By a Falun Dafa practitioner from North America

Greetings Respectable Master! Greetings Fellow Practitioners!

I have been working on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website for more than seven years now. I have experienced confusion and faltered in many situations over these years, but I have also experienced joy after improving and purifying myself. I am very thankful for Master's arrangements and for fellow practitioners pointing things out to me. I would like to share some experiences while working on Minghui projects and cultivating so that I can learn from my lessons and walk my path even better in the future.

I started participating in Minghui work in 2000. Working on Minghui projects entails a lot of responsibility, and the smallest mistakes are very noticeable. The Minghui website is not only a window for the outside world to understand Dafa, but also an open forum for practitioners to share experiences. The evil is also reading our website with great fear. In the past several years, this responsibility has kept me very busy. As I began to understand that working on Minghui was part of my cultivation, I no longer viewed it as boring work that needed to be accomplished.

I only gradually began to realize the importance of the Minghui/Clearwisdom websites and my own responsibilities. I remember that for a period of time in 2000, because I did not understand the Fa from the perspective of the Fa, I ran into trouble with my Fa study. Because of studying in the human world for a long time, I formed a very logical way of thinking based on modern society's so-called "scientific methods" and I used my human notions while studying the Fa. Master addressed this problem in "Learning the Fa" (Essentials for Further Advancement) "They study Dafa in the same way that everyday people study theoretical writings."I studied word for word and mechanically applied Master's Fa to things in my cultivation. As a result I often went to extremes. Therefore, I thought that Minghui editors compiling and publishing Master's lectures was not a behavior in line with the Fa. During that time period, I often visited a website of an individual who had enlightened along an evil path. My heart was affected and I started questioning and resisting the Minghui website.

During a time when I was confused and wavering, Master's law body arranged several fellow practitioners who were responsible for the projects and practice sites to share experiences with me. However, the pride that I developed in the human world prevented me from opening my heart. I still thought that my own understanding was based on the Fa and was correct. I did not share my true thoughts with other practitioners. I pushed away the opportunities that Master specifically arranged for me. I knew deep in my heart that as long as I studied the Fa well, I would solve my problems. I did not realize, though, that not letting go of my human notions was exactly the obstacle preventing me from understanding the Fa.

As Master's lectures were published one by one on Minghui, I started to realize that there must be something wrong with my understanding. The knot in my heart was gradually untied. However, I did not fully understand my Fa study problems from the perspective of the Fa. After Master's article "Rationality" was published, while reading, I suddenly thought of a rhetorical question that Master asked in this lecture. The question addressed how to rationally view issues and problems. At that moment, I looked back and examined my issues in the previous months. I suddenly enlightened to my problem. I then read Master's lecture "Stability of the Fa" (Essentials for Further Advancement) and found that Master clearly said,

"Let me tell you that except for the several officially published books of mine and the dated short articles with my signature that are distributed to different regions by the Research Society, everything transcribed without permission is undermining the Fa."

The article only refers to the things that were "transcribed without permission." It did not directly mention the lectures that Master agreed to have transcribed. I was actually using my own notions and even considering them as the correct understanding of the Fa. I almost went down an evil path. Right then, I understood that the problem was my inability to let go of my own human notions and stay focused when studying the Fa.

Through all of this, I learned a big lesson concerning Fa study. I truly learned to study the Fa without bringing in my own human notions. This was a major step of improvement for me on my cultivation path. Later on, when I clarified the truth on the Internet, I met some people who had gone astray, some Internet spies, and some so-called "scientists" who based their thinking on the "scientific methods" of modern times. They quoted Master out of context, misinterpreted the Fa, and misled others. I knew exactly how to eliminate their fallacies and crooked understandings. I also passed the tests well.

After I examined myself and changed my notions about Minghui, I had a clearer understanding of my role in Minghui projects. I naturally understood that I would have some troubles and pressure while doing the projects. They would all just be the tests I needed to go through in my cultivation. At the very beginning, when I was doing some work related to Master's new lectures for the Minghui website, I was very nervous and afraid of making mistakes. I thoroughly checked my work on every single step. However, the more I checked myself, the more often I made mistakes. Even after I checked several times, I could still find problems. I soon realized that being extremely nervous is also an attachment. It helped me understand that I was pursuing something, and letting go of this attachment and doing the project with dignity would work much better. Soon after that, Master taught us how to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate any evil interference. I understood even more clearly that I needed to maintain strong righteous thoughts in order to do the Minghui projects well.

As the Fa-rectification advances rapidly, practitioners are working on many projects to counter the persecution. I began to participate in some other projects and became very busy. There was a period of time in 2002 that my Fa study dropped into being a mere formality. Although I kept studying every day, when I finished reading a chapter I was often shocked; "Why is it that I'm done with this chapter already?" It was as if my main consciousness was not even studying, but someone else was instead. I knew that this was not a correct state. After reading some fellow practitioners' experience sharing articles, although I understood my situation a little better, I still wasn't able to break through this state. At that time my wife started reciting the Fa and I also wanted to recite the Fa. However, due to my busy schedule with projects, my Fa study time was already limited and reciting the Fa seemed too difficult. I thought that I probably wouldn't be able to finish reciting Zhuan Falun before the Fa-rectification ended. I knew I had to break through this mindset though. I believe that Master knew what I was thinking and gave me hints. Once when I was studying the Fa, I suddenly had a thought, "The problem that I need to overcome is my inability to stay focused while studying." Why would I be attached to how long it would take to finish reciting? The purpose of reciting the Fa is for studying the Fa. Reading the Fa is also for studying the Fa. As long as I could truly study the Fa with my heart, I would surely make breakthroughs. I started trying to recite a sentence before I read it, and then read it. This way, I was able to be truly focused when I studied the Fa.

This approach laid a foundation for me to truly recite the Fa several years later. It was after I broke through another human notion that I truly started reciting the Fa. Before, I always thought that reciting the Fa could only be done by those who don't have to go to work every day and who have more free time. It's very hard for practitioners who are responsible for many projects and have very tight schedules. Later, I learned that another practitioner who was busy with many projects was able to recite Zhuan Falun within a few months. I knew that I had to change my human notions. At the very beginning, I made sure not to pursue making quick progress and I just recited paragraph after paragraph. I used my time of studying the Fa every day to recite the Fa so I could stay focused. Although I was not attached to my progress, I just focused on reciting the Fa and found that I was progressing much faster than I had expected. I was able to finish reciting the whole book in six months. After I finished it twice, I started reciting section by section. At that time, I felt that I had entered into a new realm of Fa study. My mind became more pure and I was able to understand the Fa principles on a much deeper level.

2. Understanding the correct relationship between technical skills and righteous thoughts

As I gained a deeper understanding of my projects from the perspective of the Fa, I gradually realized my responsibilities and missions. I do not have my celestial eye open, nor do I have many dreams. I am not aware of what my prehistoric vows were. One thing that I firmly believe though, is that Master has arranged the best path for me to fulfill my historic responsibilities. As long as I let go of my human notions and validate the Fa and save sentient beings, I am walking on the path Master arranged for me.

At the beginning of Fa-rectification cultivation, after having recognized my incorrect "scientific" way of thinking, I often went to the other extreme and over-emphasized righteous thoughts. I felt that because practitioners have grasped the Fa of the universe, we could do anything we want as long as we have righteous thoughts. I overlooked the necessary technical knowledge and skills in the human world. I soon realized that this was not a correct state of mind to have. The technical skills are also things that were arranged for us to better validate the Fa.

In the beginning of 2002, Master unlocked my wisdom of writing, which was very unexpected for me because I always felt that my strengths were based in science. At the beginning, I only clarified the truth on the Internet or wrote some short articles. I found that many people liked to read them. Later, after one of my truth clarification articles was published on the Minghui website, a fellow practitioner told me that one of his family members who gave up cultivation after the persecution began read my article and started practicing again. I realized that Master was giving me hints using that practitioner's mouth and He showed me the importance of writing for the Minghui website. I started actively writing articles for the Minghui website, which requires certain skills. In order to save more sentient beings, the truth clarification articles needed to touch upon many different topics, such as politics, economics, history, and religion. Solely relying on the knowledge I had accumulated from before was far from enough. Happily, I found that while I was doing research and looking for related background materials, I already formed the structure for an article in my mind. Gradually, I have developed a sense that enables me to understand the logic and reasoning of non-practitioners so that I can better clarify the truth to them. I save and organize helpful information to improve the efficiency of writing articles.

After reading some of Master's recent lectures, such as "Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art" and "Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles," I better understood the relationship between cultivating xinxing and improving technical skills. I understand that while practitioners use the technical skills we have in the human world, we are cultivating ourselves better and improving our xinxing. This enables us to have more success with our projects and to do a better job walking on our paths of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings.

As a cultivator, we face the issue of how to maintain the proper relationship between using our righteous thoughts and using the technical skills we have in the human world. I'm skilled at thinking theoretically and scientifically, which is an advantage in clarifying the truth because I am able to follow a non-practitioners' thinking process. It is easy for me to find the knot in their mind. It is also easy for me to use a non-practitioners' logic to correct the understanding of the "so-called" scientists or qigong masters that slander Dafa. Therefore, the articles I write are easily acceptable to people. However, I have also found that this way of thinking can easily become an obstacle in my cultivation. When facing issues that require using the righteous thoughts of a practitioner, I am sometimes attached to using human notions to solve the problem.

For example, sometimes when the local practitioners faced some strange issues with their computers and called me for help, my first reaction was to diagnose and analyze the problem using an everyday person's mentality. I would go through all of the steps of how to solve the problem. After we had exhausted all of the approaches, I suggested, "You should sit down and send forth righteous thoughts, and then restart your computer." Right away the problem would be solved. Why didn't I think about that at the very beginning?

Later, I read Master's lecture "Teaching the Fa at the 2005 Western U.S. International Fa Conference" and realized that Master asks us to use our righteous thoughts to deploy our supernatural power to save sentient beings.

Teacher said,

"Human society is in delusion, and people cannot see how the cosmos truly is or the real situation of beings. That's how beings are at this level, but the situation during the Fa-rectification is presided over by Dafa and it changes according to what is required so that Dafa can save sentient beings. The fact is, at this time Dafa disciples have to do divine things, because for Dafa disciples their personal cultivation is no longer first and foremost. Saving sentient beings and reconstructing the colossal firmament during the Fa-rectification are the purpose. You have to do Fa-rectification things and things to save sentient beings, so you need to clear away the obstacles presented by this environment and validate Dafa."

I thought about how practitioners from China distribute materials and post banners: they would often add the thought to eliminate evil interference and save sentient beings. Why is it that I did not add the thought to eliminate any obstacles for sentient beings so they can know the truth? Instead, I always thought about which area I did not address based on people's thinking and logic. So from now on, I will also add the thought, "Let my divine powers fully manifest."

This year we began a new project. When the practitioner in charge requested my help, I felt that I would be able to cooperate well. However, I felt that I would rather "work hard" and be instructed to do the work, rather than coordinate with others. Later though, I discovered that this group needed a coordinator. All of the others in this group seemed to have more work than I did, so I became the coordinator. After I became the coordinator, I started thinking about an issue I had never given a thorough thought to. I always viewed it as a "selfless contribution" when I worked very hard on the details of a project. I had avoided examining the motivation behind my unwillingness to be a coordinator. I understand that for many Dafa projects, it is easier to find practitioners who are willing to do the detailed work and not too many people who are willing to take on the coordination responsibilities. Why did I wish others would take on the coordination effort when I was approached? Thinking about it deeper, I found that I was thinking from my own standpoint. I was satisfied with the detailed work I have done and I felt that how others are doing is their own cultivation path and it has nothing to do with me. I did not base my thinking on the needs of Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings. In fact, what I cared about was validating myself, not validating the Fa. Master taught us a long time ago that a single, harmonized body displays the Fa's mighty power. Why was I so near-sighted, only seeing the pieces in front of me?

Later, I realized that I was having the same problem with the articles I wrote. After my articles were published on the Minghui website, if I read them or heard any feedback, positive or negative, I would have the thought of it being "my article." I was very concerned about the feedback on my articles, but I did not have the same thoughts regarding any other articles. Why did I not have this thought when doing other projects? For example, when building a certain software, although I participated, when others talked about the software, I did not have the thought of "the software I wrote." Rather, I treated the software as a product of many people working together. I viewed the article as being written only by myself and therefore treated it as my own. However, for this article to function well and to save sentient beings, it would need many practitioners' efforts, such as editing, proof-reading, the website itself, printing and distributing by practitioners in China, and most importantly, protection from Master's law bodies. Aren't I taking credit for the accomplishments of gods if I view this article as my own? I failed to view the issue from the holistic perspective of saving sentient beings. Even further, shouldn't I treat it the same way, whether it is a project I'm responsible for, the project I participate in, or the project other fellow practitioners are responsible for? I think the goal of doing one's own portion well is a basic requirement of individual cultivation. However, the Fa-rectification requires us to think from a holistic perspective of Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings.

The above is my experience participating in Minghui projects. Please point out anything inappropriate.

Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!

Posting date: 8/19/2007
Original article date: 8/18/2007
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Translated on 8/13/2007
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/7/28/159616.html

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