Returning to Cultivation and Stepping Out to Save People
November 05, 2015 | By a Falun Dafa practitioner
(Minghui.org) I was about 18-years old when the persecution started. At that time, I had cultivated for three years and four months, and did not yet have a clear understanding of the Fa. I knew that Dafa was good, but I had never thought about why I should continue cultivating. I thus soon lost my diligent approach in cultivation, due to the Communist Party's suppression. I also became very distracted by the desires and personal interests in the human world.
Lost in the Human World
After high school, I entered a good university. After graduating, I found a good job in the governmental law system. I am an extroverted and pretty girl, with a respected career. Back then, I was the star in everyone's eyes.
Master said in “Validation” (Essentials for Further Advancement):
“That is, you are first a cultivator and then an expert. Then, as a cultivator, you should make use of all feasible conditions to spread Dafa and validate Dafa as a correct and true science, rather than preaching or idealism—this is every cultivator’s obligation.”
However, I made use of all feasible conditions to have fun. I completely forgot my responsibility and the oath I made. I wasted my de and accumulated karma, living a extravagant lifestyle until 2011, when my husband divorced me. In 2012, I developed a severe disease, and almost died.
Waking Up
Master did not abandon me. I picked up the book Zhuan Falun again, telling myself that cultivation would help me get out of the troubles I was encountering in the human world. With the mentality of looking for comfort I returned to cultivation, but such a mentality hindered my understanding of the Fa.
I could not cultivate diligently. I knew that the Fa was great, but I had strong human notions, and was unable to treat cultivation seriously. My main consciousness was weak, and I was easily interfered with. I did things that were not in accordance with the Fa, which made me regretful every time.
My cultivation status was like that until May 2014, when doctors told me that my 1-year old baby probably had cerebral palsy. Suddenly, I woke up. I realized that I should not pursue good food and fun, and waste my life. Master told us in Zhuan Falun:
“If you do not follow the requirements of the Fa, you are not a practitioner of Falun Dafa. Because you want to be an everyday person, your body will be reset to the level of everyday people and the bad things will be returned to you.”
I thought, “I must come back!” Under Master's watch and guidance, this righteous thought broke through all of my obstacles, coming deep from my heart. Since I developed the wish of returning to my original, true self, Master re-arranged my journey of cultivation. Since I had wasted a lot of time, I knew that I would encounter many difficult tests to pass. But I was not afraid, as my decision to cultivate was firm.
The first thing I faced was rectifying my family environment. My husband and parents-in-law were against me cultivating. I tried to clarify the truth to them, but they refused to listen, and threatened to tell my supervisors. Nonetheless, I had no fear. I went to the supervisors myself, and calmly told them the facts about Falun Dafa.
They also threatened me, saying that if I cultivated, I would not be given custody of my child. I filed a lawsuit for the custody. They attacked Falun Dafa in court, and tried to convince the judge to punish me. I clarified the truth in the court, and successfully defeated the evil. After that battle, my environment was rectified, and I also broke through the constraints of qing and desire. I now have more time to do the three things every day.
Dafa disciples often talk about having righteous thoughts and righteous actions. I realized that the thoughts befitting Master’s and the Fa’s requirements are righteous, and that reading the Fa more would enhance these righteous thoughts.
Making Up What I Missed
Looking back at my journey, I see that everything in the past was just an experience or a test. I needed to make up whatever I did not do well, and for whatever I did well, the virtue had already been recorded, so I didn't have to be attached to it. Nowadays, what I have in mind every day is how to save more people, and letting more people know the truth so they make the right choice.
Besides clarifying the truth, I spend a lot of time reading the Fa, and treating everything, every interference, and every trouble in daily life in accordance with the Fa. I look inward for my notions and attachments, and try to eliminate them.
During this process, I truly understand Master's teaching.
“The path a Dafa disciple takes is a glorious history, and this history has to be created by his own enlightening.” (“Path” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
“Ordinary people don’t know that all of this is encompassed by the expression “the appearance stems from the mind.” So, put another way, one’s own factors can in fact change one’s surroundings.”
and
“Your journey is one where if you can take correct, right steps, the doors before you that were once shut will open and the road will become wide.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”)
I was weak and fragile inside. But now I have the courage to clarify the truth in front of others at my class reunions, and pass out truth-clarifying materials to every classmate. I have the courage to clarify the truth to my supervisors and co-workers in the law enforcement systems, and convince them to quit the Party.
One of my co-workers was once going to give a speech to all the employees in my workplace. I noticed that part of the speech had content that slandered Dafa, so I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil. I then clarified the truth to that co-worker in front of another 60 people in a conference, and asked her to delete that section. She agreed, but told me that I needed to talk to the person who drafted it.
I gave the speaker some truth-clarifying materials, and told her how to break through the Internet blockade to learn the facts. She works in the law enforcement system. Knowing the truth about Dafa would help her to treat arrested practitioners correctly. I later asked Master for help. I found the co-worker who drafted the speech, and clarified the truth to him.
I also told the supervisor who was in charge of that speech how to break through the Internet blockade, and clarified the truth to him. Eventually, the section in the speech was deleted. Later, the same speech was given at many other workplaces, and no one was poisoned by the slander. I was happy that they made the right choice, and grateful for Master's help and protection. Thank you, Master.
Step Out and Do Well What Needs to be Done Now
We didn't have a truth-clarifying materials production site in my area. It took a long time for a fellow practitioner to get materials from another city. To help her, I learned how to make materials, and became a steady source of supply.
I once asked that practitioner if everyone in our area was passing out materials as diligently as her, and got a negative answer. I was sad.
Master said in “Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference”:
“In the near future, people will really come to see Falun Gong and Dafa disciples in a whole new light, and the truth of affairs will be laid out right before man’s eyes. At that point people will realize that Dafa disciples are their sole hope of salvation. So, Dafa disciples simply must do well. You truly shoulder a mission, and you really do bear such a great historic responsibility. And that is why I say you must do well.”
I decided to go out and distribute materials.
I relayed my thoughts to that practitioner. Surprisingly, she was against the idea. Her reason was that my job was special (law enforcement), and my image didn’t fit a girl who passes out materials in residential areas. I didn't argue with her. Later, while studying the Fa, I realized that my wish fit the requirements of the Fa, so I tried to eliminate all the interference that hindered my going out.
I solidified my thoughts, and talked to that practitioner again. I patiently and calmly said to her that too few fellow practitioners were passing out materials, yet so many people are waiting to be saved, and time is limited. I told her that I didn't value the fame or money in the human world, for I knew that the purpose of my life was to save people.
Finally, this practitioner agreed to take me with her to distribute materials. I have since experienced the power of practitioners' harmonious collaboration.
Each time before I go out to distribute materials, I kneel down in front of Master's portrait, and ask for help. I also send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil and interference, so that people will receive the materials and read them carefully. Since I have solid righteous thoughts, even though I encounter many dangerous situations, I am always able to get away calmly. Interestingly, sometimes my image and age actually help, because people don’t think that it was me who placed the materials in their buildings.
During this process, I have also seen the importance of solid belief in Master and the Fa, and denying all the negative factors.
I have been passing out materials with that practitioner for three months. We have passed out more than 14 thousand copies of materials to 5,000 places. That practitioner has been doing this for 16 years, and has rich experience. She shares her experiences with me, and I feed back my understanding after I apply what she teaches me. We collaborate very well, and have truly formed a whole body. Our team has a strong power of saving people, and I believe that we will do better in the future.
Please correct me, if there is anything wrong in my sharing.
