Put Aside Ordinary Thinking and Forge Ahead in Cultivation

By a Falun Dafa practitioner in Dezhou City, Shandong Province

(Clearwisdom.net) I started practicing Falun Dafa in February 1998. In 2001, my wife and I left home to avoid arrest during a massive police raid and we have not returned since.

More than a year after the persecution began on July 20, 1999, I emerged out of individual cultivation into Fa-rectification cultivation. During that time, I talked to other practitioners, and I thought that I should step out, distribute flyers, produce truth-clarification materials, and tell other people about Falun Gong and the persecution. However, my concept of cultivating during Fa-rectification was vague. Later, by studying Teacher's new writings and from Teacher's compassionate hints, I gradually understood what cultivation means during this period. I gradually understood what Falun Dafa practitioners' responsibilities are during Fa-rectification, and that practitioners should not accept the persecution and the persecution's so-called "tests" of Dafa practitioners.

A few days before July 20, 1999, I went with some local Dafa practitioners to Beijing to appeal for justice on behalf of Falun Dafa. We were brought back by Municipal Party Committee members. One member of the committee gave us the thumbs up and told us, "You [practitioners] are really great. You are the great men in history."

In 2000, I made plans with other practitioners to go again to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Dafa. It was very dark that evening. On the way to our meeting place, my mind churned and vacillated. "I will lose everything this time if I go. Should I not go? I am a practitioner: I have the responsibility of validating the Fa. I should try to help return justice to Falun Dafa. I cannot let the persecution continue."

There was a clear question in my mind: Do I want myself or Dafa? When I decided, "I want Dafa," I felt my body suddenly become pure and sacred. I almost shed tears. On the way to Beijing, I was arrested and taken back by our local police and officials. A driver was having lunch and saw us in handcuffs. (The police officers did not allow us to have lunch.) The driver asked us why we were handcuffed. We explained that it was because we went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Gong. He was angry and told the police officers that the people who practice Falun Gong had not committed any crimes. He also said that he was from Beijing and knew that Falun Gong was good, and it would be good if all people in China practiced Falun Gong. He said that the police should not find fault with them. He turned around and told us, "Don't be afraid; they will release you when you get back." The police and officials were all shocked by the driver's words.

For a while in 2004, I lost contact with a practitioner that I knew at the local Dafa truth-clarification materials production center. Because of this, we had a shortage of Falun Dafa materials in our area. Before this happened, I was almost always with this practitioner, who kept us supplied with materials. He suggested a few times that I learn to use a computer so that I could produce the materials on my own, but I thought that it was too difficult for me. After I lost contact with him, I could not get any truth-clarification materials. I thought, "We are all Dafa practitioners, so why can't I make the materials? Isn't this because of my attachments to fear, avoiding difficulty and being lazy?"

I had already lost the best learning opportunity, but I knew that I could not continue like this. I found a practitioner outside of our area who could help me. This practitioner, who I now thank for the selfless support, gave me a laptop computer and a printer, and taught me some basic skills. I started producing Dafa materials, and I found that it was not so difficult when I really used my heart to do something. It was my mentality of "difficulty" getting in the way. And since I was a practitioner, the Fa and supernormal factors were supporting my efforts. Later, I reconnected with the practitioner from the materials production center. With the help of this practitioner, I quickly learned how to connect to the Internet, how to make CDs, how to install programs, and other skills. I then helped practitioners in surrounding counties to build some materials production centers.

During these past several years of producing Dafa materials, I frequently had difficulties in cultivating my character, I had imbalances in my heart, and I sometimes did not pass tests. However, I kept this thought: I will put Dafa ahead of everything, I will try my best to do better in any areas that I am not good at, I will not let Teacher's great compassion go to waste, and I will be responsible for myself.

I wish to thank our compassionate, great Teacher. I also wish to thank my fellow practitioners.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/1/12/170086.html

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