I obtained the Fa five years ago while walking past a bookshop in Mumbai containing the book, Falun Gong. Ever since then, my life has become meaningful and wonderful. Nevertheless, cultivation being what it is, it has been very challenging and difficult. I would like to share with you a few instances which Master has arranged in my cultivation in the past one year.
Last year, in the month of August, I visited Singapore for the first time and met the practitioners in Singapore. It has been a unique and valuable experience for me to share with the practitioners here.
In a conversation with one practitioner, I mentioned that there are only two practitioners in Mumbai which posed a serious restriction in our Dafa activities in the city. During the conversation this practitioner asked me, "What is your understanding from the recent New York Fa Lecture?"
That evening, I was reflecting over this conversation and I enlightened to it that Master wants me to re-read the Fa lecture carefully. Then I saw clearly the following lines which were most relevant for me:
"...don't let having relatively fewer students in a particular area, or the presence of ongoing disputes among our students in some areas, become grounds for being passive about validating the Fa, saving sentient beings, or even your own cultivation. You would be ruining yourselves, then." ("Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference")
This enabled me to change my attitude and I started reaching out to more people on my own without looking for excuses. In my efforts to find a right place to hold the Art Exhibition, I approached a proprietor who has a lot of prestige in Mumbai. During my meeting with the Chairperson, when I clarified the truth, she replied, "I know all about Falun Gong. I will not extend any help whatsoever."
On hearing this, I recalled immediately Master's words in the"Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference":
"You should know, and I have been saying all along, that when you, as Dafa disciples, look at something, you have to make sure to view it in reverse since the Three Realms are inverted, and you have to conduct yourselves in a positive, correct manner."
That made me think: "I must view it in reverse. Though she seems to say 'No', she is indeed saying 'Yes'." I kept this thought resolutely in mind and then saw her facial expression change into a smile. She asked, "How many paintings are there in all? How big a hall would you need?" We were given a hall in this prestigious center in the main part of the city, free of cost.
The Art Exhibition was a great success. It was a 7 -day long exhibition in the first week of December, immediately after the terrorist attack in Mumbai on November 26. So there were many difficulties and a lot of interference. But several practitioners from all over India came over to help, and all of the interference melted away in their righteous thoughts. There were many miracles too, the kinds that usually happen with Dafa activities. I would like to mention one incident where I experienced the power of sending forth righteous thoughts.
As a part of the arrangement of the exhibition, we needed 25 easels (wooden stands to prop large size pictures). I took this opportunity to meet the director of a college of Fine Arts in the vicinity and clarified the truth to him. He was very moved and willingly offered to lend us the 25 easels free of cost. We had to collect the easels on the morning of the inauguration of the exhibition. I had earlier confirmed the pick-up time with the director and reached the college on time with three other practitioners. We were told that the director had not come and was not likely to be there on that day. I said I had verified the appointment the previous day and that we would wait until he came.
The inauguration was to take place the same evening, and the time was already approaching noon. As the local organizer, it was my responsibility to find an alternate solution. I went back to the three practitioners who had been studying the Fa peacefully while waiting. I did not know how to tell them the situation. I simply said, "Let us send forth righteous thoughts." While the others were calmly sending forth righteous thoughts, my mind was restlessly racing through the alternative arrangements and the complications thereof. Slowly towards the end of the 15 minutes the calmness and the strength of the righteous thoughts of the others reached me too. I requested that we sent out righteous thoughts again. By now I was peaceful, though I could not see any other way of arranging the exhibition.
Later the director appeared. He saw me and said, "I want to honor my commitment to this lady. Please bring the 25 easels to be given for the Falun Dafa Exhibition."
The Art Exhibition received good media coverage and as a result there was a huge response from the public to learn the practice. In the past six months we have conducted several workshops at this center and in other places in Mumbai. We continue to make prior bookings in the coming months due to public demand. In each one of the workshops, practitioners from other regions joined us. So it was no longer a situation of two practitioners having to arrange an event!
Especially, on one occasion, three practitioners from Singapore joined us in introducing Falun Gong to school children and on another occasion, ten practitioners from Singapore and two from Malaysia joined us for a 3-day event in which Dafa was introduced in many distant corners of Mumbai. These events had a very good impact and many new practitioners have started coming to the practice site.
The Singapore practitioners have transported a huge amount of truth-clarifying materials to Mumbai. This has helped us in arranging events at a short notice and not missing opportunities to clarify the truth.
During an activity which Singapore practitioners joined, we clarified the truth to the mayor of Mumbai. This made a very good impression on the mayor and she has now given full support to the forthcoming event of the Divine Land Marching Band in Mumbai, at the end of this month, in spite of the fact that it is the sensitive period of Assembly elections.
Looking back, the overall situation of cultivation environment in Mumbai has improved in the past year. There are now at least six practitioners. I have come to understand that the problem does not lie with the environment but only with the xinxing of the practitioner. In fact, in the past year, I have visited Singapore practitioners a few times and Indian practitioners in other cities many times and they have been visiting Mumbai. So it feels like I am continuously in the environment of practitioners.
"No environment can compare to that of Dafa disciples. As long as your righteous thoughts, as Dafa disciples, get a little stronger and you collaborate a little better with fewer conflicts, the strength of your efforts to save people will be greater." ("Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference")
I realize that in my just trying to take a small step in understanding, benevolent Master has taken me a hundred strides ahead.
Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!
