(Minghui.org) Greetings Master and fellow practitioners!
I am 83 years old and was fortunate to attend Master’s lectures given in Wuhan, China, twice. Over the years I experienced a lot and I have done many things such as distributing materials, participating in various activities to introduce Falun Dafa, and going to Beijing to safeguard the Fa on July 20 to clarify the truth. I advised people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations, made truth-clarification materials, and urged people to bring Jiang Zemin to justice, among other things. I have tried my best to fulfill my mission to save people.
Along the way, I faced challenges and tests, some of which I overcame while others I stumbled through. I learned important lessons. Due to my unwavering belief in Dafa, I’ve gone through multiple home raids and unlawful detentions in China, including a three-year sentence with a three-year reprieve. I applied for and obtained a passport. On September 21, 2015, under Master’s compassionate care, I was able to leave China and arrived in San Francisco.
This year, Master published, “ Why the Creator Seeks to Save All Life,” and “How Humankind Came to Be.”
When I read what Master said, I felt that this marked the beginning of Master spreading the Fa in the human world, heralding the arrival of the Fa rectifying the human world. Our time for cultivation is now counting down. I feel the urgency of time passing. When I look at myself I realize that even after practicing Falun Dafa for so many years, I am still far from meeting Master’s requirements. I would like to share two recent experiences with you.
Genuine Cultivation and Minding Trivial Things
I live in a dormitory with an international student. During the peak of COVID in May 2021, he prepared to return to China for a family visit. He was excited to see his family. The morning he was scheduled to leave he took the COVID test. He phoned around 10 o’clock, and said, “I can’t go home! The test result is positive for COVID. I’ve stayed home every day while you keep going out. You infected me.”
He also called his friends, telling them we all infected him. The other people in the dormitory tried to console him and said, “We are Falun Dafa practitioners, and the virus won’t affect us.”
Master stated in a recent lecture: “But a pandemic like the current Chinese Communist Virus (or “Wuhan Virus”) comes with a purpose behind it, and it has targets. It is here to weed out members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and those who have sided with it.” (“ Stay Rational”) You’ve already quit the CCP, so it’s unrelated to you. It’s just an illusion.”
Despite our efforts, he still couldn’t relinquish his doubts and remained upset.
Four people live in the dormitory, and I was the only one who hadn’t taken a COVID test. I commute by bus and have to transfer three times, so I am around many people. I realized I should get tested to prove that I was not a threat. I believe in Master and Dafa, but my heart wavered. What if I tested positive? That would give the young man further doubts about Dafa. Then I realized this was ordinary human thinking.
Master said:
“If you still are not fundamentally resolute in the Fa, everything else is out of question.” (“For Whom do You Practice Cultivation?” Essentials for Further Advancement)
I reminded myself that I had to firmly believe in Master and Dafa, change my ordinary human notions, and know I am a Dafa practitioner walking on the divine path. I completely negate the old forces’ arrangements. Master determines everything. So, on Sunday, I took a day off to get tested. The result was negative. I showed the result to the young man, and he said nothing more.
Throughout the years of clarifying the truth, many people have come to understand the beauty of Dafa, and over 400 million people have withdrawn from the CCP. Through our efforts and talking to him, we also persuaded his family members to quit the CCP. However, he unknowingly created a negative impact on Dafa due to his statement. I sent his parents and friends a message: “Our test results are all negative. Please rest assured.” We also told them the facts about Falun Dafa. We told them we would care for him like our family, and they should feel at ease. Deeply moved by our message, his parents and friends thanked us repeatedly.
Self-Inflicted Trouble
I went to the dentist. I had to go to the designated family doctor’s office first. They measured my height and blood pressure. I hadn’t seen a doctor for many years, and my blood pressure measured over 200, which surprised the doctor. They asked me to take a blood test, but I declined, saying there was no need. I felt fine and had no symptoms. Later, they gave me a blood pressure monitor and instructed me to measure and record it every day.
My blood pressure was still high the next time I visited the dentist. The doctor wanted me to undergo further tests, but I told them I practice Falun Dafa and I was fine. Despite this, they prescribed blood pressure medication for me. I took the prescription, but didn’t use it.
One day, while working in the office, I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. I told another practitioner that I felt dizzy. I immediately sat down and sent righteous thoughts while looking within. After sending righteous thoughts, I felt better. I felt that Master endured the tribulation for me. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, and my gratitude towards Master was beyond words. At that moment, I realized that I shouldn’t have taken their blood pressure monitor or the prescription. By doing so, wasn’t I acknowledging the problem? Hadn’t I brought this tribulation upon myself?
There have been two instances of passing a test like this. It revealed the attachment to showing off. It was like having a severe cold – feeling fine during the day, doing work as usual, but experiencing intense coughing fits which left me struggling to breathe at night.
Master said:
“For a cultivator, looking within is a magical tool.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2009 Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume IX)
I continuously looked inward, and when I found the actual cause, the tribulation disappeared as quickly as it had come. I realized that the reason I encountered tribulations was that I didn’t meet the requirements of that particular level. As your character elevates, you expel impurities. I truly understood that the tribulation and difficulty quickly passed once I elevated my character. There are no coincidences – everything happens for a reason.
I’ve not been to a hospital or taken a single pill during the 30 years I practiced Falun Dafa. During the brainwashing classes, when illegally detained, I had high blood pressure but refused medication. This time, I took two pills – isn’t that a regression in cultivation? Before practicing Dafa, I suffered from various ailments, carried a box of health supplements, and had high blood pressure, severe neurasthenia, and more. After I began practicing I became illness-free and felt energetic. I could walk long distances without feeling tired. Why did this situation arise? It was due to relaxing my cultivation, thinking that I was getting older, and not feeling the same sense of urgency about doing the three things Master asks of us.
I had the opportunity to clean the office and I later took on cooking and kitchen assistance at the Sound of Hope. It is a good cultivation environment. In this setting, witnessing the cultivation state and selfless dedication of every practitioner, their selfless work motivates me. I repeatedly remind myself to strive to do well. I ensure that I fulfill my daily tasks properly.
In the beginning, I felt pretty relaxed. I could even clarify the truth and distribute truth-clarification materials at tourist sites. However, when we moved to a new building, my workload increased, and I was busier. Unfortunately, my character hadn’t elevated much, and many human attachments emerged while cleaning. I often felt rushed, and just hurried through one task after another.
Recently, a Westerner (a non-practitioner) who also cleans the building said that I hadn’t refilled the hand sanitizer, and there was dust on the toilet seat, among other things. Although these were minor issues, they reflected my lack of attentiveness and thoroughness in my work. I didn’t say anything, but inside, I felt resentful. I thought, “Can’t you just do it yourself? I clean the entrance, kitchen, fourth-floor balcony, and tables you don’t even touch.” I felt unbalanced and resentful. However, upon reflection, I realized that my thoughts were inappropriate. She’s an ordinary person and a professional. She even cleaned the gaps between the floor tiles, something I hadn’t done. Wasn’t I displaying a competitive mentality? I was blaming others and experiencing jealousy. These attachments are frightening.
When I think back, haven’t I also pointed out others’ shortcomings? “The toilet wasn’t cleaned properly,” “the sink wasn’t wiped clean,” and so on. Although I did my tasks, I didn’t fulfill them with a peaceful mind or quietly make up for what was lacking. It is something I need to improve on.
When I looked inward, I discovered many human attachments, such as complacency, fear of responsibility, vanity, complaining, impatience, and not watching my speech.
I felt humiliated. I often blame myself and shed tears, and repenting sincerely to Master. I deeply apologize for not living up to Master’s compassionate care. I must follow Master’s teachings, use Dafa's principles to measure every thought, word, and action, and truly cultivate myself. Master arranges the path of a Dafa disciple. I am fortunate to contribute a small effort in such a wonderful environment. It’s Master’s compassionate arrangement. I will treat this place as my own home and do my best. Due to my lower level of understanding and realm, I haven’t done everything perfectly. I am deeply grateful for the broad tolerance and understanding of every fellow practitioner in the company.
I have practiced Falun Dafa for nearly 30 years, and experienced many ups and downs. Under the persecution and suppression of Falun Dafa initiated by former CCP head Jiang Zemin on July 20, 1999, Falun Dafa practitioners have suffered cruel persecution. I was sent to seven detentions in brainwashing centers, and my home was ransacked five times. I have been sent to detention centers three times, and given a three-year suspended prison sentence.
I have also endured the painful years of my son’s persecution, which led to his death. My son was an outstanding individual, graduating from Huazhong University of Science and Technology with a major in computer science. Even though he excelled in school he was not attached to fame and gain, and even gave up a job offer in Canada to safeguard the Fa in Beijing.
When 11 practitioners unfurled banners at Tiananmen Square, the CCP abducted nine of them. My son met practitioners who escaped from Masanjia Forced Labor Camp when he stayed away from home to avoid the persecution. He learned that 18 female practitioners were put into male cells and immediately sent the information to the Minghui website to expose the inhuman persecution in the forced labor camp. My son’s passing is what grieved me the most.
No matter what happens, Falun Dafa is rooted in my heart. That’s the faith from the depths of my heart, and the mighty power of Falun Dafa’s principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I have never wavered in my determination to practice Falun Dafa because of the CCP's persecution. Falun Dafa has shown me how to be a better person. Cultivating in Dafa is my life’s choice.
Thank you, Master, for your grace. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
(Presented at the 2023 San Francisco Fa Conference)
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