(Minghui.org) I came from a village in southern China. I'm 43 years old. I'm so lucky that I stepped into the practice of Falun Dafa in 1996. I've changed tremendously. Before I began to practice Falun Dafa, I was detained in a prison. After beginning the practice, I became a good person highly praised by the villagers.
I used to be a social outcast. When I was young, I was a member of a group that didn't fit into society's norm. My father was criticized and denounced during the Cultural Revolution, as his family was considered “rich villagers.” [Editor's Note: Cultural Revolution was a political movement of the Chinese Communist Party to denounce traditional values and culture, 1966-1976]. He had to perform slave labor, as a result of which his health deteriorated and he became grumpy. He used to fight with me, my sisters and my brothers, as well as curse at us. I never helped him get over difficulties, but instead fought back. I even shouted at him in front of many neighbors, which is far outside filial piety.
In 1995, I unlawfully cut trees in village-owned and privately owned mountains. (At that time, many people cut trees). I was reported to the police and detained for over 20 days. I also had to pay a fine plus an administrative fee of 10,000 yuan. My friend and business partner stole my money. My father also passed away in 1995. I became extremely depressed. I tried to take revenge on the person who had reported me to the police. In the meantime, I also got addicted to drugs. I used bad language and was considered a bad person and a homeless guy.
In August 1996, when I worked in Zhejiang Province, I started to practice Falun Dafa. Teacher explained the Fa with very plain words in Zhuan Falun.
Teacher said,
"One Standard Alone Determines if Someone is Good or Bad: Whether He is Able to be True, Good, and Endure." (Zhuan Falun)
I understood that when practitioners have a conflict with someone, they should not fight back. They should always consider others first. Teacher's Fa corrected my behavior and upgraded my xinxing. I understood the standard for being a good person and how to be compassionate toward others in my heart.
From the first day of practicing Falun Dafa, I gave up smoking and no longer used dirty language. When I occasionally slipped up and used a bad word unintentionally, I turned as red as a tomato and corrected my behavior immediately.
Now, I'm devoted to my mother and care for my brother and sister. I feel truly guilty for cutting those trees and thinking about revenge.
I had borrowed thousands of yuan from local villagers. Before I could repay it, however, I was illegally arrested for telling people that Falun Dafa is good and suffered 7 years in jail. After I was released, people didn't think that I would return their money. However, I earned the money by working diligently every day and then visited the villagers' homes to pay them back. Many villagers were very surprised: “Wow! You've really changed into a nice guy! We never expected you to return this money.”
When the local Political and Legal Affairs Committee sent someone to our village to investigate me, the villagers said good things about me, such as: “He is a very nice guy. He carried passengers on a three-wheel bicycle. Sometimes the passengers forgot their new shoes, and he did his best to return them.” One day at the end of the year, the director of my village warned my mother: “Don't let him come home because someone is trying to arrest him.”
Falun Dafa changed me from a bad person to a good person who lives by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and treats people nicely. Since I clarified the facts about Falun Dafa, I was sentenced to 3 years of forced labor and a 7-year prison term. I suffered all kinds of torture, but I have never regretted practicing Falun Dafa. I'm really lucky to cultivate in Falun Dafa. Without it, I can't imagine what I would be like. I would like to sincerely and firmly tell people: Falun Dafa can truly let people abstain from vice.
From the Call for Submissions to Commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Falun Dafa’s Introduction
Category: Improving Oneself
