By a practitioner in China　　　

　　I am a 24-year-old man who once lost his way. I was lucky to learn about Falun Dafa when I was released from the forced labor camp last May. I was awakened, convinced, and determined to cultivate myself following the guidance of Falun Dafa. It has been over five months now and I have changed into a completely different person and found my way again.　　

　　I remember at the labor camp, despite the hard work that was imposed on me, my heart remained wild, even though I agreed to be a different person when released. I thought I would not take part in any illegal activities anymore, but, rather, devote myself to making more money and compensating for my lost youth. My brain was full of ideas on how to make a fortune.　　　

　　But my heart was in great pain after I read Master Li's books on Falun Dafa. I regretted all the bad things I did and all the karma that I added to myself daily. I realized that I was going against the fundamental principles of the universe:　 Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. My family and friends were trying to make me a better person, but I did not respond to positive incentives and thought being a bad person would be more beneficial. Consequently, I never wanted to be good. Master Li reveals the reasons why one should be a good person by discussing the universal principles, human nature, moral standards, and the development of human society. It made me realize what kind of a person one wants to become is a crucial issue with respect to whether or not one can improve. I am determined to be a Falun Gong practitioner, to be a good person, to assimilate to Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance, and to return to my true nature.　　

　　The difficulties in cultivation, however, come from many directions. The first conflicts often come from one’s own family. I am a young man, but it was very difficult for me to find work since I am only a middle school graduate and the labor camp sentence did not help either. Nobody in my family liked the fact that I stayed at home and did not work. In addition, I read Master Li's book and also did the exercises at home, which my family members could neither understand nor accept. I was always being berated for no reason. I treated these incidents as obstacles that I had to overcome and opportunities for me to improve my character. I set out to be a good son at home and a good person in society. No matter how badly other people treated me, I always looked into my own heart to find my shortcomings, measured all things using the standards of Dafa, and acted accordingly.　　　

　　After I started cultivation, I volunteered to do all the housework and cultivated my character through studying the Fa. I gradually got rid of many bad habits that I could not previously give up. Nowadays my family is much more pleasant. Even though I still have many things that need to be improved, I have changed a great deal from inside and have become a better person. I am also more energetic.　　

　　There is one more story I would like to share. here was a big flood last year in my hometown in July. My family was remodeling our house, and we had bought some sand and placed it downstairs. After the flood, some people who lived nearby came over, planning to steal the sand. My dad tried to stop them but nobody listened. When I found out, I rushed down to stop them before giving any thought to the matter. Even though the whole thing did not escalate, I did say some bad things such as, "I am not afraid of death" to scare them of. hey all knew my past and did not dare to proceed. I regretted my behavior a great deal after this incident, as my competitive nature was revealed. I realized that I did not pass this test. Of course, I did not yell or hit people like I would have before. If it had been the old me, I would have beaten them up if I was taken advantage of, not to mention stealing sand from my house.　　

　　In the past, people who lived in our building were afraid of me and also hated me. They often rolled their eyes and gave me dirty looks. When I was sent to the labor camp, everybody smiled and felt relieved. When I came back, they all thought that the troublemaker had returned and disasters were going to happen. Their opinions completely changed after I started cultivation in Falun Dafa. Then, during the flood, I voluntarily built a boat and traveled two miles with a few other young men to obtain clean water for everybody to use. he sun was baking hot and the water was cold and dirty. he ground was burning hot and my feet blistered, but I did not complain. I thought, “I am a practitioner of Falun Dafa, and this is something I ought to do.” I also helped people from other buildings move. I swam out to buy food and drinks for everybody. Actions speak louder than words. Everybody complemented me and smiled.　　　

　　Of course, making people treat me nicely was not my intention. Cultivation in Falun Dafa, however, has generated this positive effect. I would not have acted this way if it were not for Falun Dafa. Indeed I have changed. My character has improved. I am more determined to cultivate. No matter what obstacles I encounter in the future, I will use Falun Dafa as my mirror and teacher to discipline myself and upgrade my entire being. I will reach the criteria of a true Falun Dafa practitioner, be a good person, and make positive contributions to society.