A Family of Cultivators: Taking Falun Dafa into our Hearts

Sharing by Corine: Dear Master¹, hello fellow practitioners

I came across Falun Gong from an article in the health column of a weekly newspaper in the autumn of 1997. I called the phone number shown in the article and knew the practice site and time. Because the French version of Zhuan Falun has not been published, I did only the exercises for about one year without the opportunity of studying the teachings of Falun Gong. One year later, despite that the exercises are good and interesting to me, I felt something was missing, and I was planning to stop and try something else. In the autumn of 1998, Master visited Geneva and attended the Falun Dafa conference; subsequently the first edition of Zhuan Falun in French was published. I was very fortunate to obtain one despite the shortage of books. I finished reading the book in three or four days and felt it really good. I thought this is what I have been looking for and I could find the answers of all my questions.

I have always been attracted by mysterious things, the space beyond this dimension, and the world unknown to us. I had the concept of karma and incarnation when I was young, and I have accepted these ideas very quickly because I thought they are the right and answered many question existing in our lives.

After my marriage, both my husband and I have our children educated in a way to make them understand these concepts. After I started to practise Falun Gong, I realised that this is the only way that can take people to higher level. I tried to improve according to the Fa (law or principles in Falun Gong) and discussed a lot with my family members. My husband does not practise the exercises, but he understands that the Fa is good. Whenever some conflicts come up, he always considers the requirements of Fa. Family life is always a good cultivation environment in which our human notions are always instigated. It is so difficult to deal with life without emotions in a family, even though Master always teaches us to treat anyone around us with compassion. I have learnt from the book that we should always look inward whenever we have a problem, but I only understood that when I really put that into practise. For instance, I had an argument with my husband and I was very upset because I thought he should be blamed for his selfishness. However, when I calmed down and looked inward deeply, I found out that actually it was caused by my selfishness. The moment I realised that and decided to change, my husband’s attitude miraculously went a U-turn and he treated me really kindly. I realised that the environment around practitioners could be changed significantly if we could be more diligent and let go of our attachments.

During the past two years, I have been glad to see three of my elder children decided to practise Falun Gong. I often introduce Falun Dafa to them, since I noticed that many western teenagers were tempted by some unpleasant music, films and games and drifted with the tides. My son has been interested in music, but many CD's he used to listen to was not so pleasant which worried me. After he started to practise, he stopped listening to those bad CD's and threw them away. He changed his taste and was often fascinated by some music composed by practitioners.

It is really a good experience to cultivate my character in my family life. We could communicate, discuss and help each other to understand the Fa and be more diligent. Although we have different path to walk, different job, different life, we could always help each other. Even my youngest daughter started to explain the persecution in China to her classmates and teachers in the school.

My experience has nothing to compare with the practitioners’ lives in Sujiatun concentration camp. When I think of the situation of practitioners in China, I could not hold my tears and my heart feels really hurt. I felt from the bottom of my heart that I should follow the Fa taught by Master and do the three things better. To let more people know the persecution, raise their awareness, and cultivate us well, so as to glorify the name of being a practitioner.

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For whom do you cultivate

Sharing by Joëlle: I came across Falun Dafa in 1998 when I was in the senior school. I followed my mother to the group practise site on Friday. At that time, I had my boyfriend for just a few months and we used to go out Friday and Saturday evenings. I did not know why I felt strange when I was with them. Later on, I stopped doing the exercises, hoping one day I would start to do it again and it was not the time for me yet, because it required a lot of time for me to do my study and be with my friends. I thought to start my cultivation after I finish the high school when I would have more time. So I found myself a lot of excuses not to do the practise. However, I knew Falun Dafa was righteous deep in my heart.

I started practising Falun Gong since the beginning of the 3rd year of my high school. I realised time was not enough no matter what we did. I hesitated before if I should talk openly with my boyfriend and other friends about Falun Gong. Now I can very naturally tell them what Falun Dafa is. My boyfriend is not a practitioner, but he is positive to what I told him about Falun Dafa.

I like Falun Dafa very much. Master Li has explained many things that I have believed in all the time, for instance, Tianmu (the third eye), karma, De (virtue) and the existence of the lives in higher levels. These matters were often discussed in our family. It is in such a good cultivation environment in our family that I get to know about Falun Dafa.

I am now determined to cultivate in Falun Dafa. Our master said in the article, For Whom do You Practice Cultivation: "If you still are not fundamentally resolute in the Fa, everything else is out of question." It was not easy for me at the beginning to take our master as master, because we do not have it in our western tradition to take someone as one's master. When I checked inwards, I knew why. That was because it touched my selfishness and also because I was still in a very low level. Our master provides us a way to consummation. He is always so compassionate. I hope I can be more diligent in my cultivation.

If there is anything inappropriate, please be kind enough to point out for me.

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Shared by Myriam: Greetings to Master, greetings to fellow practitioners:

I came to know Falun Dafa from my mother since she has been practising for a long while. I started to try to follow the principle of ‘True Good Endure’ step by step and do exercises. However, there were two barriers hampering me from being a practitioner. One is I have to spent a large amount of time on my study in the school, the other is I felt embarrassed by the attitude shown in the eyes of my schoolmates. I was thinking if they would treat me very differently if they knew I practise Falun Gong. Later something happened in my school changed my mind.

In the last year of my high school course, we were required to submit some important assignments. One of my classmates told me that she chose to write the assignment regarding Falun Gong and the persecution in China. I was surprised by the topic she chose, and had a very long chat with her. Several days later, I participated in the SOS long-distance walk in Switzerland with my mother and other practitioners and I felt the power of Falun Dafa.

From then on I started my cultivation on the path arranged by our master. I tried to look at things in my life from the angle of being a practitioner, and look inward when conflict happens.

It is Falun Dafa that makes me understand the meaning and purpose of life. I realised that Dafa created the opportunities for a human being to return to his true self. When I was puzzled by some really difficult tests, I always encourage myself, “It does not matter, if I were an everyday people and deluded in ordinary world, the pain would be endless” I like to help children from poor places since I was a child. Now I am trying to let more people know the truth of the persecution, know Falun Gong, this is the best approach to help other people.

My brother and sister started their cultivation later than me. We have different cultivating path to go, meet different people in our lives, help different people to understand the Fa, and furthermore to stop the persecution the sooner the better.

My family is always like a harbour to me, where I can escape the challenges and unhappiness in my life. However, being a practitioner often means I need to look inward to myself and improve my character at home. I experienced some frictions at home occasionally, which make me understand that the retribution may also happen at home.

My father and my little sister do not practise Falun Gong, but they always kindly remind me when I was not diligent. They would also advise me when I was trapped in my attachments. Others practitioners in the family also encourage me to be more diligent, because we can always discuss and share our understanding and experiences at home; consequently we are trying to walk on the righteous path arranged by master.

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Sharing by Samuel: Greetings to our master,
Greetings to fellow practitioners,

The following is my cultivation experience:

My mother has cultivated in Falun Dafa for quite a while, but I seemed not to pay attention to it. On talking about it, I was even sarcastic towards the practice.

One day, I found myself groundless to use those sarcastic words. I decided to find out more about this cultivation way, which was quite mysterious for the western youngsters. I borrowed the book China Falun Gong. Having read the book, I did not find answers to my questions and I felt difficult to understand. Although I was very interested in the things mentioned in the book, I knew nothing about these Eastern thoughts. However, I had big respect of Falun Gong after I read the book. I felt it was very profound. Through the discussion with my mother, I started to understand the principles about incarnation, karma, Good rewards with Good and bad returns with bad etc.

When my mother suggested me to go to the practice site, I agreed immediately. It requires firmness. I tried to keep sitting longer time and did the whole exercises. I felt then practice was good for me. The energy running through my hands and it was a wonderful feeling. I went to practise each week. One encouragement was that I felt my heart was peaceful and lightened on my way back home after the practise. I did not do well for a certain period of time. I participated in parties, drank a lot wine and talked meaningless things. Just like what our master said in the third lecture of Zhuan Falun: "…after you step out the door you go right back to your old ways, you do whatever you think you should around ordinary people…." I was not a good practitioner since I did not upgrade my level and understanding of the Fa.

A few months later, there was an experience-sharing conference. My mother said I could attend it after I finished watching our master's 9-day lectures on video. That was really an amazing experience. I saw the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa. What I have believed in my heart now is provided to all human beings by Falun Dafa.

Since then, I decided to take this cultivation path. I cultivated Dafa genuinely and gradually improved my character. Very soon, I stopped drinking. Having read "Teaching the Fa at the Meeting on Writing Music", I have changed my taste for music. I used to be a member in a music band. Now I felt it has deviated in the music. After discussion with other team members, we decided to stop it. All these changes have happened naturally, depending on the level of my character.

I don't want to talk too much. I hope we can improve together as one-body.

Note

1. Master/Teacher: Respectfully referring to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi.