My New Understandings From the Trip to Los Angeles

This article was written following the author's experiences at the Los Angeles Fa-Conference, at which Master Li gave a lecture.

I knew that I would see our Master. I had foreseen it. I was waiting very excitedly; but I did not have any special feelings when I saw him standing on the platform. Master Li was standing far away just like how I saw on TV. I did not know any Chinese nor did I understand the translation in English very much. Gradually, I felt that oMaster seemed to be sad and I felt uncomfortable myself. It seemed to me that my inadequate understanding, my distraction, and my indetermination made our him sad.

Later I saw our Master again outside the lobby of the conference. He shook hands with me. I did not remember if I said, “It’s nice to see you” or uttered something unclear “Oh-oh”. I missed the opportunity. It’s not something I had predicted, to see our Master at such a close distance and to shake hands with him. This time I felt Master Li’s boundless benevolence, so amiable and accessible. I asked myself whether I truly understood Dafa and what I have done for Dafa.

With the help of one Chinese fellow practioner’s translation, I got to realize what I didn’t understand before. I knew it before but was not as clear. Dafa practioners today are participants in Fa-rectification rather than studying at home, practising exercises, and behaving as a good person. Besides, nothing happens without a cause. You can climb up a step or climb down another. Each day is another challenge just like swimming in the sea; we not only have to keep working hard but also have to watch out for the waves as they change constantly.

The second day in the parade, I came to realize more: Whether having a conversation with others, making an explanation, or distributing flyers, they are all to clarify the truth. I started to feel that we all are together. We are particles, just like some fellow practioners kept saying, “We participate in the parade together and we are a unity as a whole.”

Everything became much clearer when we studied together afterward. In the very beginning, I could not understand why we had to study together. I could understand nothing of what I heard. Later, I came to realize that what we usually do and say are all “I, I, I…” We are individualistic. We did not know that practising cultivation is to get rid or the attachment to oneself as we are a unity as a whole. There are two characteristics of studying the Fa together. The first one is to get rid of the attachment to oneself and to hold each other together during the process of studying together. The second one is to concentrate our attention and to understand the contents about which we are studying.

There’s still another thing I’d like to share with you: The purpose of my trip to Los Angeles was to meet with those fellow practioners who have been practising cultivation for a long time. I did meet them. I am very much impressed by their determination and understanding of Dafa; I also sensed that the gap between them and myself is so huge. I did however see the other side of some people – being arrogant and their lack of education. But why did I see that? Maybe I need to look inside myself as our Master teaches us. Everyone’s path is different, the level of comprehension is different, and so is our level of cultivation. Did I intend to see exactly how many people are doing a good job and to examine Dafa? Why do I always criticize others? I should ask myself every time I see some fellow practioner not doing a good job, “Am I a genuine cultivator?”

Translated from http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200303/18073.html