(Minghui.org)
“Every festive season I miss my family even more. From across the ocean I send my greetings to Master.Forever indebted for the precious cultivation opportunity, for Master's guidance and enlightenment,I am deeply grateful for Master's compassionate protection and remaking my sacred body.”
This song expresses the incomparable admiration and gratitude that Dafa disciples have for Master Li Hongzhi.
On May 13, 1992, the first Falun Dafa lecture series was held in Changchun No. 5 Middle School in Changchun, Jilin Province. Shortly after the class began, a man with a severely herniated disc was carried into the class on a stretcher by his family. Master asked his family to carry him to the stage. Within a short time, Master made the man, who was bedridden and unable to stand or walk, sit up and walk around. His family was overwhelmed with gratitude, and all those present were deeply moved by the experience.
Li Yang, one of Master's early disciples, once shared the following: “During the lecture series, one evening, two middle-aged men walked into the lecture hall with an old woman, who was severely hunchbacked. She was bent over at nearly a 45-degree angle. When Master saw the trio, he picked up the old woman from behind, stretched her back, and said, 'Relax, relax, come with me.' Master began to walk and asked the woman to follow him. He kept telling her, 'Relax, relax, come with me, stand up, stand up.' She slowly relaxed and gradually straightened up. In just a few minutes, her contorted body returned to normal. One of the men, probably her son, knelt before Master, who kindly told him to get up. Several other paralyzed people who were carried into the class were able to walk out on their own. There were countless miracles like this.”
Within seven years of its public introduction, Falun Dafa was being practiced by hundreds of millions of people in China. It had spread to 100 countries and regions by 2012. In fact, Falun Dafa is not spread by means of advertisements or the media but by word of mouth.
Master taught us to always think of others first and be selfless, and he also uses his own words and deeds to influence and nurture every Dafa disciple.
Mr. Zhong Guichun, the former head of the political security section of Beijing public security, was one of Master’s earliest disciples. He recalled when Master began teaching the Fa back then, they basically ate the cheap instant noodles that were available in Beijing in the early years—not the instant noodles with seasonings like today, but the simple fried noodles.
When Master went to Guangzhou, Jinan, Beijing, Wuhan, and other places to teach the Fa, he and his disciples ate nothing but instant noodles. They had so much of them that when they saw instant noodles, they felt queasy. One time, several students could no longer handle the noodles. They did not finish what was in their bowls and left. Master happened to pass by and asked them, “Did our disciples leave those noodles behind? Tell them to not waste food anymore.”
Another disciple recalling the early days remembered eating terrible food at a motel. They thought there was no way they could finish it. Then they saw that Master had ordered the same thing, finished eating it, and went to the class.
Master also took tender care of his disciples who worked closely with him. He would order special food for his disciples once in a while for a change of pace. Mr. Zhong once saw a table of delicious dishes waiting for them, and he and the others sat down and began to eat. He looked up later and saw Master's smiling face, like a father’s, lovingly observing his children.
Another disciple remembered going to Guangzhou to attend Master's Fa lecture series. They had a very limited budget so they checked into a cheap motel. It was very run down and even had rats running around at night. When they planned to move to another motel, they found out that Master was staying in the same motel!
Ye Hao, a former senior official of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, recalled: “When Master was teaching the Fa in Beijing, it was summertime. Street vendors were selling shoes for 2, 5, and 10 yuan. Master's daughter needed shoes, so he bought a pair for two yuan. It was hot and his daughter wanted ice cream. Master gave her 50 cents to buy one.”
Our Master is upright and noble. His students came from all walks of life, from government and military officials, down to the common people. No matter who invited Master to dinner, Master never went. Master never asked his disciples to do anything he could take care of himself. Even if they just wanted to purchase his train or plane tickets, Master wouldn’t allow it.
Mr. Ye recalled that Master charged the least for his lecture series when compared to other qigong classes. Despite the financial struggle to publish China Falun Gong back then, Master refused to raise the fee for the class and kept lowering the cost for students with financial difficulties.
Master taught the Fa in China for two years and held 54 lecture series in total. Master was always on the go and not able to get together with his family during the New Year Holiday. Master never told his disciples about the difficulties and hardships he encountered teaching the Fa. He never asked for a penny, but gave everything to his disciples.
At the Eastern Health Expos in 1992 and 1993, Falun Gong was honored as the Star Qigong School among more than 2,400 kinds of qigong, and Master was awarded the title of the most popular qigong master. In addition, because of Master's selfless dedication to the general public and the miraculous effects of Falun Gong during the exposition, the organizing committee and the expert committee of the exposition jointly decided to recognize Master with the highest award, the “Edge of Scientific Progress Award.”
At the Health Expo in 1993, Master was invited to give two presentations at the Public Security University. He donated all of 60,000 yuan in ticket sales to the China Foundation for Justice and Courage. He donated 7,000 yuan from another presentation in Yanbian City to the Red Cross. Master also provided rehabilitation treatments for knife and gunshot wounds suffered by hundreds of public security activists and heroes. The treatments were 98% effective. The Ministry of Public Security wrote a thank you letter to Master at that time.
In the Fa-lecture classes, Master adjusted the bodies of many students, freeing countless numbers of them from tormenting ailments.