EXPERIENCE SHARING 2018
By Kwan
I obtained the Fa in December 2014 through The Epoch Times/NTD news. I wanted to understand further about Falun Gong thus I actually obtained the Fa through the internet. I experienced a lot during these 3 years’ cultivation, the more I cultivate the more I could feel the connotation of Dafa is boundless.
- Cultivation and Changes at Work
I obtained the Fa at the age of 35, was lost in wealth, lust and gains. After reading Li Hong Zi Master’s Zhuan Falun, I finally found the real way of cultivation, but was what Master said true? I kept thinking about it, at last I changed my mind: follow what Master said, to be a good person, I wouldn’t lose anything even if it was not true. This was how I obtained the Fa. Very soon, I quit smoking. This has helped me a lot in creating a good family environment.
My career was smooth before I obtained the Fa, my superior treated me well. Just when I determined to cultivate, my superior was replaced, colleague A (has been in conflict with me) who was about to be fired initially, but has become the same level with me at that time, and he was going against me, my effort before was not approved by my current superior, tribulations in all aspects were like waiting for me in line.
Colleague A was the head of department before I joined the company. I took over part of his job after I joined the company, and I was supposed to replace him. He did a lot of bad things to me during my early days in the company (generally he let others felt that he was the boss who is capable and I was not capable in everything). Of course I was fighting back, we were like fire and ice. As I got the support of my previous superior, I had the upper hand. After I cultivated the great change in my work environment made me fall into the bottom of the valley, not only that the current superior did not treat me well, I also had to face the challenge from colleague A. If there is no Fa principle to guide me I would never be able to get through this. Before I cultivated, I lived for fame and rewards, and I take this more importantly than my life. Master’s arrangement was in order, from easy to hard, but it was test after test, not a chance to breathe, feeling that Master was pulling me upwards…. Getting rid of my attachments in pain, stumbling, sometimes I thought: if I didn’t cultivate I didn’t have to bear this, I wouldn’t have gone through all this, should I give up? How good to go through life comfortably? Luckily in the beginning stage of my cultivation, I manage to study Fa, I read Master’s Fa teachings whenever I was free, study Zhuan Falun at night, practice the exercises too. During tribulations there was Fa principles to guide me, the environment changed gradually, my superior at that time was asked to resign due to personal matter.
Another case, I had a staff transferred out from my department, so there was a vacancy, but colleague A turned the vacancy into his after he spoke to the superior. I was very angry at that time, I would have fought with them before I cultivated because the annual budget would already budget for additional headcount regardless of the need to hire, not many would think from the perspective of the company, only think of how to strengthen their team in the company. However, I put up with it at that time. I would be lying if I fight for it due to the fact that we could still manage with the current manpower and workload. After that the superior has changed (same superior as colleague A), the new superior asked me if I need someone as the vacancy was still there, I said not at the moment, I could still manage. By right he should be asking colleague A too. One day, my superior said this vacancy should belong to me whereas colleague A only got a contracted staff. I started the hiring process and found someone suitable very soon. This case has caused quite a commotion in my department, lots of people felt that this is unbelievable. Of course, only practitioners could understand, Master said, “We know that we won’t be deprived of what is rightfully ours, and shouldn’t labor to get what is not. <Zhuan Falun>
After cultivation I realized that the relation of cause and effect with colleague A was pre-arranged very long time ago for the sake of my cultivation, so I tried to put up with him at work. At work, I let him do what he wanted to do, whatever he did not want to do, I would take it up. He wanted to exchange job with me and I agreed. He wanted to be promoted, so he still go against me from time to time, but it was not as tensed as before. Our superior was not too agree with his requests, sometimes I felt sorry for him for his strong attachments. This situation lasted for quite some time. One time, I told him about my experience of cultivation and Falun Gong in detail (I told him before) while we were eating together. I told him in detail about karma and explained about atheism and the Fa principles I understand as well as truth clarification. I said I also had some wrong in the past, let’s forget about it. I felt that he was touched by my compassion, his attitude towards me improved. He found a better job and left not long after, I took over his job and got promoted without pursuing for it. This was the best result beyond my expectation. Dafa can do anything!
- Truth Clarification
After 6 months of personal cultivation, I contacted the local Dafa Association with the objective of understand how to do the three things well and also to get Dafa books. In order to do something about truth clarification after working hour, I wished to make truth clarification calls. Very quickly Master arranged fellow practitioners to assist me to make truth clarification calls on RTC platform. This was a step towards upgrading my level in the process of saving sentient beings. Making calls on the platform is a process of cultivation, it is also a platform to grip the skills of communication with the Chinese people. In the beginning, there was a bad, strong substance disturbing me, the attachment to fear, comfort and losing face etc. would arise making me uncomfortable before making calls (or during truth clarification at tourist spot). I had to go through an intense struggle every time before making the first call, though I knew this was caused by my attachments and karma, sending forth righteous thought did not help either . This improved gradually after a few months, I was thinking: if I was not able to persist, it would be hard to pass this test.
After making truth clarification calls for a few months, the thought of going to tourist spots arose. The environment at the tourist spot was ever-changing, the true sense of tempering your will and body. Clarifying the truth face to face under the hot sun or stormy rain, meeting all sort of people, some scolding, some scared, some ignoring us coupled with the interference of security guards and tour guides increase the difficulty level of truth clarification. However, under this complicated environment has exposed my attachments to comfort, losing face, competitiveness, resentment. I also felt that I was not able to be compassionate to sentient beings, still have a long way to go in cultivating ‘compassion’. For sure there were also sentient beings who understand the truth and support us, motivated me to go on. Clarifying truth at the tourist spot has lots of rewards, there was no issue of security here (in Malaysia), the evil was to be slaughtered in the battle between good and evil in the other dimension. And we were safe under Master’s protection. This encounter only exist during Fa rectification period, it is an opportunity for cultivation that divine beings of the universe would be envious of!
- Integrated into One
When I was in touch with the local Dafa Association, I expressed the thought of going to tourist spot and assist in truth clarification activities, but nothing happened after that. In the beginning, fellow practitioners have scruples about me when I was making truth clarification calls on the platform. It was the same at the tourist spot. I only gained recognition after a period of time. I have asked fellow practitioners in private if they thought I was a spy? But I did not get a clear answer. I thought that was because I obtained the Fa through the internet, not recommended by any practitioner, also, with the penetration of secret agents from the CCP, it is understandable why fellow practitioners behaved this way. Luckily I was simple-minded while facing this situation at that time, took this as xinxing test so did not have big problem.
There was a period of time, a few practitioners in the Fa study group suddenly ignored me, did not get me involved in many things, there was a gap between us that I couldn’t described. They knew I go to tourist spot every weekend but they did not invite me for the truth clarification meeting. Even though I did not show my anger but I was really angry and wondering, what did I do wrong? Grievance, resentment etc feelings all coming up. When I calm down and send out righteous thoughts to suppress these bad thoughts, I think of the Fa principle of looking inwards unconditionally. Although I did not do anything wrong on the ordinary human level, but I did look down on them in my heart by thinking that I did very well in the doing the three things. I have been able to come out to clarify the truth to Chinese tourists face to face after obtaining the Fa for more than a year. They have not been able to do this after obtaining the Fa for so long. I found attachments such as arrogance, self-righteousness, self-satisfaction, looking down at people etc. After I sent forth righteous thought to clear off these bad elements, they became the same as before, like nothing happened. In fact, every Dafa disciple has a different path in cultivation, we should not measure their cultivation status by our own standard of cultivation. If we are focusing on the bad things of the fellow practitioners, from my level of understanding this is throwing the negative substances into their space. Master said in Zhuan Falun, “The truth is simply that an energy cluster will form wherever the mind focuses for a sustained amount of time.” When we think about bad things of fellow practitioners, and talk bad about so and so with a few practitioners, the more we talk about that person the more we dislike that person. Master also mentioned in Zhuan Falun, “lo and behold, a complete thought forms and issues forth. And it will land right on the statue, since it emanated in that direction. [1], actually this is to enlarge the black substance going into that practitioner’s particular dimension.
- Coordination
As I cultivate further, I found that some local projects are not very effective in overall coordination, and there is often no conclusion during discussion. At this time, I have the idea of how to make fellow practitioners to form as one, so that the project can work well.Under the arrangement of Master, the local Dafa Association also assumed the coordination of some projects. This way, under the arrangement of Master, I assumed the role of coordinator in some projects in Dafa Association. In fact, before I became a coordinator, I knew that this was an unrelenting job (from an ordinary person’s point of view). Sometimes I tried my best to get the project done, but what I got was criticism. When I was feeling low I thought I should just clarify the truth on the platform or at the tourist spot. Why did I do this? I knew this was not the right thinking, I would have lost a chance to upgrade myself if I didn’t do it. Fortunately, when
The level of each disciple is different, the cultivation status is different, it is impossible to achieve unanimous opinion, but this is not the main factor that caused the ineffectiveness as a whole. I think the main reason is that everyone cannot let go of their ego completely, thinking that it will be difficult to succeed if their opinions are not adopted. Sometimes being taken advantage by evil due to poor coordination, accusing one another for being right or wrong. Master said in <Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia>,” Actually, did you know that those Great Enlightened Beings have a lot of things in the heavens that they too need to coordinate and discuss with each other?” Master also said,” So what’s their state of mind? It’s tolerance, an extremely immense tolerance, being able to accept other beings, and being able to truly think from other beings’ perspectives. This is something a lot of you haven’t achieved yet in your cultivation, but you’re gradually catching on and achieving it. When another God proposes an idea, they aren’t eager to reject it, and they aren’t eager to express their own ideas and they don’t believe that their own ideas are good. Instead, they look at what the end result of the other God’s proposed approach will be. The paths are different–everyone’s path is different–and the truths that beings validate and enlighten to in the Fa are different, too, but the results might very well be the same. That’s why they look at the results, and if the result of a God’s idea can achieve the goal, if it can truly achieve it, then all of them will go along with it. That’s how Gods think. Also, if there’s something lacking in it they’ll unconditionally and quietly supplement it to make things more complete and perfect. That’s how they handle things.”
My personal understanding is that first of all, coordinators must not be in conflict with fellow practitioners, even though they know they are right, coordinator should take the initiative to resolve conflicts with fellow practitioners. Of course this is easier said than done, I cannot do it every time too. Also, focus on the bigger picture, putting Dafa and saving sentient beings in the first place, put ourselves at the lowest position. It does not matter that your opinion is not accepted, you need to cooperate as much as possible with fellow practitioners, not the other way around. Even if your opinion is the best, it would be useless if you don’t get the cooperation of fellow practitioners. If each practitioner can let go of their egos to cooperate with other fellow initiates without insisting on their own opinions, the project plan will definitely be fixed quickly. I think Master and the divine beings will also help us. Also, don’t blame fellow initiates when we encounter setbacks or see the inadequacies of fellow practitioners, we should check if we also have the same problem. We have to look within unconditionally, and then look at what we can do better. After all, the fellow practitioners did not do wrong intentionally.
Conclusion
It has been 3 years since I obtained the Fa, there were times that I was very diligent, but I have been slacking lately. Mainly because my work is relatively stable. The other was due to shortage of manpower in truth clarification to ordinary people’s organization, I didn’t seek for breakthrough due to my attachment to comfort even though there is a lot hasn’t been done yet. Under a relaxed environment, I see the ordinary people’s things are more important, slowly becoming more relaxed in cultivation. Attachments to comfort, lust, profit coming up unconsciously. Even though I insist to go to tourist spot every weekend, the time I spend on making truth clarification calls on the platform has become lesser and lesser. Still couldn’t break through in clarifying the truth to Chinese tourists when I meet them by chance, lots of opportunities were missed. Cannot persist in memorizing Fa as well. It is very distressing to have this situation at the last phase of Fa rectification, hope I could take this opportunity of experience sharing to regain the state of cultivation as before, to be diligent once again!
Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!
[1] Zhuan Falun
[2] Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. II <<Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.>>