(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, revered Master!
Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I began practicing Falun Gong in 1998. Over the last thirteen years, I have experienced the beauty of cultivation and Master’s immeasurable compassion. I’d like to share with you some of my experiences.
1. Obtaining the Fa
In April 1998 my dad borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from my Uncle. He told the whole family that this book was really good and that Master had supernormal abilities. Driven by curiosity, I read half of the book. I couldn’t understand some of the content and because I was quite busy with mid-term exams, I didn’t finish reading Zhuan Falun. Yet I improved a lot in my school work and I was able to concentrate a lot more. I achieved 2nd place in chemistry from a previous failed score and I achieved 3rd place in the subject of Chinese. My English had improved as well. I was unexpectedly accepted by the high school in the county capital. In mid September the assistant of the practice site near my home came to visit me and introduced the practice site to me. Out of curiosity, I followed her to the practice site. The serene and calm atmosphere engulfed me. Practitioners were keen to teach me the exercises. So I started to practice Falun Gong seriously from then on. In less than one month, the warts on my face and hands disappeared and there was no trace of the virus in my body.
2. Safeguarding the Fa
In April 1999 , the director of the village security department forced his way into our Fa study group and stopped us from studying the Fa and practicing the exercises together. We heard that the Tianjin municipal public bureau beat and arrested more than forty practitioners. Police sprayed water on local practitioners who practiced outdoors. It was unfair treatment. There was nothing wrong with practitioners aspiring to be good people by living by the principles of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance and to keeping healthy and fit. I was at a loss to understand why the CCP had treated us like this. So practitioners and I went to the municipal government on July 20 to explain what Dafa was all about. When we arrived, many practitioners were already there and waiting for us were policemen with guns and many police cars. I had only one thought in my mind, which was that evil would not succeed and righteousness would prevail. We could feel Master's enormous Fa power controlling everything. Later on the police cars retreated and several buses took us away to various places for registration. Many practitioners went to Beijing to appeal to the government for Falun Gong. They were arrested before they arrived. I didn't tell them my name. It was about midnight that with Master's protection I arrived back at home safely.
Again in September 2000 we went to Beijing to clarify the facts about Falun Dafa. We planned to go to the petition office and because police officers followed us, each of us went our separate ways. Because we had Essentials for Further Advancement in loose pages (which were yet to be compiled into books), another practitioner and I decided to go home first to avoid the books being seized by the police. At the train station the ticket inspector told me that the ticket I had expired three days earlier. The money we had was just enough to buy tickets to our city. Our homes were still two hundred kilometers away. Just then a thought came into my mind: ask Master for help. As soon as the thought came through, the ticket inspector waved to me and I knew I had a way out. So I took both of our tickets to the train inspector. With Master's protection, we successfully passed through ticket inspection to get on the train.
3. Creating a Righteous Environment
I didn't tell my parents that I had gone to Beijing twice but the police department came to harass my family every several days. The TV programs slandered Master and Dafa every day. So my parents were very worried and tried to force me to give up Dafa. My mother hid all Dafa books and would not let me read them. My dad screamed at me and cursed me every day. He forced me to watch the propaganda programs. They wouldn’t allow me to contact practitioners and restricted my freedom by following me everywhere. They even went as far helping the evil by trying to make me write a guarantee statement to give up Falun Gong. My dad had never hit me when I was little but now he threatened me with a kitchen knife and scythe. He beat me with a broom until it broke. He slapped me more than twenty times on the face. My dad's five-finger print stayed on my face for a week. My mother hit me inside my legs and there were bruises all over me. My family had become a prison cell for me. If I hadn’t cultivated, I would not have gotten over my family members' hatred and abandonment of me. Once when my mother was not monitoring me I took my Zhuan Falun and hid it in the haystack so I could study the Fa. I gathered strength from the Fa and my righteous thoughts became stronger.
Master said in “Environment” (Essentials for Further Advancement)
“Think about it: Even people's claim that they have evolved from apes is able to be highly regarded. Yet with this great Dafa of the universe, you are embarrassed to give it a correct position--this is human beings' true shame.”
As a Dafa disciple, I was ashamed of myself for not giving Dafa the highest and correct position and did not feel I was living with dignity.
One day I took the book out and read and my dad stared at Zhuan Falun menacingly. I had a thought: This is the Dafa of the Universe. You shall never touch it. As a result he stared at the book for a few seconds and then left. With that righteous thought I could study the Fa in front of them from then on.
I realized that the evil factors behind my parents were manipulating them. They thus dared to be disrespectful of Dafa. I said to Master in my heart: no matter what their first purpose was when they came down here, they must play a positive role today. So I sent forth-righteous thoughts to my parents no matter where I was. Practitioners near my home also brought Master's lectures and truth-clarifying materials to them. Gradually they changed their attitude towards Dafa and today they have a positive understanding. They deeply regretted what they had done against Dafa and said they were sorry to Master. They made it up with actions supporting Dafa as well. They helped me to clarify the truth, persuade people to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations, put truth-clarifying signs on walls, put up banners, distributed flyers and DVDs. I thank practitioners for their selfless help.
4. Clarifying the Truth and Saving Sentient Beings
Master said in “Validation”
“Then, as a cultivator, you should make use of all feasible conditions to spread Dafa and validate Dafa as a correct and true science, rather than preaching or idealism—this is every cultivator’s obligation. Without this enormous Buddha Fa there would be nothing—and this includes everything in the universe, from the most macroscopic to the most microscopic, as well as all of human society’s knowledge.”(Essentials for Further Advancement)
In my daily life I used every opportunity to tell people the facts of Falun Gong and the persecution. At the start we didn't have many posters; I made them myself and there were no flyers. Practitioners and I printed the posters using the old techniques from steel board and stencil sheets. As long as we believed in Master, there was no test we could not pass along the path of cultivation.
One day a Western businessman came to my work unit. I realized that this was an opportunity arranged by Master for him. At the time I had some concern in my heart. The environment was still very harsh. He came from overseas and had to be in contact with government officials. I feared that people with him would report me. But then I realized everyone comes for the Fa. If I allowed a human being to lose the opportunity he had awaited for thousands of years due to my attachment to protect myself, would I deserve to be Master's disciple? Shouldn't we cultivate until we become completely without attachment to self? So I reinforced my righteous thoughts and when he was about to leave, I handed him a note on which was written: 'Please remember Falun Dafa is good and Truth-Compassion-Forbearance are good. Falun Dafa is good. Falun Dafa is righteous. Please tell people you know about this. Thank you!” I asked him: “Do you understand?” He nodded and said “Thank you” twice. The concern in my heart disappeared. Sentient beings that know the truth show their gratitude.
One day two people came into my shop at the same time. I clarified the truth to them and told them about the beauty of Dafa and how evil the CCP is. I also told them how to withdraw from the CCP. One of them said to me: “Aren't you afraid of being reported to the police?” Then he took out his mobile and started to press the buttons. I was a bit shocked but immediately I said to him while sending forth-righteous thoughts at the same time, “I am saving you. Do you want to harm me? I don't believe you are the kind of person who returns kindness with ingratitude.” Immediately he said to me with a smile: “What you just told us is really good. It is ok you told us that. But don't say it to other people anymore. Nowadays you can meet all sorts of people who could easily report you.” Smiling, I said to him: “I appreciate your concern, but I know what I should say or not say.” In the end they withdrew from the CCP with an alias and told me that they would come to listen to me when they had time. The situation at first seemed dangerous, but as long as we believe in Master with righteous thoughts, things will turn around.
When I thought of someone to clarify the truth to, Master would arrange him to meet me. When clarifying the truth, I could keep talking and answer all sorts of questions with my wisdom being opened up. In the beginning I could only persuade one person to withdraw from the CCP each time. Then I asked myself if I could persuade several people to quit the CCP at the same time. Master arranged three people to listen to me at the same time. They withdrew from the CCP after they knew the truth. It was great encouragement to me and I felt Master’s protection and careful arrangements for all sentient beings.
I have kept changing jobs throughout the years. Wherever I go, I act as a cultivator and let people know the truth about Falun Gong and beauty of Dafa.
Once I went to work in a factory and I started to clarify the truth to colleagues around me. Gradually the manager came to understand, but I had some concern and worried that he might stop me. But with a righteous thought, I was able to understand this situation from within the Fa: the three realms exists for Dafa. The environment we are in is arranged by Master for us to cultivate. What exactly do I have to fear?
Master said,
“If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist.” (“Eliminate Your Last Attachment”, Essentials for Further Advancement II).
So I let go of fear. As long as people came to me, I would let them know the truth. Because I did an excellent job, everyone in the factory knew that a young Falun Gong practitioner was number one at doing the job. They came to see how I worked when they had time. So I took the opportunities to talk to them about Dafa. Sometimes I didn’t even need to move and I would be able to persuade about twenty people to quit the CCP all at once. Later on the manager and the head of the factory came to me and asked me to help them withdraw from the CCP.
Since I constantly changed locations, I was not able to get Master’s new lectures. Yet Master always arranged practitioners to bring the new lectures to me.
Along my cultivation path, I have assimilated to the Fa and saved sentient beings. Through my cultivation I have experienced regrets and deep sorrow as I have stumbled and been unsteady at times. Every step forward I was able to take displays Master’s enormous compassion and protection. My gratitude to Master is beyond words and my thanks to Master are immense. I will cultivate diligently in the limited time that Master has extended for us. I will let go of human attachments and save more sentient beings so Master will not worry about us.
Thank you Master! Heshi!