Greetings, Teacher.
Greetings, Fellow Practitioners.
I am from Taiwan. I started to practise Falun Dafa several years ago and have been living in a comfortable environment. I want to do the three things well, while at the same time, I need also to deal with work, family, and social activities. I always feel time is too limited. Most of the time, I clarify the truth through mailing letters, sending emails, making phone calls, and chatting on the Internet. Somehow, I always feel that I am physically confined in one place and what I have done is insufficient for Fa validation and revealing the truth about the persecution to the worlds people.
About two or three years ago, when I watched the VCD, "Please Sit with Me," I was deeply moved by the practitioners who have been peacefully appealing in front of the Chinese Consulate. I wished I could go to the consulate to send forth righteous thoughts, clarify the truth, appeal for the end of the persecution, and eliminate the evil in close proximity with other practitioners.
Last year I learnt the news that if circumstances allowed, practitioners might go to Manhattan to clarify the truth. I thought that I should catch up with the progress of Fa rectification. I should go to the battlefield where the evil gathers, not just stay as a member of the back-up army. I told myself, "I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, 'with an adamantine will, and with no attachment to living or dying'! (1) It is time for me to save sentient beings."
Master heard my wish. At the end of year 2004, my heavy duties in the family and work were taken over by other people. I knew the time had come, so I made plans to go to Manhattan. Other practitioners told me that we have groups for sending forth righteous thoughts and an anti-torture exhibit. I had more time and was advised to join the group for sending forth righteous thoughts. I could not help but Heshi to thank Master. Master fulfilled even such a small wish.
Before my departure, fellow practitioners asked me many times whether I had taken enough clothes, and told me how cold New York was, and what kind of things I needed to buy. I thought that I had taken all my warm clothes; in addition, I also bought a winter jacket and sweat pants, which I had never worn before. Wasn't that good enough? It turned out it was not enough, really not enough. After arriving in New York, I truly learnt what cold weather is, what a world of ice and snow is, and what a bone-chilling wind is. Those description are not just words used in literature, they are real.
The first week in New York was for adaptation and adjustment. Every day, we thought about what should be the proper equipment, among which boots and gloves were mostly likely ignored. Everyone had to buy more winter clothes. By the second week, when the heaviest snowstorm in the last 100 years started, we had the complete set of equipment to endure the harsh weather.
It was a Saturday. Usually we went back to our dorm after the 6:00 p.m. sending forth righteous thoughts. That day, the snowstorm was getting worse and worse. For the sake of safety, the practitioner who was in charge asked each of us individually whether we should leave earlier. Each of us gave her the same answer, "No. I will stay to the last minute." At that time, the righteous thoughts of all of us were very strong. The power of our whole body was unshakable no matter how severe the snowstorm was.
In the snowstorm, we stretched out all of our banners, did the exercises, and sent forth righteous thoughts as usual. Occasionally, vehicles passed by us. Some of them rolled down their windows and gave us thumbs up, and some said the snowstorm was too harsh and we should hurry back home. None of us moved. I repeatedly recited
Having forged an adamantine will
And with no attachment to living or dying
He walks his path of Fa-rectification openly and nobly"
Although for most of us, it was our first time to see snow, we knew that there were no tests that we could not pass as long as Master and Falun Dafa are in our hearts.
The place in front of the Chinese Consulate is an important window to clarify the truth. We all wanted to maintain a righteous field there and show people " Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance." Almost every day, there were people who took pictures of us; almost every day, there were people who showed support to us and encouraged us to persist; almost every day, there were kind people who came to us for materials. Precious Chinese people who were waiting in front of the consulate for personal business often pointed to us and talked about us. A few of them who were deeply poisoned also stared at and maliciously talked to us. We still simply Heshi and smiled to them, asking them to think about the issue calmly so that the seeds of Compassion could be planted in their hearts.
Once in the rain, while we were sending forth righteous thoughts, an American girl stopped her car, walked to us in the rain, squatted and asked us, "Why do you stay here and never leave?" Sympathy showed on her face and she looked as pretty as an angel. I gave her some materials and replied to her with my broken English, "We hope the Chinese Communist Party stops persecuting Falun Gong." She also asked whether she could write this down for publication to let more people know. We expressed our sincere gratitude to her.
Once in the wind, we tried very hard to straighten our banner. The wind in front of the Consulate always comes from all directions. It comes from the south now, but it may be from the north within a blink. You may fall together with the banner pole if you are not careful enough. A gentleman found that we could hardly stand straight and came to help us. He stood with us until the wind was not that strong. We gave him materials and expressed our gratitude to him. He did not leave us until he was sure that we would not have any problems. I was happy for the kindhearted sentient being and Master's words came into my mind,
Worldly people should be clear-headed.
God, human, ghost, animal, extinction,
The position is determined by oneself."
When holding the banner in front of the Chinese Consulate, I always sent forth righteous thoughts in my heart and looked at the vehicles and pedestrians with a smile. I noticed that parents always told their children about us when they passed us. I also noticed that teachers would explain to their students about us when buses full of students passed us. To them, we are the living teaching material about democracy. Once, some precious Chinese people passed us quickly, and none of them took materials from us. However, one of them eventually came to us and took many materials away, saying that he took them for his fellow tourists. He also told us that those people who have not travelled abroad don't believe that Falun Gong is legitimate outside China. I felt sorry for our fellow Chinese who were deceived by lies, while at the same time, I cheered for those precious lives who can position themselves well.
When practitioners stay together, we judge everything according to the Fa. It is truly a great cultivation environment. Everything happening in daily life is an opportunity to eliminate our attachments and correct our notions. For example, practitioners in North America prepared a comfortable living environment for us; practitioners reminded each other to be careful so that we would not disturb our neighbours since we always went out early and came back late. We all wanted to be like from one family, so we took turns cooking, cleaning, and organising materials. No matter whether the food was tender, hard, sweet, salty, or spicy, there were always people who did not like the food. As for the cleaning, some people had a higher standard, and some were not that strict. Each time when we had conflict, we could resolve it very fast. If there were any gaps, practitioners would make it up without complaints. One practitioner who normally cared a lot about food often reminded herself by saying out loud, "Mouth free from attachment." (2)
Once I told a practitioner that the traffic lights in New York were only for cars. Pedestrians could go across the road if there were no cars. The practitioner told me that last time when she was in New York, it appeared true that no pedestrians paid attention to traffic lights. However, practitioners must stop and watch the light. They would not go across the road until the signals were on. Falun Dafa practitioners set an example for everyday people. This time when she came to New York again, she found out that many pedestrians would stop and wait for the signals. I felt ashamed of myself after hearing that. I simply followed everyday people without thinking. This should not be the behaviour of a Falun Dafa practitioner.
I always consider that I have been doing pretty well in cultivation since compassion is my principle to interact with others. After sharing with other practitioners, I found that I harmonise interpersonal relationships for the sake of protecting myself by not offending others. In order to get along with other people, I dare not point out the gaps of others. In order to show my broad mindedness, I intentionally praise other people's achievement. In fact, this is the craftiness of an everyday person. I was really shocked by this realisation. I would like to thank my fellow practitioners for pointing this out.
I would also like to thank Master for offering us such a good environment for cultivation. At last, I would like to finish my talk with Master's poem:
So many attachments - when to sever them
Everyone knows the sea of suffering has no shore
If the will is not firm
Barriers are like mountains
How to transcend the mortal world
Notes:
(1) from "Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions," Hong Yin II
(2) from "In the Dao," Hongyin
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