My Cultivation Journey

[PureInsight.org] Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!

My father had a prophetic book written by Cloth-Bag Monk. When I was at the age of 12, my father told me, “We should be honest and kind. There will be a grand Master being reincarnated into a human being to save us. His surname is Li, who is from the Northern China.”

Just because of this book, my father was persecuted to death by the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the Cultural Revolution. I was born into a landlord family and lived in the society with decades of constant political campaigns launched by the CCP, and our family solely relied on this book as our mental and spiritual food for survival.

I remember the day when I obtained Dafa. An assistant at a Falun Gong practice site showed me the book “Zhuan Falunˮ and said, “You can take it home to read. If you like it, you can buy it or return it to me.ˮ After reading the book, I asked my elder brother, “Did our father mention in our childhood, that there would be a great person coming to save us? He has now come to the world. If you don't believe me, just read this book.ˮ Reading through it for two days, my brother responded, “He is coming, He is coming. That is Him. That is Him.ˮ My four family members—myself, my brother, and two sisters, all obtained the Fa.

My cultivation journey has been bumpy for a dozen years. However, I've never doubted Dafa, despite not being as diligent as I should be.

1. The Need of Dafa is My Choice

In 2010, I lived in my daughter's home. Knowing my liking for growing vegetables, she made a garden in her yard for me. It just happened that a dry cleaning owner visited us and asked me to help alter dresses and promised to split the earning fifty-fifty with me. At the beginning, she examined the quality for every dress I altered. Being conscientious, I ensured the quality of my work. One time she mistakenly overpaid me. I returned the overpaid amount to her and told her, “I practice Falun Dafa. Our Master teaches us to be a good person, and the heart will not desire for self-interests.” From then on she never checked the quality of my work. Growing vegetables and adjusting apparel are the things I like doing. They did not interfere with my Fa study and exercises. Doing the housework with adequate earning made me feel at ease.

One day a coordinator in Chicago called me to come over to make Han Chinese Clothing. I realized that as a Dafa disciple, whenever Dafa needs me, I have no alternative. I therefore quit the job and the owner felt bad. She still hoped I would come back and said, “Whenever you return, call me please.ˮ

2. Making Phone Calls into China to Help People to Quit the CCP

It is a process of cultivation for me to make phone calls to China to help people to quit the CCP and its affiliations. As early as in 2007, I had a thought about making phone calls to Chinese people for the truth clarification. However, I kept putting this off for a long time. When I eventually started phoning, I began to shiver as soon as the phone rang, and didn't have the strength to talk. This was particularly the case when the other party insulted me or hung up, I couldn't make calls anymore. After a while I thought about it and tried several times to pick the phone up but didn't make it. The phone seemed so heavy that I couldn't hold it. Well, as long as I did not open my mouth, I still can do other Dafa projects. Thus I got involved in the Little Helper, Middle Helper, and Big Helper by contributing monthly fees.

However, this was simply the use of the devices. Master said, “If you don't take action to save sentient beings, you will not have fulfilled your responsibility as a Dafa disciple and your cultivation will amount to nothing, for your becoming a Dafa disciple was not for the sake of your own Consummation. This means that you shoulder a monumental mission.ˮ (“Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conferenceˮ)

In 2011, a fellow practitioner helped to install Sonant software on my computer so I could directly join the web application RTC platform, which is used for us to team up to call China for quitting the CCP. Having learned how fellow practitioners make phone calls, I began to practice my speech. At first, a team coordinator assigned 50 phone numbers to me. Every two days she would check if I had completed calling all the numbers and urged me to continue.

I really appreciated those fellow practitioners who have encouraged me. Right now, no matter how the other party responded, and regardless of how many or few people withdraw from the CCP, I'm not swayed. Making calls between 7:30 am and 9:00 am every morning has become one of my compulsory routines.

3. Telling the Truth Face to Face

In recent Fa conferences, Master talked about clarifying the truth to Chinese visitors at scenic spots in the world. I understand, Chicago, as the third largest city in the United States, is no exception. I opted to focus on Chinatown where there is a high flow of mainland Chinese travelers as well as local Chinese or Chinese from neighboring states.

It's hard for me to tell the truth face to face as I am shy. I wanted to have a companion. One Sunday I forced myself to walk into the Chinatown Square with truth clarification materials. A fellow practitioner happened to be there and can speak English. On the first day we helped 21 people renounce their affiliation with the CCP. From then on we go to the Chinatown every day except for very rare circumstances.

Clarifying the truth face-to-face to the people is like wandering. Some will insult you, some will show their anger, and yet some could express their gratitude. Whoever accepts the truth materials, we must try hard to clarify the truth to the person. Sometimes, we play different roles—one is clarifying the truth while the other is sending forth righteous thought.

We always prepared a list of names to be used as aliases. We would mark with a pencil "1" for quitting the Chinese Communist Party, "2" for quitting the Youth League and "3" for quitting the Young Pioneer. Once the withdrawal declarations are sent to the Epoch Times' Tuidang website, we then erase the marks and reuse those aliases again. We also let those who want to quit the Party and its affiliates to choose the aliases.

We normally give a copy of truth materials to the person first explaining at the same time why and how to quit the CCP and its associated organizations. Following his or her withdrawal, we then expound on the truth of Falun Gong and Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident. Finally we would advise him or her to remember “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, Falun Dafa is good.” The people usually say "Thank you" to us.

One time, at the door of a restaurant, a young man came out to clean the glass door. We tried to tell the truth to him but he responded, “I don't have time.” We told him that one minute is enough. Having heard our one-minute truth, he quit the Party. At that moment his boss got him back. Truly it is Master who arranged that person for us to meet.

Another time, I was telling the truth to an old man. After listening to a few words, he replied, “Quit, quit, quit, I'd much rather be an American dog than be a communist.” He was persecuted by the evil Party before.

Having seen a neatly dressed man smoking on a stone bench, my companion said, “He is some restaurant's manager, please tell the truth to him.” Following my few words, he quit the Youth League.

We also encountered people who did not give up the CCP membership no matter how we explained. We sincerely said, “We are volunteers. These materials are printed with the money we have saved. At this time wouldn't it be better for us to take a nap or watch TV at home? Why are we standing here where the wind and the sun can strike us? That's because we are helping you out with our kind hearts. Hope you will cherish.”

In the course of the truth clarification, I've found my every thought determines the outcome of saving the people. Master said: “If you always keep a compassionate heart, and a peaceful state of mind, when you run into problems you’ll handle them well because it will give you space as a buffer.” (“Zhuan Falun” Lecture 4)

We face complex groups of the people of different ages and occupations, and some who have been poisoned by the evil Party culture to various degrees. It won't do to tell the truth when we don't have a state of mind of truly considering others and being fully responsible to all sentient beings. Thus we must study well the Fa, strengthen our righteous thoughts, and unmoved by human mind. But I still have competitive attachment from time to time. I have learned a lot from my fellow practitioner. She often reminds me, “Auntie, don't rush. Calm down.”

Having viewed high-ranking CCP officials falling off successively because of their corruption, I felt very anxious, and realized the increasingly speeding up of the Fa-rectification process and the urgency of saving all beings. Master said, “The time has been extended for your sake, and for the sake of sentient beings.ˮ (“Fa Teaching at the 2013 Western U.S. Fa Conferenceˮ) . When the time really comes and if many sentient beings are still not saved, how will I then explain to Master?

Always with the feeling of having not enough time, I have to cut my sleeping hours. I often go to bed between 12:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m., without falling behind in other Dafa affairs. No matter how late I go to sleep, I always get up at 4:30 a.m. After washing up, I pay homage in front of Master's picture, send forth righteous thoughts. Later I do five exercises. At 7:30 a.m. I start making phone calls to China until 9:00 a.m. I have a very simple lunch. Cook once for two days' meals.

It takes about 30 minutes walking from my apartment to the Chinatown. If taking bus, I will spend more than 30 minutes to get there, because of bus waiting time and one transfer. So I just walk there, thereby saving cost and enabling me to listen to the Fa on the road. Carrying a heavy handbag with truth materials and drinking water, I do the truth-clarification at the square for about four hours. When I get back home, the bag becomes lighter, but I feel scarcely drag myself along. Living in the apartment, I don't ride the elevator but walk up and down the stairs. But at this point, I have to take it to the second floor as I found myself too tired to walk home.

Many fellow practitioners' cultivation experiences published on minghui.org have moved me deeply. I have room for improvement in cultivation. Dafa cultivators' paths are distinctive, but how to advance forward on his or her own path to Buddhahood is the same. I'll do my best to save more people.

The reason I'm sharing my cultivation experiences with all today is not because I cultivate well, but because I don't want to slack off, thereby helping improvement in my cultivation.

Finally I use one of Master's poems in Hong Yin (III) to encourage each other:

A Reading Response
Born into suffering,
Your pockets were still empty after decades.
Upon gaining the Fa, you soared upward.
Hurry up,
Do well the Three Tasks,
Save all beings,
Return home and don’t slow your steps.

My cultivation level is limited, please feel free to point out anything not based on the Fa principles.

Thank you, Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!