(Clearwisdom.net) Time flies! It has been almost ten years since I started cultivating Dafa. I always wanted to write about my excitement and experiences in cultivation, but I did not think I was educated enough, nor was my cultivation anything special. Though I knew this was an attachment, I did not have the confidence to write at all.
When I saw the notice calling for papers for "The Third Mainland China Falun Dafa Practitioners Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference on the Internet," I decided to take the opportunity to break through my human notions. I did not hesitate, and wrote my experience sharing paper, which could help me to eliminate my attachments while validating Dafa. This is part of our responsibility as Dafa disciples in the Fa rectification period.
1. Obtaining the Fa
In October of 1997, I suffered from a very painful sickness. Luckily I saw the book Zhuan Falun at my father in law's home. I could not stop myself from reading it. That day I read the whole book from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
I knew I had found what I was looking for, as this book describes the purpose for living. Though I did not understand the deeper meaning of Dafa, Master made it clear for us,
"One should return to one's original, true self; this is the real purpose of being human. Therefore, once a person wants to practice cultivation, his or her Buddha-nature is considered to have come forth." ("Lecture One" from Zhuan Falun, 2000 translation version)
I then made up my mind to cultivate.
I joined the Fa study and exercise group in my village the next day. Though I studied the Fa and practiced the exercises every day, I still doubted Master's Fa because of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) brainwashing.
I always wondered if it was true that all true cultivators are protected by Master's fashen. I found it unbelievable, but I had the following experience. I work at a gold mine. One day a miner accidentally dumped a cart of ore into the well I was working at and a big ore piece, as thick as half a meter, fell on my right leg and knocked me down to the ground. My coworkers pulled me up and asked "were you hurt?" My mind went blank for a while. I felt my right knee was burning. I checked my knee and it was not hurt at all. No pain, no swelling and not even a scrape. If it was not for Master's protection, I might have lost my leg. I clearly remember what happened that day, like it was yesterday.
Later, I again encountered several dangerous accidents, but I was safe under Master's protection every time. I totally believed what Master told us and cultivated firmly. Sometimes I did not understand the Fa. I told myself that this is the highest law for the whole Universe, so I truly believed what Master said was correct even if I didn't initially understand it.
I studied the Fa and practiced the exercises diligently. I followed the requirements of Dafa to be a good person and worked to improve my xinxing. This laid a very solid foundation for my future cultivation. My life was full of happiness and peace under Master's Buddha-light illumination.
2. Clarifying the Truth and Saving People
In 1999, the evil started persecuting Dafa. TV, radio programs and newspapers were full of lies and slander about Dafa. I felt very pained and sad. Even my breathing seemed hard. I did not know what to do.
Luckily I had laid a good foundation during my personal cultivation period. I never believed the lies and slander. I personally experienced the magnificence and miracles Dafa brought. Dafa is the righteous Fa teaching people to be good. I will never give up cultivating such a great Fa.
Though I was fearful, I continued to study the Fa and practice the exercises every day. When my understanding met Dafa's requirement at that level, miracles happened. Police took many people to the station and forced them to stop practicing, including many who practiced for a short period of time and later stopped. Yet police never came to bother me. I went to work during the day, studied the Fa and practiced the exercises at home as usual.
When I lost the group Fa study environment, I gradually became less diligent, occasionally studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. I sometimes even played Mahjong like an ordinary person. I wasted two to three years like this.
With a seemingly accidental opportunity, fellow practitioners in my village got in touch with practitioners in other areas. We received Master's new articles and Minghui/Clearwisdom website articles, which brought light to our dark days. Master told us,
"Everything that's the most magnificent and the most wonderful is developed in the process of your validating Dafa." ("Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples")
With Master's articles as guidance, I gradually enlightened to the fact that clarifying the truth and saving people should be part of my daily life. At relatives' and friends' gatherings, I told them the truth about the "Tiananmen self-immolation incident," about how Dafa is spreading all over the world and about the "Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice." When going out for shopping or other things, I distributed truth clarifying materials. I never missed any chance to clarify the truth. The more I did it, the more efficient I got. I recognized that the attachment of fear was the biggest barrier for me in clarifying the truth. Every time I was in fear, I recited Master's poems. Such as
"Dafa is what you carry everywhere,
Zhen Shan Ren, rooted in the mind;
A great Arhat walks the earth,
Gods and demons fear with awe."("Benevolent Might" from Hong Yin, translation version A)
"A Great Enlightened One fears no hardship
Having forged an adamantine will
Free of attachment to living or dying
He walks the path of Fa-rectification
confident and poised"("Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions" from Hong Yin II, translation version A)
In the meantime, I asked Master to help me eliminate my attachment. I felt much calmer and my truth clarification became easier.
Since many truth clarification materials and DVDs have information about the cruel persecution Dafa practitioners have suffered, my wife was scared when I clarified the truth to others. The conflict intensified and she went back to my in laws home in the same village. My wife asked me, in tears, to no longer clarify the truth and distribute materials. She said she could not live if I was arrested, and she accused me of not caring about her or our child.
In front of my father in law and neighbors, I told them my understandings about Dafa and cultivation. Dafa teaches people to be good and gives cultivators health, free of charge. There is nothing bad about Dafa. Jiang Zemin slandered and lied about Dafa and Master. Why can't I clarify the truth about Dafa as a Dafa practitioner? I asked my father in law that if he was slandered, whether he would like for us children to regain his reputation for him? Master offered me health and the opportunity for enlightenment. I asked everyone in the room that if I listened to them, could they offer me the same thing? I spent a whole morning clarifying the truth to them and they finally they all understood. They said, "You can cultivate, but please be careful about your safety." My wife agreed not to stop me any longer. I assured her the safest way is to truly believe in Dafa and Master and do what Master told us to do.
3. Let Go of Selfishness and Improve as a Whole Body
With the fast progress of Fa-rectification, there are more and more projects that validate Dafa which need our attention. I always remember what Master said,
"The next person's things are your things, and your things are his things." ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference")
No matter which project I am assigned, as long as it is good for Dafa, I will do my best to cooperate with fellow practitioners.
There is a fellow practitioner who was in charge of providing truth clarification materials to dozens of practitioners in villages nearby. When studying the Fa, we enlightened to the fact that Master doesn't want to leave behind any disciples. We should do our best to contact the former practitioners who gave up cultivation because of the persecution. We have tried many ways to contact these practitioners, giving them Master's and Minghui/Clearwisdom articles. We often shared experiences with them in order to improve as a whole body.
Looking back on the cultivation path I walked, I understand that I walked through it with Master's guidance and benevolent protection. Without such a precious opportunity, I might still be struggling in human society. Now I truly understand why Master emphasized studying the Fa many times. On one occasion, a fellow practitioner from another area visited our village. He saw us openly and nobly go to group Fa study and exercises and said, "You have a great cultivation environment here. This environment is from the mighty virtue of Dafa and the result of every Dafa practitioner clarifying the truth as a whole body." I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to our Great Benevolent Master and all fellow Dafa practitioners. Without the support of fellow practitioners, I could not cultivate and improve at all.
Please kindly point out any misunderstanding. Thank you very much.
September 23, 2006
