Look Inward and Truly Cultivate

(Minghui.org) I obtained the Fa and started cultivation in 1996. For over 20 years, despite the Chinese Communist Party (CCP’s) persecution, I have steadfastly walked on the cultivation path guided by Master and never wavered. I continued going out to clarify the truth face to face with people, and I did not stop during the COVID lockdown.

Helping Police Understand the Truth

While I was clarifying the truth to people one day in early spring of 2023, someone reported me and I was taken to the police station. A middle-aged officer yelled at me and asked what my name was and where I got the materials. I compassionately asked him, “Do you want to be tough with me? You can be tough to a criminal suspect but you can’t to me because I haven’t broken any laws. Who in this room do you think looks like a criminal suspect?” He was stunned for a moment, speechless. He no longer had the aggressive look he had, and his expression was very awkward.

I wanted to ease the atmosphere a bit. I asked, “Can I please have a bottle of water?” Officer A told a young officer B, “Go! Get her some water.” Officer B came back saying there was no water. Officer A said, “Then go buy some!” Officer B went out again and brought back a case of bottled water and put it next to me. I said, “You drove me here, and you also brought the head of the Domestic Security Division. Under normal circumstances, we’d never have a chance to meet each other. Let’s treasure this opportunity, and have a good chat.” Their tables were in the middle of the room, and we sat around the tables, making a circle.

I said, “According to China’s Constitution, people have freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration, people also have freedom of religious belief.” The officers and I recited some items from the Constitution together. The scene was peaceful as if they had invited me to give a speech.

I said, “Our practice of Falun Gong is protected by the Constitution. None of the documents related to Falun Gong, from the notice of the Ministry of Civil Affairs on July 22, 1999, to the notice of the Ministry of the Public Security, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist, and the State Department and the Ministry of Public Security, categorize Falun Gong as a cult. Falun Gong is legal. 

“Falun Dafa introduces people to the characteristics of the universe: Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. It tells people to value virtue and cultivate their hearts, to think of others at all times, and to look inward and cultivate themselves when encountering conflicts. Take a look at society today, pornography, gambling, drugs, and counterfeiting are rampant. 

“In contrast, Falun Gong practitioners’ morals have improved, and they are kind-hearted. They do not practice fraud and are not violent. The whoring, gambling, and cheating that are popular in today’s society, are nowhere to be seen in Falun Gong. Isn’t that good?” I asked.

The Domestic Security head exclaimed, “OK! Falun Gong is good! If all Chinese people practiced Falun Gong, society would have improved long ago!”

I continued, “Falun Gong teaches people to follow Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance to be good, and it can resolve diseases and help people stay fit. I started practicing Falun Gong because of my illnesses. I benefited a lot, and all my illnesses disappeared without medication. Over the past twenty-seven years, I saved the country hundreds of thousands or even millions in medical expenses. It is practiced around the world, but only the CCP has tried to stop people from practicing. Is this normal?”

I continued, “Falun Dafa is a Buddha Law. When Falun Dafa is slandered, whoever understands the truth, supports kindness, and protects practitioners will be blessed by Gods and Buddhas. If you sincerely say, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’ and quit the CCP, you will receive blessings and have a bright future. These three years of pandemic are here to eliminate the CCP.”

A young officer said, “If Falun Gong is good, why don’t you just practice at home? Why did a practitioner set himself on fire?”

I said, “Our Master told us that cultivators cannot kill, and committing suicide is sinful. In 2001, former CCP head Jiang Zemin’s gang fabricated the Tiananmen Self-Immolation. The CCP played its usual tricks of inciting the masses to fight against each other and instilled fear in the hearts of the Chinese people. They incited hatred, and escalated the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.”

I explained to them in detail the loopholes in the Tiananmen Self-Immolation video broadcast by CCTV. I pointed out that while the clothes and face of the “self-immolator” were blackened, the beverage bottle filled with gasoline between his legs was not intact, and his hair was not burned. There was also the little girl, Liu Siying, who had a tracheotomy, but she was able to be interviewed and even sang with a clear voice. Wasn’t this fake?

An officer said, “They were acting.” I said, “Exactly.” I answered more questions and they listened intently. When it was time for the noon break, they stood up together and walked me to the door. I told them that they should read Master’s article “How Humankind Came To Be.” 

Remembering to Look Inward and Cultivate Oneself

I’ve been clarifying the truth together with other practitioners for many years. As time passed, we got to know each others’ various attachments and cultivation states. But friction would occur occasionally.

For example, I felt practitioner Gu was superficial. He did things well on the surface, but he would sometimes lie, to the point where I didn’t know which of his words were true. I gradually developed a negative opinion of him and I avoided working with him on truth-clarification projects. We were in a stalemate for over six months.

I repeatedly asked myself if there was something wrong with me. Was my witnessing of Gu’s behavior coincidental? Was there something I needed to improve on? I felt I was looking outward and trying to fix others. Isn’t this going against what Master asked us to do, which is to look inward? 

After more than 20 years of cultivation, I was still like this. I really felt ashamed when I thought of Master’s compassion and how much he endured for us.

I calmed down and studied the Fa seriously. Gu’s behavior showed where he had not cultivated well and exposed the attachments he needed to eliminate. His behavior was also helping me, and showing me where I needed to improve, but I rejected it and blamed him. My attachment was a huge obstacle to my improvement, I needed to eliminate it.

Master’s Fa is the all-mighty “key” that opened the lock of my heart. My heart is so clear and bright. As I elevated based on Dafa, Gu also improved as we studied the Fa together. His negative behavior gradually disappeared.

The CCP classified my family as “landlords.” I was discriminated against since childhood and was called a “landlord bastard.” I hated those who scolded me and wanted to retaliate. I held grudges against those who treated me badly.

I studied hard in school and became arrogant, looking down on my classmates who didn’t do well. This kind of bad mentality was brought into my cultivation. I looked down on other practitioners who I felt were not diligent. I thought they were not up to par and often caused Master trouble. I know that these are acquired concepts and not my true self. They were imposed on me by the old forces, and they are what I need to cultivate away. However, the process has been slow and haphazard, and they have not been completely eliminated after more than 20 years.

Cultivation means cultivating oneself. Master said, “In fact, other than a person’s innate purity and innocence, all notions are acquired postnatally and are not a person’s actual self.” (“For Whom do You Exist?” in Essentials for Further Advancement)

Master’s Fa enlightened me and washed away the hard shell of acquired notions that surrounded my true self, it melted away the “hard ice” of unkindness in my heart.

Looking back, I realized that cultivation is both difficult and not difficult. The most difficult is persevering and practicing to the end. Only by cultivating oneself well and assimilating to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance can one meet the standard and show people how wonderful Falun Dafa is.

If there is anything inappropriate in my sharing, please kindly correct me.

Thank you Master.