(Minghui.org) My parents and older sister began practicing Falun Gong in 1997, but I began much later, in 2009. Here, I'd like to share with you my family's cultivation stories.
Parents practice Falun Dafa, sister follows
In mid-1997, my father had a stroke and was hospitalized. His right side was numb. A family friend told my father about Falun Gong (as Falun Dafa is also known) and suggested that he try it. My father promised that as soon as he was discharged, he would learn Falun Gong. That evening, father had a high fever, but the next morning, he was fine. He told my mother that he did not feel uncomfortable even when he had the fever. As a matter of fact, he felt fine. Both my mother and the doctor didn’t understand why and thought it was strange.
However, when father returned from the hospital, he never mentioned he wished to learn Falun Gong. One day, my stomach suddenly began to hurt, and I could not eat or drink anything. A tiny bit of food would make my stomach hurt tremendously. I spent more than two weeks in the hospital, but the doctors couldn't find the cause of the pain. My parents and my husband were very worried about me. At that point, the family friend brought me the book Zhuan Falun.
I started to read the book, and gradually my stomachache went away. However, once I put the book down, it began to hurt again. My mother said, “How strange. It stops hurting you when you read the book, but hurts again when you stop.” Actually I had not even finished reading Lecture One yet. My mother encouraged me to continue reading. I told her that it was not a book for the purpose of healing illness, but a book from heaven with profound spiritual principles. When I said this, mother wanted to read it too.
Mother soon finished reading Zhuan Falun, and by the end of the year both my parents began to practice. Soon afterwards, my sister also began practicing.
Establishing a material site, our entire family offers our support
On July 20, 1999, the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong. Mother went to Beijing to seek justice but was illegally arrested on the way there and brought back.
Since they could not go to Beijing, my parents began to make posters with Falun Gong information and put them up in public places. Back then, my parents went out and put up posters every night. I closely followed them. I was worried that being so old, something might happen to them. I had them put the glue on the posters, and then I put them up. My father even covered his tricycle with truth-clarifying posters. Fellow practitioners warned him not to, but he said that there was nothing to fear since what we did was the most righteous.
I don't remember how long we waited, but finally one day we received Master’s new lectures. However, our family could only read it through once quickly since we had to let other practitioners read it too. My mother felt very bad about it because she wished that she could read the lectures again. To help practitioners have their own copies of Master’s new lectures, in early 2000, my family bought a computer. My big brother typed the new lectures into documents, saved them, and then took them to his work unit to ask a friend of his to copy them for him. After doing it a few times, we realized that it was too time consuming. Therefore, my brother brought a scanner and a copy machine, and we began to print and copy Master’s lectures ourselves.
Back then, it was very difficult to get Master’s new lectures. My brother said that it would be great if we could go online and download Master’s lectures. While chatting online one day, my brother met a fellow practitioner from Taiwan who was trying to reach Mainland Chinese online to inform them about the persecution of Falun Gong. Excitedly, he called mother over to join him. Hence our entire family heard their conversation. My mother told my brother, “Hurry up and get the website address from him!” From then on, we knew how to get on the Minghui website. My brother made the materials and I delivered them. During the next six months, he taught several fellow practitioners from our local area how to install software onto their computers and how to print materials.
Unfortunately, poisoned by the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, my brother did not believe in Falun Gong. He helped us simply because he was an obedient and good son. My parents and fellow practitioners talked to him numerous times, but the old forces interfered and kept him from believing in Dafa. He understood that Dafa is good, but he never became a cultivator (as practitioners are also referred to).
Grateful for Master’s protection
Because we relied on my brother too much, he was persecuted by CCP, and thus the responsibility of making materials was now my sister's. However, we had to ask fellow practitioners to help fix the computer whenever we had problems, and had to take the printer to town when it broke down. We took the opportunity to shop for supplies in town.
One summer day, we rented a car to go to town and fix the printer and buy supplies. Everything went fine on our way there, but on our way back, the car kept breaking down. The driver was puzzled because his car never had problems like this before. He didn't know what was wrong with it. Staring at each other, my sister and I couldn't understand why it was happening. We stopped, but soon after that, the driver urged us to get going since the clouds were gathering. At that moment, dark clouds blanketed the sky, and the strong wind began to howl, followed by thunder and lightning. However, the car jerked to a stop once again not long after we began driving. Pouring rain and hail pounded on the car. The driver tried to start the car many times but to no avail. He was perspiring. My sister and I silently sent forth righteous thoughts begging Master to help. About ten minutes later, the car finally began to move, and slowly we were back on the road. Everything returned to normal again. Soon after that, we found out that many trees had been struck by the lightning and fallen onto the road, and a few cars were hit by the fallen trees. My sister and I immediately realized why our car went dead so many times earlier. Tears rolled down our cheeks, and we silently thanked Master for protecting us.
One day my mother and sister went to town to have two printers fixed. However, the return bus home was too crowded. My sister got help from a friend, who found a friend of hers to drive them to the bus terminal. They took the two printers inside the station while sending forth righteous thoughts. Neither of the inspectors saw them. Thus my sister bought two tickets and they got on the bus.
When they arrived, they saw the bus that they missed had been stopped by police and everybody was ordered off the bus. The police also took all the bags off the bus and were searching every single one. Looking at each other, my mother and sister smiled. Under Master’s protection, they arrived home safe and sound.
I got my driver’s license in the summer of 2009. In November that year, my sister bought a van. From then on, I assumed the responsibly of purchasing supplies, and fixing the printers. In 2010, my husband bought me a car, and I began to drive my car to shop for small items. My husband also helped me.
One time it rained heavily when we delivered the materials. Mother begged Master to help. She said, “Master, please make the rain stop, and start it after we finish delivering the materials.” The rain suddenly stopped. As soon as it stopped, I took my bike and rushed out to deliver the materials. The moment I finished, the rain began to pour again.
Walking on the path of Fa-rectification
During the CCP's 16 th Congress, the authorities came to our residence to harass us by forcing my parents to go to their work unit’s office. My sister refused to let my parents go. Afterward, they told the neighborhood Party association to make my parents sign some statements renouncing Falun Gong. My father asked them why they didn't allow him to practice the exercises which had helped him gain good health and be strong. He told them that he would sign if they could guarantee that he would not get sick again. Mother also asked if they would reimburse her medical expenses if she stopped practicing Falun Gong and got sick. Since they didn't want to make any promises, they turned around and left.
In summer of 2004, the Party head of my work unit asked me to come to his office. The head of the security section was also there. As soon as I entered the room, they demanded that I promise them to prevent mother from going to Beijing, not to promote Dafa, and if I refused to comply, they would fire me. Angrily, I said, “My mom practicing Falun Gong has nothing to do with me! Why does the CCP persecute our family because my mother practices Falun Gong?” Since I was irritated, the section head told me that they just wanted to tell me to make sure my mother wouldn't go out of town. I said that I would discourage my mom from going to Beijing to reason with those who weren't reasonable.
After I returned home, my work unit told me to take my mother to the neighborhood association to sign a statement. Mother refused to go. I said, “Mom, I won’t force you to go. How about I go instead of you?” Back then, before cultivating in Dafa, I thought that I could sign my mother’s signature for her just to get by, but what I didn't understand was that I actually was cheating myself and others. Afterward a fellow practitioner told me what I did was wrong. I had actually collaborated with the evil forces, therefore, I should write a statement to Minghui to void my wrong deed.
After this incident, however, my father decided to give up cultivating in Dafa. He was afraid that I would lose my job. With attachments, and under extreme pressure, he became mentally disoriented and could hardly talk. He kept running outside day and night. We had to take turns watching him.
Three fellow practitioners in my work unit were illegally arrested in 2006, and one of them gave my mother’s name to the evil forces under pressure. Then they searched my parents’ residence, and also planned to arrest mom. When it happened, I was at my husband’s parents’ house. My second brother called at 11 in the evening, and told me that the police were taking our mother away, but he stopped them. He made a deal with the police that they would not arrest mother if she signed their document and gave them the names of those from whom we received Falun Gong materials.
Collaborating with the police, my second brother helped them try to make mom sign their document. The police indicated to my brother that they could make it seem like it was the fellow practitioner who had told on everybody. My brother agreed in order to pacify the police and protect our mother. Very anxiously, my husband and I rushed home in a rental car early the next morning, and saw father holding onto mother crying, and he would not let her go.
The next day, the police station called my brother and told him that they planned to go to my parents’ residence to take a look. My brother immediately called my husband, who quickly hid all the Dafa materials in my car and told me to hurry home. I rushed home and put the materials in a safe place. Then, I saw my second brother with two policemen at the door. Coming upstairs, I asked, “My mother practices Falun Gong to gain a healthy body. Why are you searching my home? Can’t you see how scared my father is because of you? He has already fallen ill because of the persecution. If something happens to him, I'll not let you leave.” At that moment, both my husband and brother stopped me from talking. The officers looked in the balcony, and then turned on our computer. Suddenly I remembered that we had Master’s lectures and exercise music downloaded in the computer. Nonetheless, I told myself not to be afraid or worried. I begged Master to help prevent them from finding anything. As a result, they just looked at the computer, sat there for a few minutes, and then left.
After all this happened, frightened and extremely terrified, my father’s physical condition deteriorated. My brother also was punished for his deed. He was hit by a bus when he was walking, and a few days after that, he was hit on the head by a billboard. When he told us what had happened, my mother and sister explained to him that bad things were happening to him because he collaborated with the evil forces. Master probably used the two incidents to warn him. They told him to quickly write a statement and post it on Minghui to admit that he was wrong. Before this, I also told him that he was wrong, but he wouldn't listen. After the two incidents, he agreed to write the statement and post it.
My sister’s child suddenly had a seizure in December 2007. His mouth foamed and he bit his tongue until it bled. When a seizure hits, the person cannot eat or drink anything, but my sister's child wanted to drink milk and eat food. The milk choked out from his nose after he drank it. He read Zhuan Falun continuously. Doctors told us that he had no hope of survival, and that we should be prepared for the worst.
Fellow practitioners came to see my sister and told her to let go of human attachments, because Master would arrange everything for her. Her child constantly had a high fever and seizures. On January 15, 2008, her child vomited and had diarrhea for an hour, but then everything quieted down and he fell asleep. From that day on, he no longer had any seizures, and he was able to eat normally. Furthermore, he became smarter than before. Their neighbors were all amazed and wondered why my sister’s child was so lucky. They met the hospital’s medical director one day, and he asked which hospital cured the child’s illness. Before they could answer the question, the child said, “Falun Dafa is good!” The director immediately understood what he meant.
My father left us in November 2009, which was the most miserable year for my family. Master encouraged us to be strong. Our DVD player was very old, and even the power button would not work. Mother wanted to know if there was a DVD inside the player, so she asked me to have it fixed. I pushed the power button, but did not know if the player was connected to a power source. I could not see anything on the TV screen, but heard a news anchor saying, “Though the persecution is going on, we still walk on the divine path.” Surprised, I said that the power button was not on, but for some reason, the DVD player had power. As I said this, I opened the DVD player, but found no DVD in it. Excited, I shouted, “Mom, the DVD is not in there, but it was still playing.” At that moment, tears rolled down my cheeks. We knew that Master was encouraging us to let go of human emotions and walk well on the path of Fa-rectification.
Saving sentient beings with righteous thoughts and returning to cultivation
After the persecution began, I followed my family and fellow practitioners to distribute truth-clarifying materials every night. One night, a dog charged at me. I've been afraid of dogs since I was a child, so I was terrified and stayed there motionless. However, the dog just sniffed my feet and then ran away. A passer-by asked, “Why didn’t that dog bite you?” Scratching my head, I said, “Why must it bite me?” He replied, “That dog has bitten numerous people, bikers and walkers alike.” I said, “Because I'm protected by divine beings, it dared not bite me.” From then on, I have no longer been afraid of dogs.
Another day, a dog barked at me fiercely and I shouted, “Quiet! Why don’t you go home?” It stopped barking and turned away. I found it odd, and asked my mother, “That dog is so obedient.” Mom replied, “Although you’re not a real practitioner yet, Master still takes care of you, so when your righteous thoughts are strong, they’re powerful.”
Before the Chinese New Year in 2008, my work unit held a party to celebrate. I told mother that I wanted to sing a Tian Yin (Sound of Divine) song to everyone at my workplace. Mom asked if I dared to do so, I replied that there was nothing to be afraid of. That evening, I was still a little bit nervous. I asked Master to strengthen me. I sang “Missing the Motherland” to over twenty people, including the director, Party head and deputy head, as well as other managerial personnel. They all listened attentively, and applauded after I finished singing. They said that I had done a good job, and the lyrics were well written. Even my husband, who often objected when I went out to post truth-clarifying materials, was also touched by the song, and afterwards his attitude changed.
For many years, I supported Dafa and was willing to make any sacrifice. I did this not only for my parents and sister, but also because I believe that Dafa and Master are great, and the most righteous. Because of my laziness, I did not like to read Zhuan Falun , did not like the pain when I crossed my legs, and I was attached to entertainment and comfort. All those factors stopped me from truly entering Dafa.
A fellow practitioner told me one day, “You’re doing a great job, but why don’t you start cultivating? Having done so much to validate the Fa, it’ll be a shame if you merely gain good fortune in the end.” With her encouragement along with my mom and sister’s help, in 2009, I finally began to genuinely cultivate in Dafa.
I know that I have not studied the Fa sufficiently; I still have strong pursuit for doing things, and many attachments to let go of. I must do the three things well, particularly studying the Fa with a tranquil mind to make up for what I have lost in the past dozen years, and catch up with fellow practitioners.
I have not cultivated for long, so please kindly point out and correct anything that is not appropriate.
