Italian Practitioner's Speech from The 2002 European Falun Dafa Conference

My cultivation experience

I am a practitioner from Italy. My name is Diego Manca and I am 52 years old.

About two years ago I had the privilege to become familiar with Falun Dafa and since then my quality of life has changed very much. I encountered difficulty due to the fact I was fifty. I had just lost my job and began searching for a new one. At home I didn’t have a good relationship with my partner in life, the mother of our daughter. Everyday I found myself quarrelling with her and due to this family life was quite unbearable.

One day a friend of mine came to visit me because she needed to send an e-mail from my computer. She is a Tai Chi (and Yoga) teacher and she asked me if I heard something about something called Falun Gong. I answered that I had read something in the newspapers (it was September 1999) but that I did not know what it was exactly. So I searched on the internet for more information where I found many links. Very curious I started to download the book FALUN GONG to read it, then I was really anxious to read the experiences that other practitioners shared. I was really impressed by the fact that everything was for free: the teachings, the books, the videos, the music. I honestly could not believe it and I thought that it was all a trick to make money. However, reading the stories that hundreds of practitioners shared, little by little, I became convinced that Falun Dafa had to be something really worthwhile. What impressed me was not the fact that as a practitioner I could have some particular power or the third eye opened, but the fact of putting into action the three principles «Truth, Compassion and Forbearance» in daily life. From this I believed I would become a better person and improve my quality of life and of the people who surrounded me.

From there I started putting into practice the first principle, Truth, in the sense that I did not want to say any more lies. I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t at all. I continued to tell lies to myself and to others, but I was now aware of them and little by little I am learning to say the truth. I noticed that by just applying these principles in my life I have more energy: I think that all that energy I used to «construct the castles from my lies» was now free and I experienced this «released» energy as joy.

I understand the second principle, SHAN, as being lovely, kind and compassionate to the people I see it every day, in my family, in the work, in the bus, etc. I think I always was a kind person, but now it is different: I think that we are, as human beings, one body, and when I am kind and gentle to other people I am kind and gentle to myself.

I hope it is not too selfish…

I notice that behaving in this way - not lying, being kind, being tolerant and having patience, trying to behave in a noble way – my life has become more beautiful and full of joy. Many people around me think now that maybe this Falun Gong after all is something good…

I am never trying to convince somebody of the «goodness» of our cultivation way, but I try to give a good example. Of course is not easy and many times, in the family and at work, I still behave not exactly as a true practitioner, but I am learning… and improving.

I am convinced that is very important how we behave in everyday life, because the people around us maybe know that we are Falun Dafa practitioners and if they see that our standard is not strict to the standards of Falun Dafa or if we are «fanatic» or behave «as if we were fanatics» we can damage Dafa.
In ZHUAN FALUN (Chapter 8 - Attachment of Zealotry), the Master said: «The majority of people in our school will practice cultivation in ordinary human society, so you should not distance yourself from ordinary human society and you must practice cultivation with a clear, open mind. The relationships among one another should remain normal. Of course, you have a very high xinxing [moral quality / heart-nature] level and an upright mind. You will upgrade your own xinxing and your own level; you do not commit wrongdoing and only do good deeds—these are only such a manifestation. Some people conduct themselves as though they are either mentally abnormal or they have seen enough of this secular world. They say things that others cannot comprehend. Others will say: «How come a person who learns Falun Dafa becomes like this? It seems he has a mental problem.» Actually, it is not so. He is simply too excited and so appears to be irrational without common sense. Think about it, everyone: Your acting like this is also wrong, and you have gone to the other extreme—again it is an attachment. You should give it up and practice cultivation while living normally like everyone else among everyday people. If while among everyday people others consider you infatuated, they will not deal with you and will keep a distance from you. Nobody will provide you with opportunities to improve xinxing, and neither treat you as a normal person—I would say that this is not right! Therefore, everyone must be sure to pay attention to this issue and conduct himself or herself well.”

The Master said also in the article ‘All Dafa Associations,’ (July 20, 2000): It is definitely not wrong to explain the facts of our situation to the Chinese government in a peaceful manner. As cultivators, however, we should absolutely not adopt any over-zealous approach or speech. Over the past year, you have clarified the truth and appealed to people in the world and governments with a heart of kindness. You have done this in a quite righteous manner. I am happy for the disciples (great living beings) who have cultivated with Dafa. I also hope that in the future while clarifying the truth and appealing to the government they will not in any way neglect the importance of studying the Fa, because all of them need to progress towards Consummation. I am paying close attention to everything the students are doing and the state of their cultivation. I hope that all of you handle things even better.

My job appears now to be a very fertile environment for upgrading my Xinxing. It is at work that I learned to be a good cultivator and do a good job simultaneously. I do find my time at work and with the family more rewarding than in the past and I think that both environments prefer me as a cultivator to the ordinary person of the past. When I first started practicing my wife became unhappy with my practice but as she watched my transformation I think (and I hope) she changed her mind. I continue to carve out time from my daily life to devote to my practice, but I know it is not enough. In the last year I put much of my daily time in trying to contact journalists, newspapers, politicians and other people that could help us (practitioners) to spread Falun Gong and to let more people know the Truth about it. Once in the week I teach the exercises for the people who want to learn and I try to do my best to spread the word on Dafa. But, as I said before, I know it is not enough. I always find new excuses to apologize to myself because I do not do the exercises and I do not read the book and do not study everyday, saying to myself that other things are more important.

Now I know I was lying to myself and that I «must» organize my life better, find the time to study and improve my xinxing. I am a practitioner and I see all my problems as tests that the Master gave me to improve myself and become a better person.

Before becoming a practitioner, I spent more then 20 years searching for the truth. Looking for answers in a combination of recreational drugs and eastern and western metaphysics, I tried many methods and spiritual ways. When I read that Master Li says to stick with one cultivation way I was relieved. I had tried so many ways and never gotten out of elementary school. Now, I feel I am finally in the University… I quit drinking and smoking, as well as other drugs. I now feel myself lighter than I ever have. Probably because of the way I was brought up and my strong desire for personal interest.

I see nothing with my third eye and trust not so much what I see with my other two eyes. I do not care.

I have started a journey and have found that at the beginning of my journey my biggest obstacle is myself. I will make it though, through persistent practice and special attention to my Xinxing. I am very grateful for what I have received from Falun Dafa and if this is the highest level that I reach in my cultivation, and I am sure it is not, I find it the most worthwhile endeavour in my life. If for no other reason than it has made me a better person and given me a righteous path to follow and a way to make sense of the circumstances that surround me, and a more civilized way to react to them. More civilized than in the past when I would usually, with my ordinary mentality, react with hurt or frustration, or more likely, anger.

I want to keep practicing more diligently until I reach the perfection in my cultivation.

Until now all the problems that I have come across through my cultivation were answered through reading the book «ZHUAN FALUN» and other articles by Master Li. I also believe that the problems I will meet later on can also be answered in this way.

I want to add a last thing. I think that as practitioners we must use our creativity to let know the truth to the people and to spread the Dafa. I am a writer and I think that if I can touch the heart of the people in my writings the reader can find Truth, Compassion and Forbearance, this will help to validate Dafa.
I hope that in the future more people can obtain the Tao, and return to their original true selves.