Staying on the Cultivation Path Despite Tribulations

(Minghui.org) I was in junior high school in 1996. Like everyone else, I wanted to be the top student. Ever since I was a small child I often asked questions about topics that were not in the textbooks and sometimes the teachers could not answer them. 

For example, I asked, “If communism is the highest level of social development, then why can’t China attain the highest levels of technology? If we really distributed the resources according to people’s needs, then we could just go to the supermarket and take things without paying for them.” 

As for the physics class, I said that if the earth is orbiting around the sun, who gave it the energy to do so? Is there a pattern for the orbits of the planets? If so, what force is guiding them? 

I had many questions that perplexed me, and I wished to find the answers. A classmate invited me to watch video lectures given by Falun Dafa’s founder, Master Li. When I entered the room, I felt a strong and peaceful energy field. The Dafa practitioners there were kind, and cordially welcomed the people who came to listen to the lectures. 

When I saw the spinning Falun on the screen, my body shook. When I saw Master’s photo, all my cells seemed to awaken. Every word that Master spoke touched me. Afterwards, I eagerly read Zhuan Falun. All my questions were answered. No words could describe my excitement. 

When I did not have classes, I went to the practice site to read the Fa and do the exercises every day. In the past, because I practiced a fake qigong, I did not look good. My face was sallow and I was thin. Master cleansed my body. Afterwards, my complexion was fair and I walked quickly.

One night I dreamed that large colorful Falun flew out from the sun towards me. I thought, “Oh, it's time for me to cultivate.” At that instant, I descended from the clouds, came to this world and started cultivating in the school environment. I shared this dream with the other practitioners and everyone was very encouraged. I told some friends how wonderful Falun Dafa is and they also began to practice.

Through reading the Fa, I understood why we are human and how to be a truly good person. In the past I was very competitive and had to be the first in everything. If my scores on tests weren’t the highest, I lost my temper and couldn’t eat. I thought of all kinds ways to come out on top. My attachment to fighting and winning was very strong. 

After I began practicing Falun Dafa, I emphasized improving my xinxing. I abided by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in my studies and life. I realized that I must have a peaceful mind and let go of my attachment to fame. I must treat others with kindness and stop being petty. 

Master helped me and opened my wisdom. I no longer needed to memorize topics mechanically. I just wrote down the basic points when the teachers lectured. I no longer had to spend hours memorizing. Instead, I focused on reading the Fa and practicing the exercises.

A new student was having difficulty, so I often helped her. She was touched and all the teachers noticed. Once, a teacher asked me to help him distribute the test papers. When I reached the last one, there was one short. I thought that since I am a cultivator, I must be considerate. I gave the test paper to the last student and told the teacher that I would just print another one. The teacher was upset and said that printing the paper would cause a half day’s delay (at that time, our facilities were outdated and the teachers had to use metal pens to write the questions on wax paper and brush them with black ink page by page manually, it took a lot of time). 

I went to the printing shop and printed it myself. By the time I returned to the classroom, some of the students had already written a lot. I just sat down and quickly wrote my answers. When the exam results were released, I had the highest score. I was accepted into the school that I wanted and was even give a generous stipend.

Cultivating Diligently Despite the Persecution

Just as I was immersed in the happiness of practicing Falun Dafa, former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin initiated the persecution in July 1999. Videos that slandered Falun Dafa were broadcast on television in school every day. Due to the pressure from the upper management, the head teacher kept calling me to the office and told me I could not practice the exercises. Every day, I silently recited, 

“In life, nothing sought, In death, regretting naught; Washing away all wrong thought, Buddhahood, with less adversity, is wrought.” (“Nothing Kept,” Hong Yin) 

Even though I knew what I was about to face, I was not afraid. Falun Dafa teaches people to have compassion. The principles elevate one’s moral values and there’s nothing wrong with being a good person. I would not succumb to pressure. I wanted to tell people that Falun Dafa teaches people to be kind and that all the slander on television was lies.

The philosophy teacher asked me to talk about my views in class. I used the opportunity to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa. The teacher wanted me to criticize Dafa, but it was a good opportunity for me to talk about the persecution.

The school director planned to hold a meeting to criticize me. Some of my friends were worried so they tried to persuade me to stop practicing. I said, “Falun Dafa is righteous. Master taught us to abide by Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance to cultivate ourselves and be a good person. Is it wrong to be a good person?” I reminded myself that I am Master’s disciple so no one can interfere with me. In the end, the meeting was canceled.

The persecution later escalated and all the media in China slandered Falun Dafa. Pressured by the upper management, the school said that they would expel me if I continued practicing. I knew I could not let the evil rumors spread and defame Dafa. I talked with another practitioner about going to Beijing to appeal for justice.

However, before we had the chance to submit our petition, Tiananmen Square was filled with plainclothes police officers abducting Falun Dafa practitioners. We were shoved into a police car and taken to a large courtyard. Every practitioner was there to speak up for Dafa and give the CCP an opportunity to restore Master’s reputation and our cultivation environment.

The courtyard was soon full. The police later transferred us to a big stadium and the Dafa book that I brought with me was snatched away by the police. I was very sad, as I felt that I did not protect Dafa well. However, the small recorder in my bag did not get confiscated. 

One officer grabbed me and violently shoved me towards a concrete wall. I was not afraid and I was not injured. I knew that Master was protecting me. I suggested we all recite On Dafa and poems from Hong Yin. We all felt immersed in Dafa and as though our bodies were as big as the universe, possessing incomparable power.

I later turned on the small recorder and played Pudu and Jishi (Falun Dafa music). The police went round searching for it but just could not find the origin of the music. I knew that Master was protecting us. This small recorder was with me until I returned home.

We also did the second Falun Dafa exercise. We knew that Master was protecting us so everyone’s righteous thoughts were strengthened. When night fell, the police took us to the detention center. The inmates there all knew that practitioners were maligned and that Falun Dafa is good. In order to resist the persecution, we went on a hunger strike. 

The police force-fed us and beat me but I was not afraid. I calmly told them that Falun Dafa is good. They shoved me to the floor and kicked my head. I did not feel any pain, and I knew Master endured the pain for me. The police from my area arrived and took me back to the local detention center. They pressured me to write things that defamed Dafa and I went on a hunger strike to protest. 

In the end, I was released unconditionally. My family members were all worried about me. They were terrified of the CCP and told me to sign the documents. I told them, “If a person goes against his conscience, gives in to the evil that is suppressing Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, and verbally abuses Master, is he still be fit to be human?”

In 2001, the CCP staged the “Tiananmen Self-Immolation Incident” and my parents were petrified. I immediately realized that the then CCP leader Jiang was trying to defame Dafa and brainwash people against Dafa. I told my parents, “This self-immolation is fake. These people are definitely not Falun Dafa practitioners. Master has said that committing suicide is sinful. Genuine practitioners strive to improve their xinxing and become good people. How could they commit suicide?” Some people realized that this was fake, but many Chinese people did not think for themselves. I thought that I could not let people be poisoned and harmed by the CCP.

As I live in a rural village where I am the only Dafa practitioner and had no equipment to produce truth-clarifying materials, I wrote my thoughts down. Then I went to see another practitioner, and together we visited a friend of hers (who didn’t practice Falun Dafa) and we read our thoughts to her. She immediately understood. I thought that it would be good if we could make fliers and distribute them.

One day, I noticed a Falun Dafa flier on the ground that was torn into pieces. I picked them up and pieced it together. In this way, I had my first truth-clarifying flier. The contents were better than what I wrote, so I used the information on the flier to clarify the truth to people.

Master Protects Me and My Family

My parents, especially my father, understand Dafa. Although he does not practice, he respects Dafa very much and always carries an amulet. My father was hauling sand when the truck slipped and went down into a deep ditch. The body of the truck stood on end and the impact threw my father into the ditch. My father said that his first thought was to feel for the amulet in his pocket and ask Master for help. When he climbed out of the ditch he discovered he was not hurt. My father told me that Dafa’s Master protected him. My father’s sincere respect for Dafa really touched me. He also helps protect the Dafa books and has read them.

Master protected my father again in 2022. He suddenly felt sick and vomited. Because of COVID, the hospital refused to admit him and told him to go to another hospital. By the time I got to that hospital, my father’s condition was poor. I whispered, “Keep reciting ‘Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is good! Master will save you.’” My father nodded.

The next day the doctor said my father was fine and he could be discharged. My father, who is nearly 80 years old, is still healthy and happy. He is grateful to Master for his protection and asked me to express his gratitude to Master in this article. Thank you, Master!

It was snowing one day and I was trying to drive home quickly. When I stepped on the brake, the car spun out. I was terrified and lost control of the car. I closed my eyes and thought that I am a Dafa practitioner—Master would save me. With that, I felt a force raise my car and then it came to a stop. When I opened my eyes, I saw that my car was stuck in a large pothole. I opened the door and looked, and the car was fine. However, I remembered that when I closed my eyes, I clearly heard glass breaking. When I checked, no windows were broken.

I got back into the car and drove home. When I told my coworkers what happened, they were amazed. They said that I must be protected by divine beings. Thank you, Master!

When I was old enough to marry I wanted to form a family with another Dafa practitioner. Master arranged for me to meet a practitioner my age. Most of his family are practitioners. Later, our daughter began practicing Dafa. She is kind and does well in school. Our family cultivates diligently, heeds Master’s teachings and think of ways to save more people.

Although I lost my job due to the persecution, Master arranged an even better work environment for me. The work hours are short and the work is light but with a high pay. I have time to read the Fa and do the three things well. Our family is a small group Fa study and exercise environment and I really cherish it. We remind one another to improve our xinxing and cultivate diligently.