(Minghui.org) Since I started practicing Falun Dafa in 2011, there were days I slacked off in my cultivation and became pessimistic. I did the three things, but I was not cultivating myself.
In the last five years, through memorizing the Fa, reading articles on the Minghui website, and clarifying the truth to people, I gradually felt immersed in the Fa, and my cultivation improved. Cultivation is about examining ourselves when facing difficulties: We must examine every thought and in doing so, we improve one step at a time.
I would like to share some of my cultivation experiences with you.
Solid Cultivation
In 2018, I followed the lead of other practitioners and began to recite the Fa. I am currently on my 18th round of reciting the Fa. The more I committed Master’s teachings to memory, the better I was able to understand the deeper meaning of Master’s words, and I saw the significance of each sentence and paragraph.
Speed is not important—instead I focus on each word and try to comprehend it. My heart calmed down. Not only was I able to memorize Master’s teachings faster and better, I was also able to recall Master’s words and reflect on myself when anything happened.
Staying focused is key. When I recite the Fa, if I let my mind drift, I add or forget words. I also memorized Master’s new articles “Stay Rational,” “Wake up,” and “How Humankind Came to Be” for guidance during the COVID pandemic.
The same goes for doing the exercises. In the past, I was rarely tranquil when I did them. I either thought about things that happened in the past or what I needed to do that day. As a result, I felt nothing when I did the exercises, and I felt they were ineffective.
I realized all these interfering thoughts did not come from my true self; they were indeed interference. My attachment to self-interest got the upper hand. This is what I needed to let go of. Actually, there is no need to think about what will happen next. Master already planned our lives. We should just do the best we can. We should concentrate on the Fa when studying the Fa, and not get distracted when we do the exercises. I should do what I need to do at this moment, and do it well. I am now able to immediately catch any incorrect thoughts and eliminate them. The quality of my exercises is getting better and better.
It’s the same when we send forth righteous thoughts. Since I cannot see anything in other dimensions, the strength of my righteous thoughts is inconsistent. Reading articles on the Minghui website that stress the importance of our righteous thoughts helped me to have a deeper understanding. I tried my best to send righteous thoughts with a clear mind, so my energy would be effective. In addition to sending righteous thoughts at the four set times with other Falun Dafa practitioners throughout the world, I also sent righteous thoughts when I clarified the truth to people to cleanse my own dimensions and to purge the evil in other dimensions and negative energy surrounding the people I was talking to. When my mind was set right, the results of my truth-clarification were good.
Cultivate My Every Thought
In December 2022, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) lifted the quarantine and travel restrictions. Suddenly, almost everyone around me tested positive for COVID. Seeing so many people getting sick, I was worried. So I wanted to help more people learn the truth about Dafa. I went out nearly every day. When people were feeling helpless and hopeless about COVID, I told them the way to save themselves: Renounce their memberships in the CCP or its affiliates, and saying, “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’”will bring them safety. My attitude was truthful and kind. Most of the people I talked to were thankful for the information and were willing to renounce their memberships in the CCP organizations they previously joined.
My relatives were worried, and said, “...don’t go out so often. You are not afraid of the virus, but what about your two grandchildren at home; don’t get them infected.” I thought, We are helping Master save sentient beings at a most dangerous time, and we are doing the most righteous thing; not only would the virus not infect us, but our family environment actually offers my grandchildren protection. I continued going out.
During my 12 years of cultivation, I was immersed in Dafa, and both my family and I benefited from my cultivation. As the meaning of life became clear to me, I came to see that, while confronted with various man-made disasters, many people are still deceived by the CCP and are being lead down a path of eternal destruction. It is our duty to clarify the truth to them.
In the past three years, city wide closures, frequent COVID testing, vaccines, and so on had detrimental effects on the economy. Unemployment rates went up, prices for commodities went up, the cost of medical care went up, just to name a few. We were all personally affected. Furthermore, the CCP slandered Falun Dafa by staging the “self-immolation at Tiananmen Square” incident and brutally persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners. All of these terrible things that the CCP has done to the Chinese people angered both heaven and the people; the CCP is near it’s last breath. Heaven is warning people to stay away from the CCP. Those who have personally experienced the evilness of the CCP easily agree to denounce the CCP. Some people told me, “You look like a kind person, I want to thank you for telling me so much information.” Some of them reminded me to stay safe. Some of them happily accepted what I had to say. Sometimes it took a long time to convince someone to quit the CCP. Some people wanted to know more after they did quit the CCP, so I gave them a DVD to watch at home. I told them from my heart that Falun Dafa is high level Buddha Fa, about the goodness of cultivation, and how to avoid danger.
The happiest time of my day is sorting out the list of people who wish to quit the CCP or its affiliates. No matter how far I walked or how many difficult people I talked to that day, it was worth it. There were always people who are willing to listen and are eventually saved. Even though I was busy during the Chinese New Year season, I helped 87 people quit the CCP; it was the most I helped. My family and I are all healthy, and none of us were infected by COVID, which confirms that going out for the sake of others was the right thing to do. Not only did I help Master save sentient beings, my family also stayed well.
When I did not have strong righteous thoughts because I was pressed for time and attached to how many people I could persuade to quit the CCP, the results were not good. Sometimes people walked away. Upon reflection, without strong righteous thoughts and compassion, I could not eliminate the evil elements behind that person. When I have strong righteous thoughts, Master helps me succeed with half the effort.
Sometimes I had a few smooth days in a row. That is, the numbers of people willing to quit the CCP organizations exceeded my expectation. I became satisfied with myself. Then the next day I met people who were unwilling to quit the CCP. At first, I was saddened for those people, thinking that they had sunk too deep and saving them would be incredibly difficult. I even thought: Perhaps we’re getting closer to the end of saving those who were meant to be saved? Or that those I just met were impossible to save anyway. However, with Fa study and by examining myself, I realized I thought too highly of myself. Master is the one who is saving people and arranging to bring predestined people to us. We ought to grab these opportunities and do our part to clarify the truth, so those who hear us will be saved.
Looking back, I realize we do not meet people without reason; they crossed our paths either to be saved or to help us improve in cultivation. With this thought, my heart calmed down. Everyone ought to be treated with a humble attitude and compassion.
This thought process went back and forth several times in the past two years. It helped me eliminate my zealotry, desire to show off, and pursuing good results. Once I identified these attachments, the following day, while doing what I should do with a compassionate attitude, the number of people willing to quit the CCP went up again.
Sometimes I encountered people who refused to listen and even threatened me. For example, I once spoke to an elderly woman. She claimed it was the second time I spoke to her about Falun Dafa. She asked, “Do your children approve of what you are doing? Aren’t you afraid that your children will be affected if you get arrested?”
“My children believe in Dafa. Furthermore, I am not doing anything illegal, why would I get arrested?” I replied.
After we parted, I noticed she was following me and taking pictures of me.
I turned around and said, “Don’t do that; it’s not good for you.”
She replied, “I recorded you,” and left quickly.
I sent strong righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil behind her, so she would not commit any wrong against Dafa.
After I arrived home, I was still worried: In the past, those who threatened to report me were mostly young people. Then as the Fa rectification proceeded forward, people who were unwilling to listen usually just found an excuse to leave or told me they did not believe what I said. How come someone her age did such a thing?
Through Fa study, I understood that we should try our best to clarify the truth to people, regardless of who they are. Meeting various types of people is unavoidable. Running into those who threaten us is a way to cultivate away our fear.
Interference is everywhere, and our path is narrow. Not everything will go our way. However, Master constantly protects us. As long as we listen to Master’s teaching, do what we need to do according to the Fa, and correct ourselves with strong righteous thoughts, there will be no danger. Two days later, I went out again.
Everything we encounter is to cultivate our every thought. Master puts our cultivation first. He uses every opportunity to help us elevate our xinxing. I am grateful to Master.
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Category: Improving Oneself
