(Minghui.org) When I began practicing Falun Dafa in Wisconsin around 1999-2001 there were only a handful of practitioners in the entire state, and only three of us in my city of Milwaukee. I read the teachings and learned more about Dafa. I realized that an experience I had years before was true.
The experience happened in my living room when I listened to music. When I stood up I heard a voice coming out of the music that asked me to follow it. It went deeper and deeper until the music turned upside down and became the most beautiful incredible heavenly music. The room exploded with light and I felt my heart burst open. I was surrounded by millions of sacred instruments and millions of formless beings. They asked if I remembered them? Yes, I did. I really knew them! It was so magnificent to see them once again as it seemed a very long time since we were all together!
One of them, a formless female being, approached me out of the vast cosmos. I just had a sense of her and knew she was smiling and had a huge heart. She asked if I could help with something very important. I immediately said, “Yes.” There were no words as this was all soundless communication. She quickly imparted a lot of information to me. It seemed time went on forever. Then she had to go, and everyone left and eventually everything disappeared back into the vastness…I was back in my living room, which I never left. My mind was completely blown open and my heart was bursting with compassion. The room was still full of bright light.
It is hard to describe how I felt the next few days, weeks, and months. It seemed this wonderful feeling would never leave...but eventually it did as the years went by.
Were these the beings to save that Master talked about? It had to be and they were everywhere. These beings may only be from one cosmos or one galaxy, but there could be trillions, and trillions more from millions of other places too. This realization gradually dawned on me as I continued on the road of practicing Falun Dafa and I read more and more of Master’s articles.
With only a few practitioners in my area I started to help with various Dafa-validation projects. I helped organize new practice sites, and parades, and helped hold Falun Dafa art exhibits. I delivered the English and Chinese language EpochTimes. I helped edit for the Epoch Times, wrote some articles, talked to government representatives, and helped organize rallies . We held workshops to introduce Falun Dafa. I also went to other states and countries to tell people about Falun Dafa.
Master said, “The only thing you have a role in is saving people,...” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume VII)
My everyday work included opening an eco friendly store, which sold Fair Trade items that helped villagers stay out of slave labor situations and helped farmers not use toxic chemicals.
I married, and with a husband there were even more responsibilities. Extra cooking and cleaning and all those things a wife should do. Little by little more things piled high on my plate as we decided to open a cafe at the store. Everything was becoming very rushed and there was a lot of learning about how to balance everything! Balancing married life, a new business, family, friends and of course all the Dafa projects and obligations that I wanted to help with, always came first.
Since saving people was a top priority for me, little by little I learned to really “...go along with their ploys and turn their ploys against them.” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003) as Master mentioned. I would wake up very early to study the Fa and do the exercises, and then run to the store and prepare food and get opened up, and then run back home, write an article, run back to the store and take care of people, then run back home and do some more Dafa-validation work, then run to other things, then run back home and stay up late to do more things. The next morning I would run to deliver newspapers and do more projects. There was a lot of running around so I went through many pairs of tennis shoes!
We discussed how the few of us practitioners could manage all these projects while also having jobs, kids, businesses and other work. We knew Master was truly helping us! We did all these things in the harsh conditions, like freezing cold winters and super hot summers. During a protest at the Chinese consulate in Chicago, two of us drove 3 hours to participate in a candlelight vigil. When we got there it was 7 p.m. and the wind chill was 20 below zero Fahrenheit. We tried to light the candles, but our fingers were too stiff. We sent righteous thoughts for hours, while kind people walking by offered to bring us hot coffee or tea. Some practitioners were over 65 years old. By the time we got home it was after midnight and the windchill was 75 below!
Special events were held nearly every week and little by little they all got done somehow, and little by little I learned to balance it all....
Then Shen Yun Performing Arts came to our city. The amount of tasks to be accomplished was enormous. How could we balance all of this - plus do everything else? What about those millions of beings waiting for us? Could we let them down? No!- so I bought more tennis shoes and got going.
We introduced Shen Yun to everyone from bankers to businessmen, from hotel staff to hospital employees, from policemen to pilots, from nuns to nurseries and no one was left out. I helped get sponsorship from the media, from the printers, for food, for hotels, for beverages, for malls, for flowers etc. I talked to the theater, hotels, and to country clubs. I introduced Shen Yun to everyone who walked into our store. We few practitioners worked very hard and little by little everyone heard about Shen Yun. We even got sponsorship from a famous major foundation.
However, by the time Shen Yun came we sold few tickets. Since we all worked so hard this was a very heavy blow for us and we were exhausted. I felt upset and tired. My tennis shoes were worn thin and I felt like I hit rock bottom in my cultivation. I even began wondering if I was worthy of saving all those beings and I tried in vain to remember that moment in my living room, which now seemed ages ago.
After hitting rock bottom it was hard to get up, but little by little I realized the only way to go now, was up. So I brushed off the dirt of ego, pride, and saving face and a few other messy bad attachments and bought a new pair of tennis shoes. We had yet another Shen Yun show coming so we focused on selling tickets.
A grocery store owner gave us a big fruit donation for the performers the year before. This man was always very grumpy, but this time we finally convinced him to see Shen Yun and enjoy it himself. After the show was over I went back to his store and he was all smiles. His face lit up when he recognized me. He gave me a big hug and said in a loud gruff voice while patting me on the shoulders, “You’re all like angels and I am forever indebted to you! I am a new man! I called all my friends in Chicago and told them to go to this amazing show!” I had to fight back the tears as I left his store.
We realized that, little by little, we really were doing something special and people could truly feel it. That man did not realize he also touched my heart deeply and gave me the encouragement to keep going and not slow down. I also realized he may be one of those millions of beings.
Master said, “Saving beings should permeate every single aspect of your daily lives at this time. If you can all understand and really see its importance, I think you'll probably save more beings.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume IV)
My husband and I traveled a lot for our business, so we went to many countries. I brought Falun Dafa flyers in many different languages. I brought flyers, an Epoch Times paper, and Shen Yun flyers, so that no matter what conversation someone brought up I had materials for them! If they talked about the arts I had information about Shen Yun. If they talked about health I gave a Falun Dafa flyer and if they talked about world news I had the Epoch Times ready. If someone was sad, I gave them a lotus flower and got big smiles every time. Little by little I found this is truly the best method of clarifying the facts quickly. There is always a way to clarify the truth with every conversation. I knew this was the Fa’s wisdom.
Once, in Guatemala, I tripped on some cobble stones in the street. I fell hard, face first. Blood poured out of my mouth and I was in a lot of pain. People ran to help me, sat me down and gave me ice. They called an ambulance and were concerned about me, but the only thing I could think of was handing them all Dafa flyers. I told them I would be fine and the wound stopped bleeding. I knew Master gave me strength.
Later we moved to Florida. There were many beings waiting to be saved and I helped organize Shen Yun shows. I was even asked to coordinate the Shen Yun shows in my area. There were only three practitioners in my town. We worked very hard and sold 98% of the tickets. As I sat backstage after the performance and sent righteous thoughts I heard millions of “Thank-you’s!” There was so many voices that my head started to swim…Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you from the cosmos….Tears rushed down my face and when I opened my eyes the Shen Yun production people asked if I was okay. I told them what happened and then they were moved to tears.
Florida is a great place to save beings and little by little as we worked together we understood how to do even better! We understood that each of us played a very special role with our unique “gifts” from Master.
My husband and I continued to move around and went to Detroit, which was different than any other city in the U.S. Many people who lived in the suburbs were afraid to come into the city. When every car on our street was broken into, my car was not. When we first moved to this city, in another dimension I saw a large lion laying across the top of my car and so I felt my car was safe. I kept seeing many heavenly beings around our home as well so I knew Master was looking out for us.
Detroit is tough but, little by little we learned how to interact with the residents. My husband and I delivered the EpochTimes to the doorsteps in our neighborhood and clarified the truth to officers in the police departments. When Shen Yun came the other practitioners and I went downtown and passed out hundreds of posters and flyers. Shen Yun was a big success and many beings were saved.
We’ve now moved to New York and my tennis shoes sit by the door waiting every day to go.
Little by little we are learning that even though the “Fa Rectifies the Human World” is upon us now, we feel people are still waiting for us, and I am sure of that....they are waiting for us. They are waiting at the grocery stores, they are waiting at the toll booths, they are waiting at the beaches, they are waiting at the car washes, and they continue waiting. Little by little, with all of the practitioners and Dafa’s wisdom, we can save them all!
I would like to share a poem that came to me a while ago.
Little by little practitioners obtain the WayLittle by little more come and stayLittle by little we open our heartsLittle by little attachments fall apartLittle by little we think of others firstLittle by little the fog will disperseLittle by little people start to careLittle by little everyone becomes awareLittle by little the ants eat the bunLittle by little our work in this world will be done...
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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