(Minghui.org) I began Dafa cultivation in 1999. To validate the Fa, I recounted orally my understanding of cultivation and asked a fellow practitioner to write it down to share with fellow practitioners.
1. The Persecution Made Me Have a Firmer Righteous Belief in Dafa
I began Dafa cultivation in February 1999; my husband started a month before me. Before cultivation, my husband liked to joke with women, played chess all day, and went to bed late, all of which made me unhappy. After he began the practice, he stopped doing those things. I thought it incredible and asked him what exercises were so magical. I then proposed to him that I learn it, too. He told me that it was a Buddha-Fa cultivation and that one had to be a good person to start with, and as long as one was willing to be a good person, one could practice it. Although I did not know what this cultivation was, I firmly believed that I wanted to take this path.
Two days after the persecution officially began on July 20, 1999, the police arrested my husband. He has been arrested numerous times since. The police ransacked our home a dozen times, and it made us very tense. I only knew in my heart that Dafa was good and I didn't know anything else. However, the tension of the situation slowly enlightened me. One time when the police again arrested my husband and I went to the police station to ask for his release, they said, “If you tell us the truth, we'll release him.” The questions they raised were very difficult to answer, as I knew my answers would certainly not help him. I then suddenly remembered that Master said that when we shouldn't talk we will not talk. As soon as the thought came to me, they changed the subject. I marveled at how magical Dafa was. It was Master protecting his disciples.
A few months later, fellow practitioners planned to go to Beijing to validate the Fa. I did not know what that meant, but I went with my husband to Beijing. We lived in a suburb. As I wasn't thinking of returning home when we left for Beijing, we brought all our savings with us. It seemed like validating the Fa meant to tell the truth and give it all we had. At the time, no matter how much I understood, I just let go of all my human notions. It really made me advance a big step on my cultivation path, especially through sharing with practitioners from other areas, which made me have firmer righteous thoughts.
2. Maturing through Trials and Tribulations
After the persecution started, my husband was imprisoned for a full six years, and I was detained for over four months. During that time, my eldest son had a car accident and was in a coma in the hospital. He later said he had one thought: “My parents are practicing Falun Gong and I will be fine.” He slowly regained consciousness and was discharged from the hospital after a few days. The police intentionally let me know about the accident, and I became very depressed.
When I got out of the detention center, we were utterly penniless and our three children were out of school. At that time I did not think of anything else but that Dafa would forever remain in my heart. I thought of what Master said, “Steadfastly cultivate Dafa, the will unflinching.” (“True Nature Revealed,” Essentials for Further Advancement II) Weren't these manifestations just to stop me from practicing? The more such things happened, the more I needed to be steadfast and solid in my cultivation.
I borrowed some money to open a shop. After the shop opened, I openly studied the Fa and did the exercises. The more difficult it was, the more I had to go on, as I was going to uphold the truth. I would tell my frequent shoppers that Falun Gong was a good practice and that it was the authorities who were persecuting Falun Gong. Through unceasing Fa study, I gradually understood the Fa principles that we should not acknowledge the persecution and needed to speak against it and that we also needed to clarify the truth to save people.
I later went with fellow practitioners to distribute truth-clarifying materials in remote areas. I tended my store during the day and went out with other practitioners to distribute materials at night, sometimes until dawn. I didn't feel tired, even though I needed to tend to the shop. Slowly, saving sentient beings became a part of my everyday life.
I had fear when I first started to make truth-clarifying materials. Gradually my fear was weeded out and my righteous thoughts got stronger. Master said,
“The old forces don't dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What's key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.”
(“Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston”)
One time when I went to a village to distribute materials at night, someone grabbed me and said he had “caught the thief.” I was really shocked. I told him that I had only Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials in my bag. I then gave him a copy. He immediately released me and said, “I caught the wrong person. You may go.”
Another time, a man with a long metal pipe ran towards us as if he was going to hit us. I did not panic. I said to him, “Why are you carrying pipe so late? Are you going somewhere on business?” He replied, “I am not doing business. I am not doing business.” Then he said, “It is so late, you are still busy.” He smiled and walked away.
For many years, my husband was not at home and our children were young and only liked to do fun things. They not only did not help me, but brought me trouble. I needed to do everything by myself and also study the Fa, do the exercises, and clarify the truth. I persisted in clarifying the truth as a part of my life. I felt happy even when I was enduring hardship. Master said,
“To consummate yourself, reaping Buddhahood,
Let joy be found in hardship.”
(“Tempering the Will,” Hong Yin)
In these years of persecution, I have become mature in my cultivation step by step.
3. Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts to Disintegrate the Evil in Rescuing Fellow Practitioners
At the end of 2003, the authorities came to my home and arrested my husband. I went to the police department in January to ask for his release. The Political and Security Department employees just ignored me. I asked them why they had arrested a good man just because he practiced Falun Gong. What was wrong with doing the exercises? They were impatient with me and tried to push me away. I refused to leave and wanted them to make it clear to me. They hit me during the push and pull, so I shouted, “The police hit me, the police hit me.” They then dragged me downstairs.
I wanted to seize this opportunity to expose the evil persecution and to expose the behavior of the police. I sat in the center of the building and shouted as loud as I could nonstop, “The police persecute good people! The police beat me illegally!” It seemed to shake the whole building. Duty officers in the entire building came around to see what was going on. I said, “Every year when every family gathers together for the New Year, they illegally arrest my husband. What is wrong with practicing Falun Gong? I came to inquire about my husband and they hit me and were really unreasonable. Where is the respect for the law?” People who heard what I said complained to the police about such behavior. Some people quietly called the county government. The police were having difficulty getting out of the predicament. It was a significant deterrence.
After I left the police department, I went with fellow practitioners directly to the county government to explain the situation and said that I would expose the facts. They were scared. The county government then called the police department, criticizing them and telling them to release my husband immediately. The police were still looking for an excuse and asked for 5000 yuan, instead of the 10,000 yuan that they originally set as a condition for releasing my husband. I told them that I did not have any money and asked them to release him unconditionally. I did not cooperate with them. My husband had strong righteous thoughts at the time. A few days later, he was released. It was really like what Master said,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide”
(“The Master-Disciple Bond,” Hong Yin II)
When the persecution is really bad, if Dafa practitioners do not cooperate with the authorities and timely harmonize with the whole body and expose the evil acts, we will be able to disintegrate the evil and stop the persecution.
4. Magical Dafa: Good or Evil Comes from That Instant Thought
Once near the end of the year, a lot of merchandise needed to be put on display. I suddenly fell pretty hard. I lay on the floor, unable to move. A neighbor happened to come by and wanted to help me get up. I said I was okay and that I could get up by myself. And I really got up from the floor and continued to place the merchandise in order. I was busy all morning and everything seemed normal.
At 2 p.m. two elderly practitioners came over to listen to a Fa lecture together. While they were listening, I casually said that my business was a little busy and they shouldn't come the following day. Actually, they were planning to go home for the New Year, but before they had a chance to mention it, I had already chased them away. It was really “Good or evil comes from that instant thought.” (Zhuan Falun) Because my thought was not righteous, my leg swelled up from the earlier fall and started to hurt. I was not aware of my unrighteous thoughts earlier in the afternoon. By evening, I could not walk at all. My brother happened to pass by and helped me upstairs. After we had a sharing, I realized that, because of my selfish thoughts, I had chased away the practitioners. It was completely contrary to what Master wanted, which was for us to study the Fa together and make improvements as a whole. After I recognized it, I went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, everything was normal.
Another time late at night, I suddenly felt unwell in my sleep. I got out of bed without waking my husband and staggered to the toilet. As soon as I sat on the toilet, I couldn't move. I felt there was a powerful force wanting to take my life. At that moment, I realized it had to be the old forces doing it to me. I immediately sent out a thought that the old forces did not deserve to take advantage of my loopholes. I was my Master's disciple and asked for his blessing. As soon as I thought this, I could get up. It was really amazing. I then went to bed and slept as usual. The next day it seemed nothing had happened and my husband did not even know what had happened.
Good or evil comes from that instant thought. Cultivators should always follow the Fa's requirements to be mindful and timely look inward, and danger will not occur. As long as we follow the Fa principles, Master will be by our side to protect us. I truly thank Master for his saving grace.
Finally, I would like to quote what Master said to share with fellow practitioners,
“You have already made it through the hardest part of your cultivation, so walk well the final leg of your journey, and cherish the path that you have covered! It hasn't been easy, and you have made it through unprecedented ordeals. You need to treasure that. The glory that lies in the future is the mighty virtue that you establish in your efforts to validate the Fa, and everything that awaits you will be the very best.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference”)
Concluding Remarks
I hadn't considered writing this article originally. My husband said, “How can you take such a long time on an exam without handing in an exam paper? Such a big Fa conference, and how big the energy field! Why don't you stand up and look within and dissolve into it? What have you not done well! Don't you believe that Master will save us? Today we walk on the path of godhood, so shouldn't we validate the Fa? When you see your own inadequacies, don't you need to correct them? Take this opportunity to look at yourself comprehensively!”
His words really touched me. For many years, I would not listen to my husband's sharing. However, this time I really pondered on them to look inward. I must get rid of the huge obstacle of my human mindset of being unwilling to listening to others. I will harmonize with the whole body and keep pace with the Fa-rectification progress.
I thank Master for his saving grace! I thank Minghui for arranging this Fa conference. My understanding is limited. Please kindly point out any incorrect understandings.
