(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
Thanks to Teacher's benevolent arrangement, we have a special opportunity to share our experiences here today. I want to share with you my cultivation experience and how I improved myself by running my family's truth clarification materials publishing site. If anything that I say is inappropriate, kindly point it out to me.
Learning the Practice
I began practicing Falun Gong in 1996, when I was in high school. One day I overheard a relative explaining Falun Dafa to someone and, the more I listened, the more reasonable it sounded. Falun Gong seemed like a really good practice and I wanted to learn it, so I bought the recording of Master's lectures in Jinan and began to listen to them. Unfortunately, I was overwhelmed by schoolwork at the time, so I didn't finish all the lectures. Although I only listened to the first seven out of nine lectures, Dafa was already deeply rooted in my heart.
When I first started practicing Falun Gong, my poor understanding made it difficult to maintain a peaceful mind when studying the Fa. I didn't join a Fa study group, practice the exercises with others or share experiences with my fellow practitioners, so my cultivation progressed very slowly. After graduating from school I began working. I had more spare time and less pressure than before, so I wanted to make good use of the opportunity to catch up with my cultivation. I got all of the Dafa books from a relative and learned how to do the exercises. From that time on, I lived according to the Fa, with "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" as my guide. Prior to that time, I had been very competitive. In elementary school and middle school, I maneuvered for advantages and often fought other students over trivial things. My academic performance was very poor and my parents and teachers worried about me. After cultivating in Dafa, I changed completely. Although my forbearance was tested many times, I responded in accordance with the Fa, because Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at--you must be tolerant."
After continued study of the Fa, I understood what Master meant
when he said, "your outlook will be guaranteed to change."
(Zhuan Falun) As I improved, I changed mentally and
physically. I am thankful that I am able to walk a path that will
lead me to my original true self.
Setting up a Home Publishing Site
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, lies about Falun Gong were spread everywhere. Because I had a weak foundation in cultivation, I did not stand up to validate the Fa, as other practitioners did, when I encountered the sudden unexpected terror and saw Teacher and Dafa subjected to slander. Now, when I think about it, I feel ashamed of myself. I was not worthy of Teacher's compassion and salvation.
"If you cannot be determined about the Fa itself, you cannot practice cultivation." ("Environment" in Essentials for Future Advancement) I pondered this a while, and thought about the path I had chosen. I felt that if a practitioner didn't participate in group cultivation, if he couldn't study the Fa in tranquility, if he couldn't let the Fa guide him in his life, then he could hardly hope to improve himself. I was determined to integrate myself into the whole of the Fa as quickly as possible. As soon as I acknowledged this desire, Teacher arranged for me to meet several local practitioners. I shared my thoughts with them and gained an understanding of my deficiencies. I asked myself again and again, "Since we are all Teacher's disciples, since we all cultivate the same Fa, why can others do it well, and I cannot?" Then I said to myself, "There's no short-cut in cultivation. I'll catch up with others and follow Teacher to validate the Fa."
I soon learned that the CCP had targeted some local centers that published Dafa materials. These publishing centers shouldered a great responsibility in saving sentient beings and I grew worried and distressed whenever I heard about the arrest of practitioners that worked at these centers. I wanted to help, so I went to the coordinator of one of the centers, donated 200 yuan, and asked if I could assist in some way. Because the persecution was pervasive, these publishing centers were very careful about security in order to safeguard their mission to save sentient beings. Consequently, the coordinator did not accept my offer to help out at the center.
Since I was unable to work at the publishing center, I decided to donate some more money to help with their costs. Although my income was modest, I was very happy to put my money into the effort to save sentient beings. Soon I had another 500 yuan and was ready to donate it, but this time the coordinator did not accept my money. He said, "Now the Minghui website is asking us to set up home publishing sites to help tell more people the facts. You are enthusiastic and financially and technically capable of setting up your own site. Wouldn't it be good to make the truth-clarification materials yourself?" I thought about what he said and suddenly realized that I could do it. Why hadn't I thought about it before? I looked within and discovered that a fearful mentality and laziness had prevented me from doing so.
The next day I went to the market and bought a computer and a printer. With the technical assistance of another practitioner, my Dafa publishing site was up and running very soon. I began printing truth-clarification materials independently.
Distributing the Nine Commentaries, Saving Sentient Beings
The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published in November 2004. I read the book on the Dynaweb website. The book amazed me and I learned a great deal about the evil nature of the Chinese Communist Party. I realized that many people are unable differentiate between good and evil and are thus brought to the brink of disaster because of the CCP's terror and hateful propaganda against Falun Gong. It is vital for anyone who has joined the CCP, or any of its affiliated organizations, to quit as soon as possible.
"If a person doesn't withdraw from it, he is a part of it, one of its particles, and a part of its composition, and he will become a target for elimination by all gods." ("Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World").
We do not have any political purpose in helping people withdraw from the CCP. Our purpose is to save sentient beings. Therefore we must make good use of our time to tell more people the facts and help them withdraw from the CCP immediately. This is the only way we can really take responsibility for the well-being of people.
Due to the limits of my ability with computers and the urgency of the mission that pressed me to produce Dafa materials without delay, my first publications of the Nine Commentaries and other materials were not very professional-looking. I determined, however, to continue saving sentient beings and had faith that my computer skills would improve in the process. I made every copy of truth-clarification materials with a pure heart. As my technique improved, the materials I produced became better and better, more suitable for public distribution. Later, I bought new equipment and published copies of the Nine Commentaries that were almost indistinguishable from professionally published books.
Because I recently graduated from a university and know well how the CCP has been poisoning the minds of college students, I printed some copies of the Nine Commentaries for distribution to colleges and universities. There was no question that college students were interested in reading the Nine Commentaries, so I began printing more and more of the books and distributed dozens of copies on college campuses. I also made frequent trips to a number of agencies, businesses, institutions, shopping malls and residential areas to distribute the books in an orderly manner.
As soon as the the Nine Commentaries were published, they achieved instant popularity. People from all over the country looked for the book. The original printer couldn't keep up with the increasing demand for the book, so I bought a second printer to increase production and satisfy that demand.
When I take a step back and observe from a distance my work on
this project, what impresses me most is the impact of my state of
mind on the process. That is to say, when I study the Fa well and
maintain good xinxing and a peaceful mind, my printers run
smoothly. I work efficiently and the printed materials are clean
and neat. Usually, however, things do not work well when a
mentality of pursuit emerges or I find myself wanting to show off.
The printers get jammed, the words become blurred and other
problems arise. I discovered that the process of publishing Dafa
materials is more than a way of saving sentient beings. It is a way
to upgrade myself, as well.
Making Truth-Clarification Disks and Distributing Shen Yun
Videos
After discussing with fellow practitioners how the CCP has poisoned people with propaganda on television and other media, we realized that we must communicate our message in a variety of ways if we are to help people know the truth. The video disk is a unique tool in this respect because people can learn the truth visually. Guided by the technical advice of other practitioners, I learned how to make disks and began to distribute the various videos recommended by the Minghui website.
In 2009, the Shen Yun show was distributed to China via CD-ROM and DVD's. I immediately focused on promoting it. Because Teacher oversees the production of Shen Yun, it is the world's best show in terms of artistry and content, and is very effective in saving sentient beings. It is a practitioner's duty to promote the show.
After I learned the Internet address where the public can download Shen Yun, I followed Minghui's instructions and purchased good quality disks. The Shen Yun videos I produce are every bit as good as the original disks. They are packaged in a beautiful cover and the videos are high quality with clear and sharp pictures. They are loved by those who watch them. In order to ensure the quality of the disks, I am meticulous in every step of the production process and never slack off. I have purchased more than 3,000 disks for downloading Shen Yun and they have been distributed to people in all walks of life.
Master Li asks us to make good use of our time so that we may save more sentient beings. I think that more practitioners must help promote Shen Yun if we are to succeed in this. There was a practitioner who liked to distribute Shen Yun videos and he often came to me to ask for disks. I could tell that he really wanted to save sentient beings, so I suggested that he burn Shen Yun disks himself and offered to teach him everything he needed to know in order to do so. He gladly accepted and very soon his own Dafa materials production site was up and running. Since then I have helped several practitioners set up their own production sites. Now they can all work independently.
I now realize that Minghui is one body and practitioners are one
body. But for this body to be most effective, we must all harmonize
with and be tolerant of each other. We must also supplement and
support each other.
Clarifying the Truth to People in a Variety of Ways
I am a white-collar worker. My work is fast-paced and sometimes I have a heavy workload. I often feel that time is short and it easily slips away. However, I know that regardless of my environment, I must not slack off. Cultivating myself well and saving sentient beings are my highest priorities. So, while I try to balance my work, family and friends, almost all of my free time is spent on cultivation and saving sentient beings.
My work requires quite a bit of travel and I make good use of these trips to clarify the truth to people I meet. Additionally, some fellow practitioners and I have undertaken telling people about Falun Gong from our cell phones via text messages. With this method, we have broken through and saved more sentient beings. When I cultivate diligently, Teacher encourages me and pushes me to do even better. Once, in a dream, I saw Teacher sitting at the podium in a big auditorium. I sat shoulder to shoulder with other practitioners to listen to Teacher's lecture. The scene was harmonious, quiet, solemn and sacred. I was sitting in the third row and I saw myself stand up and respectfully say, "Master!" Teacher looked at me, smiled and nodded in my direction. I heard a clear voice in my mind and it told me that Teacher acknowledges all I have done in validating the Fa.
Making the Fa the First Priority and Cultivating Diligently
My wife and I both practice Falun Gong and we have one child. We don't make much money and cannot afford to buy a home, so we rent a small house and don't really have enough room for the three of us. Whenever we see rows of new buildings under construction, my wife often talks about buying a home. Sometimes she is persistent and I am moved by her longing for a home, but then I recall Teacher's words,
"A Dafa disciple should put the Fa first in everything he does--whenever you evaluate something you have to consider the Fa first." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")
It has become more and more pressing to save sentient beings. At present, we need to cover our living expenses and keep the Dafa publishing site going well. If we spend the little money we have in purchasing a home, it will negatively impact the Dafa projects in which we have so much invested. We cannot hold the divine in one hand and the human world in the other. I shared with my wife my understanding of this issue from the perspective of the Fa, and she understood and supported me.
Cultivating oneself well is fundamental to validating the Fa. As young practitioners, my wife and I study the Fa and cultivate ourselves diligently, taking the Fa as our guide. We remind and encourage one another to try to eliminate the attachment of lust, and consequently our desire and lust has grown weaker. After studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts, and addressing our various mentalities, we have become more adept at living in accordance with the Fa. If we see any shortcomings in one another, we point it out in a timely manner. At first we both had trouble accepting the other's criticism but later, after we studied the Fa, in particular the "Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan," we looked inside, recognized our attachments and corrected them. Thus our family environment has become more and more harmonious.
My wife and I work closely together to tell people about Falun Gong and distribute truth-clarification materials. One sends forth righteous thoughts while the other distributes the materials, so everything goes well. Sometimes, however, we develop a mentality of elation when things have gone smoothly for a while. When I think of the practitioners who are held in detention centers and prisons, some even losing their lives due to the severe persecution, I feel that what I do is hardly worth mentioning - certainly nothing to boast about. It is most valuable, precious and honorable to use our time to fulfill our historic vow. We must be worthy of Teacher's compassionate salvation.
Sometimes human attachments emerge, such as the attachment of fear or the attachment to comfort. When my workload is heavy, I want to sleep more and sometimes don't want to distribute truth-clarification materials. Once I took a nap and dreamed that I saw a clock vibrating and shaking violently. Suddenly, I woke up and felt Falun's spinning rapidly all over my body. Teacher was reminding me that humanity is in grave danger. It is extremely important to save more sentient beings and Teacher was telling me to get up and get going! I did not have any more time for sleep because
"Dafa disciples are the sole hope of salvation for the beings in each region and each nation." ("My Thanks to Sentient Beings Who Have Sent Greetings")
After realizing this, I couldn't sleep any more, so I got up and rededicated myself to the great cause of saving sentient beings.
Teacher told us,
"And then when you consider that you, out of all the simply countless, unimaginable numbers of sentient beings that exist, got to be a disciple of Dafa, how could you not do well at this? Follow Dafa's requirements, and fulfill the vows you made before the dawn of history." ("Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan")
We are Dafa disciples. We made our vows to help Teacher rectify the Fa, which gives us immeasurable honor. Today we are instruments of Teacher's will as we fulfill our historic mission.
Conclusion
As I look back over the past ten years of my life as a practitioner, I feel that it would have been very difficult for me to remain on the path of cultivation without Teacher's instruction and protection. Teacher took me, a man full of karma, a man from hell, and he cleansed me and protected me all along the way. I have nothing with which to repay Teacher's compassionate salvation. Only by cultivating diligently (and then even more diligently!) and doing the three things well, can we stand in hope of passing Teacher's test. Only then can we live up to the sacred title of Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples and fulfill the vows we made and the mission we accepted before the dawn of history.
Please be so kind as to point out anything I've said that you think inappropriate.
Thank you Teacher! Thank you fellow practitioners!
