(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
In light of Minghui’s 23rd China Fahui, I would like to share my cultivation experience of the past year. Please kindly point out anything not in line with the Fa.
Practitioners Ailing and Baihe and I went to a market together to clarify the truth. At a booth just past the entrance to the market, they began to clarify the truth to a vendor. Last time, the vendor would not withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. I stood close by to listen.
Another practitioner said she had to rush to work and asked if I could record the name of a person who agreed to do the withdrawals. I agreed, and right after I wrote the name down, practitioner Baihe also convinced a customer to withdraw and asked me to record the name. As I was writing down the name, my peripheral vision noticed someone watching me. I looked up and saw a man around 40 years old who looked quite formidable. He was straining to see my small notebook. I quickly stuffed the paper and pen into my bag. That man kept watching me without blinking and then looked at my bag.
I said to Baihe, “Let’s go and look around.” We observed the man’s unusual behavior and sensed that he was an undercover police officer. Later, another practitioner confirmed that that was the case. We slowly walked on, but he followed, keeping about two to three meters' distance.
I thought, “He cannot watch all of us; I will lead him away. (I later realized that I forgot that I was a Dafa disciple who could use supernatural abilities to freeze him in place or make him walk away.)" When I walked ahead quickly, sure enough, he followed closely. I reached a turn, and suddenly squatted down in front of a booth to buy some vegetables. Through the gaps in the bustling crowd, I saw that he was looking around for me.
However, I could not keep squatting there, so I quickly got up and turned down a different road and squeezed between some people buying fruit. After buying the fruit, I turned around, and there he was standing behind me. I slowly walked toward him as he was in my path. He walked backwards, keeping a distance of less than two meters between us and staring straight at me.
This was my first time coming out to clarify the truth, and I encountered this situation before I even began talking. I felt a bit confused, and my brain was completely blank. However, I kept reciting the formula for sending forth righteous thoughts that Master taught us.
As I kept walking, Master’s teaching suddenly flashed in my mind: “... face the evil people with righteous thoughts at all times ...” from “Dafa Disciples’ Righteous Thoughts Are Powerful” (The Essentials of Diligent Progress II). I then stopped abruptly, held my head high, and faced him with majesty and dignity. He also stopped, less than two meters away. He kept looking at me from head to toe, especially at my bag. We just kept staring at each other.
After less than a minute, he suddenly turned around and began walking away. (as if he had been shocked.) I did not move and kept looking directly at him. He looked back every few steps. When he was about 20 meters away, he seemed to be about to run and quickly turned down another road and disappeared. At this time, practitioner Ailing found me and saw me standing unmoving. She thought something had happened to me and waved her hand in front of me. I came to my senses but suddenly felt a kind of fear, and my heart started pounding wildly, and I tried hard to control it.
Master said,
“… The old forces don’t dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What’s key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2002 Conference in Boston, U.S.A.” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume II)
I looked inward to find the root of the evil interference. First was my mentality of fear: fear of falling behind if I did not go out to clarify the truth; fear of being reported and persecuted if I went out to clarify the truth; fear of not knowing how to talk to people and people not accepting; fear of losing face if I could not convince people to withdraw. How could I carry out the sacred work of saving sentient beings with so many selfish and stray thoughts?
I kept recalling the scenes at the market and sent forth righteous thoughts to clear out the fear that interfered with my effort to clarify the truth. I suddenly realized that this was a hint from Master that the evil is actually nothing, and that a Dafa disciple’s righteous thoughts can scare away people used by the evil. Master has already explained it clearly in the Fa. Additionally, disciples have a benevolent and magnanimous Master by our side, so what is there to fear? I felt that I gained truly righteous thoughts and was confident that I would be able to clarify the truth and save sentient beings in an upright and dignified manner.
When I first started to clarify the truth, I preferred to talk with people who were kind-looking or older. Even though I knew I should not be selective in saving people, I could not let go of it. I later discovered that the content I told people was very similar to the content other practitioners told people, but they could easily convince people to happily do the withdrawals from the CCP organizations. But for me, even those who looked kind did not seem to want to listen to me. As a result, I could not convince people to quit.
I looked inward and found that even though I said the same words of other practitioners, I did not have the peace or ease that they had. I realized I still had self-protective fear, concerns, competitiveness, and attachment to self-image. I sent forth righteous thoughts to clear out these human attachments that impeded the salvation of sentient beings. I continuously rectified myself each time I clarified the truth. I was finally able to convince people to do the withdrawals with ease.
Once at a market, I saw a man likely in his 60s standing under a sun umbrella at a stand and wiping off his sweat. I walked up to him and said with a smile, “Let me come over and cool down too.” He said with a smile, “Ah! It’s so hot. The phone shows that the perceived temperature is 37ºC (98.6ºF)” I said, “Exactly!” I saw his long eyebrows and asked, “Are you a Taoist? I feel like you have an immortal demeanor.” He touched his eyebrows and smiled. “They all say I look special, but I do not cultivate the Buddhist or Taoist school.” I said, “Really? I thought you cultivated the Taoist school.” He then laughed happily.
I said, “I believe in the Buddhist school.” He said, “I could tell you are very kind when I saw you.” I said, “Our Buddhist school talks about predestined relationships, and it is our predestined relationship to meet. Let me tell you a good thing, and you can hear this because you are blessed.” He asked, “What good thing?” I said, “Please remember, 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Sincerely reciting these two phrases can keep you safe.” He smiled at me.
I continued, “Falun Gong is not like what the CCP propagates on television. Falun Gong is a high-level spiritual practice and teaches people to be good according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Jiang Zemin [former head of the CCP] is the one persecuting good people out of jealousy. You know that Buddhist people do not kill, so how could they commit suicide or kill people? Jiang Zemin, however, has deceived and misled people in the entire nation with the staged Tiananmen self-immolation incident. Tell me, is it wrong to be good people?”
He kept nodding and said, “Yes, Falun Gong teaches people to be good and cannot be wrong. The Communist Party always likes to launch movements (to persecute good people). Since I was little, my parents taught us to be good people and be kind to others.”
I asked, “Did you wear a red scarf during elementary school?” He said, “I even joined the Youth League.” I said, “The ancestor of the CCP is Marx, and it teaches atheism. We are Chinese descendants and not descendants of Marx and Lenin. Withdraw from the Youth League and Young Pioneers. The divine looks at the heart. Real name, nickname, or alias all work. We, regular citizens, should respect and believe in heaven, be good people, and ask heaven to have mercy and protect us. Isn’t that true?” He kept nodding and said, “Yes.”
He said, “All you said is right. I think you people are truly great. You dare to tell the truth and also advise people to be people. I can tell that you are all good people. People should be kind and ask heaven to have mercy. The Communist Party is done. I use my real name.” I said, “You are truly clear-headed. Don’t forget the two phrases I told you.” He replied, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” We then said goodbye with a smile.
One day at a morning market, I walked to a peach stand to buy some peaches. As I was bagging peaches, I asked the vendor, “Have you heard of the withdrawal movement that keeps one safe?” He said, “Someone told me that.” I asked, “Did you withdraw?” He said, “I did not join anything. What is there to withdraw from?” I said, “Our ages are probably similar. How come you did not even wear the red scarf?” I could tell that he was avoiding the topic.
I believed he was afraid to listen to the truth, and thus said he did not join anything to prevent the previous practitioner from convincing him to withdraw. I said, “We all say — there are divine beings three feet above your head.” He said, " Agreed, " and I said, “We can deceive people but not the divine. Joining any of the CCP organizations required a vow. The divine is watching the vow. The CCP talks about atheism. People dare to do anything if they do not believe in the divine. Look at all the natural and man-made disasters. Don’t the elderly people say, ‘Heaven is taking people back?’ It is because people have turned bad. We, regular citizens, have to believe in the divine. Withdrawing from the atheist CCP in our heart does not affect you at all. Isn’t it great that we try to be good people and ask the divine to protect us?” He softened and said, “Indeed!”
After I paid him, I asked, “Did you wear a red scarf?” He nodded with a smile. I asked for his last name. But he became busy handling business so I went to other booths to buy vegetables and at the same time convinced a few more people to withdraw. I returned to the peach booth when I saw that it was clear.
I said, “I didn’t finish what I was saying. I left because I didn’t want to disrupt your business. I practice Falun Gong and try to be good according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Falun Gong is not like what the CCP says on television.” I then told him what Falun Gong is and how it has spread all over the world. I explained the CCP-staged self-immolation incident. He kept listening quietly.
I then said, “Please withdraw from the Young Pioneers using an alias. Let’s break away from atheism, be good according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and ask the divine for protection. Sounds good?” He said, “Sure.” I said, “If someone asks you again, you can just say that you already withdrew and no need to withdraw again.” He looked at me with a smile and did not respond. I thought I was not clear and repeated it. He said with a shy expression, “I’m also a Party member.”
I then said, “I’m very happy for you that you were able to tell the truth.” I gave him a thumbs-up and said, “Let’s then withdraw from all of the CCP’s organizations and be a clean Chinese descendant. I hope you are safe and well!” He kept saying, “Thank you! Thank you!” I said, “Don’t thank me. If anything, thank Master. It is Master who asked us to save people.” He kept nodding. I said, “Make sure you remember, Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Reciting it often will bring you blessings!” He said, “I’ll remember it.”
I discovered that when I clarified the truth, the effect was better when my thoughts were pure and clean, without concerns or stray thoughts. Once I saw a heavyset woman wiping off sweat in a shady place. Her back was soaked with sweat. I walked over and said, “Look how hot it is.” She said, “Yes, I just sweat a lot. I’m overweight a lot.” I said, “You have a broad mind with a happy weight and no worries. You must be an open-minded and easygoing person.” She laughed and said, “Yes, that is my personality.”
I said, “Then I will also be straightforward and tell you a good thing. Please remember the two phrases, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’ Be a good person and be safe.” She said, “Sure!” I said, “Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that teaches people to be good according to ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.’ The CCP is atheist and persecutes good people who cultivate the practice. We cannot listen to it.” She said, “That’s true.”
I asked her, “Have you joined the Party, Youth League, or Young Pioneers?” She said, “The Youth League.” I asked, “Has anyone told you about the withdrawals?” She said, “No.” I asked, “What is your last name?” She said it was Qi. I said, “How about you withdraw from the Youth League and Young Pioneers using the alias ‘Qi Hele’ [meaning harmony and joy]?” She agreed without hesitation.
A young man selling sweet potatoes always had a fierce and serious expression. A practitioner tried a few times to clarify the truth to him, but he either refused to listen or loudly asked her to leave. One day, when I walked nearby, an older couple was buying his sweet potatoes. I walked up to clarify the truth to the older couple. However, after I started talking, I realized that they were from a different region, and it was difficult to communicate. I was not able to clarify the truth, and they left after buying sweet potatoes.
I looked at the young man selling the sweet potatoes and asked, “Can I bake this kind of sweet potato?” He said, “Don’t buy this kind for baking, because it’s too starchy. You should buy that kind (Indicating another vendor’s goods).” I said, “Young man, you are such a kind and honest person. People all praise their own things, but you told me not to buy yours. Because of what you said, I’m buying them whether they taste good or not.” His serious face had a bit of a smile.
As he was weighing the sweet potatoes, I said, “Let me sincerely tell you some honest words: Falun Gong is a practice that teaches people to be good according to ‘Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance’. Please remember the two phrases. Being a good person can avoid disasters and keep you safe.” His face darkened again, but he did not lose it. I looked at him and said sincerely, with my heart full of compassion, “You and I met by chance. I do not seek to change anything about you. You can believe or not what I say. I only hope that if there really are any disasters, you can remember the two phrases I told you. Maybe it will really turn bad luck into good luck. I really hope you can be safe.” His face relaxed a bit, and he said quietly, “Okay.”
When he was giving me change, I looked at his name on the payment QR code and said, after calling him by his name, “Withdraw from the Young Pioneers that you joined during school. We should not stay in the atheist group. We should ask the divine for protection. The divine knows our thoughts. It works as long as we agree in the heart. I sincerely wish you safety.” He made a forced smile, nodded, and said, “Thank you.” I walked away for two steps, turned my head, and asked, “Did you join the Youth League?” He said, “No.” I said with a smile, “I guessed right.” He then genuinely smiled.
Clarifying the truth face-to-face involves encountering all types of people. My xinxing is tempered every day. At night, when I organize the names of those who agreed to withdraw and submit them to the website, it is another great opportunity to look within. I would think of the encounters as I look at each person’s name.
For those who understood the truth and chose to withdraw smoothly, I reminded myself not to develop elation, as everything is done by Master. For people who were afraid to listen, I would look inward to see if I still had fear. For people who still wanted to follow the CCP, I checked to see whether I did not have a clear understanding of the CCP.
For people who did not believe in the divine, I looked to see if I still had modern notions and thoughts based on communist culture that I had not noted. For those who cursed, recorded, or called to report me, I felt that they were the most pitiful and quietly wished that they would awaken soon. Every time I successfully submitted the names for the withdrawals, I would thank Master for his compassionate salvation on behalf of the saved sentient beings!
Thank you, benevolent and great Master!
(Selected submission for the 23rd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)