(Clearwisdom.net) I am a veteran practitioner, as I began to practice Falun Gong in 1996. Reminiscing about my cultivation path over the past years made me realize that every practitioner's cultivation experience is an episode in Falun Dafa's magnificent history. This is Teacher's encouragement for his disciples, as well as Teacher's mercy and Buddha’s infinite grace. Without Teacher, no one could have endured the devastating environment during the past dozen years or so. It also would have been even less possible for practitioners to save sentient beings. Nothing like that has happened during historical times. Every step we have taken is inseparable from the hardships Teacher faced. The cultivation path is different for each of us, as no role model is there for us to follow. We can only walk well on our respective paths when we cultivate well and assimilate to Dafa, study the Fa diligently and do a good job in the three things Teacher asked as to do.
Before cultivation I faced intense mental pressure because of my daughter's illnesses. We traveled throughout China to find a cure, but without success. This gave me many sleepless nights and I eventually developed an ulcer. Though I tried both Western and Chinese medicines, my condition didn't improve. Despite my ill health, I needed to take my daughter to see a doctor. My daughter didn't get any better and my condition worsened. Just as I was about to lose all hope one of my colleagues gave a copy of the book Zhuan Falun, a cultivation book by Mr. Li Hongzhi.
In reading that book, I gained much understanding of things I had not known before and realized that my illnesses were because of karmic debts I accumulated. I learned many principles including that I had to conduct myself as a good person. There were so many principles that no one had talked about in the past. I also learned how to distinguish good from bad. I felt as if I awakened from a dream and saw sunshine in the darkness. All the gloominess in my heart disappeared. The day after I joined the cultivation practice my ulcer disappeared. From then on nothing kept me from cultivating. I studied the Fa, as well as memorized and transcribed it daily. I simply could not put down the book.
Since I had laid such a solid foundation it made it possible for me to withstand the hard times after the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong. I firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa and nothing could change my mind. Since July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) mouthpieces, such as television news programs, newspaper and other media, spread the lies fabricated by the CCP. I told my friends and relatives that all they heard was fabricated in an attempt to frame Falun Gong. I continued doing the five sets of exercises and studied the Fa as usual. I told fellow practitioners, “Even if I am held in a prison, I will continue to do the exercises.” At the time I had not realized that it was an acknowledgment of the old force's arrangement. As result, I was imprisoned twice.
My husband was a high level intellectual and was busy with his career. Therefore, I was responsible for all the housework. I had quit my regular job during my daughter's illness and just kept busy with housework. After I studied Falun Gong I went to the practice site to do the exercises. I studied the Fa in the morning and evening. My husband thought that I didn't care about the family, so he was very much annoyed. One day when returning from the practice site he said angrily upon opening the door, “You only care about your exercises, not this family any more. You don't even care about your daughter's illness.” Having learned about Forbearance, I did not fight but said gently, “I take care of her as usual and have completed all my daily tasks. I only go to do the exercises in the morning and evening, and I don't neglect any of my responsibilities.”
At midnight one night, he woke me up and said angrily, “If you want to do the exercises just go ahead. I want to divorce you.” I was just woken from a sound slumber and thought he talked nonsense, got a bit angry, but suppressed my anger. I said to him gently, “Even if you want to get a divorce you have to wait until tomorrow. It is no use to talk about it at midnight. Let's get some sleep.” On the following day I went to do the exercises as usual and paid no attention to what had occurred that night. He never mentioned divorce again.
Before stepping into cultivation practice, whenever I saw my daughter suffering, I thought about exchanging my life for hers; therefore I lived in torment all the time. After I began to practice Falun Dafa I understood a lot of things that I had not known before. After letting go of this sentimentality my daughter's health improved. When other people asked me about my daughter, I told them, “Buddha’s light shines everywhere, propriety and righteousness harmonize everything.”
In August 2002, Teacher published the article “Hurry up and Tell Them.” Ever since, I went out to talk to people about Falun Gong daily. I understood that there was no holiday for a practitioner. It didn't matter if I faced a scorching hot summer or biting cold winter I never felt any hardship. On the contrary, I felt that the scorching sun was not hot and the biting cold wind not cold when clarifying the truth about Falun Gong.
I lived in a big city so by taking different routes, I could meet different people. Before going out to save people, I would bow before Teacher's portrait, “Teacher, I am about to leave, please guide me and arrange for those people that have a predestined relationship with me to be saved.” Every time I would dress properly before going out.
In clarifying the truth over the last few years, I put into practice what Teacher had told us:”
“It's hard to save people nowadays. You have to explain things to them by following the logic of their attachments. For the sake of saving them, don't create any obstacles for them.” ("Touring North America to Teach the Fa")
In clarifying the truth face to face I always wore a smile and kept a heart of compassion, therefore I was quite successful in my efforts. I could help above 90 percent of the people I met to understand Falun Gong. Actually all this was done by Teacher because without Teacher we could hardly protect our own life, and it would be less possible for us to save people.
Every day I spent about three to four hours in clarifying the truth and two to three hours in studying the Fa. Every day I would meet people of all ages, so I talked to them from different angles.
I used to be an introverted person before cultivating and did not like to talk to other people, especially those of the opposite sex. Now, I am a practitioner and want to save people, so I must greet other people or start a conversation with compassion in my heart. For example, I saw an elderly cadre-like man three times in the park. Therefore, I thought, Teacher must have arranged for him to be saved. As soon as I had this thought we stopped at a pavilion. There were some other people in the pavilion. He used his fingers to check if there was dust on the bench. I swiftly handed over a newspaper and said to him, “You can sit on the newspaper.” After sitting down we began to chat. Gradually other people in the pavilion all left. I changed my subject to Falun Gong. He told me that he was a leading member of a department in a city and now returned home after retirement. He said, “Now corruption is rampant everywhere in the country.” He was both angry and helpless. He also talked about his view on Falun Gong. He said, “I have read Zhuan Falun and felt it is a good book since it teaches people to be a good person. What's wrong with that? There was a Falun Gong practitioner at our workplace. After she was imprisoned the workplace withheld her salary. Later, the practitioner came back and regained her salary. Since the practitioner did not do anything wrong then why did they withhold her salary? This country and this party are doomed.” On listening to him I knew that he had a predestined relationship, so I asked him to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. He agreed instantly and gave himself a name Li Yangtang, saying that it was because he admired the Tang Dynasty since he was a child. Without Teacher's infinite grace and without his guidance and arrangement it would be a pity to have such a good person be eliminated.
Teacher repeatedly said,
“Validating the Fa isn't something ordinary people do; only Dafa disciples are worthy of doing it.”(“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)
This is our responsibility, our mission and it is Teacher's infinite grace towards sentient beings, and it is the only chance for sentient beings to be saved. Therefore, we must keep a righteous thought; let our minds be filled with the Fa, as well as hold the wish to save people. I would send forth righteous thoughts along my way, be compassionate and wear a smile. I talked to people very gently and would choose my words according to their age and likes and dislikes. Sometimes, the person chatted for more than an hour. I was a bit worried in my heart but I knew that I must be patient. Finally when we got to the topics related to the persecution most of the people I met accepted my words and thus would be saved. Those who did not want to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations usually were the ones who were deeply poisoned by the CCP and there was limited time in clarifying the truth to them. Some individuals did not want to listen to me and still others did not believe what I had said. I hope these people will meet other practitioners so they can be saved.
During the process of saving sentient beings, human notions would emerge. Sometimes, I would feel excited when more people were saved. Every time when this happened I would remember that it was Teacher's infinite grace that had saved sentient beings that were lost in the maze of this world. I would then feel grateful to Teacher on behalf of these sentient beings. Whenever things were not smooth I tried to look inward to see where I was not doing well. Sometimes, people passed by and I failed to clarify the truth to them. I would feel very regretful for not seizing the time and blamed myself for not doing well. I know how great it is to save sentient beings. Teacher gave us such an important mission. How can we not do it well? How can we fulfill such a great mission if our minds are full of human attachments or impure thoughts? Thus, I continuously look inward, correct my impure thoughts and send righteous thoughts to eliminate all the evil factors that interfere with the saving of sentient beings.
In such an evil environment there are a lot of people who do not know the facts about Falun Gong. Some people sympathize with practitioners but are afraid of the wicked CCP. Even some of our family members and relatives think that what we have been doing is like throwing an egg against a rock. Actually the everyday people can't really understand our inner world. Every practitioner has Teacher and Dafa in their heart. Teacher is looking after every practitioner all the time; therefore my heart is filled with sunshine all the time. I feel happiness in my heart. I do not have any human resentment or weariness. I firmly believed in what Teacher said,
“Fa-rectification is sure to succeed, and Dafa disciples are sure to achieve Consummation.” (“Greetings”)
Please kindly point out any shortcomings, which have arisen form the limitations of my level.
