(Clearwisdom.net) I am a Falun Gong practitioner in a farming village in China. Please allow me to begin my sharing by saying, "Greetings, Teacher! Greetings, fellow practitioners around the world!"
A fellow practitioner once told me, "We cultivate poorly. We have nothing to share with fellow practitioners." I must disagree with his opinion. If we cultivate poorly, we shouldn't be pessimistic and we should be more diligent in our cultivation practice. On the other hand, those who cultivate well shouldn't be complacent and should be modest. Once we identify an attachment, we must eliminate it in our cultivation. We must also do the Three Things well that Teacher requires of us. I suggest that all fellow practitioners write about their cultivation experiences, for it is also part of the effort to validate the Fa.
Transforming into a Dignified Dafa Disciple from a Timid, Squeamish Person
I used to be a timid and squeamish person. Growing up in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) regime of terror, I had been quiet and reticent. I was even afraid of sleeping at home alone. It was not until I started to practice Falun Gong that I have become less timid.
When the CCP started to openly persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I thought of protecting and validating the Fa, but I was too afraid to do it. Once I decided to post a truth-clarification banner on a wall on a street, but I was afraid to do it when I got there. I noticed a pile of bricks on the ground. I thought, "Since I am too afraid to post it on the wall, I could at least put it on top of the bricks and put a few bricks on top as weight." But fear made my arm become so weak that I couldn't even lift up a brick. Once I put a Falun Gong truth-clarification flier under the door of a household in the village. I ran away as soon as I did it. How could I call myself Teacher's disciple? In hindsight, I find it ludicrous.
To overcome my fear, I started to clarify the truth in our village with fellow practitioners. Together we posted truth-clarification messages on the roads, hung truth-clarification banners, and distributed truth-clarification fliers. Over time, we expanded our efforts to other villages. However, fear continued to creep up on me from time to time. Once a fellow practitioner and I went to another village. On the way back home, she said, "All of sudden you disappeared. I was wondering where you had gone." What happened was that I saw lights ahead of us and thought it was a police car. As I tried to dodge from the police car, I fell under a bridge. She had to pull me up from under the bridge. As it turned out, there was never any police car. There are many similar incidents that exposed my attachment to fear. Each time I stumbled and fell because of fear, I would get up and try again. Fear is an element that obstructs righteous thoughts. I must expose my attachment to fear in order to disintegrate it.
Eliminating Fear and Clarifying the Truth with Rationality, Wisdom, Compassion, Peace and Kindness
Now I am finally able to clarify the truth to people and persuade them to withdraw from the CCP in a upright and dignified manner. I am able to help them erase the mark of the beast (from the CCP) and save them. I have even started to clarify the truth about the CCP to friends, relatives and neighbors. I distribute copies of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and tell them about about prophecies apropos to the collapse of the CCP. I clarify the truth to different people from different perspectives. Lately, I have even started to clarify the truth to street vendors and beggars.
Overcoming Shyness to Have People Know the Truth
This year I have been working part-time in a small privately-owned factory. I have clarified the truth to everyone in the factory and told them about withdrawing from the CCP and the Communist Youth League and the Young Pioneers. The majority of the people at the factory agreed to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. The rest of them have not done so, but they all commented that Falun Gong is good. One day, the factory owner was having lunch with us factory workers when they suddenly commented that Falun Gong practitioners have been impressively determined. All of sudden, a factory worker asked me, "Does Falun Gong have any songs?" I said yes. They then asked me to sing one. I was embarrassed to be put on the spot. Although everyone encouraged me to sing a Falun Gong song, I did not oblige them because I couldn't overcome my shyness.
Later when we started working again, my fellow workers encouraged me again to sing a Falun Gong song. I said, "A Falun Gong song is sacred. If all of you are willing to hear it, I will be happy to oblige. But if there is one person here that does not want to hear it, I will not sing one." All the new and veteran factory workers declared unanimously, "We would love to hear Falun Gong songs. Please sing one." I sang, "Coming for You" for them.
A Man Wrote "Falun Gong Is Good" After Accepting the Truth about Falun Gong
Once I took many days off because I had to take care of some chores at home. When I got back to work, a fellow factory worker told me, "Someone wrote 'Falun Gong is good' on a beam in our factory." "Really?" I asked. She added, "Some people suspected it was you that wrote it because you are the only Falun Gong practitioner in our factory." I didn't write those words, but I send my heartfelt blessings to the person who wrote, "Falun Gong is good" after he or she accepted the truth about Falun Gong.
Clarifying the Truth to My Family
My husband did not like it when I started to practice Falun Gong. He used to beat me, curse me, and even burned Falun Gong books. I tried to clarify the truth about Falun Gong to him, but he refused to listen and shut me up.
I really pitied my husband for his foolishness. What should I do to make him understand the truth about Falun Gong? I constantly followed the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance and guarded my xinxing. Since the evil CCP started to openly persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I have been repeatedly detained, sent to a forced brainwashing center, and extorted financially although I have never been sent to a forced labor camp. As a result of the persecution, my husband's misunderstandings about Falun Gong grew bigger. Every day he got drunk and frequently showered me with curses and violence. My husband had a bad temper. Even when he worked part-time in a different area, he would fight with people there. He had no respect for others. He would reproach and curse others, but he would not tolerate it when others did the same to him. When his employer delayed his wages, he would beat him up. As a result, no employer dares to delay his wages.
He wanted to divorce me from time to time. Despite such a tormenting domestic environment, I continued to care about him, tell him stories and ask him nicely to read and watch truth-clarification materials. Sometimes he was receptive, but other times he responded to me with sarcasm and rude remarks. But I didn't give up on him or feel defeated. I would always wait until he calmed down to try to reason with him again.
Yet he did see compassion and kindness in me, which I obtained through Falun Gong cultivation practice. I encouraged him to think about how I have been forgiving, understanding, and kind because of Falun Gong. One day he finally told me, "Because you practice Falun Gong, Falun Gong has changed me as well. I will not hold grudges against others because of their deficiencies. I will only see other people's positive side."
My husband has finally withdrawn from the CCP. Nowadays he even asks to read truth-clarification materials. He has finished reading "The Real Story of Jiang Zemin" (http://www.theepochtimes.com/211,100,,1.html) and has almost finished reading the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party (http://ninecommentaries.com/)! I am witnessing my husband's true nature awakening day by day.
I have Teacher to thank for being able to progress this far. The Fa's mighty solemnity and many manifestations of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance in me are completely attributable to Teacher's guidance. Many people have commented, "You look so young for your age. I can hardly believe that your son is already married. We thought you were only in your 30's." I told them, "It is because of the power of Falun Gong. It is Falun Gong's Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance that have forged me."
Please kindly correct anything inappropriate in my cultivation or my understanding.