(Minghui.org) In the summer of 1997, a colleague said to me, “You look unsettled. There is nothing to do during the summer break. I am giving you a book to read. It may benefit you.” I took the book. It was Zhuan Falun. I said, “Is it a form of qigong?” She said, “Yes, it is Falun Gong.” I lost interest. I had practiced qigong for several years, but my health did not improve. I thought that all qigong practices were the same and that it would not make any difference. I had the holy book in my hands but did not recognize it.
In June 1998, the same colleague again encouraged me to read the book and she shared a lot of her experiences with me. As she talked, her peaceful manner and sincerity touched me. I thought to myself that there were too few people like her nowadays. She sincerely cared for others and gave me the book without asking for anything in return. Out of curiosity, I skimmed through Zhuan Falun. My initial impression was it was talking about following the principles of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance and explaining how to be a good person.
I had just a little understanding of the book. My colleague came to me and said, “I will take you to a 9-day lecture series.” I wanted to kill time so I followed her the home of a practitioner 10 miles away. This was a day that I will not forget. My life changed as I entered the gate towards a righteous cultivation practice.
1. From Surprise to Delight
When I arrived inside the courtyard, I noticed that the vehicles were neatly parked. Bicycles, tricycles, and motorcycles were parked separately. We didn't see anyone and it was very quiet. I wondered why there was no one there. We pushed open the door of the house and what I saw shocked me. There were about 100 people inside filling up three rooms. They were sitting with respect. One person was reading Master's scripture in a loud voice. We quietly found an empty space and sat down. I had a hard time finding my breath because I had never seen so many well-behaved people together in one place. At the school where I worked, we could always hear whispers when the teachers were in a meeting. There were many country people from different regions in the room. I was happy to be among a group of highly qualified people.
2. Studying the Fa and Sharing Experiences
Every day from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. we studied one lecture of Zhuan Falun, and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., we studied Master's other lectures. We would watch Master's 9-day lecture video series at 7:00 p.m. This was my first group Fa study and the first time I had heard practitioners share their experiences. My heart was moved from time to time.
We all sat up straight and took turns reading from Master's lectures. When I first heard a practitioner correcting a reader's pronunciation, I was touched by how serious they were. Nobody except for my teachers had corrected my pronunciation since I graduated from primary school. It was my problem if I did not use the correct pronunciation, but the practitioners took the time to correct each other. I did not understand why they were doing that, I just felt that they were dear and respectable. I later realized it was a manifestation of practitioners' respect toward Master and the Fa. What impressed me most during the Fa study was when the practitioners' shared their experiences. People were acknowledging the merits of others and looking at their own shortcomings according to Dafa. They told stories about passing xinxing tests. I was deeply touched and had some insight into cultivation practice.
I remember clearly that a male practitioner cried while he was sharing his stories. He was around 30 years old. He said that he used to be a lawless youth. County police had arrested him many times and were not able to straighten him out. He had never paid the taxes to his production team. The brigade cadres didn't dare to talk to him. After he obtained the Fa, he perceived the meaning of life and grasped a more appropriate code of conduct. He was determined to completely correct his former misdeeds, pay back the taxes that he owed, and never commit wrongdoings. He cried, and we also shed tears of excitement. We were grateful that Dafa cleansed the hearts of true practitioners' and were grateful for Master's merciful and arduous salvation.
If I had not been there in person to listen to these stories, I would not have believed any of them to be true. I became more determined to take the path of cultivation practice.
3. Meals
To handle meals for 100 people was difficult, especially in July. I had lived in a community for a long time, but I had never experienced such a community. We helped ourselves to the main dishes and the side dishes. Sometimes there were leftovers from the previous meal. The first ones in line always took the leftovers. Practitioners talked to each other, but they did so in very low voices. After meals, we rushed to help wash the dishes.
I'd like to mention that several local practitioners prepared the meals. To save money for the group, they cooked the food themselves in the heat of summer and gave up their own Fa study time. They didn't have any complaints or regrets. They were always in a good mood and played a supporting role. The street in front of the host practitioner's home was clean all the time.
4. Paying for our meals
The last afternoon of the 9-day session, the practitioner in charge announced that each meal would cost half of a yuan. When I went to pay for my meals, there was a box on a desk in the courtyard. Practitioners dropped their money into the box, and no one paid any attention to the box. I was surprised by the way the money was collected.
After the 9-day session, I understood that the behavior of the practitioners came from their practice of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance, selflessness, altruism, and considering others first. These are the teachings of Dafa. It was the power of the Fa and the manifestation of practitioners' hearts melting into the Fa. This pure land that appeared in a chaotic world was the manifestation of the great Buddha Fa in the human world.
With Master's merciful protection, I have been following my cultivation path for more than 10 years. The surprise and delight I felt from when I first obtained the Fa is still a vivid memory.
From the Call for Submissions to Commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Falun Dafa's Introduction
