2004 European Conference: A Step Forward

Hello, my name is Andrei Popescu and I am from Romania. I've had many experiences from when I first started to practice Falun Dafa a year ago up till now. I'd like to share with you some of these experiences.

All this started some weeks ago. It involves some calendars, beautiful calendars created for clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, which we received in winter for giving away to people. Because I didn’t study the Fa [law or principles, the teachings of Falun Gong] well, I didn't understand certain aspects of clarifying the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution and I didn't let go of some attachments. The old forces took advantage of this and made me question whether I actually had the ability to clarify the truth. I had some difficulties with giving the calendars to people because I was afraid not to be related to others religions such as Jehovah's Witnesses. I know that I was wrong to think like that, because we are clarifying the truth about the persecution and saving people, but I didn’t think like that. Because of this, and some other attachments, I postponed the distribution of the calendars. I came up with many reasons, with one always been bigger than the other but in fact none of them were solid. It all boiled down to the fact that I feared what other people would say. But as blind as I was, I held on to my attachments.

One reason why I didn’t go out to distribute the calendars was that I waited for my brother and his wife(who also practice Falun Gong) to go out together and distribute the calendars so that I didn’t have to get involved. So I waited. But it was just like that moment wouldn't want to come. Two weeks ago I started to translate the questions and the answers of a conference given by Master [referring to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr Li Hongzhi] and it seemed that lots of them were pointing towards my situation. The questions hit me hard and I began to ask myself "Why can't I do it by myself, why I am so afraid ?" This made me feel very bad. But the questions and answers were still striking my hear me day after day, again and again. But being so blind I just waited for my brother to come. But he didn't.

One day when I was sending righteous thoughts and trying to calm my mind, one thought just kept rising. It was like a dialogue with me, talking with myself. I was telling me to go to the hospital, to stores, to different places to clarify the truth, I even spoke about what to say. It was strange. But I didn't take that seriously and I was just kept holding on to my pitiful excuse. I wasn't feeling good inside. It was like a war was going on within me. I didn't want to wait but I did. And that was what troubled me the most, the question: Why? I asked Master for help, for a hint or a clue even I knew that I had everything in front of me. I had just to open my eyes. But I didn't, so I asked for help. After that, one day, during sending righteous thoughts that thought appeared again in my mind. Almost the same dialogue and almost the same words. It was me talking to me again. I said that this must happen, to go and give the calendars, because it's wrong to wait. So I said "OK Adi you have to go even if you go just by yourself, why wait for your brother?" In those moments I felt very forceful and determined.

Two days after that I took thirty calendars, some fliers some booklets, and went out. That morning I felt a knot in my stomach and I knew that it would be an important day. So I went out. I met a friend who was going to the hospital and I accompanied her. After I gave out the first calendar I saw that there was nothing hard involved. I mean I wasn't concerned about what people will say. I saw that my attachments were pulling over my face a fear, an idea that I couldn’t accomplish such a task. People were curious and were open-minded. They often held an understanding attitude about the persecution. I realised that only I could stop my self and others from influencing me. After I realised this I proceeded without fear or pursuit. I felt just how easy it was to do something without pursuit, you just do it. I also understood that evil beings can control me through my attachments. I knew that but I didn't really "know", I had read about this principle but I didn't really understand it

Along the way, I came to a radio station and I just decided to go inside because I just wanted to give them some materials and talk to them about Falun Dafa and the persecution. A secretary called a man who received the materials and was very open-minded. He told me that for the moment he couldn’t help with setting up a radio interview because it was the time of the elections so his hands were full. But after things calmed down perhaps he will do an interview with me. I told him that I went there just to provide him with some materials but if a radio interview can be done...that's even better. It really surprised me because the situation changed in a second really fast- radio interview. I thanked him and left for the hospital.

Then something really special happened. I went with my friend to her treatment session and there I talked with two doctors- one of them was also a patient- They were interested about what I had to say. After a while I remained only with the Kino therapy doctor and asked him about where I can speak with someone about putting up some calendars in the hospital. And just like that I went and asked a secretary to let me put up some calendars. I told her about the persecution and the truth and I also said that even if people don't want any more information about Falun Dafa they will see the principle "Truthfulness- Compassion- Tolerance" and that is very important because these days such principle have been forgotten by many people. She agreed. I thanked her and later I came back to the hospital to put up the calendars. Everything was so well connected. I saw that the moment I gave up some of my attachments things will turn around and the situation will totally change.

On my way home I stopped at the radio station again to ask for that man's phone number in case something happens and he forgets to call or in case he loses the materials that I gave him. So there we had a little chat and he told me that he already made a short programme about Falun Dafa and it will be played on the radio in a few minutes. I was shocked and said "Wow.. Right now?", I wanted to see the article to see if he had written anything wrong but he said that is a principle of a journalist and that I have to let him write the article without any influence. But he said, that his programme mentioned the principles of Falun Gong and talked about the persecution and I could see that it was in general a good article with few mistakes that could easily be changed. He also told me that he participated in some seminar in Bucharest(the capital of Romania) where some Chinese guy told him something very different than what I had told him and he was surprised to find out that it is not quite like what that guy had said. He was very open minded. I thanked him for what he had done with the news and I ran home to hear it. They were pretty good, some minor points could be put in different ways but maybe there will be an interview and it will all be clarified.

This day was for me something special and not because I did something important but for the people that have been waiting to hear about Dafa and its teachings. I realised that I can’t be selfish and that I shouldn’t stop other people from hearing about Dafa because of my attachments. I thanked Master for his help. I had Zhuan Falun [Turning the Law Wheel - a book containing the principle teachings of Falun Gong] and the teaching with me. They are all there, but because of my poor understanding of the Fa, I couldn’t see this, nor could I enlighten to these principles. It is like a window that is covered with dirt and if you don't clean it you can't see what is beyond that window even if there were the most beautiful things or important things on the other. That dirt is the same as my attachments. After you clean some of it you will see something and so on, just like my situation. I can now see clearer and clearer, with no pursuit in my mind I can do what I am supposed to do. Eliminating an attachment is like locking a door through which evil beings can enter and manipulated you like a puppet. I know that I have to get rid of many attachments.

When I wrote this experience sharing report I remembered things that I have to correct and I could see other things that I did not see until now, and I saw many bad things in me that I have to eliminate. Now I can feel and see with greater clarity the power of the Fa and understand a little better what attachments really are. I'm learning but I feel that with every test I improve myself.

Thank you all, Andrei