(Clearwisdom.net) I am a veteran practitioner who began practicing Falun Dafa together with my daughter in August 1995. During the period of self-cultivation, my xinxing (1) continually improved and my body also underwent great changes. I truly experienced personally what it means to feel light and be free of illness. From the first time I held and read Zhuan Falun, it was as though I had found a treasure. I loved it and couldn't put it down, and I always wanted to read it all in one sitting. I felt that everything I had wanted to understand but was unable to comprehend among everyday people, could all be understood from this Dafa.
Because I had obtained such a great Dafa, I always wanted more people to obtain it. So I frequently went with many fellow practitioners to spread the Fa everywhere, set up a practice site, and meanwhile, I offered Zhuan Falun to my family and relatives.
On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin openly issued an order to arrest the assistants of the main practicing sites. On July 22, practitioners from our area decided to go to the provincial government to peacefully clarify the truth and tell them the real situation. The policemen illegally arrested us, and car after car of Dafa disciples were forcefully taken away. Within this period of time, the police tried to push me into the car four times, but they did not succeed.
They used all forms of state media and agencies to fabricate lies and slander Dafa. During this time, one practitioner came to find me, because he had listened to the propaganda all along and believed the lies. We talked for a long time, though it did not make him change. After I got home, my heart felt pained. I shared with my daughter and we studied together the article "For Whom do You Practice Cultivation" in Essentials for Further Advancement:
"When some people resort to the media to criticize qigong, some students waver in determination and give up their practice; it's as if those who take advantage of the media are wiser than Buddha Fa, and that some practitioners cultivate for others. There are also people who become scared in the face of pressure and give up their cultivation. Can these kinds of people achieve Righteous Attainment-- At the crucial moment, won't they even betray a Buddha-- Isn't fear an attachment-- Cultivation practice is like great waves sifting the sand: What remains is gold."
Through studying Fa, my daughter said, "Mom, from now on, we will not watch those lies that slander Dafa, Master said, 'A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains." ("Melt into the Fa", Essentials for Further Advancement) From now on, we will just study Master's lectures."
Then, the rampant persecution began. On the human level it manifested as Dafa practitioners being tested by everyone: The evil people demanded practitioners to hand in the books, and write Guarantee Statements. The residential committee came to my house to make me write a Guarantee Statement, making my daughter wait outside the gate; after that they dared not come to my house again. The residential committee also found my fellow practitioners, because at the time, the practitioners did not know not to go along with the evil and felt that they should be kind to others, they brought the written guarantee to me. I told them seriously, "Aren't you playing the role that the evil wants--" I picked up the Guarantee Statement and wrote on it, "Following Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance as the standard for being a lawful, good citizen." (As my understanding of Dafa was limited at the time, I did not understand that I should not cooperate with the evil). There were many Dafa practitioners, who under the pressure of evil, turned in their Dafa books. As I exchanged thoughts with fellow cultivators, I said, "Master told us in Zhuan Falun that behind every word there are Buddhas, Daos, and Gods. We must not give such precious Dafa (books) to the evil, I will use my life to protect this Dafa."
From then on, I steadfastly believed in Master and Dafa, taking the Fa as Teacher. In the beginning, I took my daughter to clarify the truth every day, to validate Dafa. Once, we were carrying a lot of banners and truth clarification posters, and walked a long way (about 4 to 5 hours), until the truth clarification materials we had brought were all handed out. On the way home, my daughter's foot had developed quite a few blisters, and the pain was hard to bear. I watched her walking in agony, and said, "Let's take public transit." My daughter replied, "With only these few yuan, we can still make a lot of banners." So like this, we went out each day without stopping, hanging banners, and giving people truth clarification materials. Master said,
"Dafa disciples are magnificent, because what you are cultivating is the ultimate Great Fa of the cosmos, because you have validated Dafa with righteous thoughts, and because you have not fallen during the massive tribulation." ("The Disciple's Magnificence", Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Teacher's instructions have prompted me time and again.
Under Master's arrangements, I got in contact with a very pure-hearted Dafa disciple (this fellow cultivator was arrested in April 2002 and sentenced to prison for 7 years). Because he had many truth clarification materials at home, we went there every day after work to get them. Each day we took at least 200-300 copies. Once, fellow practitioner A said, "We must hang banners collectively tomorrow at 4.00 in the morning." I said, "I will also participate." Practitioner A then said, "Perhaps you shouldn't take part." I said, "Validating Dafa, others can go, why can't I go-- As long as I want to do something, nobody should think about blocking me." So with this, practitioner A decided to let me take part. Together, we searched for a high place, which would be even more powerful in suffocating the evil, letting even more people see "Falun Dafa is Good", and letting more people be saved. We found a nearby structure that was dozens of meters high. When 10 pm arrived, we hung up the five meter long banner that read "Falun Dafa is Good". On the second day while walking home from work, banners that read "Falun Dafa is Good" could be seen everywhere. The policemen seized them only after two or three days. At that time, the authorities were in great panic, and even put up a 10,000 yuan reward to find Dafa disciples who hung banners on the tallest buildings.
Master pointed out in Dafa is Indestructible:
"Why did Fa-rectification have to be done-- Because the beings in the cosmos no longer met the standard. As a Dafa disciple, your steadfast, righteous thoughts are absolutely unshakable, because your renewed being is formed precisely amidst the Fa-rectification."
When Dafa disciples come together, they become one body; when they disperse, they become particles. Each time, our cooperation as a whole body will frighten evil.
Once, practitioner A created many banners and different colored posters. On the second day, a market was to be held, so on the first night, we hung the finished banners and stuck the posters all over the market. On the second day, a fellow practitioner told us many policemen had arrived; moreover, they also had cameras, were wearing white gloves, and they filmed all the banners and posters we had made. Each magnificent feat reflects the wisdom that the Fa has bestowed upon us. In the evil environment, we do what we should do without tolerating the interference. Just like Master said, "How much longer can the evil run rampant-- Every being's volition is fully revealed." (Rectifying the Colossal Firmament)
"In the magnificent, grand feats of validating the Fa with rationality, clarifying the truth with wisdom, and spreading the Fa and saving people with mercy, each Dafa disciple's path of Consummation is being perfected." ("The Disciple's Magnificence", Essentials for Further Advancement II) Through studying the Fa and sharing, the state of my mind continued to rise, ever more clearly realizing the urgency of letting go of human attachments, clarifying the truth, and saving the world's people.
In April 2002, a fellow practitioner was captured. I lost the source of truth clarifying materials and I could only obtain Master's articles. At this time, I didn't wait nor rely on others. Without truth clarifying materials, I began to make banners and truth clarifying posters by myself. Meanwhile, I also got in touch with practitioner B. In the daytime, I stayed at home finishing the materials; at night, all three of us--practitioner B, my daughter and I--set out to work. Every day it was like this, without interruption. Each time before we went, we first studied Fa, sent righteous thoughts to clear away the evil wherever we were, allowing each banner to save predestined people. At that time, our banners and posters reading "Falun Dafa is Good" were everywhere--on the main roads, small alleys, parks, and the trees lining the streets. Whether I was going to the public bathhouse or was out in the streets, I would always bring banners and posters. Whenever there came an opportunity, I would hang them up. I was never empty-handed. The mighty power of Dafa disciple's righteous thoughts is enormous: each banner and each poster is restraining and eliminating the evil. At the same time, they are saving the world's people.
At the end of 2002, under Master's compassionate arrangements, I got in contact with practitioner C, and once again, I obtained Dafa materials continuously. Practitioner C and I worked together to hang banners and posters. Each day we brought different truth clarifying materials to validate Dafa and save the world's people.
Once, when I was clarifying the truth to my friend, she said, "If I hadn't known you, I still truly wouldn't have understood what Falun Gong was about (because her house was in the suburbs)." After I returned home, I told this to my fellow practitioner, and we decided to go to the suburbs to clarify the truth. From then on, regardless of whether it was the severe cold, intense heat, a world of ice and snow, or the blowing wind and rain, we would go once every two or three days, and when the weather was good, we would drive there. Once, since the rain had just stopped and the weather had changed, the roads were iced up, shiny like a mirror, so it was actually impossible to drive. We decided to take the local transit After we got off, we distributed truth clarifying flyers, put up posters from house to house, and hung banners from the trees lining one side of the street to the other side. We walked from one village to the next, and before we realized it, it was already 9 or 10 at night. Upon returning, there were already no cars, and the road was slippery. We don't know how many times we stumbled, and at this time, we asked Master for help.
There was a taxi that drove towards our direction. We flagged the taxi down, paid the fee, and after we got on board, we become very emotional, we felt like Master was by our side, watching over us and protecting us, every hour and every moment.
On this path of validating Fa, regardless of how hard it is, each time when we see that the world's people can be saved because of our efforts, we always feel that what we have done is still far from enough, there are still many people who are waiting for us and need us to save them.
One time, a friend told me, "Last night I was driving home, I saw about 100 banners saying "Falun Dafa is Good" on the trees lining the street, you Falun Dafa disciples are extraordinary." (Actually, we had hung about 16 banners.) Master said, "If you are able to succeed in improving yourself this way, what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred." ("Further Understanding", Essentials for Further Advancement) It is because of our hearts being very pure and righteous that it could have such an extraordinary effect.
While clarifying the truth, I take the Fa as Teacher, in all respects, calm my heart to study the Fa, and send righteous thoughts. Whether it is on a day on which the evil is most rampant, or in a relatively relaxed environment, I remain steadfast and unwavering in my determination to validate the Fa.
"Cultivation is hard. It's hard in that even when a terrible calamity strikes, even when evil madly persecutes, and even when your life is at stake, you still have to be able to steadfastly continue on your path of cultivation without letting anything in human society interfere with the steps you take on your path of cultivation." "The path a Dafa disciple takes is a glorious history, and this history has to be created by his own enlightening." (Path)
The Fa rectification has progressed to this day. I must use the Fa to rectify myself even more, not give the evil any kind of excuse to carry out persecution, calm my heart to study Fa, let go of human attachments, genuinely take the Fa as my Teacher, frequently look at my each and every thought, and strive harder to do well what I should do. Our original goal at the time when we braved the greatest risk to enter the Three Realms was to help Master with Fa rectification. In the meantime as we help Master save sentient beings, we are being purified. After assimilating to Dafa, we will return to the new universe that Dafa created. From now on, we must cherish even more our tens of thousands of years predestined relationship to cultivate in the Fa rectification period, and be diligent without fail.
Notes:
(1) Xinxing: heart or mind nature, moral character