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Sweetness and Bitterness in Cultivation

October 14, 2011 |   By a practitioner in Sichuan Province, China

(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 64-year-old Falun Dafa practitioner from Dazhou City, Sichuan Province. I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996.

Before I started practicing, I was very skinny and suffered from many illnesses, including pharyngitis, tracheitis, pneumonia, duodenitis, gastritis, and other acute and chronic illnesses. I relied on medicine to survive and lived a miserable life. These diseases all disappeared about one month after I started to practice. Although I felt light, it's not a feeling that can be described in mere words. But I would like to tell everyone that Falun Dafa is really amazing and wonderful! Thank you Master, for teaching me such a great practice! I consider myself really lucky.

On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) instigated a brutal campaign against Falun Dafa. I distributed truth-clarification materials and told people the facts about Falun Dafa despite the evil environment. During the past decade, I have been arrested four times, detained three times, and sentenced to four years of prison. My home has also been ransacked five times and police officers have come to my home to harass me almost 30 times. No matter how evil the CCP minions have acted, my firm belief in Falun Dafa has never been shaken.

Personal Cultivation Is the Fundamental Guarantee for Saving Sentient Beings

Before July 20, 1999, my home was a practice site and a place for group Fa study. We did the exercises at 4:00 a.m. and studied the Fa from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. After the persecution began I still did the exercises at 4:00 a.m. and studied the Fa daily. However, I now spend more time sending righteous thoughts, clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, distributing materials, and persuading people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. My schedule is very tight, so I sleep only three to four hours each day.

After carefully studying Teacher's "Touring North America to Teach the Fa," I was enlightened to the importance of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. I realized that this is my mission.

To save sentient beings, I travel to towns and villages about 80 miles away. I distribute 100-200 flyers about Falun Gong each week at market fairs. I go out of town from five to seven times weekly, excepting the Beijing Olympic Games and holidays.

One time I took a two-hour bus ride and walked on a mountain road. It was 40 degrees centigrade (104° F) at noon. The scorching sun forced me keep my head down. I had to put a wet towel on my head to prevent sunburn. I walked another 3 kilometers in the canyon where no one lived. I did meet a girl, a middle school student, to whom I spoke about Falun Gong and successfully persuaded her to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. After that I told her to leave the canyon. She said, “It's OK. I am not afraid.” Looking at her, I thought maybe Teacher had arranged for me to meet her. Another life was saved. No matter how exhausted I am, I still feel sweetness in my heart.

Around the time of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I went to a remote township to distribute Falun Gong materials. I hired a three-wheeler driven by a middle-aged woman. We exchanged greetings. Then I switched the conversation to Falun Gong and told her about the unprecedented persecution. She listened carefully and then quit the Youth League.

I wanted to give her an amulet(1), but I couldn't dislodge it from my pocket. I asked her how many children she had. She said that she had five, including grandchildren. I couldn't untangle just one amulet, so I gave her the whole bunch. I counted them and there were exactly five! She said, “Thank you.” before getting off the three-wheeler, I told her, “You should thank Dafa's Master. Remember, Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Please give my greetings to your family. They will be blessed!” As the three-wheeler was turning a corner, she said loudly, “I've paid your fare!” At the moment I didn't know what to do and burst into tears. It wasn't because of the one yuan, but because of her belief in “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” which came from the bottom of her heart. She was saved. I crossed mountains and rivers and successfully persuaded people to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Words can't describe how I felt.

Another story is about an elderly deaf man with the surname of Li who is 84 and lives in our city. He lost his hearing in the 1960s and communicated with hand gestures. We were friends when we were young. In recent years I often met him while clarifying the truth about Falun Gong in the countryside. I always wanted to talk to him about Falun Gong, but I was afraid that he couldn't hear me. In 2008, an acquaintance of mine invited me to a banquet where I met up with Li and his wife. We sat close to each other and exchanged greetings for a while. I said into his ear, “Quit the CCP for survival. Remember, 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good! Falun Dafa is good!' You will be blessed.” He nodded his head. I thought he didn't hear me and was just being polite, but I continued talking to him. He suddenly said, “You said, 'Quit the CCP for survival. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Falun Dafa is good.' I will remember it. It's true! I will quit.”

He smiled and was very happy. His wife also smiled. I had tears in my eyes when I saw them so happy. I knew Teacher was helping me. If I hadn't witnessed it, I would never have believed that a deaf person that lost his hearing 50 years ago could hear again.

In the summer of 2008, a couple came to my home and said they wanted to learn Falun Gong. They were acquaintances from 30 years ago. Their younger brother also wanted to learn. They told me that their younger brother had learned about Falun Gong from materials he had picked up.

We lived about 15 kilometers (9 mi.) apart, so we had to arrange when to meet. As it was a very hot summer, I suggested that they do their field work early in the morning and finish at 10:00 a.m. I went out to distribute materials early in the morning. We then met at their home at noon. We studied the Fa together and I taught them how to practice the exercises. At 4:00 p.m., after the summer heat had subsided, they could go back to the fields. I gave them copies of Zhuan Falun, videos of the exercises, and music for practicing the exercises.

Finding and Waking up Practitioners Who Renounced Falun Gong

After I studied Teacher's "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference," I realized that I should find practitioners who had renounced Falun Gong.

I have been looking for individuals who had predestined relationships with Falun Dafa but who gave up the practice for various reasons. So far I have found 18. Some had sold their books, some went to learn other spiritual practices, some were pursuing money, some were immersed in sentimentality, and so on. I have shared with them many times and told them, “Teacher is waiting for you to come back to Falun Dafa. Don't lose this once-in-eons opportunity.” Most of them didn't say anything after hearing this. Some said, “I will think about it.” Some said, “I read the book at home but have no time to tell people about Falun Gong.” Some even cursed at me.

One former practitioner closed the door immediately upon seeing me for the third time. I stood there for a while and left. But, I returned nine more times. Every time I followed him and talked to him, but he just kept silent. I didn't know what to do, so I shared with a practitioner about this. He said, “Just give him another opportunity.” Upon hearing his words, I knew Teacher was giving me a hint.

I went back to his home to give him a copy of Zhuan Falun. He was eating and didn't even say hello. I began by saying, “Declare your intention today whether you wish to practice cultivation or not! If you say yes, I will leave the book with you, otherwise, I will take it and leave.” He looked at me and said, “Leave the book!” I asked him where to put it. He put down his bowl immediately and accepted Zhuan Falun with both hands. I can't describe in mere words what I felt at that moment. This practitioner returned to Falun Dafa. I later sent him Teacher's lectures and new articles. We studied the Fa together from then on.

During the past decade, practitioners in our local area experienced one tribulation after another and were purified in the process.

When facing government officials and superiors at work, I was not afraid and clarified the truth to them. In the detention center, I insisted on practicing the exercises and telling people about Falun Gong. In prison, I told everyone the truth about Falun Gong, from officials and guards to inmates. During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the police were on patrol in my community and were monitoring me, so I sent righteous thoughts with fellow practitioners. The community officials and superiors at my workplace told me to complete a form [related to the persecution], but I refused. The CCP secretary in my community did it for me. I knew that this was wrong, and that I shouldn't cooperate with the evil. I went to the community officials, obtained the completed form, and burned it. When I returned home, the CCP secretary was waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he asked for the form, so I told him that I had burned it. He left. From then on he was friendlier.

Last March I was arrested again while distributing materials. I thought in my heart, “I will take the nine words 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good. Falun Dafa is good' to the guards in the detention center.” There were more than a dozen guards on duty. I clarified the truth to all 12 guards, plus the superintendent and the vice superintendent. One of them told me that his mother was ill. I said, “Tell her to repeat, 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, Falun Dafa is good.' She will be well blessed.” He later told me, “I have told my mother.”

There was a drug rehab center close to the detention center. About 200 people were detained there. They had to sing CCP songs before each of the three meals every day. I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil elements. Several days later, they stopped singing.

Teacher has been protecting me during the past decade, and accompanied me on every step of my path of cultivation. I am not doing nearly enough. At this final stage, I will be more diligent and try my best to fulfill my prehistoric vow to assist Teacher during the Fa rectification.

Note:

(1) Amulets In China, practitioners sometimes "clarify the truth" by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.