From a child disciple to a young Dafa disciple
By practitioner Lian Na
Greetings, Master!
Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am a young Dafa disciple, 23 years old, and I have been practicing Falun Gong since I was a child. After reviewing my cultivation path from a child disciple to a young disciple, I would like to share with fellow practitioners my journey of how I started to take initiative to cultivate seriously and some of my cultivation experiences during these years.
1.Born into Dafa
Understanding Fa from emotional to rational aspects
I was very fortunate to grow up in a family of practitioners. I was born into Dafa and grew up listening to Dafa music. Around the time I could speak, my mother began to teach me to read “Zhuan Falun” word by word, recite “Hong Yin”, study the Fa and practice the exercises with my family. Even at a very young age, I always kept the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance” in mind to deal with everything I encountered in my daily life. When doing the exercises, even if my legs hurt and my arms ached, I would endure it until the music ended.
When I was in the first grade, I was bullied by a classmate. I remembered in my mind that I am a cultivator and “Not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at.” Others were helping me eliminate karma, so I tolerated it and it passed. In the end, other students couldn’t stand it and reported it to the teacher. That classmate was scolded by the teacher, and I was still there to comfort her. The teacher was very surprised. He asked my parents for their feedback and learned that I practiced Dafa and felt that I was very different from other children. After that, that classmate didn’t give me any more trouble.
Because I practice Dafa, I have never spent a penny on medical expenses since I was a child. I remember when I was about 2 years old, one of my thumb was caught between iron gates. When I pulled my finger out from the gap of the gates, I saw that my thumb was as thin as a sheet of paper. But I didn’t cry or make trouble. My grandma, a fellow practitioner, hugged me when she saw it, touched my thumb and said: It’s okay, it’s okay, Master is watching, it’s okay. When I touched it, my thumb was as good as before.
Until I was nine years old, I was very innocent without any human concepts and I knew how to use the Fa to measure everything I encountered, like a true Dafa disciple.
However, as I came into contact with my classmates in school, I gradually relaxed the requirements for myself, catered to the ordinary people’s interests. I started to read the ordinary people’s comics and play games, etc. My grades, which were originally among the best in the class, began to decline. Although I still studied the Fa with my parents at home, once I was among ordinary people, I was still very relaxed. I felt like I had too much homework and was too lazy to practice the exercises. I didn’t study the Fa sincerely. When I really encountered a problem, then I would really remembered I had not always followed the requirements of the Fa. Looking back at that time period, I still hold a lot of regrets now.
At that time, I saw some fellow practitioners around me calling their children the “beneficiaries” of Dafa who were also young practitioners before, but stopped practicing after they went to school and grew up. A thought flashed across my mind: Cultivation requires learning the Fa, practicing the exercises, and enduring hardships. Wouldn’t it be much easier to be a “beneficiary” like them? It seems that there are no problems in their lives and they are quite comfortable. Although this thought just flashed through my mind for a moment, later on when I studied the Fa, I have realized I still didn’t understand the value of the Fa rationally. I was in the state of mind that it doesn’t matter whether to learn or not, as Master said, “When an average person hears it, this person will practice it on and off.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Nine)
During my winter school break when I was twelve years old, I knew that I was going to a new environment, and I was determined to practice hard and give up those ordinary people’s attachments and preferences. During that week, I stayed away from the Internet, completely immersed in the Fa every day, did the three things, and listened to Shen Yun music. In just one week, I found that my whole person was transparent, that layer of bad things enveloped me had been cleared away, and my facial complexion became whiter and clear.
But the state of diligence could not be maintained for a year and I slacked off again. I became addicted to the Internet again, playing computer games secretly behind my parents’ back, and my whole state fell into decline again. It was Master’s compassion to enlighten me and gave me a big wakeup call. One time, I accidentally splashed a glass of water over my computer and then the computer was broken. My parents asked me to search within myself for the reason, and afterwards they found out that I was secretly playing the computer games. This made my parents felt very sad and I kneeled down in front of Master to admit my mistake.
Although I felt very remorseful at the time, my addiction didn’t stop immediately. Even without the addictive behavior, the thoughts still existed in my mind. As day after day I studied the Fa and adjusted my thoughts, suddenly at a moment I felt that these entertainments were boring and naturally I did not think of playing games anymore.
Looking back, I also realize I was practicing hard with the mind of pursuit and studying the Fa with personal conditions and purposes to gain something. I had not yet matured and treated Dafa rationally, therefore I was easily deceived by ordinary people’s various temptations such as fame, fortune, and sentimentality.
Because there was a Fa-study place in our neighborhood at that time, my family and I persisted every night in participating the group Fa-study. During the Fa-study, I kept my neck and body posture straight with my legs double crossed until the reading was completed. This Fa-study laid a solid foundation for my future. Meanwhile, I also started to memorize “Zhuan Falun”. During this process, I found the joy of studying the Fa. After studying the Fa, I felt very happy and the more I studied, the more I wanted to learn. By memorizing the Fa, I also have deeper understanding of the Fa’s meanings.
When I was 16 or 17, I understood the cultivation from an even more rational perspective. Once at a Fa conference, I heard a fellow practitioner from the media sharing his cultivation experiences and his difficulties in doing projects. I felt Master’s compassion which touched my heart and made me cry. At that moment, I had one thought: I must practice harder and live up to Master’s kindness.
Master said in “Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”: ” If you are just being a good person among ordinary people and do not cultivate, you are still committing an extremely huge crime! That’s because you are not saving the sentient beings that you are supposed to save!! You are not fulfilling the contract you signed in prehistory!! Isn’t it such an issue?! ”
From then on, whether at home or outside, I can persist in studying the Fa and always demand myself according to the Fa, like a practitioner and a Dafa disciple.
2.Cultivate Diligently and improve through validating the Fa
Master always reminded me of the importance of studying the Fa during his lectures. I realized that when I encounter problems, want to relax, become slack and unable to make progress, it is the time when I don’t study the Fa enough.
Master said in “Teachings at the Conference in the Western U.S”: “it is exactly because this environment can make a person slack off, can make a person turn bad, and is complicated and difficult to cultivate in, that if you can emerge from it you are great, you can go very high, you can return, and you will have others say that you are extraordinary. Isn’t that how it is? So, in any environment, and in this environment today, in order for us to become consistently diligent, I think we should read the book a lot, and read the book more.”
One morning, I got up and memorized a few poems from “Hong Yin IV” with my family. I hadn’t read them for a while. When I memorized the poem “The Truth Has Long Been Made Clear”, I suddenly understood something. I was not particularly clear about some parts of this poem before, but I was very moved when I reread it this time, with tears welling up in my eyes. Master wrote:
“Descending from beyond, through clouds and mist
We drifted aimless amidst the mortal realm
Passing ages, reincarnating endlessly
We entered this world to find the Way
But the crowd is so vast, and we sought in vain
While the world grew old and the human mind corrupt
Now divine beings have come to spread Dafa
And the truth has long been made clear ”
After studying the new writings “How Humankind Came To Be?” and “Why This World Is a Realm of Unknowing”, only did I truly understand the meaning of the word “outside of the greater universe.” Master said: “And so, for the purpose of rescuing lives, the Creator made a world outside of the greater universe. It would be utilized to save the innumerable lives of the greater universe, and was called the ‘Three Realms’.” In fact, Master has explained everything clearly, and I feel Master’s compassion even more.
I understand from the Fa that as a Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples, you must not only study the Fa well, but also do the three things well, clarify the truth and validate the Fa.
In the past, it was difficult for me to speak up and clarify the truth directly to my friends because of fear. Sometimes I would only mention Dafa as a third party. The words often came to my lips, but I just couldn’t speak, and I missed many opportunities.
A few years later, I distributed flyers to Chinese tourists at scenic spots and gradually broke through the barriers in my heart, and for the first time, I persuaded a female tourist to quit CCP. There were a lot of Chinese tourists at that time. I saw fellow practitioners uncles and aunts clarifying the truth to the tourists and I also had a wish in my heart to persuade to quit CCP, so I mustered up the courage and walked to a group of young Chinese tourists under a big tree. I gave them flyers and made a couple of opening remarks, then asked them if they knew about quitting CCP and so on. The others smiled at me and turned around to chat. Only one girl responded to me, and then she told me her name sincerely to quit CCP right away.
Every time I go to a scenic spots, I feel full of energy. When I think about fellow practitioners in mainland China who are still being persecuted and all sentient beings are suffering, I understand even more how difficult it is for Master. That’s the kind of persistence and joyfulness, whenever I see the awakening and the smiles of sentient beings. They all are the people with extraordinary origins.
Not long ago, when I was helping to take pictures at Merdeka Square, a group of tourists got off the bus parked nearby me. One lady quickly walked up to me and asked me to help her take pictures. She was very happy when I agreed. I talked to her naturally and asked her how she felt here. She said it was better here and the people were nicer than in China where the life is always filled with intrigues and stress, so it was better for her to be abroad. She also took the initiative to talk about her family. Our conversation felt very transparent and cordial, like friends we hadn’t seen each other for a long time. I thought this was Master arranging a destined person waiting to be saved to come to me and I shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Time waits for no one, so my topic immediately changed to Dafa. I asked her directly if she had heard about Falun Gong. I pointed to the fellow practitioner aunt clarifying the truth next to me and said, there are many Falun Gong practitioners here. Her reaction was that practicing Falun Gong will get one arrested in China. I told her the belief is free, not to mention that Falun Gong teaches people to be good people and practice Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and she agreed. I wanted the fellow practitioner to help her to quit CCP but before I could say anything, she turned around and got into the bus. I begged Master in my heart for this sentient being to come back. Sure enough, after a while, she got out from the bus. She walked straight towards me with a big smile and it felt like she came here specifically to thank me. Then the fellow practitioner aunt seized the opportunity to help her quit CCP. Finally, this sentient being was saved.
I have been fond of art since I was a child, and today most of the Fa-validation projects I participate in are related to this. Through this experience, I deeply appreciated Master’s ingenious arrangements on each step along the way.
In June this year, I participated in the three-month training of Tian Guo Marching Band. At first, I felt I didn’t have enough time due to my busy work and just wanted to participate with my family, so I lacked perseverance in my practicing. But I saw that fellow band members were selflessly devoting their time and very attentive to teaching. I thought of Master’s words: “Whatever you do, do it well.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”) I secretly made up my mind to practice hard to be able to participate in the band’s performance for validating the Fa. During the practice, I found that my character has also changed a lot, and my mentality has become more stable. I lost a lot of my impatience and complaining mentality, and became more empathetic towards others. Even if I was tired that day, I would feel energetic as soon as the Dafa music started playing. After three months, I finally had the honor to participate in the band’s first performance this year.
Conclusion
I remember two years ago, one night at the end of 2022, I tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep, so I thought it would be better to get up and practice exercise. It was in the middle of the night, and my heart was very quiet. While I was meditating, I suddenly heard a voice asking: ” What is your wish?” A thought immediately appeared in my mind: “I want to succeed in cultivation!” My soul was shocked and I couldn’t stop crying, because I felt that this sentence was not thought of by my human side. It was my “True Self” that came from the very deep source at the high realm. Later, whenever I mentioned this experience to my family and fellow practitioners, I would be moved and shed tears unconsciously.
Sometimes I don’t study the Fa enough or I am busy with things or I want to be lazy and relax, but as long as I think of that night, the vows and missions I have made, I would sober up and calm down to study the Fa. Like the lines in the movie “Once We Were Divine”: “You were all divine once. Whether you can become divine again depends on how you choose.” I also hope that we – young Dafa disciples – will not forget our purpose of descending to Earth. At this final moment, we can all be diligent, fulfill our mission, and help Master rectify the Fa.
Finally, I encouraged fellow practitioners with a poem from “Hong Yin” called “Fulfilling the Vow”:
“With shared purpose did you come to the earth,
And in gaining the Fa you took the lead.
One day shall you ascend to the heavens,
Then free, unfettered, with the immeasurable power of Fa”
Above is some of my cultivation experience. Please kindly correct me if there is anything inappropriate.
Thank you, Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!