Cultivating Amidst Teacher's Infinite Grace

I began practising Falun Gong in 1999. In the beginning I experienced a lot of wonderful feelings which helped me to realise that Falun Dafa is a righteous school of cultivation. Although when I started my understanding was only at the perceptual level and soon, the persecution of Falun Gong began. I have always firmly believed in Teacher and Falun Dafa. I believe that Teacher came to save people, and therefore that practising Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance could never be wrong. Although I was very steadfast, I still encountered numerous tests related to whether or not I could continue to cultivate. On this fundamental issue I feel that Teacher gave me a lot of hints which helped me to pass the test of life and death fairly smoothly. I have not done any heroic or moving deeds like many other practitioners, and I am still far from the standards set by Teacher for the Fa-rectification period, yet I am aware of Teacher's infinite grace in every bit of my improvement.

Though my experiences look very ordinary and trivial, they clearly show the concerns and the difficulty Teacher has encountered in saving all lives in the cosmos. This knowledge gives me great strength and encouragement and makes it possible for me to walk firmly on the path of cultivation. It also helps me to strive forward diligently. I will definitely not betray Teacher's compassionate salvation.

Part One

On the evening of May 1st, 2004, my workplace informed everyone that we would have an unprecedented seven-day holiday. Since we were usually very busy at work, it was a good opportunity for me to meet with friends and talk to them about Falun Gong and the persecution. In the past, although I mentioned Falun Dafa to my friends, I hadn't had the time to thoroughly clarify the truth to them. Therefore, I invited an old colleague to come to my home. However, five days before the meeting, in the afternoon, I suddenly felt unwell. By the evening I had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius (104° F). I felt dazed and could not get out of bed. After lying in bed for a day, I could barely move. My mind however, was very clear. I thought it was interference trying to stop me from clarifying the truth. It was not something arranged by Teacher, so how could I acknowledge it? Teacher said that we should not even acknowledge the existence of the old forces. As practitioners we only walk the path arranged by Teacher. I was intending to clarify the truth to save sentient beings, but the old forces used "cleansing" to stop me. This shows that I acknowledged the old forces' existence both in my mind and in my actions. I knew I had to deny it.

As soon as my righteous thoughts came out I got up immediately and began to study the Falun Gong teachings (Fa) and practise the exercises. I was determined that I would not lie in bed, no matter how uncomfortable I felt. Over the next three days, the symptoms became more serious. I felt like cold water had been poured over my head and I was shivering with cold. I recited Teacher's Fa silently,

"Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos's Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples' rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings' thoughts disintegrate." ("Also in a Few Words")

I wouldn't compromise with the evil. I just did what I usually do: study the Fa, practise the exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, deliver materials exposing the persecution, and complete household chores. Though I felt a bit tired physically, my mind was very sober, and I did not feel that bad mentally. I knew Teacher had endured the real tribulation for me. On the evening of May 3rd, I said to Teacher silently, "I asked my friend to come tomorrow. If she sees me looking pale or sickly she might misunderstand Dafa. Teacher, please let her come one day later!" Shortly, my colleague phoned to say that she had something urgent to do on the next day so she would come to my home one day later than planned. At that moment, my tears gushed out. Oh Teacher, you have gone to a lot of trouble for the sentient beings, cherished every life--every single life--and balanced everything. More specifically, Teacher has endured the sins of practitioners as well as the karma of all lives at every level. How lucky my friend was! But to talk about it from another angle, if every practitioner can do a little bit better and make less trouble for Teacher, this would be, in my opinion, the best repayment to Teacher.

On the morning of May 5th, my health was once again normal and I felt very refreshed. My colleague did not notice anything wrong with me and I was able to tell her everything about Falun Dafa to which she listened attentively, saying "wonderful" periodically. She also watched a VCD exposing the illegality of the persecution and asked some questions. The facts melted the doubts in her mind. I truly realised that when practitioners have the Fa in their minds, think about the welfare of sentient beings, are not confused by the appearance of things, and resolutely do the three things well in accordance with what Teacher has said, then no matter what happens, bad things will turn into good things. As long as our character and understanding meets the standard, Teacher will help us to correct everything that is not right.

Part Two

Before the 2006 Chinese New Year I brought home 200 letters about quitting the Communist party and its affiliated organisations given to me for mailing by another practitioner. When putting the stamps on the envelopes, I found one stamp with parts missing, so I threw it away. Since the number of stamps matched that of the letters, throwing away one stamp meant I would be one stamp short. However, when I finished the job I found the number of stamps and letters matched perfectly. There should have been one letter without a stamp. I checked again and found no letter without a stamp. Then I thought maybe the practitioner had given me one less letter than I thought. So I did not pay any attention to it, but started mailing some of the letters.

One day, I took some of the stamped letters to another practitioner so that he could mail them. However, unexpectedly, the practitioner refused. At first I felt a bit perturbed, thinking that since I had done everything else, why couldn't the practitioner mail them? I got over it very quickly. I warned myself not to be too persistent, and thought that maybe this practitioner had some reason for refusing my request. I then came upon a mailbox, so I took out four letters and put them into the box without looking at them. At that moment, one of the letters slipped out of my hand and fell to the ground. I could not help saying, "Don't be naughty! You have a mission to fulfil - saving people. When I picked up the letter I was shocked. The letter had no stamp on it. I understood instantly that Teacher was giving me the hint that I was not careful enough when doing things for Falun Dafa. Teacher really knows everything. I felt from the bottom of my heart that Teacher cherishes the life of every single worldly person. I also realised that I almost missed an opportunity to save a sentient being simply because I was careless in doing the life-saving project. It was Teacher's immense benevolence and unimaginable kindness that made up for my mistake. I almost missed an opportunity to save lives with predestined relationships due to my carelessness.

From that incident, Teacher let me realise the importance and seriousness of the mission of saving sentient beings. Teacher also let me see that my cultivation level was not high enough. I saw how I had failed in various other aspects as well. Teacher said we are practitioners, not everyday people, when doing things for Falun Dafa. In saving sentient beings, if we do not have pure and compassionate hearts, and a character demonstrating high responsibility toward sentient beings, it is impossible for us to fulfil our missions. On the contrary, we might create loopholes and get taken advantage of by the old forces. We are cultivators of the righteous Fa and so everything we do, and the mind-set with which we do things, are all related to our responsibility, and this responsibility will decide if sentient beings are saved or not. Teacher scooped us out of hell, cleansed us, and pushed us to very high positions. Forbearing difficulties human beings and even Gods cannot imagine, and with all the things that Teacher has borne for us, Teacher made us understand true cause and effect and entrusted us with the glorious mission of saving sentient beings and helping Him with the Fa-rectification. From the surface it seems that the tribulations are difficult, but what can we really do? As a matter of fact, we only need to keep our hearts unmoved, and free of delusions and doubts. It is Teacher who is doing the Fa-rectification with his boundless Fa power and virtue, and turning us into Gods that meet the standards of the new cosmos. When we reach the Fa's standards at a certain level or for a certain task we are doing, when at that time we experience or see the most beautiful and magnificent scenes, it is Teacher who opens up our wisdom, cleanses us of our sins, and gives us that power and virtue. Fellow practitioners, cherish what we've been given! The greatest glory we have today is that we are the disciples of the Lord Buddha. The reason we waited hundreds of thousands of years (for this life) is to follow Teacher in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings.