Flowers and Thorns on My Cultivation Journey

(Minghui.org) Reflecting on my past year of cultivation, I consider it the most difficult time, filled with challenges. It’s as if my path was lined with thorns and flowers. Owing to Master’s compassionate protection and guidance, I have been able to make it this far.

I would like to record my cultivation journey in coordinating the Shen Yun poster project and promoting Gan Jing World. I hope my experiences can help encourage other practitioners.

Coordinating the Shen Yun Poster Project for the First Time

Last year, during a local large group meeting after kicking off our Shen Yun promotion, it was announced that I would be coordinating the Shen Yun poster work. I wasn’t at the meeting and only learned about this afterwards. Since I hadn’t been told in advance, I initially hesitated to take on the task, thinking I was too young, inexperienced, and inadequate.

Two other coordinators, Min and Jane, encouraged me to do it, telling me that they would make the arrangements and that my job was to contact those on the poster team. I thought I was just a messenger, which sounded manageable, so I agreed to give it a try.

However, I faced a test on my very first day. I only brought a limited number of posters and many practitioners came to take them. I could only let each person take a few and promised to bring more posters the following week.

One practitioner was upset that there were so few posters, despite my explanation. He left without taking any. I had no idea that this practitioner was very good at putting up posters and I hadn’t given him enough for even one trip. 

I felt wronged and hoped this practitioner could be more understanding, since this was my first time coordinating the project and he couldn’t expect me to do everything perfectly. I didn’t think I was in the wrong, and I blamed him for not being compassionate to me. I tried to explain the situation to Min, the coordinator, but she didn’t have time to talk about it. I shared about it with my mother and she reminded me to look at the incident as a form of karmic retribution owed to me by that practitioner.

I reminded myself to unconditionally embrace Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I made a pledge to Master that no matter how this practitioner treated me in the future, I would respond with kindness. I should regard every conflict as an opportunity for my improvement.

Coordinating the team was much harder than I expected. I wasn’t very eloquent and I would easily upset practitioners, especially elderly practitioners. I had to be very careful with every word I said. But no matter how careful I was, I still encountered various issues, causing immense pressure. I reminded myself to maintain righteous thoughts and not complain. Despite my efforts, the issues continued, and I felt very frustrated. It felt as though I was passing the same test every day and it was like peeling layers from an onion.

Due to the physical strain of carrying posters, along with pressure from a new job and heavy coursework, I started suffering sickness karma. I was feverish, coughing, vomiting, and I lost my appetite and even lost my voice. At times, I thought about quitting the poster project. But the frequent sharing and encouragement from Min and Jane ultimately kept me going.

Master showed me two miracles during this difficult time, rekindling my righteous thoughts and perseverance. One day, while meditating with my mother, I had a profound sensation of rising upwards, witnessing the universe unfold in a breathtaking display more extraordinary than any previous meditation experience I’d had. I felt rejuvenated afterwards and understood that Master was encouraging me to persist.

During this time, I was also enrolled in demanding junior and senior college courses. With most of my time dedicated to homework and poster coordination, I hoped I could still pass my exams. When I got my results, I was astonished that I’d received A’s in all subjects. I immediately recognized this as Master’s encouragement, and remembered his words:

“Actually, I have discussed this very clearly in Zhuan Falun. Studying the Fa well definitely won’t affect anything of yours in your cultivation, and on the contrary, it will help you get twice the results at your job or with your schoolwork with half the effort.” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)

Breaking Through Huge Obstacles

While coordinating the poster work, I had some huge obstacles in my cultivation. Jane, who had been supporting my cultivation, passed away unexpectedly. Before I had time to grieve, practitioners who had worked closely with Jane asked me to take over her responsibilities. I agreed, but the workload was overwhelming. My phone rang incessantly, and I was tempted to switch it off.

Jane’s passing served as a poignant reminder of the importance of Fa study. I disciplined myself to do it: studying Master’s other lectures with the group in the morning, listening to Master’s teachings during my commute, and joining a group to study Zhuan Falun after school. My time was spent either immersed in the Fa, attending classes, or working on Dafa projects. The intensity of this routine, however, caused me serious mental stress.

A gradual sense of fear crept into my mind, and I wondered if I could sustain this pace, or would eventually leave like Jane. This fear increased, dominating my thoughts when I wasn’t studying the Fa or attending classes. I didn’t want to turn the lights off at night, fearing I wouldn’t wake up. Although I swiftly captured and dispelled these negative thoughts, they lingered. Every day, I felt consumed by unrelenting fear and scared to be alone. I didn’t share any of this with my mother or other practitioners, not wanting to burden them. I firmly believed that as long as I remained steadfast in the Fa, everything would be fine.

This mental strain continued for over a month. During this time, Master released the article “How Humankind Came To Be.” Though I read it repeatedly and listened to the recording on my way to school, I stayed stuck in the same state, seeing no way out. Though I had been able to pass xinxing tests smoothly in the past, this time I didn’t seem to make any progress, despite getting rid of attachments as much as possible and immersing myself in the Fa daily. Doubt began to creep in, and I started questioning whether I was truly cultivating.

One day, on the way to a Dafa activity, I listened to the audio book Dissolving the Communist Party Culture, and at the same time I asked Master for help. During the activity, as I got ready to demonstrate the fifth exercise, I again asked for Master’s help. Shortly after the meditation began, I once again saw the extraordinary scene I had witnessed previously. I distinctly saw the Earth, then the solar system, as I continued to rise up into a new world, even more magnificent and beautiful. My mind was freed instantly, and the negative thoughts were entirely eradicated. I held back my tears, knowing that Master had heard me and strengthened my resolve in cultivation. When I later told my mother about this, she shared my joy, reassuring me that Master is always by my side.

During this time, I looked within to identify any loopholes exploited by the old forces. I discovered a lingering sentiment for Jane, as well as a persistent fear that I struggled to completely remove. My mother asked if I’d been diligent in sending forth righteous thoughts. I realized that, due to scheduling conflicts, I often missed the global righteous thoughts times, and sometimes even forgot when I got busy at home.

From then on, I prioritized sending forth righteous thoughts. I made time to do it even when I was at work, purging interference from the old forces. Gradually, my negative thoughts decreased, and then disappeared entirely. I am grateful to Master for his salvation and helping me enlighten during this process, allowing me to break through these huge obstacles.

Working for Gan Jing World

After the Shen Yun shows were over, I did some work for Gan Jing World, a new video platform dedicated to promoting traditional values through wholesome content. I mainly helped coordinate filming and video editing of various events in Toronto.

During one event, a practitioner and I came up with the idea of introducing Gan Jing World to the vendors. We rehearsed several times before plucking up the courage to approach them. We first engaged an Indian vendor. He promptly scanned the QR code on our promotional cards, downloaded the Gan Jing World app, and learned about our channel. After we offered to promote his booth for free on our channel, he eagerly shared his story and invited us to film his booth.

This experience opened up an efficient way to introduce Gan Jing World. We encouraged the vendors to download the app and subscribe to our channel. This allowed us to build relationships with them and capture more detailed video footage.

I am grateful to Master’s compassionate protection and the support I’ve had from other practitioners over the past year. Through these experiences, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of Master’s teaching:

“As long as you have them, all of those attachments must be removed in different environments. You will be made to stumble, whereby you will become enlightened to the Tao. This is how you go through cultivation.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

In future, I will follow Master’s teachings and cultivate diligently. Please correct me if my understanding deviates from the Fa.

Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!