(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I'm over seventy years old. I was introduced to Falun Dafa on April 8, 1997, and became a Dafa practitioner.
I realize that I have a limited understanding of the Fa principles, but I firmly believe in Dafa and know that my life belongs to Master. Dafa's magical power changed me, and the positive changes in me helped other people respect Dafa as well.
Master helps me to cultivate diligently. Here, I would like to share my cultivation experiences and report to Master.
My Appearance Changed
Before I began practicing, I had several illnesses. I always looked very depressed and weak. After I started cultivating, Master purified my body and all of my illnesses vanished. My once-sad face became sunny.
More than that, Master changed my appearance. Originally, my head was very narrow, and I had a wide double-chin that stuck out. When I began practicing, I could feel my body being adjusted.
It was not the reason I continued to practice, but people around me told me that I looked more attractive. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the changes: My narrow head had become more round, and my once-sad face looked cheerful. I looked like another person.
I was amazed and realized that the changes happened when I did the exercises. I knew that Master helped me, and my appearance changed as a result.
There is no human language adequate to express my feelings of gratitude for Master's salvation. No matter how tough the cultivation path may be, I will never lose my faith. I must follow Master. I will do whatever Master requires of me.
My relatives also witnessed Dafa's magical power. My sister is ninety-four years old. She had suffered leg pain for many years. She had to lie in bed all day and could not move around.
Six years ago, she repeatedly recited from her heart, “Falun Dafa is great, and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great.” Her leg pain soon disappeared, and she could then get up and walk around. She could go grocery shopping and go out in the field to harvest crops. She could live independently.
When her neighbor witnessed the change, she also repeatedly recited, “Falun Dafa is great.” Then the neighbor's health also improved. This way, everyone came to know that Dafa is amazing.
My other sister lives in a remote village. In order to have water, the villagers had to work hard to pump it up from the wells. The well water tasted bitter.
A practitioner stayed in my sister's home for some time in order to avoid being arrested. After the practitioner left, the well water became very sweet and fresh-tasting. Some people from neighboring villages didn't believe this, so they went there and tasted it. The news spread throughout the villages.
There are numerous stories like this. As long as we cultivate firmly, and cultivate based on Master's requirements, Dafa's great and miraculous power will manifest.
Doing My Best
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Dafa. I went to Beijing to appeal several times. At the beginning, I didn't think too deeply about why it was happening, but just considered it persecution on a human level. I was arrested several times, tortured and suffered tremendous pain. I endured it with Master's help.
I then began to study the Fa consistently, so that I could have a clearer understanding of the Fa principles. I adjusted myself and began doing things based on the Fa principles. In the process of saving people, my xinxing improved.
In my cultivation, I don't have high understandings of the Fa. I only have one thought: to do my best with whatever Master asks.
At the beginning of the persecution, many practitioners did not publicly clarify the truth because they were afraid of being persecuted. Many Fa-study groups stopped meeting. I was very worried about this, since group study is the form Master left us so that we could improve together.
We should not allow the evil to break us apart.
I attended a group study and shared with other practitioners. We realized the importance of attending a Fa-study group. I volunteered to create a group-study site. Then, more group-study sites were created, reaching the number close to the situation before the persecution. The overall environment became better.
Most practitioners have a chance to join group study and improve themselves. That's what Master requires, so we should do it.
Four years ago, the persecution was rampant in our district. Several truth-clarification materials production sites were broken into and destroyed. We lost so much! Other small sites were also broken into, and fellow practitioners who made materials were arrested by police.
I lost my source of materials. I was very worried. Master then helped me learn technical skills, so that I would know how to make materials myself.
I am single, and my finances were sufficient to run a small materials production site. But I felt that I was too old to learn new technology, and didn't wish to bother fellow practitioners.
I discussed this with another practitioner. She encouraged me and said: “You'll be all right! We have Master helping us!” She reminded me that we came here for Dafa. Great Master is helping and protecting us.
Thus, I started my materials site. Other practitioners helped to buy equipment.
At the beginning, I had a hard time moving a small computer mouse. However, I was sure that it was Master's arrangement for me to choose this project, so I must do it well. The practitioner who was a technical expert taught me very patiently. I learned diligently and repeatedly practiced until I remembered what to do.
Several days later, with Master's and fellow practitioner's help, I made my first truth-clarifying materials. I am grateful for Master's benevolence and Dafa's magical power!
Over a period of four years of running the site, I experienced Master's great benevolence and got rid of many attachments that were not easy to eliminate, like the attachments to hurrying and zealotry and the mentality of showing off. I understood this to be a process of truly cultivating myself and was not affected by people's criticism.
However, when something was wrong with the equipment, I complained about it, rather than looking at my cultivation. After reading sharing articles on Minghui.org, I realized that the equipment had malfunctioned because of my poor xinxing. I had negatively influenced it. The next time it happened, I studied the Fa and looked inward. I found my attachments and then the machine started to work smoothly.
I respected the machines and handled them carefully. After use, I always cleaned them. I also did not waste a single sheet of paper, because it's also a resource for Dafa. These resources were here to save people. They cooperated with me and played their roles.
From these experiences, I understood that doing Dafa projects cannot replace cultivation. But, I can cultivate my xinxing while doing Dafa projects.
There were many practitioners in my district, but few materials production sites. There weren't enough materials to satisfy our needs. I knew that opening materials sites everywhere was Master's wish. It was not enough to have just the one I ran.
Once I realized this, I immediately acted on it. I decided to encourage more practitioners to join in. I visited several elderly practitioners' homes and encouraged them to help. Later, four other materials sites were started. They played an important role in those challenging years.
Thank you, Master, and thanks to fellow practitioners for their technical support!
Helping to Awaken Former Practitioners
Dafa practitioners are one body.
Master said:
“In these situations your conduct should always show Dafa disciples' tolerance, kindness, and niceness. The next person's things are your things, and your things are his things.” ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference")
Awakening former practitioners and helping practitioners in harsh situations is also our responsibility. Through this we enlarge our compassion and strengthen our benevolence.
One practitioner became confused after she was persecuted. She gave up studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. But I didn't give up on helping her.
I visited her many times and talked to her. I treated her as my relative. I was very concerned about her. Sometimes, she was too busy to eat, so I bought food for her. She really appreciated it.
I always reminded her: “Master does not want to give you up. Master is hoping that you'll come back.” Finally, she resumed practicing under Master's benevolence. She now does the three things very well.
Another practitioner was very diligent before the persecution. However, her attachment of fear led her to stop practicing after the persecution began. I felt very pained by it and was sure that she would practice again.
It wasn't easy at the beginning. She wouldn't even open the door. Sometimes, I was chased out of her home by her husband. But I didn't give up because I knew that was not her true intention; it was the evil causing this behavior.
Dafa offered me wisdom. I knew that I must wake her up, so I asked Master for help. I sent forth righteous thoughts to clear away the evil factors. I found my attachments while visiting her. I could feel how difficult it really is for Master to save people.
Dafa can melt a diamond. As my heart was purified, this practitioner finally began cultivating again. Afterward, she was persecuted several times by the CCP.
Under huge pressure, she reported me to the authorities several times. However, I never complained about her or hated her, but tried to understand her situation.
The evil caused it. The real criminal was the CCP, and she was a victim. Thus, I continued to contact her and still delivered Master's new lectures to her. I also printed truth-clarifying materials for her and shared my experience with her based on the Fa. She now does the three things better.
In this way, I have helped awaken some former fellow practitioners. However, there are still many who haven't come back. This upsets me. As long as the Fa-rectification has not ended, I can't give up. I will continue to reach out to them.
Considering Others First
My understanding is that at the root of cultivation is getting rid of selfishness. Through the Fa principles, I changed my old thinking. I eliminated my attachment to self-interest. I've truly experienced living in the Fa.
Whenever I hear that some practitioners suffer illness or are in difficulty, I do my best to help them.
This June, one elderly practitioner, who is ninety-six years old, was dying. Her son wanted to send her to a hospital, but her daughter (a practitioner) didn't want to do that. She brought her to her home. When I heard about it, I went to the daughter's home to see her. She looked very weak, but was alert. I sent forth righteous thoughts with her daughter to eliminate the evil. We asked Master to help her recover and clarify the truth.
I bent close to her ear and said: “Please remember that you are a Dafa practitioner. Our lives were created by Dafa. We have Master protecting us, and no one else should interfere. We must follow Master. We mustn't leave, since the Fa-rectification hasn't ended yet and we must clarify the truth for Dafa.”
She understood what I said, and her knowing side played a positive role. She recovered. We experienced Dafa's miraculous power again.
Upon witnessing this, everyone in her family now respects Dafa. Several months have passed, and she's fine. Her mind is very clear and she's quite healthy. She studies the Fa and practices the exercises with her daughter. She clarifies truth to her friends and relatives.
I went to see another elderly practitioner. I saw her washing vegetables in cold water. She was so cold that her nose was running. Her heater was broken, and she could no longer use her washroom.
I helped her find someone to fix it. But afterward, the solar equipment did not work again. I had to find someone to fix it again. Meanwhile, I bought a bath tub and a potty for her. I also spent some time fixing her washroom.
The practitioner appreciated my help. I said: “We are both fellow practitioners. Your thing is my thing. You are very welcome. You need to be grateful for Master's help.” We sat close to a brainwashing center to send forth righteous thoughts.
I used to live near another elderly practitioner's home. She was nearly ninety years old. At noon, when she was cooking, the smoke was too strong. She then had to use fans to blow away the smoke.
I found some time on Sunday to fix her stove. It was snowing, but I could not postpone it, since time is precious for me. If I didn't go this time, it would be very hard to find another time. I brought my tool kit and started to fix her stove. I spent nearly the entire day fixing it.
She was very touched and thanked me many times. I smiled and said, “We are both practitioners.”
I felt quite delighted to help others, even if the work was difficult or heavy. We are lives of the new universe. We exist because of others. That's required by Dafa, so we must do it this way.
I found a small music player at the market. It was small, simple and loud—suitable for senior people. I thought of several elderly practitioners. Some of them have trouble seeing and studying the Fa. If Master's lectures, exercise music and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party could be put in that small player, it would help them study the Fa and do the exercises.
Initially, I bought one and used it for several days. Then I gave it to my ninety-four-year-old sister and showed her how to use it. Later, she told me that she loves to listen to Master's lectures and the Nine Commentaries on it. She's nearly one hundred years old, but she is healthy and clear.
She is very proud to tell people that Dafa gave her life!
I then bought two more players—for my eighty-six-year-old neighbor and another senior. They both like it. I told them to say, “Falun Dafa is great” every day.
I also told fellow practitioners about this player. Soon, many practitioners ordered the player. The more people bought, the more quality issues were raised. Some practitioners said that they might buy used equipment instead.
I heard someone misunderstand me and say that I didn't want to do anything for them. I asked myself, “What's my motive for doing this?” The answer was to improve the whole body and meet Master's requirement. I realized that this practitioner's misunderstanding was a chance for me to get rid of the attachment of not wanting to listen to others' negative comments.
Cultivating Myself
Doing the three things well is required by Master. I use several ways to clarify the facts about Dafa to save people. Many of my attachments have been exposed and eliminated while talking to people.
I've met all kinds of people. Some yelled at me, and some reported me to the police. But most people accept the truth and appreciate my help. Through cultivating my character amidst their different responses, my attachments to complaining, fighting, looking down on others, zealotry and showing off have been replaced with compassion.
We must cultivate our moral character (xinxing) during conflicts in this complex environment. I go out to clarify the truth about Dafa and help people withdraw from the CCP every day. Dafa gives me wisdom, so that I can efficiently clarify the facts.
As I improve myself, the people around me also change. Now, very few people refuse to listen to me. This also reflects the progress of Fa-rectification. Every person came here for the Fa. I will continue to do my utmost to save people and accomplish my mission.
I always remember my promise to cultivate and save people. I want to have nothing left to regret. From the beginning, I've taken the Fa as the most important thing. I never relax and waste time. I've sincerely done the three things. I wish that everyone could be saved.
My financial situation is good, and my daughter helps me. I live simply, with three simple meals a day. I am very healthy. I look very young compared to other people over 70 years old.
I'm not attached to time. I require of myself to do the three things well and save people to fulfill my vows. I wish to follow Master home.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
If anything is not proper, please kindly point it out.