(Minghui.org) I had a sense of satisfaction and relief on the morning of September 15, 2018, after I completed the last article assigned to me for editing and submitted it as part of Minghui's 15th China Fahui experience sharing. I had gained so much in the process.
Inspired by Fellow Practitioners' Stories
I had read about many fellow practitioners' cultivation experiences and they had inspired me tremendously. They helped me fix some of the loopholes in my cultivation and made me aware of Master Li's thoughtful arrangement for me to do this work.
1. Following the Fa in everything
A practitioner's daughter wanted to be a substitute teacher. The practitioner did not try to get her a good position through bribes as most people would do. Instead, his daughter went to work for an elementary school in a rural area, a position that happened to be available at the time. Toward the end of a semester, a school in the city was looking for a substitute teacher and wanted her to fill the position. But the practitioner and his daughter thought about the children she had been teaching in the rural school and did not want to leave them in the middle of the semester, as there was no substitute to fill in if she left. So they did not consider the new position.
After the summer break, the rural school did not need her back while the school in the city had kept the position open for her, even though there were many competing candidates. The school administrators said, “You were willing to give up a better job opportunity for the sake of your students. It is very hard to find a young teacher with such integrity and character nowadays.” Following the Fa, the daughter got a good job without extra effort or resorting to bribes.
2. Discovering my true self
A senior practitioner could not have seemed more ordinary. Recently she was in a potentially fatal car accident on her way home from posting truth-clarifying materials. She was severely injured, but she did not have the slightest thought of going to the hospital. Her mind was completely focused on saving more people and causing less trouble for her family. She did not have fancy words to describe her thoughts and feelings, but her belief in Master was extremely firm. She refused to acknowledge any symptoms, followed the Fa step by step, overcame her injuries, and made a full recovery within ten days under Master's care.
I saw her pure heart and also realized how short I fell compared to her. If I felt the slightest bit ill, I would rest and hope for a quick recovery, completely forgetting that I was a practitioner. I truly felt that I ought to get rid of my attachments and find my true self.
3. Developing confidence in my own cultivation
A practitioner in her 50s was trying to learn how to drive at a driving school. Her instructor kept scolding her and even tried to persuade her to quit. She treated it as a cultivation process, forged ahead without hesitation, and passed the final test with flying colors and a perfect performance.
I knew I had long been lacking confidence in my own cultivation. In contrast, she had strong confidence in herself and firm belief in Dafa's power, in spite of her instructor’s negative comments.
I was inspired by her story. I must follow the Fa and be immune to human notions and external interference. I regained confidence in improving myself and correcting my shortcomings.
4. Increasing the capacity of my heart
The many days spent compiling fellow practitioners' papers and their righteous thoughts and deeds have encouraged me and filled my mind with righteous thoughts as well.
An 83-year-old practitioner had spent the past nearly 20 years on truth-clarification regardless of the difficult conditions. His few words had the magical power to successfully persuade people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I saw in him the tremendous compassion of a Dafa disciple.
Another female practitioner suffered countless hardships, lost everything she had, yet regained everything through cultivation. Her experience was a great firsthand testament to the power of Dafa and Master's boundless benevolence.
Such stories moved me to tears. As I’ve realized my limited level in contrast to these fellow practitioners, the capacity of my heart has expanded.
As more papers were assigned to me, I became less impatient. Isn't it beneficial when more practitioners can participate in the Fahui? Isn't it my privilege and glory to help fellow practitioners type up and edit experience sharing articles? Isn't it part of my sacred duty as a practitioner to harmonize what Master asked of us disciples?
Searching Within While Facing Difficulties
One of my assigned papers was long and poorly organized—or at least I thought so. I reached a bottleneck and did not know how to edit it.
I said to another practitioner, “The deadline for submissions to the Fahui is almost here but I have a difficult paper that I don't know how to edit.” She reminded me, “You don't have to edit it. Fahui papers are practitioners’ homework submitted to Master. You are to collect them and turn them in. That is it. It looks like you have a habit of modifying their articles. When we were suing Jiang Zemin in the past, some practitioners complained about that. Because I was uncomfortable bringing it up, I did not tell you. But they said you had changed what they wrote into superficial and official language, while using their original words would have been much better.”
I was shocked to hear that, completely ignorant of such a serious problem. I felt I was finally waking up from a dream. Why would I try to change others' papers? I realized my mistake and my mind seemed much clearer as a result. I quickly compiled and submitted the paper I’d thought was so difficult. Similarly, more such articles were done and turned in.
When I later read that particular article again, I was surprised to discover that it was very well written and demonstrated the author's cultivation level, which was beyond my previous understanding. What some other practitioners wrote was also beyond my ability to comprehend due to my limited cultivation level.
I can make reasonable edits, such as correcting typos as I type it up, verifying Fa quotations, and making it more easily understood. But I should not modify the author's viewpoints and change their articles into my own, with the result that they are all the same form. Editing articles should be done within a limited scope.
Master has told us,
“But with Dafa disciples things should go quickly, whatever it may be. When you let go of self even more, your wisdom for validating the Fa will naturally come forth.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Students,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. VI)
It was actually myself that I had to let go of. That was hindering my wisdom, thereby wasting time and delaying my progress in compiling articles.
Later, another article compiled by a local practitioner made me realize the gap in my cultivation. That article was able to reflect the author's original meaning and intent and was more pure and capable of touching people's hearts. In contrast, due to my own attachments and limited cultivation level, the articles I compiled had my own impure factors blended into them. Thus my editing could not stay truthful to the author's intent. I felt sorry for not measuring up to fellow practitioners who put a lot of thought into writing their sacred experience sharing articles.
Placing My Trust in Master's Arrangements
One day as I was writing this article, a practitioner came knocking on my door and brought a senior practitioner's paper that had been handwritten. Initially I was promised a digital copy, but the author's non-practitioner daughter had typed it up and then deleted it by mistake.
I did not feel any displeasure or resentment, because I was looking inward based on the Fa. In the past I would have let the fellow practitioner know that I was irritated. This time I did not follow my human attachment. I knew clearly the old forces were trying to make trouble and cause delays. I said to myself that I could make up for it if I could sacrifice a little sleep and type it up again that night. I knew I could get it done and submitted by the deadline.
Another practitioner was writing her article that day as well. I knew she knocked very lightly and I might not hear it, so I was hoping she would turn in her article to me as early as possible that night so that I could focus on writing my own article without worrying about missing her. As I waited and waited, I did not complain in my mind because I knew she must be trying to do it well. However, my heart was still unsettled, which I knew was a problem in my own cultivation and not her fault.
After 7 p.m. that night, she finally came to turn in her article. Then she took the handwritten paper and told me she would have it typed up by the next day, just in time for me to get it submitted before the deadline.
Master had arranged everything, including having her help me out. I came to the clear understanding that complaining was not the least bit helpful in dealing with difficulties and hardships. I should never consider a problem too big to conquer; instead, I ought to believe in Master's arrangement and all I needed to do was to focus on how to carry out my part well following the Fa.
Most of the papers had issues of some kind. Some were in handwriting that was hard to make out. Some quoted Master's Fa inaccurately or without citing the exact source. It hurt my head to read these papers.
Master said,
“When you see something not right, you should think about yourself first and ask why you happened to see it and whether you have a problem, since you are cultivating yourself.” (Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference, Team Blue Translation)
I realized that I had similar issues myself. For example, I was often careless. I once submitted an article to the Minghui editor's mailbox and then submitted it again by mistake, likely causing trouble or confusion for the editors. I should be more attentive and considerate in the future.
I then thought of the practitioners who work on the Minghui website. They take on so much every day! I merely had to compile and submit several papers from our local practitioners, while those Minghui practitioners were in charge of so many articles from all over the world.
After I had that thought, I came across a rarely-used expression in an article I was editing. I’d never seen it used before, so I asked the author to clarify. He told me that he’d seen it used in another practitioner's article, so he used it himself. I was concerned that it might be used improperly, so I looked it up and wrote a footnote for it so that it would be easier for the Minghui editors. Although it was a minor thoughtful deed, I knew I had developed a considerate heart for my fellow practitioners.
Category: Improving Oneself
