Greetings, respected Master!
Greetings, all fellow practitioners!
尊敬的師父好！
各位同修好！
I started practising Falun Dafa in 2013. Looking back over the past year or so I would like to share some cultivation experiences and breakthroughs regarding my cultivation and VIP truth clarification.
我是2013年開始修煉法輪大法的。我想分享過去一年多时间内我在修煉上的突破和向VIP講真相的體會。
I’m a head chef and my job is very physically and mentally demanding. I have dependants at home and my responsibilities are quite stretched at times, juggling everything daily and trying to put cultivation at the forefront.
我是一個大廚，我的工作對體力和腦力要求都很高。同時我家裡還有需要照顧的親人，我的家庭責任也時不時的令人緊張，我每天要盡力應付並努力把修煉擺在最前面。
One day at the end of a working week I was exhausted physically and mentally and feeling relieved that the end of the week had come. That same day I received a message from my family in the UK informing me that my sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer. At work, I was called into the office and told by management that me and another employee had been accused of racial discrimination. Of course, the accusation was false, but management were duty bound to take it seriously. As soon as I got home from work, I received a call from my daughter that she was in a crisis and needed me to babysit my granddaughter.
No sooner had I put the phone down from that call, I received another call from my son’s school telling me my son was being suspended due to an incident and requested I attend a meeting. I went into a numb state and could sense the seriousness of where to go next in terms of my response to these many tribulations.
有一次完成一周工作後我從身體和精神上都很疲憊了，週末的來到讓我鬆了口氣。但就在那天我收到在英國家人的信息，告知我的妹妹被診斷出了乳腺癌。在工作中，我被叫到辦公室然後管理人員說我和另外一個員工被指有種族歧視。當然，這是一個虛假的指控，但管理層有責任嚴肅對待此事。我剛從工作回到家，便收到女兒的來電說她陷入了危機需要我來照顧外孫女。我剛放下電話就又接到兒子學校打來的另一個電話，說我兒子因為一件事情被休學了，並要求我去開一個會。我進入了一種麻木狀態，同时也能感受到面對這些魔難我該如何反應、怎麼做，对修炼人来说是很嚴肅的。
In Zhuan Falun, Lecture 9, Master says:
Now of course, you shouldn’t expect to go through the same. Most people wouldn’t be able to take it, and might think there is no reason to go on, or even try to take their own life in desperation. My point is that you may have to go through some of the most trying ordeals imaginable. They could take any of a variety of forms. The scheming that goes on between people, the things that test your character, and the cutthroat nature of society are no less trying than the scenario I described. Some people, for instance, find the pain of humiliation to be so great that they take their own lives. This means that to practice in a setting as complicated as this, we need to be able to weather the most trying of storms and have outstanding self-control, or ren.
師父在《轉法輪》第九講中說：
“當然大家不會遇到這樣的事情。一般人吃不了這苦，一想：這還活著幹啥，找根繩掛上吧，不活了！一了百了！我就說人得能夠吃苦中之苦，當然倒不一定是這種形式。那麼人與人之間的勾心鬥角，心性上的摩擦，個人利益的爭奪當中不亞於這東西。有多少人為了一口氣活著，受不了就吊死了。所以我們要在這樣一種複雜的環境中去修煉，得能吃苦中之苦，同時還得有大忍之心。”
I understood that an everyday person might consider taking their own life in the situation Master explained, but that a cultivator does not look at things this way. I had to carefully watch my thinking and could see all these tribulations were an opportunity for me as long as I could be determined and steel my will.
我理解常人在師父講到的這種情況下可能會想到自我了斷，但是修煉人不這樣看事情。我必須小心觀察自己的思想並能看到只要我堅定、意志堅強，所有這些魔難對我都是機會。
The first thing I did was call my son’s father and tell him we needed to meet to discuss what was going on with our son. We divorced 15 years ago and share the custody of our children. His initial response was that he couldn’t make it, which is how he usually responds. In the past I would just accept this with much frustration and then compensate for his lack of responsibility. This was like an ordinary person’s forbearance and way of handling the situation. I could see there was an opportunity to rectify this.
我首先給兒子的爸爸打電話並告訴他，我們需要面談兒子的情況。我們十五年前離婚並輪流照顧孩子們。他一張口就說自己沒法來，他通常都這樣說。以前對此我只是失望而無奈的接受，然後補上他應該盡的責任。這就像用常人的忍來處理問題的方式。（然而這次）我能看到有機會歸正這一點。
I said to him, “No, whatever you’re doing, you have to cancel it, I can’t do this on my own.” I was saying this for his sake to appeal to his compassionate side and help him understand his responsibility as a father. In the past, as an everyday person, I would have said this with emotion and concern for myself. I understood all I needed to do was to be responsible to my son in an upright way based on my understanding of the Fa. He softly said, “Okay, I’ll be there in 45 minutes.”
我對他說：“不，不論你在做什麼，你必須取消。我不能一個人處理這事。”我這樣說是幫他喚醒他慈善的一面並幫他理解他作為父親的責任。過去，我會帶著情緒、圍繞著自己來說這些話。現在我知道我要做的一切是基於我對法的理解，從正面對我的兒子負責。他輕聲說：“好吧，我45分鐘後到”。
We met and discussed the school incident. I was conscious of maintaining a solid cultivation state with the many tribulations that were going on. Our meeting together went very well as did our meeting with the school. I could see that he was handling the situation and taking the lead role of responsible father, and I felt respected by him as the mother in a supporting role. It was honest and upright and truly different to our previous co-parenting interactions. We were easily able to agree 100% on how to handle the situation and the consequences for our son’s behaviour at school. I could see how putting effort into maintaining a solid cultivation state had a positive impact on my ex-husband.
我們見面討論了在學校發生的事情。我有意在眾多的魔難面前保持實修的狀態。我們面談的很好，與學校也談的很好。我看到他擔起了一個父親的責任，主導事情的處置，而我感到作為孩子的母親，我的支持得到了他的尊重。
這次我們之間的坦誠、正面完全不同於我們過去在帶孩子中的互動。我們很容易就100%一致同意如何處理兒子在學校的行為及其後果。我能看到我努力保持實修狀態對前夫有著正面的影響。
I still needed to deal with the situation at my workplace of being falsely accused of racial discrimination. There had been many cultivation opportunities at my workplace, but broadly speaking, this was the most serious and was the catalyst for an important cultivation breakthrough at a workplace that had presented me with constant tests.
我還需要處理在工作場合被錯誤指控種族歧視一事。我在工作場合有很多修煉機會，但總體而言，這次是最嚴重的一次，也是在這個不斷給我考驗的工作環境中，促使我的修煉獲得重大突破。
I was often in situations where I was handling an immense workload for two people due to being short staffed, and a management who were also overloading me with additional catering requests and making me feel guilty when I kindly explained that I would need additional help to meet their requests.
由於缺乏人手，我經常要處理需要兩個人才能完成的巨大工作量，還要面對加碼要求我處理額外食譜的管理層，當我向他們提出我需要額外的幫助來完成他們的要求時，常讓自己感到有愧。
Many days I would work through without taking a break or eating. My assistant was also becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. At the time I was forbearing with grievances, and not cultivating through the situations uprightly and firmly. The result was no matter how hard I worked and how much workload I took on, it went unnoticed and didn’t change the way I was treated. I even noticed management would support other staff who needed it, but that never happened with me. I wondered whether I needed to look for another job and considered that perhaps another workplace would present other opportunities to clarify the truth to different people, but that didn’t happen.
很多天我都是從頭到尾工作沒有休息和吃飯時間。我的助手也越來越難相處。那時我是在忍受苦難，沒有堅實的從正面修煉過來。結果是不論我工作多努力，完成多大的工作量，都沒人注意到也沒改變我的處境。我甚至注意到別的員工需要幫助時，管理層會給予，但這對我從未發生。我尋思是否要另找工作，想著別的工作場所可能有別的機會對不同的人講真相，但這也沒發生。
I then enlightened that I wasn’t meant to look for another job, but that I needed to improve my outlook on the situation. I decided to be determined to use the opportunity to cultivate myself and I focused on that. Every day, even though the heavy workload didn’t change, I decided to have a better attitude and always do a good job regardless of the workload or how I was being treated by others. This significant shift in my cultivation state resulted in a positive outcome regarding the false accusation towards me.
我悟到我不是真正想找別的工作，我是需要提高看待這件事情本身的眼界。我決定要堅定利用好這個機會來修煉自己，並專注於此。每天儘管工作負擔沒變，但我決定採用一個好的態度，不論工作量多大，或者別人怎樣對待我，我總是出色完成工作。這極大的提升了我的修煉狀態，並使針對我的虛假指控最終得到了一個正面的結果。
An anti-discrimination board found that I had done nothing wrong and that it was my company who were negligent in failing to adequately investigate the issue and my side of the story. Although this was a good outcome, the most important change has been in my workplace overall where I am now well respected and trusted.
一個反歧視調查組發現我沒有做錯任何事，是我的公司沒有做足夠調查並忽視了我這一邊的陳述。儘管這是一個好的結果，但最重要的變化是在我的整個工作場所，我得到了很好的尊重和信任。
Management now seek my advice and opinion on a range of issues. Again, by paying attention to my own cultivation state through all the trials and tribulations at my workplace, the environment truly harmonised.
現在在一系列問題上管理層會徵求我的意見。再一次的，在經歷這些考驗和魔難中我專注自己的修煉狀態，環境真的變和諧了。
In Zhuan Falun, Lecture Four, Master says:
“ While the main goal of Falun Dafa is spiritual progress, and not, in fact, to bring about changes like those, it can nevertheless do a great deal to foster civility and moral living in society. If each and every person were to self-reflect and give thought to how they should act, I would say the world would become a more stable place and people would become moral again.”
師父在《轉法輪》第四講中說：
“我們修煉法輪大法的主要目地是往高層次上帶人，並沒有想做這樣的事情，可是他卻能夠對社會精神文明起到很大的促進作用。如果人人都向內心去找，人人都想自己怎麼做好，我說那社會就穩定了，人類的道德標準就會回升。”
Having a demanding job meant that I needed to make the most of the limited time I had to do the Three Things. For about two years I participated in truth clarification stalls at various markets. This also presented me with many cultivation opportunities. The coordinator of the activity and I are very different in personality and ways of working.
幹一份要求高的工作，意味著我需要最大限度的利用有限的時間去做三件事。大概有兩年時間，我參加在不同的市場中的真相攤位講真相。這也給我提供了很多修煉機會。活動協調人和我的性格與工作方式非常不同。
At first, I found this quite difficult and sometimes felt stifled by her coordination style. I responded initially by just trying my best to cooperate, but this approach left me losing heart for the project and I no longer wanted to be as actively involved. I frequently shared my concerns with the coordinator, and also asked Master for some guidance as something inside me told me I was missing an important lesson in my cultivation and missing the opportunity to truly improve my xinxing.
開始，我覺得這十分困難，有時感到被她的協調風格窒息著。我開始僅僅是盡自己最大努力配合，但這種方式讓我失去了對項目的熱心，不再願意積極參加。我經常與協調人交流我擔心的一些問題，並向師父祈求指導，因為我內心有東西告訴我在修煉上缺少了重要的一課，失去了真正提高心性的機會。
I realised I’d lost my ability to see the positive qualities this fellow practitioner had and I started to forget that in the past there were several events where our union was so righteous and powerful and achieved great effects in saving sentient beings and how easy it was during those occasions to support her and her qualities. In fact, I really value those qualities when they are used with the mighty Fa energy as they are pretty different from my own.
我意識到我已經失去了看這位同修的正面品質的能力，我也忘記了過去在幾次活動中我們协调一致、正念強大，在救人中效果卓著，那時支持她和她的品質是多麼容易啊。實際上，當那些品質在強大法力中運用時，我真的很珍惜那些品質，因為它們與我自己的十分不同。
In Zhuan Falun, Lecture Four, Master said:
But true spiritual practice is about working on the mind, or character. For example, it entails learning to worry less about the disputes that might surround you, and value less the worldly things that people normally want and feel strongly about. You shouldn’t expect many results from your practice if instead you are all caught up in competition with others and pushing hard to come out on top. In that case you are just like everyone else, and shouldn’t expect to get any higher energy from it. This is why you need to put character at the heart of your practice. And if you can do that, you will find yourself elevating spiritually and your energy growing.
師父在《轉法輪》第一講中說：
“真正修煉得修煉你這顆心，叫修心性。比如說，我們在人與人的矛盾中，把個人的七情六慾、各種慾望放的淡一些。為了個人利益去爭去鬥的時候，你就想長功，談何容易！你這不是和常人一樣了嗎？你怎麼能長功呢？所以要重心性修煉，你的功才能長上來，層次才能提高。”
While some breakthroughs were made during this project, I still had a despondent feeling within and felt I needed to do something else. Things naturally winded down with the markets as we had done many of them several times and often saw the same people, which meant the opportunities to clarify the truth had become few and far between.
雖然在這個項目中有突破，但我心裡仍舊有一些失望情緒，覺得我需要做些別的。做市場的事情逐漸放鬆下來，因為很多市場我們都做了好幾遍，經常看到相同的人，這意味著講真相的機會變得更少、間隔也更長了。
Life just feels too empty every day without regular truth clarification projects to participate in. Even though I participated in activities and projects whenever possible, I still carried a heavy heart. I remember several practitioners mentioning they don’t have the heart they first had when they found the Fa. I recall we shared on how to bring that back and in an even better way because we had more wisdom from the Fa to draw on. Reflecting on the practitioner’s words I too was struggling with despondency. I was trapped by cunning notions that were preventing my elevation. I needed to breakthrough some fundamental blockages.
假如我沒有固定每天參與講真相項目，生活會感覺到太空虛。然而即使我盡可能的參與了各種活動和項目，我的心依然沉重。我記得有幾位同修提及自己沒有剛得法時的初心，我們交流說要怎樣找回初心，甚至可以做得更好，因為我們有更多的從大法中吸收的智慧。回想起同修的話，我當時也在與消沉鬥爭著，我陷在狡猾的觀念裡，它們阻礙著我的昇華。我需要突破一些根本的阻礙。
PARTICIPATING IN VIP WORK
For World Falun Dafa Day last year, it was decided we would have a VIP dinner. We were asked to personally invite our MP’s. When VIP and government work had been discussed at Fa study previously, it was shared that all practitioners are responsible to make inroads with getting more familiar with their own MP’s, Senators and Councillors and as these were our initial VIP contacts. I drove home listening to my inner dialogue saturated in human notions. I saw stubbornness in the fear of stepping out of my comfort zone and had so many assumptions towards VIP’s and myself and thought I wouldn’t be of any use with these people on an intellectual level. Where would I begin?
參與對VIP講真相
去年世界法輪大法日時，大家決定舉行一次VIP晚宴，我們被要求親自去請我們的議員。當我們以前大組學法時討論VIP和政府講真相的工作時，大家交流的是所有學員都要負起責任，要與自己的議員、參議員、市議員熟悉起來，因為他們是我們初步要接觸的VIP。我開車回家時，一路上都聽到我內在的充斥著人心的對話。我看到對於走出自己舒適區的那個頑固的怕心，還有許許多多關於VIP和我自己的各種預想。我在想，在知識層面上，我能對這些人起任何作用嗎？我該從何開始呢？
One morning on my way back to my car after being at the practice site I saw a politician had set up an A frame sign on the walkway next to a park bench. I had only met him briefly once before as a candidate in the election when he came to our local practice site to learn the exercises, but I didn’t think he’d remember me. I looked over and saw him sitting upright on the bench with a few people there waiting to have a chat. I continued walking to my car, but my heart was calling me back to introduce myself to him.
一天早上，我準備離開煉功點回車上的路上，看見一個政治家正在公園長椅邊的通道上放置一塊牌子。我只見過他一次，他來我們當地的煉功點學煉功，那時他是位參選人，但是我想他不會記得我了。我看見他和幾個等著和他交談的人一起坐在長椅上。我繼續往自己的車子方向走，但是我的心在叫我回去，對他做個自我介紹。
I felt Master’s involvement in this arrangement and I couldn’t ignore that this was an opportunity to casually meet my local MP and at least make a start to establish a connection. But what could I possibly have to say to him? Maybe I will just give a quick call to the coordinator to see what she would recommend I say. I tried to call her but there was no answer.
我感覺到這是師父安排的，我不能忽略這個能偶遇我選區議員的機會，至少我得開始建立起聯繫。可是我該跟他說什麼好呢？或許我應該趕緊給協調人打個電話，看看她會建議我說些什麼。我嘗試著給她打電話，但沒有人接。
Again, I felt it was also Master’s arrangement that I was given the opportunity to use my own wisdom to speak to my MP and to push through this awkward inferior feeling I was having. Soon it was my turn. I was received with a friendly easy-going face. I mentioned that I was in his electorate and that I had just been practising the exercises at the park. I mentioned that I had met him at the exercise site during his election campaign and he recalled learning the exercises and meeting practitioners. I asked him if I could send him an invitation to the World Falun Dafa Day dinner. There and then he pencilled in his diary the date of the dinner.
我又一次覺得這是師父的安排，師父給我這個機會讓我用自己的智慧和這位議員說話，同時讓我衝破自己當時內心裡有的那個尷尬心。很快就轮到我了。我看到了一張友好、平易近人的臉孔。我對他說，我是他選區內的選民，我剛剛在公園煉完功。我說我以前在煉功點見過他，他那時在進行競選。他記起來煉過功、見過學員。我問他我是否可以給他寄一份邀請他參加法輪大法日晚宴的邀請信。當時他就在日記中記下了晚宴的日期。
I asked if I could visit him to deliver the invitation in person and he accepted. He attended the dinner and also wrote a support letter. He was able to know the beauty of Falun Dafa around the world and understand the severity of the persecution. After the dinner I could tell that his understanding had broadened, and the information had reached his inner being and we practitioners had fulfilled our mission.
我又問他，我能不能去拜訪他，親自把邀請信送給他，他同意了。他參加了晚宴，還寫了褒獎信。由此，他知道了大法在全世界洪傳的美好、法輪功被迫害的嚴重性。我能看得到，他在晚宴後對大法有了更廣的了解，真相信息已經深入了他的內心。我們學員們履行了自己的使命。
A month or two later I had an appointment with my MP to discuss screening “In the Name of Confucius” at Queensland Parliament House. A fellow practitioner and I attended the appointment together and were delighted to see Falun Dafa lotus bookmarks hanging from the door handle to his office. When we sat down at his desk, we saw on the bookshelf a photo of him together with our local practitioners when we first met him at the practice site as an election candidate.
大概一、兩個月後，我約了這位議員商談在昆士蘭議會大樓內放映紀錄片“假孔子之名”事宜。我和一位同修一起去見他。當我們看到大法弟子製作的蓮花書籤掛在他的辦公室門把手上時，我們高興極了。在他的書桌前坐下時，我們看到他的書架上有一幅他參選議員時和我們學員在煉功點的合影照片。
The meeting went well as we were able to clarify the facts from another angle regarding the CCP infiltration and the hidden agenda of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms. My MP couldn’t host the screening at Queensland Parliament House but helped us with booking a room. When the local practitioner who attended the meeting with me saw my MP at a local business function, he personally introduced her to the other MP’s in attendance and said, “She’s organising a screening at Qld Parliament House of a film about the Confucius Institutes, make sure you attend.”
會談進行得很好，我們得以從另一個角度講真相，告訴他中共的滲透、孔子學院和孔子課堂背後隱藏的議程。我的選區的議員不能夠親自主持電影在議會大樓的播放，但他幫助我們預訂了放映電影的場地。本地和我一起去見這位議員的同修在當地一次商業酒會上又見到他時，他把這位同修介紹給在場的其他議員，並說：“她在州議會大樓安排播放關於孔子學院的電影，你一定要來看。”
When it looked like the event was going to clash with another event on the same evening, his staffer contacted us to let us know about it so we could prepare. My MP also attended Shen Yun this year.
當我們放映電影看上去和當晚另一場活動會有衝突時，他的職員聯繫上了我們，好讓我們有所準備。這位議員今年還觀看了神韻。
My respects to my MP have been relayed to him by supporting him when he holds local events and festivals and our connection now is comfortable and friendly. I follow him on Facebook so I can see his community work.
当我的议员舉辦當地的活動及節日的活動時，我會去支持他，以此表達我對他的尊敬。我們現在的關係是祥和友好的。我關注他的臉書號，這樣我可以看到他的社區工作動態。
He recently posted a video of his speech in Qld Parliament House expressing concern for the human rights of Hong Kong citizens and about the extradition situation. He has become a strong advocate for Falun Dafa.
最近，他在臉書上發表了一個他就香港人權狀況和逃犯條例問題表示關注而在州議會進行的主題演講視頻，他也成了大法的一位強有力的支持者。
And I am truly grateful for responding to Masters arrangement at the park that day. It gave me confidence to engage with my MP more, break through my despondency and overcome my fears of inadequacy.
我發自內心感激師父，讓我那天在公園裡聽從了師父的安排。我也更有信心和我的議員保持聯繫，同時突破了我的消沉心、克服了自卑帶來的擔心。
In “Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting – 2009”, Master said:
“…As long as you come into contact with someone, you are doing something to save him—including when you solicit advertisements. Which side a person stands on, and whether he will make it—these are all things placed along the way as Dafa disciples go about interfacing with ordinary people in various capacities, and you shouldn’t attach too much importance to those activities in and of themselves. The bigger you perceive the challenges to be, the harder things will be to carry out, since “the appearance stems from the mind.” And so the task will become increasingly burdensome. When I say “the appearance stems from the mind,” by that I also mean that the difficulty stems from your overstating the importance of the matter itself and seeing yourself in a lesser light. Don’t take any such things to be a big deal, for with something as significant as saving sentient beings you should just do what you are supposed to do, going about it in a composed manner.”
師父於2009年 “在大纪元会议上讲法”中說：
“只要你们接触人就是在救人，包括拉广告。人站哪一边、行和不行，都在大法弟子接触常人的事情中摆，别把事情看重。你们越把困难看大，事越难办，相由心生，那个事就越麻烦。相由心生还有这层意思，因为你把它摆高了，把自己摆小了。把那事情看的没什么了不起的，救人这么大一件事情，做你们该做的，心里踏实一点，碰到听到什么不太顺心的、不太如意的也别往心里去，堂堂正正做自己该做的事情。”
When my cultivation state is solid, I realise nothing can interfere with me or intimidate me. When my righteous thoughts are solid, I see the powerful Fa reflected in my cultivation environment, and I can see positive outcomes and harmony in my cultivation environment when I solidly do the Three Things. I can see how I’m not bothered or concerned with how others treat me because the mighty Fa helps me rectify and harmonise my thinking so I can improve in my cultivation.
我意識到：當我的修煉狀態紮實時，沒有任何事情能夠干擾我或嚇唬到我。當我有堅定的正念時，我可以看見法的力量在我的修煉環境中體現出來。當我踏踏實實地做三件事時，我就能看到正面的效果和自己修煉環境的圓容。我能看到自己的心不再被別人如何對待自己而帶動、不再去擔心別人如何對待自己，因為無所不能的大法幫助我歸正我的一思一念、圓容我的思想，讓我在修煉中精進。
Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners.
謝謝師父！
謝謝同修！