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Studying the Fa and Establishing an Environment for Cultivation and Saving Sentient Beings

December 08, 2011 |   By a Dafa practitioner from Shandong Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) Esteemed Teacher! Fellow practitioners!

I want to tell Teacher and fellow practitioners about becoming diligent in studying the Fa and letting go of fear despite being harassed by those persecuting Falun Gong. I've also been active in talking about Falun Dafa to agencies that persecute practitioners, establishing a cultivation environment, and saving sentient beings. Truth be told, I understood the principle that Teacher gave us long ago:

“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Zhuan Falun)

My understanding of that principle started after reading:

“That really is the case. There has been a great deal of groundwork done in advance. All that’s missing is your carrying things out with righteous thoughts. Yet you haven’t had the righteous thoughts that it takes.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa”)

I am grateful to Teacher for His guidance. On September 11, I dreamed about a white envelope. Upon waking, I understood that Teacher wanted me to share my understanding of the Fa.

Facing a Lesson from Studying the Fa Diligently

I began my cultivation in the fall of 1998. After the persecution started, I focused more on saving sentient beings than studying the Fa. After reading “Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners” in 2007 and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, I came to understand that saving sentient beings was the most important issue for a practitioner. I spent day and night distributing the Nine Commentaries. I was exhausted and so only studied the Fa occasionally. I ignored fellow practitioners' reminder that work for Dafa was not the same as cultivation. A few days before the Olympics I was arrested and taken to a forced labor camp.

At the forced labor camp, having not cultivated diligently I couldn't maintain righteous thoughts and so wasn't able to deal with the torture and brainwashing. Looking inwards over the last years, I began to understand deeply that without studying the Fa diligently I couldn't eliminate my attachments.

I was faced with an incident in the labor camp. When the criminal that monitored me was about to be released, I asked a fellow practitioner about a verse in Hong Yin II. The criminal overheard me, yelled at me, and told the commander to teach me a lesson. I felt really bad and regretted that I hadn't studied the Fa well when I was free to do so. I was like a fish out of water. I said to myself, “Teacher! I must leave this place and will not listen to the old forces. Going forwards, I shall treasure every second that I can to study the Fa and save sentient beings.” With Teacher's help, I was able to leave the labor camp after a few months.

Studying the Fa and Saving Sentient Beings

After returning home I studied the Fa diligently. Within two months, I recovered from the ill effects of the labor camp and was actively saving sentient beings. I remembered what I had promised in the forced labor camp. For years I studied the Fa whenever possible, using every minute effectively. I did my laundry while preparing dinner. I felt that, since time was needed to save sentient beings, any waste of time would amount to a failure to save someone.

After Fa study I achieved peace and was able to look inward and find my attachments. It became easy to save sentient beings. Without studying the Fa, I lacked the courage to save people, and when I clarified the facts about Falun Dafa to people, they might either not listen or want to report me to the police. I have been copying and reciting Zhuan Falun for years. Its power manifested through me and I saved a lot of people. My children are supporting me so that I do not have to work and can focus on my cultivation and saving of sentient beings. My understanding is that studying the Fa has helped me save sentient beings and, conversely, the more people I save, the better I understand the Fa. Together these two activities create a positive cycle.

One day after lunch I was going to read a book when a felt a strong pull to go out and clarify the facts about Falun Gong. So I gathered some Falun gong materials and took a bus to a garment factory to visit the director, who was a friend of mine.

There were more than 20 people on the bus, so I talked to the person sitting next to me about Falun Gong. In a loud voice I said that the reason there were so many natural and man-made disasters was because our moral standards had deteriorated. I said, “Each family has its way of life and countries have their laws. Heaven has its laws, too.” I then mentioned some things from the Nine Commentaries and what really happened during the self-immolation incident at Tiananmen Square. I said, “These terrible deeds that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is responsible for, in effect, have determined its destruction. In order to be saved one must withdraw from the CCP. Remember that Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. When calamity befalls the CCP, you won't be destroyed with it.”

One fellow asked about my level of education because of my reasoning. I told him that I never went past elementary school, but Teacher gave me the wisdom to explain the facts, and everyone who understood the facts would be saved. Everyone on the bus came to get materials and withdrew from the CCP and its associated organizations. It was winter, but I felt warm and my face was red because there was a strong energy force surrounding me. On exiting the bus, the passengers wanted to thank me, but I told them that they should thank Teacher because I was just carrying out Teacher's wish.

At the factory my friend took a DVD and also did the three withdrawals. Other employees agreed to withdraw, too. On the return bus, I spoke to each passenger one at a time, and all of them did the three withdrawals. I gave each of them an amulet(1). I am truly grateful to Teacher for such an opportunity to save sentient beings.

I rode the bus to the countryside regularly, so I could clarify the facts in that area. Many bus drivers and ticket agents have gotten to know me very well and are very supportive of what I do. Some drivers even hang amulets in their bus. When the bus is crowded, it gets difficult to distribute flyers. At such times, the ticket agents kindly distributes flyers for me. One said to the passengers, “Please let her pass so that she can save people. Saving people is a critical matter.” With their support, usually all the passengers on the bus agree to do the three withdrawals and it happens year around. When the passengers leave the bus they say to me, “May peace be with you, too.” I reply, “May the Buddha-light illuminate you.”

Upon arriving at a meeting place in the countryside there are generally lots of people. I was able to clarify the facts to them one by one. All of them were quite receptive to what I had to say. Although I had over 100 flyers, it was not enough. The gathering appeared to be that of a large family. I could not feel the presence of any evil and the only thought I had was to save the sentient beings. This area was saved from the old forces.

Spreading Shen Yun

The Shen Yun Performing Arts show, as developed by Teacher to save sentient beings, cannot be seen in China, so we distribute DVDs of the performance. I sometimes took over a hundred Shen Yun DVDs with me and gave one to every person I met. I also waved with a DVD in my hand to cars passing by. Many of them stopped to take it. I usually smiled and said to them, “I wish you a safe journey. This is the world's best show. Be sure to pass it on to your friends and relatives after you watch it.” They thanked me.

I was next to a building under construction that was surrounded by a fence. I shouted from outside the fence, “Do you want the DVD that can save people?” A worker came down from the second floor. I asked him to find out how many people wanted the DVD. It turned out that all of them wanted one. At a construction site I generally distribute dozens of DVDs.

I saw three buses at a bus station. I went on each bus to distribute the DVD. One of the ticket agents asked me whether the DVD was from Falun Dafa. I replied, “When you open it at home you'll know. Has Falun Dafa ever treated you unfairly?” I felt really good seeing all these people taking the DVD home.

Benefits versus Saving Sentient Beings

My sister gave me two very large bags of vegetables. I could not eat that much. A couple came by and indicated that they were willing to buy the vegetables. I asked them what they would pay. They said, “50 cents a pound.” I told them the going rate was 80 cents a pound and they were willing to raise it to 60 cents. I agreed because I wanted them to do the three withdrawals. It took both of them to carry one large bag. I told them the facts about Falun Dafa and they were willing to do the three withdrawals. When I went back home to locate my Shen Yun DVD, they were trying to weigh the vegetables. When I returned with a DVD, the man was pulling the weights off his scale. I asked them what the vegetables in the bag weighed. He said, “50 pounds,” which couldn't have been the truth, as there were 30 to 40 bunches of vegetable and each weighed three to four pounds. I felt very upset.

At this time I recalled Teacher's words,

“What’s hard about it is that when you get shortchanged and know it, or when something critical is at stake, are you affected inside?” (Zhuan Falun)

These people had withdrawn from the CCP. If I argued with them, they would not take the DVD. I asked myself, “Between saving sentient beings and a loss of benefits, how should I choose? Obviously, I shouldn't be concerned about a small loss.” I said to the man, “Brother, 50 pounds is fine with me.” He gave me 30 yuan, and I gave him the DVD. They were very happy and were ready to leave. I said to them, “When you finish watching the DVD, don't forget to pass it on to friends and relatives. It will bring safety and happiness. If I did not study Dafa, I would not have sold the vegetables to you. I am sure you understand.” They kept on thanking me as they left. More than ten days after this event, my face remained warm and looked very healthy. Fellow practitioners told me that I must have improved my character.

Illness Turns into a Major Trial

In July of last year my mother, who was over 70 years old, fell and hurt herself. She became paralyzed and was unable to take care of herself. I was the only one caring for her day and night for more than three months. By the third month she seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. She kept calling me every half hour during the night, calling my name until I woke up. For many days I got no sleep. I explained to her that the evil spirits were trying to persecute us, and that as a practitioner she should not allow that to happen. She understood me, but then forgot again. There was a time when I went out to clarify the facts for about three hours. When I returned home, she had wet the bed. I could not study the Fa, do the exercises, or send forth righteous thoughts without being disturbed. I was very tired and I had a headache. The following words, however, always appeared on my mind: “We’ve got to be able to bear the hardship of hardships, and we’ve also got to have great endurance.” (Zhuan Falun)

I understood that I must look inward to find the cause, because for a practitioner nothing is accidental. I recalled that, before my mother got sick, she used to tell me what ancient people believed in and what my father used to say. I got angry and told her that, as a practitioner, she needed to memorize what Teacher said. My criticism shut her up all day. One day my mother was sitting behind me and we were doing the fifth exercise. When I entered into tranquility, I saw her sitting in front of me and the words “Fellow Practitioner” appeared on her right lapel. Teacher was reminding me that I should treat my mother as a practitioner and with compassion.

When my mother was conscious, she held my hand and said, “My days are numbered now. I am a burden to you and negatively impact saving sentient beings. I do not want to do that and have asked Teacher to let me move on. Your mission to save sentient beings is important. I have given every family in our village truth-clarifying materials, but I did not ask them to do the three withdrawals. I hope you can do this for me. That is my last wish.” I cried and promised to do that for her.

I was not able to study the Fa for quite a long time and was not aware that a fellow practitioner and I were being watched. A senior practitioner in our village wanted a copy of Zhuan Falun and an audio recording of the Fa. Since my mother was still seriously ill, I rushed a copy of each to her and returned home immediately. Next day I heard that both items had been confiscated by the police. I felt terrible about that. The following day my mother passed away. I did not cry, but I regretted not having made amends for criticizing her.

I would like to remind fellow practitioners with senior parents the importance of being compassionate. Seniors are more likely to hold on to human notions. It takes time to understand the Fa and gradually remove attachments. Furthermore, any problem we face is something important for our cultivation.

Clarification Needed When There Is a Problem

A fellow practitioner noticed that I was being watched and suggested that I move elsewhere. I thought this could be an arrangement by the old forces. While sitting in tranquility in the lotus position, I saw a tall young policeman in front of my house. When he saw me, he seemed embarrassed and turned his head away. It occurred to me that I should ask him to come in so that I could clarify the facts about Falun Dafa to him. When I asked him to come in, I woke up. At this point my righteous thoughts were strong and I decided that there was no need to move.

Clarifying the Facts to the Office Responsible for Persecuting Practitioners

Generally, we clarify the facts where there is a problem. I don't mind being watched. However, that is not good for other practitioners, but I wanted to take a letter to the police bureau to clarify the facts and get the copy of Zhuan Falun back.

My mother had passed away only recently. I had not studied the Fa diligently for a long time. I did not know how to start writing, so I began studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts, and asking Teacher for guidance. The objective was to save the police officers, stop the persecution, and provide a better environment for clarifying the truth.

After three days I knew what to write. I was able to describe compassion and dignity and modify my letter somewhat according to suggestions from fellow practitioners. When the final draft was done, I copied it on good stationery. A fellow practitioner who is a teacher said to me, “You only have an elementary school education and should not be able to write such a letter. It has to be due to Teacher's guidance.” I replied with the words:

“When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide”
(“The Master-Disciple Bond” in Hong Yin II)

I wanted to take the letter to the chief of police and the secretary of the political and judiciary committee. In the letter I included my experience in the forced labor camp, a DVD about choosing good or evil, a book on prophecies, and a booklet about harvesting Dafa practitioners' organs. I decided to deliver the packet myself. A group of practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts. One member of our group saw a sick red dragon surrounding the police bureau. By nine o'clock the dragon broke into two pieces and fell down. When we cooperate, our power is great.

At the police bureau, a guard called the police chief, explaining that a Falun Dafa practitioner had come to see him. When h asked for my name, I gave him my real name. The chief said that he was very busy with meetings and could not see me right then. I told the guard that he would benefit by reading the letter. I spoke to him about the three withdrawals and gave him a Shen Yun DVD and an amulet. I said that I would return in a few days.

Ten days later, I returned to the police bureau. The guard looked worried. I told him to relax and asked whether the chief was available. He said the chief was in a meeting. I said, “Tell me the truth. Is he in a meeting or he does not want to see me? Trying to save people is an urgent matter. ” He said, “Wait a minute, please” and went into the building. Later, a man in his 40s appeared and said, “Why are you here?” I replied, “I want to see the chief.” He said, “You have been giving away flyers everywhere. Now you are brave enough to bring this letter to us. You were lucky that the chief did not arrest you. Now, you are here again. Are you not afraid of being arrested?” I said, “The sign on your building says 'People's Police Bureau.' why don't you change it to 'Arrest Bureau?' Anyway, I am not here for my sake. I want to tell you not become a scapegoat for the CCP. Stop participating in the persecution so that when calamity strikes, you and your family are safe. You want to arrest me for that?” He laughed and said, “Leave now. The chief doesn't want to see you.”

On leaving the police bureau, I continued to distribute booklets and flyers about Falun Gong. Police officers in the building saw me but did nothing. The truth is that when our actions are in line with the Fa, we are protected. We are not judged on the human level. No police officer is watching me now. A few months later, I sent another letter, four DVDs, and a booklet to the local police station. In the letter I asked the chief to consider returning all the fines to practitioners. The police officer I spoke to also did the three withdrawals.

Today Fa-rectification has eliminated a lot of evil spirits. A few years ago things wouldn't have been so easy. Beginning in 2011, all practitioners in our area that were arrested for clarifying the facts about Falun Dafa were released the same day. People appeared to be waking up. I continue to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil spirits that are controlling the police officers. I wish to save all police officers in our area and hope for an end to the persecution. I felt that I was a huge being when I sent forth righteous thoughts.

Bringing Falun Dafa to Remote Areas

I learned that in mountainous areas there was no one to tell people about Falun Dafa. In the more than 40 towns and villages there are very few practitioners. Many people in remote areas have not heard about Dafa. I felt uneasy about visiting these remote villages, but I knew countless lives were at stake. I decided to study the Fa, develop stronger righteous thoughts, and asked Teacher for guidance.

I began visiting remote villages in February of this year, and so far, I have visited 17 of them. There are about 800 families in the larger villages and about 100 to 200 in the smaller villages. Generally, I distribute over 300 booklets and over 100 DVDs in one village.

To be on the safe side and free from interference, I always study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts before I go to a village. In the evening I sit in the lotus position and conjoin my hands. I attempt to tell the knowing sides in each family that they should respect Teacher, Dafa, and me, because I was sent by Teacher to save them. They should treasure the DVD and truth-clarifying materials to avoid creating karma.

One morning I ate only a little and went from family to family to give them a DVD about Falun Dafa. If no one was home, I pushed a booklet under the door. They usually asked where I was from and I told them that I was from a local village. They were fine with that. These people are simple and honest and willing to believe in Buddha and gods. I told an elderly lady to recite, “Falun Dafa is good" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” As I was leaving her house she was still reciting these words. This village is halfway up a mountain. It is tough to get there. Many families offered me water and food, but I declined. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon I arrived at a house where there was a small party going on. I sat down, and, after a drink of water, I started to clarify the facts to them. One man said, “In January last year I was having a drink with somebody and that fellow told me that his former wife was a practitioner. He praised her for not giving up on her faith despite the hardships she suffered.” I said, “Sir, I am the wife you are talking about.” They were shocked. The man took a bowl of noodles and wanted me to eat it. The host came over and held my hands with tears in his eyes saying, “Lady, you have suffered a lot. How come that nice fellow divorced you?” To avoid being moved by ordinary people I replied, “It was the CCP that broke up my family. Now I only hope that everyone in the villages in our area can be saved.” They would not let me leave without eating the noodles. Except for one person, everyone took the DVD and did the three withdrawals.

In another village, I was clarifying the facts about Falun Gong for an entire morning. By noon, I saw a crowd. So I went there to talk about the three withdrawals and gave them the DVD. Suddenly, one man in his 40s came running towards me from the north side shouting, “Sister! Save one DVD for me.” I told him that I definitely would and that he did not have to run. He explained to me that he saw the booklet I left in his home and liked what was in it. He also noted that he could get a DVD only in person. This was the reason why he ran down the mountain. He did the three withdrawals readily. It is hard to describe how grateful I was to Teacher.

One day around noon, I was on a mountain and saw many workers returning home in groups of eight or nine. I gave them the Nine Commentaries DVD. After they understood what I said, they all used their real names to do the three withdrawals. They invited me to have lunch, but I declined. After leaving I had walked quite a distance when I turned and saw that they were still their waving and shouting, “Take care of yourself! Be safe!” Tears covered my face, and I shouted back, “Thank you all! Go home for lunch now!” Thank you, Teacher.

One day I was clarifying the facts to a dozen of people outside a business establishment. When I finished, one woman embraced me and said, “You are the best woman in this world.”

In a village where more than 40 workers from other provinces were eating, I spoke to them in Mandarin, saying, “May peace be with you all. Since you are working away from home, I am sure your family members want you in good health. Isn't that so?” They all agreed. After I told them the facts about Falun Dafa, the majority of them did the three withdrawals and took booklets and a DVD. They also invited me to eat with them, but I declined.

The above are just a few examples. There is not enough space to recount them all.

Thanks for Teacher's Protection

According to the news, there was going to be a hurricane one day. It was raining already and I wore a raincoat to distribute flyers in a village. By the end of the morning I had given away over 300 flyers. Then the rain stopped and people were out in the street. I began advising them to do the three withdrawals. Some asked me to join them, and I told them there was no need to hurry. In a very short time over 100 DVDs were distributed. Ninety percent of the people did the three withdrawals. There was no hurricane.

I was in a village around 3 o'clock in the afternoon waiting for a bus to return home. Light rain was falling. As I got on the bus, heavy rain began to fall and it did not stop when I arrived at home. I had the opportunity to talk to the people on the bus and the majority of them did the three withdrawals. I was thankful for Teacher's arrangement.

There were also some less than favorable situations. While I was giving away small booklets, a middle-aged man came over and asked in an angry tone what I was doing. I smiled and said that I was bringing peace and happiness to people. I walked towards him and said, “Sir, what are you unhappy about? You don't recognize me anymore?” He began to smile and said he really could not recall. I said, “It doesn't matter if you cannot remember me. Let me tell you some facts.” When I finished, he agreed to do the three withdrawals.

I was talking to a 30-year-old man and was about to give him a DVD not knowing that he was a police officer. He said angrily, “You are publicly going against the CCP. Do you want me to report you?” He was about to use his cell phone, when a thought came to me indicating that I should not let him hurt himself. I said to him, “Young man, you look like a great guy. The DVD I gave you did not cost you a dime. I only hope that it brings you and your family peace, happiness, and a bright future. I can't believe that you want to report someone who wishes you well.” He said, “You are very brave and not concerned about being arrested.” I said in a low voice that the police station got more DVDs than he did, because they wanted to be safe, too. He said, “You can leave now, but pay attention to safety.”

People Saved Appear in a Dream to Encourage Me

I remember clearly a dream in which I was on a prairie, and the people were dressed like Mongolians. They told me that I was their king. They were welcoming me and wanted to me to eat the food that they had already prepared. Then, a man and a woman in their 20s came and asked me to wait for a special fruit they wanted to get for me from more than 200 miles away. Before they returned, my alarm clock rang. When I woke up, I had difficulty calming down. I knew Teacher wanted to encourage me by letting me see the beings I had saved. Going to each family in a village in a mountainous region is a tough job. Each time after I return home, I have to rest for an entire day before I can go out again. Sometimes I thought there must be other places I could go to clarify the facts, but another thought immediately rose up: "With every trial and every tribulation, there’s the question of whether you move up in cultivation or down.” (Zhuan Falun)

I understood that trying to get a more comfortable job was an attachment that one should let go.

Moving Forward as One Body

I know what abilities I have. I used to think that when Teacher returned to China, I would be satisfied if I could say, “Teacher, I have done my best!” Hence, I always do whatever is in line with the Fa. A fellow practitioner from another city said to me, “You should not save sentient beings by yourself. Try to bring along other practitioners who don't know how, so that more practitioners can save sentient beings.” I fully agreed with him. After returning home I discussed this issue with another practitioner. We did bring along practitioners who wanted to learn how to save sentient beings to gatherings and let them see how we went about saving beings. First we asked them to send forth righteous thoughts as they watched us. Now all of them have learned and know how to save sentient beings.

Master, you have worked really hard. You have helped all of us practitioners improve our character. Through fellow practitioners, I have recognized the need to give up fame and excitement. Now I can study the Fa quietly and save sentient beings. I know that saving one being involves countless lives. It also depends on the work of many fellow practitioners working on the Minghui website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom) as well as those trying to transmit messages. I am just one among so many practitioners. My knowledge of the Fa is still very limited, but I shall continue to look within and improve and not disappoint Teacher or sentient beings.

Heshi.

Note: (1) Amulets 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.