(Minghui.org) I recently read an article on Minghui titled “Getting Rid of Human Notions and Walking Towards Godhood.” This reminded me to use supernormal abilities more often, even if we cannot see the immediate effect in this dimension. After all, Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) has given us the supernormal power to oppose the persecution, validate Falun Dafa, and save people.
Here are two such experiences. The first one happened in 2000 when I was taken to a forced labor camp. Because I refused to renounce my belief, the director called me to his office, where there were already five or six officers. After handcuffing my arms behind my back, he shocked me with an electric baton on my head, face, and neck.
During that time, I recited Master’s poem in my mind:
“Nothing Kept
In life, nothing sought,In death, regretting naught;Washing away all wrong thought,Buddhahood, with less adversity, is wrought.”(Hong Yin)
When he was shocking me, it felt just like a metal bar was touching me and nothing else. Thinking that the voltage wasn’t strong enough, the director adjusted the baton’s power to the maximum, but still nothing happened. After trying it a few more times, he gave up.
At that time, I saw some practitioners with blisters on their faces and necks from electric shocks. But there were no marks on me and I knew that Master had suffered for me.
The second incident occurred many years ago. Two young practitioners in my area are high school teachers. Because they are busy with work, I suggested that they save the electronic versions of Dafa books in their cell phones, so they could study the teachings whenever possible. They liked the idea and I gave one of them an SD card with Dafa teachings.
After a long time, the practitioner still had not returned the card. When I asked him about it, he said he couldn’t find it. “How could that happen?” I asked. “You know, it has Dafa books on it.”
He said he did not know where he put it. In fact, he had been looking for it for a few days and still could not find it.
Noticing my resentment, I knew that as a Falun Dafa practitioner, I should look within and reflect on why this happened to me. Thinking back, I should have put the card in a small box, making it convenient to carry and less likely to become lost. Realizing my loss, I apologized to Master for my omissions and asked Master if he could help me get the card back.
A few days later, I noticed that the card was indeed back where I used to keep it. I was grateful for Master’s compassion.
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to suppress Falun Dafa in 1999, I was taken to a labor camp the following year. Guards often instructed inmates to torture me, and most of time I forgot to ask Master for help. Whenever they surrounded me, I would be afraid.
During those days, many practitioners were injured or disabled due to the torture, and some even lost their lives. I was under intense stress at the time. But when I thought through everything, I realized that my physical body and my human notions could not protect me without Master’s help. So I decided to always think of myself as a Dafa practitioner and to ask for help from Master whenever I needed it.
As a result, I was always thinking: “I am Mr. Li Hongzhi’s disciple and Master is always with me.” I also recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and sometimes the Falun Dafa teachings. I did this whether I was walking, eating, or sleeping. The guards often forced detainees to march. While the others chanted what the guards demanded as we marched, I repeated “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” in my mind. Other than when I was in dirty places such as the bathroom, I maintained these thoughts all the time. Finally, my mind was filled with these thoughts although I was still in the labor camp.
When guards and inmates tortured me later on, I only had Master and the Dafa teachings in my mind. So the beatings and electric shocks did not harm me. I knew Master had suffered a lot for me. Thank you, Master!
Thinking about this later, I felt bad that Master always endured my pain. What if I could stop the perpetrators from doing bad deeds or transfer the pain back to them with supernormal abilities? Just look at the programs in the Shen Yun performances! Those cultivators could use supernormal abilities whenever they chose. For example, the thugs didn’t dare to beat up the Monkey King.
Master said,
“I have taught in the Fa that in Dafa cultivation one’s supernormal abilities are developed the most comprehensively because Dafa disciples will cultivate to higher levels. The higher the level one breaks through to, the more he is freed from matter, and that will be when his innate abilities (supernormal abilities) fully show themselves. Dafa disciples have been bringing their supernormal abilities into full play in Fa-rectification.” (“What Are Supernormal Abilities,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II)
My understanding is that Dafa disciples have more and stronger supernormal abilities than cultivators in the past. But very often I did not remember or know how to use them. Now I reminded myself to use my supernormal abilities stop the perpetrators from doing evil.
In 2008, I was sent to a provincial brainwashing center. The director who shocked me with electric batons in the labor camp had been promoted as a director of the brainwashing center, but I still refused to yield.
The director came to me at 10 o’clock one evening when the officers in the other room had left already. “Will you give up practicing Falun Dafa?” he asked. “No way!” I replied.
He used all his strength to slap me in the face. Then he grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. “Will you still practice Falun Dafa?” he asked again. “Of course!” I replied. He grabbed me around my neck with both hands to choke me to death.
When the director beat me, I did think of supernormal abilities. When he slapped me in the face, I hoped he would slap himself, but he didn’t. When he choked me, I hoped he would choke himself, but he didn’t. Looking back, I knew I had strong resentment and was attached to fighting. That was why the supernormal abilities did not work.
Seeing that he was about to kill me, I called out, “Master, help me! Master, help me!” As the director was choking me, Master opened an air passage for me so I could breathe. But the director thought I was dead and loosened his grip. Seeing I was still alive, he was very upset. After all, he had already beaten, injured, and killed many practitioners.
From this incident, I learned that, without a foundation of solid cultivation, many human notions arise when we face brutality. They can include fear, resentment, and attachment to struggling. That makes it difficult for supernormal abilities to work. This is different from our daily sending forth righteous, when we can calm our minds first. Therefore, when encountering dangers later on, I primarily asked Master for help instead of focusing on supernormal abilities. I know that, even if I call out with fear and human notions, compassionate Master will help me.
As time continued, my human notions went away and my righteous thoughts became purer. Once when I distributed materials in 2021, someone reported me to the police. I did not know that and continued even as a police van followed me.
When I was putting up posters at a bus stop, the police stopped about 20 yards away. “I think you are the person we are looking for,” one officer said to me. I was about to walk away, but they called out, “Freeze!”
I stopped and turned around. Seeing they had already surrounded me, I said calmly, “Just stay there. Do not get any closer.” Nobody moved.
“Please show me your ID and paperwork,” I said.
“We did not say you violated the law,” one officer said. “Just give us the materials in your bag and we will leave.”
I sent forth righteous thoughts to eradicate the vicious elements behind the police. They were not qualified to intervene in what I was doing, since saving people is very sacred, I thought to myself. They said they had body cameras and would not mess around. They repeatedly said they would leave if I gave them a few copies of what I had. Since I only had five copies left and it was not convenient to visit them in the police station, I gave them the brochures and they left.
Thinking back about this, I realized that after I said “Just stay there. Do not get any closer,” they were already being held in place by supernormal abilities. Had I known this, I could have walked away earlier.
There are many good examples of the use of supernormal abilities in Minghui articles. When some practitioners were shocked with electric batons, they sent forth righteous thoughts so that the electric current would go back to the perpetrator, and it worked. When the police did not listen and continued confiscating Dafa materials and photos of Master, some practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts so that the officers would fall down, and they did. Similarly, as guards and inmates were beating practitioners, it was the guards and inmates that ended up in pain and were later hospitalized.
Now when I go out and distribute materials, I often send forth righteous thoughts so that the police will not see me. When I have fear, I send righteous thoughts so that the “fear” will go to the police. Similarly, when I put up posters, I send forth righteous thoughts so that they will stay there and people won’t remove them.
Above are my personal understandings. Please point out anywhere inappropriate.