(Minghui.org) The fifteenth day of the first month in the 2024 lunar new year was an unforgettable day for me. I watched a Shen Yun performance at a Dafa disciple’s home (on New Tang Dynasty Television through satellite). The next day, she played Master’s exercise instruction video for me and taught me the exercises. I not only learned the five sets exercises but also started studying Zhuan Falun on that same day.
There were three practitioners who took precious time from their schedules to study the Fa and practice the exercises with me every night. We studied one lecture and practiced some of exercises according to the time we had. After more than a week, we finished studying Zhuan Falun once.
During Fa study, my legs hurt after sitting cross-legged for a short while, so I took my legs down. But after seeing other practitioners sitting in the full-lotus position while reading the whole lecture, I felt disappointed with myself. So I made up my mind that I would sit with my legs crossed until I finished studying one lecture.
One practitioner told me, “Don’t be anxious, take your time.” I replied, “I just learned that Master Li said, “The great Fa is boundless—cultivation depends entirely on your heart; as for how high your cultivation level can reach, it all depends on your endurance and your ability to bear hardship.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)”
I then started using a scarf to hold my legs in place so they would not slide down and tried to extend the time I sat in the full lotus position. I was able to finish reading one lecture while keeping my legs crossed after about six months.
It was not easy to practice the sitting meditation, as the pain in my legs and buttocks was sometimes severe, but I tried my best to keep doing the exercises. The sweat from the pain often soaked my tank top, but I would remind myself according to “Cause and Effect” in Hong Yin:
“Tis is not that the journey of cultivation is painful,Karma from generation upon generation is blocking you.”
When I studied the Fa, there was some interference that made me feel sleepy. I would then prepare a small hot chili pepper and take a bite. I also placed a small clip on my finger, and the pain would wake me up. I always made sure to study one lecture of the Fa every day and study more when I had time.
Things did not always go as I wished. After reading one lecture, I sometimes felt like I completed a task, so I would pick up my phone to watch some videos. The more I watched, the more I wanted to watch, and I started browsing on my phone as soon as I had free time. As a result, the messy things in the videos would drill into my mind, which distracted me when studying the Fa and even when I did the exercises. I knew I should not be preoccupied with my phone, but I wasn’t able to help it.
In a dream, I saw three rolls of toilet paper above me, which covered my face. I realized this was Master’s hint that I didn’t learn my lesson because I had a history of looking at my phone. I made up my mind to stay away from my phone and stop watching those useless things. Fellow practitioners also cautioned me about the harm of smartphone addiction, and we read some sharing articles on this topic on the Minghui website. I have now basically stopped browsing on my phone. When studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, I can now focus better than before.
I felt a cold sensation in my calves when I first started practicing the exercises, as if something was moving down them. But I now often feel warm and slightly sweaty afterward.
I also study Master’s lectures from various Fa conferences. Master asks Dafa disciples to do the three things well, but I had only done two of them. Although I made sure that I studied the Fa, practiced the exercises, and sent righteous thoughts, that was still far from Master’s requirements, as I had not been able to go out and clarify the truth to people.
The other practitioners suggested that I first study all of Master’s scriptures, then read some of the basic truth clarification materials about Falun Dafa, answers to the related questions, as well as practitioners’ articles on clarifying the truth. In this way, I acquired some basic knowledge needed to start talking to people around me.
Our compassionate Master enlightened me again, as I dreamed that many of us climbed to the top of a very high dam. It felt like we were climbing up a ladder to heaven. After I climbed up, it seemed that I was immersed in water and started swimming. At that moment, someone shouted, “The dam is going to collapse!” We quickly sat on a lifebuoy and slid down.
While sliding down, I saw many people below who were rushing to climb up the dam; it was a mess. At that point, I told everyone to stop and recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” in unison. As soon as I said that, huge logs were quickly assembled “click, click, click” and started forming tall buildings. The patterns on the walls were very special. What came to my mind was, how can this look so good? This is not something that humans can build. In my subconscious, I knew those buildings were where we needed to go to be safe.
After I woke up, the scene in the dream was so vivid, but I didn’t understand what it meant. A few days later, when I was doing the sitting meditation, a thought flashed through my mind: I should now clarify the truth and save people. I then felt my mind capacity suddenly expanding outward in a large circle, and I experienced a deep sense of tranquility.
After sharing this with other practitioners, I realized that this was Master’s hint for me to step out, clarify the truth, and help offer salvation to people.
During my interactions with other practitioners, I noticed that they usually first looked at themselves when encountering problems, and focused on improving their xinxing. I also examed myself with the requirements of Dafa and found many shortcomings I had not realized before.
When I was picking wild mushrooms one day, a practitioner asked me, “This mushroom is so small, can it only grow this big?” I replied, “No, it can grow quite big. But If I don’t pick it now, it will be gone when I come back. Anyone who sees this mushroom will immediately pick it.”
That practitioner laughed, “You’re a cultivator now.” I then realized I have to discipline myself to meet the standards of a cultivator. When the small mushrooms grow up, other people would enjoy a better harvest. I was being selfish! I would not pick small mushrooms again. I also reminded myself to let go of selfishness.
On another occasion, my left wrist was painful for no reason. I then remembered that a day or two before, an older woman held my left wrist while she sat next to me on a bumpy bus ride. I felt a little disgusted and looked down on her. As a cultivator, I must live according to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It is wrong and unkind to despise others! After realizing this, my wrist no longer hurt. Master cares about me and enlightens me all the time. Thank you, Master!
As a Dafa disciple, I’m still far from doing the three things well. In the future, I will study the Fa more and improve my xinxing, do as Master requires, step forward to save more people, and return to our heavenly home together.
The above is my personal understanding as a new practitioner. Please kindly point out anything that is incorrect.