer and could not fix it, so I started to study the Fa. An hour later, I restarted the printer and it worked again. Tears filled my eyes. I pressed my hands together, "Thank you, Master." Master imprinted the Fa in my mind, "Because our practice is one in which the Fa cultivates practitioners, this means that some situations will arise from gong and the Fa."(Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun) I came to understand that Master wanted me to study the Fa more and I should not have the attachment of getting things done.
Master always knows my heart
"Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master." (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) But Master requires you to improve your heart--you must have that wish. During my cultivation, I feel deeply that Master is with me. Master always knows my heart, knows what I want to do during Fa rectification, and arranges things best for me. In 2003, I saw an elderly practitioner delivering Dafa materials. I respected her from the bottom of my heart. She ran around painstakingly for the sake of saving sentient beings, even though she lives in such an evil environment. At the same time I felt sad because I wasn't doing anything. Two days later, a coordinator brought me a package of materials and asked me to deliver it to another coordinator. The place was a couple of miles away, and I didn't know that coordinator then or where his home was. I only knew his name and the general location. After I successfully completed this task, I became one of the local delivery persons for Dafa materials. During the past three years of delivery work, Master has always encouraged me. While I am riding my bike, it is as if someone was pushing me. I feel really good and extremely happy.
In the spring of 2003, the evil eliminated our group Fa study location and arrested 13 practitioners. Eight of them were sent to the brainwashing center and two of them were put in the detention center. Our local practitioners were facing a harsh test. I thought that we should not stop group study since Master recommended it. I wondered if I should set up the group study at my home. But the detained practitioners had not been released yet--would other practitioners have the attachment of fear? While I was hesitating, one practitioner came to my home and wanted to study the Fa with me. She said that she would bring another practitioner the next time. So our group study evolved naturally, with seven to eight practitioners attending, and we have kept it going.
Unconditionally looking inward is a treasure for cultivators
We, as Dafa practitioners during the Fa rectification period, are rectifying the Fa and saving the sentient beings in this complicated environment among everyday people. Our cultivation way is directly targeting our human attachments. Everything that happens between us and ordinary people, or between us and other practitioners is not coincidental, Instead, it is arranged by Master to get rid of our attachments and to improve our xinxing. Master requires us to constantly look inward, which is a heavenly secret. Thus, unconditionally looking inward is a treasure for cultivators.
a. Looking inward when others make mistakes
Several months ago, another practitioner and I went to pick up a practitioner whose forced labor term had expired. When the officials from the 610 Office tried to take the released practitioner away, the practitioner's relatives hesitated. One of them impolitely shouted at me, "You leave her alone, this is none of your business. I don't even know you." At that moment, I felt that her relative was being unreasonable, but I didn't have time to think too much about it and instead worked with other practitioners to get the practitioner home. On the surface, it seemed that her relative was wrong, but I knew that there must be something for me to cultivate. By looking inward, I found my attachment of fear, which was also selfishness, deeply hidden. During the couple of years while that practitioner had been detained, I had rarely looked after her family. I did sometimes contribute to help them out, but that was through the coordinator. I think I didn't want to get into trouble and I wanted to protect myself. That was selfishness. What her relative said was right, and I regret that I didn't cultivate well.
b. Looking inward while others are criticizing others
Last month a practitioner said to me, "I need your help with something." It turned out that another practitioner had been having a conflict with her husband for a long time, and neither one of them would back down. I asked her, "Why don't you talk to her?" She said, "I have talked to her, but she is not acting like a practitioner in front of her husband. She does not love her husband. Actually her husband is a pretty good person." Her words shocked me. She was talking about me. I have been married to my husband for 28 years. We look OK superficially, but I always felt that he was not a qualified husband. I had to take care of everything and had suffered a lot of hardship. I felt really tired. When I was in front of him, I forgot about cultivation. When he was not satisfied with something, I immediately suppressed him. He is actually a good person. I enlightened that Master was criticizing me through that practitioner's words. I should not cause Master to worry about my cultivation--I should always treat myself as a practitioner. When I saw my husband, I felt much calmer. I thanked him sincerely for bringing home a copy of Zhuan Falun, which led me to become a practitioner. After the persecution of Falun Gong started, he always supported me. He did what an ordinary person should do. It had nothing to do with him being an unqualified husband--it was me not behaving like a practitioner.
Honorable Master and fellow practitioners, I know that my past steps on this path of Fa rectification were not very splendid, and the work I did to save sentient beings was plain. I am ashamed to report this to Master. Comparing myself with diligent practitioners, I fell behind. But I treasure this opportunity and thank Master for giving me the opportunity to share my experience. I believe what Master gives me is the best as long as I believe in the Fa and Master. Master and fellow practitioners, I reassure you that I will walk the final leg of my path solidly.
October 26, 2008