Walk Every Step Well and Steadily
By a practitioner in Australia
(Clearwisdom.net) Hello, respected Master! Hello, fellow practitioners! Thank you very much, Master, for giving me this opportunity to calmly reflect
upon my eight-year cultivation journey. I had hung around the outside door of Falun Dafa for a long time before I
truly started to cultivate myself. I read Zhuan Falun a long
time ago. But because there were others saying, "Falun Gong has problems,
and the government is conducting an investigation," I put the book down and
did not read it again for over a year. In 1998, I had given birth, but due to an
excessive loss of blood I lost consciousness on the operating table. While I was
unconscious I felt I was floating in the air and started to fly in a pure and
spacious dimension. I felt extremely comfortable. I did not know how much time
had passed before the baby's crying brought me back to consciousness. After
that, I remained unconscious for twenty hours. It was only when I had gone
through the near-death experience that I realized what Zhuan Falun has
said is true. Only after I became a Dafa practitioner did I come to understand
that Master had already been looking after me. But at that time I still did not
know to treasure this opportunity that comes once in a thousand years as I only
joined the group exercises and Fa study on weekends. I did not need to go to
work then. July 1999 had come very quickly. Due to my superficial understanding of the
Fa, I had some doubts about Master and Dafa. In the following year or so I did
not practice the exercises or study the Fa often. For some inexplicable reasons
during that time I often stumbled, fell down the stairs or sprained my ankle
while walking even on flat roads. Master says, "I've described to you what it was like back then: evil beings
from other dimensions attached to each blade of grass and each tree. As you
walked down the street tree branches would whip you in the face, the grass
would trip you, and the air was filled with evil. It's not that all of that
really turned evil, it was the effect of bad lives and factors that were
pushed down into the Three Realms during Fa-rectification. Everywhere, things
were saturated with evil factors. They attached themselves to everything,
doing the worst things in the Three Realms and among humans." ("Teaching
the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference") Because of my inability to access the Minghui website (Chinese version of
Clearwisdom.net), as well as for the circulation of the widespread fake Jingwen
(Master's articles) that the evildoers had fabricated, it was already the
latter half of 2000 when I began to realize that the persecution was not as
simple as it appeared to everyday people. From "Waiting for Master to Rectify the Fa" to "Assisting
Master in Rectifying the Fa" My elder sister who started her cultivation earlier than I did, then often
came to talk to me. She said, "Why doesn't the persecution end now? It is
because there are still practitioners like you who have not stepped out yet, and
our compassionate Master is still waiting for them. Are those practitioners who
have already stepped out suffering for those like you?" With the publication of "Teaching the Fa at the Western US Fa
Conference" and "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in
North America" in 2000, I knew that I should not wait anymore, and I
should not just rely on the sacrifice of the fellow practitioners. I also
wanted to "Assist Master with the journey in the world."
("Assisting Fa" in Hong Yin,
English Translation Version B) I still remember my first time going out to hang banners. Because we could
not get into contact with the people at the Dafa materials preparation site, we
had to make the banners on our own. We first bought the inks and red cloth.
Initially I was simply unable to write the first three strokes of the Chinese
character Fa properly, and my writing was always crooked. I
thus realized that Master was reminding me that it would not work, even if I had
missed by one point (stroke). The other end of the banner was tied to a rock. In
the night, three of us went onto the street with the banners and the other
truth clarification materials we had prepared. My hands kept shaking
at first. The banners fell down immediately after I had tossed them up into the
trees. My heart beat rapidly, particularly when cars went by. I sent forth
righteous thoughts to clean up the evils in other dimensions and also asked for
Master's help. After we had hung all the banners, we held hands while walking
the streets late at night. We felt extremely happy, as if we were able to see
the banners in the other dimensions, shining with radiant lights and eliminating
evil influences in the various dimensions. In June 2001, my elder sister, who had decided to leave home to avoid further
persecution, was arrested in another town. After having endured severe beatings,
force-feeding and other tortures, she was sent to the notorious Masanjia Forced
Labor Camp. Before she was arrested, she told me that she had been followed for
a long time. Her phone was also tapped, and she already had images in
preparation for her arrest. We did not then realize that we should negate the
persecution of the old forces. She was only worried that I would be implicated.
In July, practitioners whom I knew were arrested one after another, and the
situation became increasingly tense. I was, however, very calm at that time.
Master's sentence repeatedly came to my mind, "I am rooted in the universe. If anyone can harm you, he or she would
be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this
universe." ("Lecture One" of Zhuan Falun) At around midnight on July 20, 2001, the sound of doorbell and telephone
ringing awakened us. Seven policemen, uniformed and plainclothes, broke into my
home and took my husband and me away. Being initially trusting, we did not see
through the true nature of the evils and believed, as they had told us, that we
would be able to come back home in about half an hour after questioning at the
police station. On the way I kept sending forth righteous thoughts. At the police station I
saw my parents-in-law as well as several fellow practitioners who lived near us.
I was very clear that this was merely an incident where I would need to clarify
the truth in a different place. We were questioned separately. I kept clarifying
the truth to the two policewomen and at the same time sent forth righteous
thoughts to clean up the evils behind them. Initially they felt bad for me, a
key teaching staff member from a very reputable high school, to have become
"addicted" to Falun Gong. Gradually they asked each other, "Did
they make a mistake? How could they include your name in the list?" In the
end, they took the initiative to ask the police station head for my benefit,
saying that I still had a three-year-old child to take care of. When I asked
whether my husband and parents-in-law could come home with me, I heard one
policeman saying, "There has never been one (Falun Gong practitioner) who,
once inside the (police station's) door could walk out. Who do you think is as
lucky as you?" At 4:00 a.m. they called my neighbor and told him to come and take me home.
In front of my neighbor they forced me to sign the guarantee letter promising
not to go to Beijing anymore. They also threatened that if I broke my word, my
neighbor's position would be in jeopardy and he would lose his position as a
civil official. I then signed my name because of my attachment to emotions,
leaving a dark mark on my cultivation. After I went home I started to pass another emotional test. My neighbor,
parents, and relatives took turns trying to convince me to give up cultivation.
I felt I would have been better off staying inside the police station and not
getting out. My older sister had been sent to Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, so I
had become my parents' only comfort. I flipped open Zhuan Falun and
immediately saw this sentence, "When a tribulation comes in cultivation practice, if you still
treat yourself as an everyday person, I would say that your xinxing at that
moment has dropped to the level of everyday people. At least on this
particular issue, you have dropped to the level of everyday people."
("Lecture Six" of Zhuan Falun) So within one night, four members of my family were taken away. I had to not
only take care of my child, but also try to find out the whereabouts of my dear
ones, parents-in-law, my child's aunt, and my husband. The evildoers merely
arrested the practitioners, while not daring to inform their family members of
the arrest. I also needed to go to my husband's and my parents-in-law's
employers to clarify the truth. Several days later, a fellow practitioner brought me a copy of Master's
latest lecture, "Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa
Conference," which had just been published. I almost cried out when I read
the first sentence of the lecture, "Hello everyone! You've been working hard!" "Maybe
now you've experienced how hard cultivation is." ("Teaching the Fa
at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference") Indeed, our benevolent Master was actually very close to me, watching and
encouraging me. As I progressed in my Fa study I began to use the opportunities that my
teaching job provided to clarify the truth. I have integrated the principles of
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" into my teaching and getting
along with others. The students, colleagues, and school principal have always
trusted me very much. I also carefully kept the truth clarification materials.
When I went to the public places to take baths, to the bookstores to buy book,
the stores to buy shoes, or taking a taxi, I always remembered to leave behind a
truth-clarification VCD, pamphlet, or a tape that I recorded myself. Every time
I took a cab I always remembered to clarify the truth to the driver during the
conversation. Coming to Australia after Overcoming Many Obstacles In 2002, my husband suddenly came up with the idea of emigration to other
countries as skilled workers. We were then not sure if we could succeed in our
attempt, as several of my police friends had mentioned to me that Falun Gong
practitioners are prevented from going abroad. This was especially true for us
whose names had already been on the list of the lower government branches. We
worked on the immigration process without really paying attention to it. Deep in
my heart, though, I told myself that I would rather not go abroad if I would be
granted the passport only when I agreed to write the guarantee letter. I did not
want to taint my cultivation anymore. Things went surprisingly smooth, though. During the process, impossible
miracles seemed to happen, one after another. Unlike others who might be able to
get the visas, we, by contrast, actually got our visas first while waiting to
get our passports. After agents at the local police station rejected my husband's passport
applications three times, I went to the police department. Ahead of time I
walked through every level of the police department building, sending forth the
righteous thoughts to negate the old forces' arrangements. I also asked for
Master's help. With this pure thought we ended up in Australia, although we had initially
applied to go to New Zealand. We got our passports at the last minute. During
the physical examination my son, who was unable to walk, also successfully
passed the physical examination. We did not realize at that time that my son's
situation would affect our application of visas as skilled workers. After
arriving in Australia, our landlord told us that many people's applications for
visas as skilled workers were refused because of their children's health
problems. After I arrived in Australia, a fellow practitioner who had previously worked
on the same truth-clarification project as I did told me, "Do you know that
I am so busy by working alone by myself? I then kept asking Master to arrange
for a capable Dafa disciple to come here again to help me. As a result, you
came." Eliminate the Thought of Just Doing the Work, and Correcting Myself by
Searching Within Myself With the progress of the Fa rectification I have gained an even deeper
understanding of the Fa. After I arrived in Melbourne, my sharing with fellow
practitioners helped me find my gaps and come to understand the mission and
responsibilities of Dafa disciples during the Fa rectification period. I truly
started to cultivate myself, particularly after seeing how practitioners had
taken initiatives in clarifying the truth, saving the sentient beings, and
rescuing the detained practitioners in China. I then further understood the
extraordinary and indestructible nature of Dafa. During the Dafa activities that
I initially participated in, when I walked during a parade I often shed tears. I
was proud of Dafa's wide dissemination. I felt extremely fortunate for being
able to be Master's disciple. I felt even more rueful for my failing to do well
in China due to my fear and attachment to comfort. With guidance from the Fa and
with the encouragement of the fellow practitioners, I gradually emerged from the
realm of personal cultivation and got involved in a media project to validate
the Fa. The media project was still in the preparation stage then, prior to its
initial circulation. Every day there were a lot of articles that needed to be
translated and edited. We worked in a house that was converted from a rented car
garage. We forgot the time and cold, "Let joy be found in hardship" ("Tempering the Will" in
Hong Yin) and dealt with the various difficulties in our lives with pure and clean
minds. At that time we had a child who could not walk, and we did not have our
own car and needed to travel four or five hours to go to the Fa study place.
Nevertheless, we valued very much the group-sharing environment. Each time I
went out to promote the Fa and clarify the truth I told myself that this was not
merely an activity, as many fellow practitioners in China were so keen to have
this opportunity! By then I felt that I had advanced very rapidly in my
cultivation. I had also come to understand many more of the Fa principles. As a media outlet is a way of clarifying the truth from another angle, and as
we had not had enough sharing with the other truth-clarification groups, some
individual practitioners raised doubts about the significance of the media.
After that, the several main coordinators either withdrew from the media project
or experienced a lot of interference. I asked myself almost every day, "Am
I clarifying the truth? Am I doing the Fa-validating work?" Sometimes, I
even thought that it would be more satisfying for me to go to the parks to
clarify the truth to people face to face. After one instrumental practitioner
who was doing the editing work left, I also wanted to quit. I dared not to raise
my head to look at Master's photo, nor did I dare to look at the three words
that Master had written for the media. I knew that I also had my own problems,
however I still could not let go of my attachment to self-interest. This
situation lasted until one practitioner close to me showed symptoms of severe
sickness karma and was admitted to the hospital. Standing by her bed in the hospital and looking at her, still in a coma, I
suddenly came to realize: We had attached ourselves to who was right or wrong
and who had not based herself on the Fa, while we had failed to realize that the
old forces' dark minions and rotten demons had actually been watching us, to
take advantage of our loopholes. Once our field was not pure or divisions were
created, the evils would immediately come to interfere. The main project
coordinator had indeed failed to accept the others' criticisms and to search
within herself. However, our accusations and complaints could have only aided
the evil and caused division among ourselves. Although I had been trying hard to
search within myself and look inward, what I had done was just a superficial
gesture, aiming to lead the others to "search within themselves" and
enable them to be convinced. What a strong attachment to validating myself! As
Master had chosen the media, I should unconditionally harmonize Master's
requirements. I would stick with this to the end, even if I were the only one
left! Concurrently, I have also increasingly understood that, just as the
occurrence of the Chen Yonglin incident in Australia, this media was a unique
opportunity and special honor Master has given to Australian Dafa disciples. I
understand that Master really hoped the Australian practitioners would, like the
Dafa practitioners in North America and Europe, have fewer human notions and do
well what Dafa disciples need to do. Now we must harmonize this field and become one body, and everyone needs to
act like a cultivator. When there are some disharmonies or conflicts among the
fellow practitioners, as long as we all show tolerance we can certainly do
better, and the evils will not dare to come close to us. Otherwise, they would
be instantly disintegrated. At present, there are huge improvements in our media
content, production and volume of circulation. Although there is still some way
to go before we meet Master's expectation: "...get into a positive
cycle," (" Teaching the Fa at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific
Students") we definitely need to make breakthroughs. Improving as One Body and Not Leaving Gaps in Our Xinxing for the Evils to
Exploit Master has repeatedly told us to make "...holistic improvement and holistic upgrade." ("Lecture
Two" of Zhuan Falun) But how could we achieve this state? The Fa has already stated this very
clearly, "Therefore, one must pay attention to xinxing." ("Lecture
Two" of Zhuan Falun) It is true that we have intentionally divided ourselves into different
project teams. However, the evils do not differentiate in their persecution of
us. An article published on the Minghui website stated, "When we as individuals regard projects that are not assigned to
ourselves as other people's things, our whole body would be unwittingly divided
into many small pieces, and the powerful strength as a whole would be weakened
into scattered pockets of strength. Moreover, when we have different opinions or
have arguments, we would further weaken each other's strength." "The
purpose for dividing up the task of saving sentient beings into different
projects is merely for the sake of convenience in doing the work, rather than
intentionally forming divisions. We should still be one whole body and we should
be able to form one whole body at anytime or anywhere -- that's what the right
state should be. We may have different understandings of the Fa due to our
different cultivation levels. These differences should not weaken us, but
instead strengthen us. We should be going in the same direction together and
supporting each other. We should be concerned about everything as if it were our
own, have a clear understanding on every issue and understand things based on
the Fa as much as we can, so that we don't form any divisions within our whole
body. Only by accomplishing this can we keep up with the progress of Fa-rectification.
Otherwise, there is no need for the evil to try to split us, as we would have
already divided ourselves into many pieces. Isn't this a big omission?"
("Do Not Differentiate Between Fa-Rectification Projects; "A Great Way
Has No Form" But Exists As a Whole (With Master's Comments)") Different websites and media are targeting different audiences and speak from
different angles, but they are all for the purpose of rescuing sentient beings
in a maximized capacity. There are absolutely no distinctions between issues of
one being more important than the other, just as we will not discuss whether the
army or the air force is more important. But we need to know their respective
roles. Master's enormous endurance and sacrifice is actually reflected in every step
each Dafa practitioner has taken. Without Master and Dafa, how could we be
bestowed the title of "Dafa Disciple," the No. 1 title all gods the
cosmos envy? Master and Dafa has conferred upon us the highest honor and given
us the best of everything for the future. If one has not done well and has not
shouldered all one's responsibility it will be the person's eternal regret,
which can in no way be remedied. I understand that Master wants to save all the
sentient beings in the entire cosmos and at the same time not leave behind any
Dafa disciples who came to the human world. As Master's disciples, we must abide
by Master's teaching at all times - improve together with all the fellow
practitioners in the understanding of the Fa, remind each other, help each
other, and cooperate well with each other, and in the meantime, keep improving
and correcting ourselves through cultivation. Within this indestructible one
body of Dafa disciples, let each of us cultivate diligently in the Fa, walk our
own ways of validating the Fa in our own respective environments, and improve
and advance as one body. Let us be well coordinated to rescue more predestined
people. During the process of my writing this opinion article for sharing, my eyes
are repeatedly covered with tears, for Master's boundless benevolence and for my
being able to catch up to this opportunity that only comes only once since the
beginning of time in the cosmos. I felt regret for my competitive mentality that
frequently manifests itself, my show-off mentality and my fear of others'
criticism. I felt ashamed for my indifference during my earlier cultivation
period. As a cultivator I often ask myself, "Am I a genuine cultivator? Can
I give up everything for the salvation of sentient beings? Can I fundamentally
understand Dafa? Can I, in an open and glorified way, give Dafa the right
position in my mind? Do I fully comprehend the holy mission of Dafa disciples in
the Fa-rectification Time? Am I aware that the Fa-rectification has already
reached the final step in its final phase? Do I really feel the urgency of
rescuing sentient beings? Do I really feel worried for the sentient beings? Have
I made Master worry about me again today? Have I done anything that makes the
evils happy?" What was described above is what I have come to realize during my personal
cultivation. Please kindly point out anything that is not appropriate. Again, thank you, benevolent Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/5/28/128977.html
Yearly Archive
Printer Version
feedback@clearwisdom.net