PureInsight | December 9, 2002
"The Buddha Fa"2 is most profound; among all the theories in the world, it is the most intricate and extraordinary science. In order to explore this domain, humankind must fundamentally change its conventional thinking. Otherwise, the truth of the universe will forever remain a mystery to humankind, and everyday people will forever crawl within the boundary delimited by their own ignorance."(Zhuan Falun, Lunyu). I would like to share my Fa-rectification cultivation experience these last two years in America.
I live in a small city in the middle of the sate of Pennsylvania called State College, which is in a mountainous area, surrounded by hills. The two big cities in the state, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are all 3-4 hours away. There are churches all over, and it is the home of Penn State University, with over 40,000 students. My Fa-rectification path started from here as well.
When I first arrived here two years ago, I was excitedly looking for Falun Dafa group practice sites. I called the local volunteers many times, hoping to share experiences with them and hongfa together. But they told me, people (including Chinese) are not interested in Falun Dafa at all, so they were all practicing at home. They would also avoid seeing me when I tried to send them Master's teachings. I thought, practicing outside in the park is the cultivation way Master taught us to ensure our upgrading as a whole, and it is a natural form of hongfa, so that Master will bring predestined people to us. How can we call ourselves Falun Dafa practitioners if we do not practice the exercises outside? How can people see the open and dignified manner of Dafa, which differs from other groups, if we do not practice outside? I had to practice outside even if they never did. So I took many 6 hour Greyhound bus trips to Washington DC, to watch how they hongfa. Then I made a display board, and took the board to practice the exercises on campus and one other Chinese community almost everyday. The first day I practiced on campus, I chose a lawn that has the most traffic passing by. The local reporter took my photo, and published a huge photo the next day in our local paper. I was so moved by Master's benevolent compassion, and knew he would never leave out a small place like this. The light of Dafa started shining here.
I kept exercising outside, no matter if it snowed or not. Graduate students started asking if there was a campus association that teaches newcomers. I knew that I should establish a club. I found out there are several hundred clubs on campus, and they are all very active. All campus facilities require registering your club to apply. I thought that I should not only pass out newspapers, but also show movies, clarify the truth on a large scale, hongfa, and place Dafa in an open and dignified position. So I thought about becoming a Ph.D. student. But my husband said that if I started Ph. D. study, I would not do Dafa work well since it will take me a whole year to go through the application process, and that is too slow. Also, Dafa had already been persecuted for a year and the club could be established without my being a student there. Why did I consider things from my own point only?
So I started calling the students who we had met before. I clarified the truth to them one by one, telling them the reason why we should have a club on campus. I even contacted people that I did not know, asking for help. The semesters are very short so I needed to be quick. I had to find at least four student representatives and one faculty member. I tried to find them with much confidence, as I knew Master would arrange everything for me. I thought all I had left to do was to contact the school, but to my surprise, some students from China came and slandered Master and Dafa to those students who supported me. Some student from Taiwan came to change my mind and resisted the establishment of our club. They came to my house the night before my appointment with the school, telling me angrily that they were under pressure, and they did not want me to establish this club. This was because Jiang had threatened that China might start a war with Taiwan. I thought, "How can the universal law listen to your ideas?" I was very firm about establishing the club. I calmly suggested that they withdraw from this club, study hard for their careers, and not be afraid or worried. Later they wrote long letters individually to apologize to me, telling me they were so surprised that I was very calm and yet firm. I was thinking of them from my heart, without any personal hatred or discontent.
But how could I bring the list of names to the school the next day? My heart was not very calm, because I did not study the Fa well enough. I hurried and e-mailed some Western students that I knew, expressing my sincere request for help, and they all said yes. Just like Master said, "Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one's master." (From Zhuan Falun, "Why Doesn't Your Gong Increase with Your Practice?") Master arranged enough people to support us, and I walked the first steady step. Now I can talk about this lightly, but that was a period of cultivating xinxing. How should I position myself? I found omissions in my cultivation. Fame, self-interest, and sentimentality all surfaced. I still did not put down notions from my supreme past. Dafa provides salvation to all, and it is our great Master saving people. I felt ashamed. But I was not unhappy when I saw my problem, and I continued to walk my path. I tried to eliminate the interference from fame, self-interest, and sentimentality. Since I am holding to the real teachings, then I am worthy of being a genuine cultivating disciple!
After the club was established in 2001, I participated in all sorts of activities to clarify the truth. From collecting signatures day and night, to art festival activities, making floats for parades, joining the SOS walk to bring media attention, a press conference to welcome San Francisco's SOS caravan, and applying for awards and recognition from the local government. I also mailed Dafa materials to all Chinese residents and hosted our university photo exhibit of "Fa-Rectification Path." The major activities brought media attention to Dafa, actively clarify the truth on a large scale, and let the local government know that Falun Dafa is always active in the Penn State area, laying a solid foundation for Dafa. I always tried to include kind hearted ordinary people in our Dafa activities, so they could understand the unselfish sacrifices of Dafa and place themselves in a better position.
Many fellow practitioners came from far away to help. Their benevolent hard work moved me very much and strengthened our righteous energy field, helping eliminate more evil factors around here. Each activity is not easy to do, but I know Master controls the whole universe and strengthens us constantly. Time after time, activities gave sentient beings opportunities to position themselves. Time after time it broke the evil forces' arrangements in our region. My fellow practitioners and their righteous thoughts and the breadth of mind of cultivators deeply touched my heart, and made me see my shortcomings. At the same time, every opportunity is a process for me to break my rigid opinions, and walk out of the human shell. I know my responsibility more clearly now. People say Falun Gong is very strong at Penn State. I smile in my heart, "Of course, the universal law is very strong!"
The harmony of the grand force of the Fa-rectification path also shows in my family. I came to America shortly after our marriage. I was very hasty because there weren't any Dafa activities in this area, so these things were fully on my mind. I often went to other cities to see how they did hongfa and clarifying the truth, and neglected how my husband felt. Because he did not respect Master and Dafa, I hardly talked to him besides doing my house chores. One day I thought that I would talk to him heart to heart, because I was living in pain with him. "I always wished that my husband would be a respectable person of high virtue. But I found that my husband does not distinguish between good and bad and does not even recognize Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. I do not know what to say to you!" I was talking, and he answered, "I never felt Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance are not good!" I said, "Falun Dafa is Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance! If you are hostile to Dafa, you are against Truthfulness. Compassion and Tolerance, which is so sad!" He seemed touched by my words, and his attitude changed a bit. I still continued to do Dafa work and be very busy. He never helped. I tried to keep righteous thoughts, and tried not to be in pursuit like Master taught us. Then he automatically wanted to help me maintain the website. But I found he was still not very respectful to Master, and I was so sad. I could not help but cry one day, and I said to him, "Master Li sacrifices for sentient beings unconditionally. He has made a hundred million people happy, healthy, and successful. So many families are in peace. No one or no god has ever done this in history. How can anyone disrespect him? Everyone should respect him!" I was talking firmly, my tears kept running down my cheeks. I told him how great our Master is.
Gradually, I found my husband's eyes were red, and he could not continue eating. I know his heart was touched. Although his stubborn personality made him appear calm, he told me my words moved him. Master Li had endured so much. He will pay back his own karma because he could not bear to have Master endure it for him. His words shocked me. I felt, "What a miracle Dafa is!" My calling from the bottom of my heart moved him. He used to think that only his belief was the highest. Later, whenever I found problems, Master always arranged a proper time for my husband and the old evil force that used to control his mind and I to talk. Dafa gave me power, so I eliminated many evil factors, and the changes in my husband were bigger and faster. He started always doing many things for Dafa quietly, become my best helper on my path of Fa-rectification, and now he always reminds me to be Truthful, Compassionate and Tolerant. He has changed for the better, and is always very happy. I asked him how come he was so happy, he would answer, "because I have no pursuit!" I asked him, "are you sure that you are cultivating?" He replied, "I am doing it." I said, "It's not enough, if you never read the book, then you cannot break through levels." So I can talk about Dafa with him smoothly. The major changes in him made me understand how Falun is always turning, and the Buddha Fa has no boundaries. We all carry Falun. If we actively rectify the unrighteous elements of ourselves, the power of Falun will save us and provide salvation to others. Things can only be changed for the better. Once I had a big conflict with a fellow, and I could not let it go in my heart. He persuaded me, "`Predestined relationships spanning endless lifetimes, each connected by the thread of Dafa." (From "The Difficult Path to Godhood.") We should put the Fa in the first position in our current activities, what is it that you could not let go of in your heart? Master Li has endured so much, he told me crying, remember?
Yes, what is more important than saving sentient beings? If I do not get rid of my selfishness and human heart, how can I express the magnificent holiness of the Fa? How can I be worthy to be called a Dafa disciple? How can I be worthy of Master's benevolent salvation? So later I looked at myself again, using higher standards to measure myself when facing conflicts with others, truly practicing and assimilating to Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance, and always thinking of others first. As for my husband, I am letting go of sentimentality, treasuring him as a life that Master created, hoping we position ourselves correctly, making everything much easier. The old evil force's arrangements do not work at all. Dafa is too righteous!.
The good news is more and more people understand Dafa now. Although many people who learned Dafa graduated from Penn State, or never came to practice with me later, the seeds of Dafa have been planted in them. One day, I went to get a newspaper, and renewed a predestined relationship with a restaurant manager. She took the initiative in asking me about the truth of Falun Dafa, and soon after she walked into our cultivating family and experienced the supernormal power of Dafa, which brought her many changes. She is actively involved in our Dafa activities, hongfa, and clarifying the truth to all the people she knows at her restaurant. So Falun Dafa has further spread in our local community. Her righteous thoughts towards Dafa and her courage helped many Chinese people learn the truth of Falun Dafa, and are in harmony with Dafa. Her husband also started to cultivate Dafa. This couple contributes their cooking techniques, and we make cooking TV programs together. They already work more than ten hours every day, and now they have to make one more hour for the TV program every day. They work whole-heartedly. Dafa is deeply changing people and giving us so much unexpected mental and physical energy, showing the magnificence of Dafa.
Our TV program production equipment is all supported by Taiwan Dafa practitioners. My husband always puts Dafa program recording first, putting his busy schoolwork second, and even helped us finish our filming and editing. I feel that if every Dafa disciple puts Dafa in first position and we cooperate well, this righteous energy field will work and ensure our jobs are well done, so that we can walk on the Fa-rectification path together. I also, time after time, break through the limits of my own rigid notions, walk out of humanness and clearly fulfill our mission of saving sentient beings in a more dignified manner.
Lastly I would like to say that Master, you endured so many hardships for us! My fellow practitioners, you have been working hard!
