(Clearwisdom.net) Master came to Guizhou Province to teach the Fa in 1993. Before he started, many people who practiced qigong had heard about Falun Gong; and they were attracted to it and convinced of its teachings. Even though there were no advertisements or posters, many people registered for the first session in Guiyang City. Those who had already benefited from the practice spread the word about the wonders of practicing Falun Gong. As a result, some companies hired buses to transport their employees to the classes. Master visited Guizhou four times to teach the Fa, and also held a conference for the local assistants. Looking back at these precious moments, many who attended Master's lectures become emotional and tearful.
Master Li Teaching the Fa in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China (June 1993)
Many people in China would like to know what Master Li is like in person. Why is he deeply respected by millions of practitioners? How are Master Li and Falun Gong different from the rumors fabricated by the communist regime? The following are factual and personal experiences from several practitioners.
Practitioner A: Falun Gong classes were the least expensive among the qigong practices in China
Falun Gong sessions were the least expensive of the qigong practices in China. Each session cost 40 yuan, and 20 yuan to attend the session for the second time. Master did not teach the classes to make a profit. During the time that Master taught the Fa in Guiyang, he lived a very simple life. He washed his clothes each evening so that he could wear them the next day. When he first arrived Guiyang, the local host offered Master a per diem of 10 yuan each day, and nothing for his assistants. Master kindly declined the offer and arranged everything himself. He stayed in the same place as the assistants and shared meals with them. As he walked back to the hotel after finishing a day's lecture, he often ran into practitioners. Sometimes they would ask questions, take photos with Master, or ask for Master's autograph. Master would always agree with a smile.
One time when Master came to Guiyang to teach a session, the local host agreed to take 60% of the proceeds and let Master keep 40%. Later the host decided to take almost all the fees collected for the classes, and left almost nothing for Master. Thus, Master could barely pay for room and board and did not have the money to buy a train ticket to return to Beijing. Practitioners were upset about this, but Master laughed it off magnanimously. The third session was held in the Guizhou Provincial Government Auditorium. There were so many attending that people were standing outside of the auditorium. Seeing the great number of people there, the agency wanted to increase the rental fee for the auditorium. Master kindly explained that someone had suggested raising fees in previous sessions, but his purpose was to offer salvation to people, not to create financial difficulties for them. Because the fees were not increased, the agency did many outrageous things. Master was very tolerant and ignored them, and then moved the class to the Youth Activity Center. The session was later concluded at the Technology Exhibition Hall.
Practitioner B: Master practiced what he preached
By the time I reached middle age, I had several different kinds of health problems. In 1987, when I heard that qigong can improve one's health, I began to learn various types of qigong practices. It was not until 1993 that I encountered the most upright practice – Falun Gong. In May 1993, Master Li accepted Guizhou Qigong Association's invitation to teach Falun Gong in Guiyang. We heard about Falun Gong's first session in Guiyang when my brother and I went to Guizhou Qigong News Office to pick up a book. We decided to register, and were among those who attended the first session in Guizhou. There were about two to three hundred people in that session. I remember very well that Master said a practitioner must cultivate one's moral character and place importance in one's virtue; a practitioner must not hit back when hit and not curse back when cursed by another. I have learned many qigong practices and Falun Gong is the most upright.
Master did not use any notes when he lectured. He spoke clearly and his lectures flowed smoothly. Dafa's principles are powerful and touched practitioners' hearts. Master taught the class according to the situations of the students. He often changed his method of teaching and used simple and easy to understand language to explain the profound Fa principles. On August 15, 1993, I attended the third session in Guizhou. In 1994 I traveled to Chengdu City to listen to Master's lectures there.
Master is an honest and upright person. He lived a simple life, and when he traveled, he stayed at inexpensive hotels, not luxury hotels. When Master taught in Chengdu, although his lodging was not close to the lecture hall, I always saw him walk to the class. Unlike other qigong masters, Master was not ostentatious nor did he have an air of superiority. He was not picky about food and ate whatever was available. He ate noodles and rice, and would stop for steamed buns along the way rather than stop in a restaurant for a full meal. Master was not wasteful. When he had a meal with practitioners, he often finished up the leftovers so the food would not be wasted. After the meal, he would even finish the leftover condiments for the meal, such as hot sauce and soybean sauce. Master wore an old white shirt, but it was always clean. He exuded an air of righteousness and practiced what he preached. He set a personal example and was very approachable, always putting others before himself. Whenever practitioners wanted to take him back to the hotel, Master always kindly replied, “I'm fine. Please go home.” After attending several sessions, my heart was filled with excitement, joy, and emotion. I wanted to cry but could not. I had a feeling that I had met up with Master again after many long, drawn out years of being apart. Master is not any ordinary qigong master. Deep down I knew why Master is here, but was not able to describe it. Since then, I have come to understand the meaning of life and what it means to return to one's true self. I have been able to rectify the direction of my life, and let go of the pursuit of fame and profit.
Practitioner C: I had to be carried into the lecture hall, but I was able to walk out of it!
Practitioner C reported tearfully, “Before the practice, I was ill for a long time. I was bedridden year round and was a burden to my family. When I found out that Master was giving classes in Guiyang, I wanted to do whatever it took to get to go. 'Having heard the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening.' That was the only wish I had before I died. My family carried me into the lecture hall. When Master cleansed our bodies, I immediately felt cold air leaving the soles of my feet, and my body felt warm. After cleansing my body, Master said, “Relax, get up and walk!” I felt nervous but Master told me to not be afraid and to begin to walk. So I got up and began to walk. The encouraging applause from the people in the lecture hall made me cry. At the same time, my celestial eye was open and I saw magical things in other dimensions. Since then, my children and grandchildren have all come to believe in Master and the Fa. Regardless of the circumstances around us and no matter how serious the persecution is, none of that can change our steadfast cultivation practice in Dafa.”
Practitioner D: We arrived safely on only three wheels
Many miraculous things took place when Master came to teach the Fa in Guizhou Province. One day, a bus full of people came from Zunyi. They were in such a hurry that no one noticed a wheel was missing until they arrived and got off the bus. People were shocked that the vehicle was running on only three wheels. Once they understood that Master was protecting them, they were grateful and cried. Under Master's protection, many dangerous situations were averted and there are countless stories like this among Dafa practitioners.
Practitioner E: Falun Dafa changed our lives
I was very fortunate to have attended the third session in Guiyang in 1993 and the lectures given by Master in Chengdu in 1994. The third session in Guiyang lasted ten days, and about 1,400 participants were present. During the first few days, everyone tried to get front row seats and some even saved several seats for their friends. Master lectured on the Fa and explained the profound principles of the cosmos, which quickly touched practitioners' heart and awakened them to their shortcomings. Many began to understand how to be a good person and changed their views about life. After a few days it was no longer important to struggle to get front row seats.
Hepatitis B runs in my family. I have four siblings, and three of them did not live past the age of 35. My younger brother also has hepatitis B, and the doctor said that he was not going to live very much longer. To our surprise, Falun Gong completely changed our lives. Master cleansed practitioners' bodies in each session. During the class, Master asked us to stand up and to think about the location of the illness in each person or in their relatives. Master then yelled, “One, two, three,” and everyone stomped their feet, and our illnesses were eliminated. I participated in several sessions, and each time I thought about the various diseases that my family and I had. Master cleansed our bodies many times.
On my way home from the classroom, I felt a large hand pulling out a big lump from my liver, and I no longer had liver disease. Once I began to practice Falun Gong, all my illnesses were gone, and I knew Master was continuously cleansing my body. After attending the session in 1993, I became a healthy person. I no longer took medication nor did I go to the doctor, saving myself and the nation a large sum on medical bills. My brother, who had been given only days left to live, miraculously survived too. His doctor said, “You are living longer than you are supposed to. With your physical condition, you should have died a long time ago.”
The teachings of Falun Gong have enabled practitioners to raise their moral values, improve their health, and benefit the people and the nation. In 1999, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong and its practitioners, I was sent to the forced labor camp and brainwashing center. In the face of this evil repression and during the most difficult moments of my life, my family was very supportive of me. They protected me as well as my Falun Gong books and materials. They bravely stood up with me against the unprecedented bloody persecution.
Practitioner F: Witnessing miracles during the Oriental Health Expo
During the Oriental Health Expo in 1992 and 1993, I witnessed Master eliminating all kinds of incurable diseases from people. Master emitted very potent and effective gong. No matter how serious or long the person had suffered from the illnesses, including terminal and chronic diseases, Master was able to eliminate them immediately with a wave of the hand. Many people who came to seek treatment from Master suffered from terminal illnesses that doctors could do nothing about. These people were bedridden and were a burden to their family. During the Health Expo, I saw them being carried on a stretcher or sitting in a wheelchair. Some were piggy backed or held by others. Master drew a few circles with his hands, stamped his feet a few times, and the patient was miraculously cured, or was able to stand up and walk out of the expo. One was an old lady that came on a stretcher. Master asked her to stand up and put her hands on his hands. Master backed up a few steps and asked her to walk forward. The old lady said she was paralyzed for eights years and could not walk. Master asked her again to walk, and the old lady began to walk, faster and faster. She then ran two laps around the arena. Those who saw what happened became emotional, and many began to cry. The old lady broke into tears. Her family was so excited that they knelt in front of Master and called him a living Buddha.
During the 1993 Health Expo, Master gave an academic speech about Falun Gong. The organizing committee originally scheduled two sessions, but they could not accommodate everyone, so a third session was arranged. All three sessions were so full that there were people sitting on the walkway and rails.
The audience applauded loudly and for a long time after listening to Master's speech. After Master finished the speech, a terminally ill resident of the Beidaihe Convalescent Home walked to the podium. He screamed and jumped happily, “My illness is gone! My illness is gone!” He thanked Master for saving his life.
Master donated all the proceeds from the speech to the Good Samaritan Foundation. This told me that Master has a noble character and a magnanimous, selfless heart. I can find no words to adequately describe his deeds. No matter how hard Jiang's regime tries to defame and slander Master and Falun Gong, as long as people learn the facts, the rumors and lies won't stand. This explains why Jiang and his group are so afraid of people finding out the truth.
There are many wonderful stories from every session taught by Master. This is one of the reasons Falun Gong attracted millions of people in China and around the world in such a short period of time. Every practitioner who benefited from the practice can be a witness. No matter how hard the CCP and Jiang's regime discredit Falun Gong, Falun Gong's glory will never be affected by their lies.
In response to the invitations by the Chinese government's Qigong Science Research Society, Master Li taught fifty-four sessions from May 13, 1992 to December 21, 1994. Each session lasted about ten days. Tens of thousands of people attended. From December 21-28, 1994, Teacher taught the fifth session in Guangzhou City to a gathering of between five to six thousand people. That was the last session held in China. After concluding his teachings in China, Master left for Hong Kong and began to lecture overseas.
