(Clearwisdom.net) On May 12, 2008, eleven fellow practitioners were studying the Fa at a practitioner's home. Just as we were about to sit down after lunch to share our experiences, it felt like I couldn't stand still, and the earth was shaking. Other practitioners also felt the house shaking and swaying. Then, four large vases in four corners of the 30-square-meter living room fell and smashed on the floor. The big-screen TV set also fell to the floor and made a loud noise, and the ceiling lamp swayed and fell down. Only then did we realize it was an earthquake. It was too late for us to get out, so we shouted together, "Falun Dafa is good" and asked Master to save us. We then recited the Fa-rectification verses together. In about three minutes the living room stopped shaking, but we could still hear the sounds of neighboring buildings shaking and swaying. We calmly walked out of the building into the street, covered in dust, and saw the air filled with dust. People, their clothes in disarray, were crying and shouting, and some of their heads were bleeding.
Seeing the devastation I felt heavy-hearted and sad. I thought the sentient beings were experiencing such an immense calamity because we had not done well in clarifying the truth to people. I said in my heart, "I will eliminate this evil, because the old forces are persecuting the people and sentient beings." I erected my palm and started sending righteous thoughts as I walked along the street and clarified the facts to people who were crying. I told them to remember the nine characters that could save their lives, "Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!" Most people were receptive to what I told them.
I kept telling people this until I returned home. My family gathered together, and all the adults and children were safe. There was only a slight crack in a wall, and nothing in the house was damaged. My son was working. A beam had come down and hit the ground in front of his feet. Although it was dangerous, he was not hurt and avoided a big disaster. His colleagues' motorbikes and cars were either smashed up or scratched, but his motorbike miraculously remained intact. My whole family experienced Master's benevolent protection and salvation. My children's colleagues were envious of my children for having parents who practice Falun Gong, as they were also rewarded with kindness. They said my children were very lucky. Now, my whole family has an even better understanding about Dafa, and supports us even more as we cultivate Dafa and save sentient beings.
I have learned that practitioners and their relatives in Mianzhu City, as well as those who had learned the facts about Falun Gong and had quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, are all safe and sound. Some had been led to safe places by our great Master before the earthquake, while others survived the danger and avoided disaster under Master's protection.
All Dafa disciples in Mianzhu City would like to express their deep gratitude on Clearwisdom to revered Master for his benevolent salvation. We will not step back in the face of tribulations. Instead, we will be even more diligent and do well the three things Master wants us to do, so as to save more people and sentient beings. We will be worthy of Master's expectations.
One incident occurred with two women practitioners (A and B), both in their late fifties, who had participated in a group sharing on the morning of May 12, and went to practitioner B's home in the afternoon to study the Fa. After 2:00 p.m. as they sat on a bed studying the Fa, the earthquake began. Practitioner B's husband immediately realized it was an earthquake and quickly grabbed his two grandsons and rushed outside the old, single-story house. After he put his grandsons down in a safe place and turned around, he saw that the two ladies had not followed him. The roof was gone, and some walls had also collapsed. He thought that the two of them must have died. Just as he was about to rush back into the yard to see what had happened, he saw two figures walking out of the rubble, covered in dust, but otherwise uninjured. He was so touched that he cried.
While the two practitioners comforted him, they told him what had happened. When they saw him rushing out with the children under his arms, they also wanted to run, but after taking a few steps the wall next to the bed collapsed onto the beds on which they were sitting earlier. Just as they got to the entrance, the roof beams collapsed and the ground shook violently. They could no longer run, so they held onto a door-frame. They thought about the fact that they were Dafa disciples and were protected by Master. They called to Master and shouted, "Falun Dafa is good!" and recited the Fa-rectification verses. As they calmed down, the shaking stopped. They tried to get out again, and as they ran over the threshold, the internal wall collapsed with a loud noise and fell onto the two beds. Practitioner B's husband said emotionally, "I now truly believe your Falun Gong is really good!" (He had previously not been supportive of his wife's Falun Gong practice).
Another incident worth sharing happened in the earthquake-stricken town of Dongbei, in Mianzhu City, where almost all the dwellings collapsed, and many villagers were injured or died. It was very sad. However, my cousin's family of three--the couple and their child--survived without a scratch. According to my cousin, the whole family was napping when the earthquake started, and the quake awoke them. All the surrounding houses had collapsed, and it was impossible for them to get out, so the three of them embraced and kept thinking what Dafa practitioners used to tell them, "Remember: 'Falun Dafa is good,' 'Quit the CCP for your safety.'" When the quake stopped, they found nothing much had fallen on them, although the roof had disappeared. The walls had miraculously fallen outward, and they walked out of the rubble unscathed. They saw all the collapsed neighboring houses and discovered that their neighbors were either injured or had died. Only then did they realize that Dafa practitioners were truly offering salvation when they persuaded people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. They realized that people could truly benefit by remembering the truth practitioners told them: "Falun Dafa is good. Quit the CCP to assure your safety!"