(Clearwisdom.net) We may not know the results of every step we take, however Teacher has already paved every step, all the way to the end (of practice) for every practitioner and sentient being.
There were previously seven or eight practitioners in the school where I teach. We all obtained the Fa quite late. Most of us had practiced for about two years. Though we seldom shared experiences, we knew each other as practitioners.
Last semester, one of us practitioners suggested that we should exercise at school together to create an environment where the faculty and students could obtain the Fa. So, from Monday through Friday, rain or shine, we (the seven or eight of us plus two to three young practitioners) exercised together. As soon as classes were over, we hurried to pack up so we could go do the exercises.
Other colleagues gradually got used to our routine. When it was time to get off work, they would say, "Time to exercise." During this time, we prepared 100 Dafa books for our colleagues to borrow. Some practitioners were in charge of sending the Chinese newspaper with Falun Gong truth-clarifying information to the faculty office. One semester went by, and though very few faculty members or students asked us about Dafa, Dafa had already taken root in their hearts, little by little.
At the end of last semester, one practitioner suggested that we should be able to do more. We should not be limited to just helping the students in our classes study the Fa and exercise; other children should also have the opportunity to learn about Dafa. Besides, when we hold an activity, it will conveniently bring us chances to clarify the truth about the persecution. Initially, we all seemed to have very different opinions and understandings, and each of us felt that he was trying to validate the Fa based on the Fa. Because we could not reach a common agreement, this issue began to get into our minds.
Later, we decided it would be a good idea to hold a formal meeting to discuss this issue. However, everyone's understanding based on the Fa was so different that by the end of the meeting, we felt that it was too difficult to even communicate. Though everyone who spoke thought he was validating the Fa based on the Fa, and was trying to express his point of view in great detail, I felt that the atmosphere was not good.
When I got home after the meeting, I immediately discussed the meeting with my family, who are also practitioners. I said, "Since we all want to do the Dafa work, why can't we reach a common agreement?" While I was angry and complaining, I gradually saw my attachment. As I talked about others being too worried about this and that, my attachment of being arrogant was being vividly presented right in front of me. It was just like Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, "But, usually when a conflict comes along, if it doesn't provoke you, it doesn't count, it doesn't work, and you won't be able to improve from it." Teacher has mentioned this type of situation many times in his lectures. It is only when you are truly in this situation and the attachment is exposed right in front of you, that you can realize the level of your xinxing. When I was overwhelmed by thoughts such as, "wanting to do the work" and "others have problems," I forgot that Dafa teaches us "Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance" all together. When I expressed my true feelings (of wanting to do Dafa work), I forgot to look at the conflict with compassion.
During the winter break, we had our third meeting. Though we still had differing opinions, in general we all listened to each other quietly and tried to think about what each person said, and consider the fact that the other person had seen something that the rest of us had not. In the process of listening to each other's opinions and ideas, the picture of starting Dafa work at school the following semester was becoming more and more clear. In the fourth meeting, after the semester started, we finally decided to set up the "Falun Dafa Study Group" and we formally introduced Dafa to everyone in the school.
With the Principal's trust and great support, we started by clarifying the truth to the faculty members. One practitioner carefully designed an invitation that included an introduction and explanation of Dafa and the truth about the persecution in China. It's been a few weeks since the Falun Dafa Study Group started, and we have more than 50 students, and a few more new faculty members.
I was very touched, not because of the number of practitioners, but by knowing that more people were saved. I truly believe that even for those who have not obtained the Fa, Dafa has quietly melted into their hearts because of Teacher's great compassion. Currently, besides group exercise, we have found time to study the Fa together. From the experience sharing during the Fa study, I can feel the Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance among us true practitioners. We also promised each other that we will not shy away from pointing out other fellow practitioners' mistakes. I think this is the important "improve as one entity" Teacher has stressed.
Teacher said, "For Dafa disciples as a whole, in the process of validating the Fa, when you work together in concert, the Fa power is great. Whether you're doing things as a group or doing things individually, what you're doing is the same kind of thing, and that's what we mean by one entity. You're all clarifying the truth, sending righteous thoughts, and studying the Fa, so the specifics of the things you're doing are different but the division of roles is orderly, together there's a form, and separated there are particles." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference") It truly is! Every one of us is a particle in the Fa. Only when every one of us does well as a practitioner can we improve as individuals and as one body.
