By a Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) Financial problems were a big obstacle in my cultivation. I didn't have a job for a long time after 1999. My fiancée is also a practitioner and her job is not secure, either. Many practitioners talked to me about this issue. I promised them that I would change the situation, but in my heart I wasn't really convinced that I could. I still insisted on my own way of thinking. Whenever someone addressed the matter, I would think; "You don't understand. If you were in my position, you wouldn't be able to bear the hardship." Gradually, I began to stay away from fellow practitioners. I was like that for several years and didn't really look within myself. Although I made improvements in some aspects, there was something fundamental within me that was not changed.

Since the persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999, I have been clarifying the truth on the Internet by sending out bulk emails and I felt at ease in doing it, so I never tried other methods used by practitioners to clarify the truth. Later I found that it was extremely difficult for me to make further progress in clarifying the truth. There seemed to be an insurmountable barrier in front of me.

I then had some contact with other practitioners. Comparing myself to them and reflecting upon my own actions, I realized that I needed a fundamental change. I felt that I should break away from my narrow-mindedness and make diligent progress in the Fa-rectification.

At first, I thought that I should break away from the concept of "me." I have some computer skills. But holding on to this special skill too tightly is a kind of barrier to the Fa-rectification, to truth clarification, and to personal cultivation. Isn't it a lethal barrier arranged by the old forces to limit us from clarifying the truth on a larger scale and saving the sentient beings?

After I realized this, I discovered a lot of obstacles that were arranged by the old forces to stop me from making further progress in clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. So, I started to deny the arrangements. I needed to break through various aspects, financially, technologically, on the Internet, and in my life. I started learning new skills-- how to print books and copy VCDs, for example. I joined other people in distributing VCDs and brochures. I also wrote articles to Minghui and studied wireless technology.

When cultivating in the Fa, everything becomes miraculous. Things changed after I changed. My financial situation improved. I started to do business and it went pretty well. Now, I have a lot of choices and there is no problem in finding financial resources. I witnessed and experienced the dramatic changes taking place in my thoughts and my body at the microscopic levels. It is like the dramatic changes Master mentioned in "Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference". I am dumfounded by the changes. They are so dazzling, yet perfect. Many of my problems and flaws are rectified. The progress of such changes moves toward the surface. The selfish concepts of "me" are eliminated, and my thoughts are purified and lifted to a higher level.

From looking at my changes, I find that the old forces have made such arrangements for everybody. The aged people have obstacles in grasping technology and skills. Those with skills have limited financial resources, and those who have ample resources usually have difficulties in other aspects of life. In a word, they have just arranged all sorts of difficulties for us to make further progress in saving the sentient beings and validating Dafa.

Several days ago when I shared experiences with other practitioners, we talked about an article on Minghui about refining iron. The content of iron in natural iron ore is about 50 to 60%. (Such ore is considered to be good quality.) It is very easy to refine such ore to 99%. However, it is very hard to refine it to 99.99%. And it is impossible to refine the ore to 100%. There is no 100% pure iron in the world; that would be unnatural.

We are doing well on the path of saving sentient beings and validating Dafa, though it is much like refining iron. The last leg of the journey is difficult. Along with the Fa-rectification and our improvements, the corresponding standards in the Fa and the requirements for us become higher and higher. As disciples in the Fa-rectification period, we need to reach the standard of pure gold or even higher, and that is different from the standards in the old cosmos. We have Master and Dafa. Anything that cannot be resolved in the old cosmos will be resolved and harmonized in the new cosmos. As long as we follow Master's guidance, there will not be any problem in achieving this. We can do better and better until we reach consummation.

01/13/2004