PureInsight | December 9, 2002
I have been practicing Falun Dafa since the summer of 2001. Ever since I was a young child, I have looked around at the world, and felt strongly inside that there was more to it than what my eyes could see. So, as a young child, I decided to keep my eyes open during my life, to watch for anything special, maybe something more than what my eyes could see.
This curious mentality has led me to boldly explore things that others may not dare. Sometimes it got me into trouble. Sometimes it got me into BIG trouble. In my heart though, I always watched for that special something.
Almost every year, sometimes twice a year or more often, I'd have some experience that was supernormal, which kept my interest in that childhood exploration. Even though, I didn't really have a method, I used to sit in meditation on my own. When I was 10 or 11 years old, I was riding in the back seat of a car. Although I could not see or hear it, it felt like something came in front of me and offered "Would you like to cultivate to higher levels?" At that time, I didn't know what cultivation was, and I did not know what a higher level was, so I refused, and it left. After that though, I wondered to myself, "Did I miss the chance?"
Ever since I was young, I always loved to go to the bookstore. I would spend hours looking through different books on different subjects. Even when I grew older, I'd go to the bookstore and library very often, usually looking at the martial arts and spiritual sections. One day I came across the book entitled "Falun Gong- Principles for Perfect Health and Enlightenment". Just by flipping through it and reading a few sentences, I felt this was no ordinary book. I had been trying to cultivate myself and develop energy for many years as I knew in my heart that it was possible. However, because I did not emphasize morality, virtue, and mind and heart nature, I could not get past an extremely low level. This book cleared up those issues in a few sentences.
I did not buy the book, but happened to see that all the books were free since they could be downloaded from the web site. I went to the web site when I arrived home. I didn't know about studying the Fa, so I just printed the exercises and started learning them on my own in my room. After I started to practice, I could feel great changes happening in my body. I could feel my tianmu (third eye) channel being cleaned out for a few days by something spinning and long, that extended from my lower abdomen dantian area all the way up to niwan, the pineal body area in the brain. This was very interesting to me, so I started to read the book.
Those were some of my first experiences with Falun Dafa cultivation practice. After reading the book over and over, and reading many other practitioners' great experience sharing articles, I started to realize more deeply how great and profound this Dafa is. One thing that disturbed me greatly though, was that the people who practiced this in China were being persecuted. I read report after report of the torture, inhumane treatment, and absolute cruelty of Jiang's regime and the police officers. I started cultivation around the time Master first told us how to send forth righteous thoughts. At that time, I was just beginning to understand cultivation, and I really had no idea about what Fa-rectification is. When I first saw the pictures of Master sending forth righteous thoughts, and the Chinese verses, I did not know it was anything special. But as each day progressed, I became sadder and sadder. Finally, after a few days, I was almost at the point of tears. I felt deep inside that this sending forth righteous thoughts to stop the persecution was something that I had to do, so I started sending forth righteous thoughts and saying the Chinese verses. This was about a month after I started cultivating. Up until that point, I had not contacted any other Falun Dafa practitioners. Since I cannot speak Chinese I did not know how to pronounce the verses correctly. That is why I first emailed and met a local Chinese practitioner.
Since then, I've had many ups and downs in cultivation. Some attachments and mentalities have been difficult to let go of. By reading Zhuan Falun over and over, they disappear unintentionally.
I'd like to share something that happened when the head of the evil came to Chicago and Houston. After the parade in Chicago, we sat to send forth righteous thoughts in front of the Chinese Consulate. In time, a few sprinkles of rain began to fall. I got up and went to my luggage to get my rain poncho. As I was walking back, I realized that I shouldn't have gotten my poncho. I put it in my pocket and sat down to send forth righteous thoughts. I did not see or hear, but at that time I could feel a specific situation happening in another dimension. There were a few beings using some sort of machine to make it rain. It was not exactly a machine, but I can only call it a machine. I stood in between those beings and the machine, and made it clear to them that they would have to go through me first. I was very resolute at that moment. They stopped, and looked at each other and talked amongst themselves, saying "Look at him, what is he doing? What are we going to do?" Finally, they backed down, and their plan failed, the sprinkling rain did stop. When I shared this experience with a fellow practitioner, he pointed out that I should have eliminated them. At the time, I did not think to do that, so I should study Master's new articles better so that I can better fulfill the requirements of Fa-rectification.
In Houston, I could feel the environment was thick with evil beings. Once when we were sitting to send forth righteous thoughts across from the Intercontinental Hotel, a few drops of rain started to sprinkle. I told a fellow practitioner that we should eliminate those beings that are interfering. So we sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate them. This time, we would eliminate one group, and two groups would come in their place. Then more and more came. Mentally keeping up with all that was unfamiliar to me, and it was difficult to keep track of all the groups. Finally, it felt like too much, and it rained, and rained, and rained very hard.
Needless to say, ever since I found that book, Falun Gong, I haven't felt the need to search at the bookstore like I did in my childhood. Falun Dafa turned my heart to goodness, and is patiently walking me through the difficult parts of myself that I've created in the past. It has opened my mind and body to explore boundless worlds. It is taking away the heaviness and attachments that used to weigh down my heart, and then what's left there is compassion.
I'd like to conclude by sharing a student's question and Teacher's answer from the "1999 Midwest Fa Conference in Chicago:"
"Question: How should disciples correctly handle the relationship between Dafa being solemn and Dafa being harmonious?
Teacher: Dafa is solemn. A person wants to be able to reach Consummation through practicing cultivation. Could it be acceptable if it weren't solemn? If Dafa deviated just a little bit, it would make it impossible for cultivators to reach Consummation. Can those evil ways allow people to cultivate to become magnificent Gods? Absolutely not. That's why the Fa is solemn. Every Dafa disciple must meet the standards of every realm that he is in. This is solemn. What needs to be eliminated during the cultivation process has to be eliminated. There's no two ways about it. Dafa can save people and can create everything in the cosmos. It has Fa-principles for different levels. The Fa-principles at each level are connected to the entire Fa, from top to bottom, from inside to outside and from microscopic to macroscopic; they're all inter-connected. The principles are also independently connected within each level. So speaking from any perspective, this Fa is harmonious, can be discussed clearly, is indestructible, and everything can be perfectly explained based on the principles. Because it created the cosmos, it can certainly demonstrate with perfection the fact that the Truth is omnipresent and omnipotent. It can turn all bad things into good things, and can save everything and all sentient beings in the cosmos. In the past, didn't creation, existence, degeneration, and destruction exist? Dafa can make things that are headed toward destruction go back to be new and good. It can have every effect there is, and is omnipotent. So, this Dafa is absolutely perfect and indestructible. (Applause)"
Thank you Teacher and Thank you fellow practitioners
