(Clearwisdom.net) My older sister gave me two Falun Gong books and encouraged me to read them. She often took me with her to small group sharing or experience-sharing conferences. After a period of time, I began practicing Falun Gong. In one of the books, Teacher said,
"When one person obtains the Fa, the whole family will benefit." ("Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Jinan" from Zhuan Falun Fajie)
I thought that this would be very good for me, and that my family would also benefit from my Falun Gong practice. As a matter of fact, the following days' events demonstrated this.
The Whole Family Benefits
My father is a humble man, and my mother suffered from mental illness after I was born. I learned from my neighbors that she suffered a lot throughout these years. She wore summer clothes during the winter, and looked for food in the garbage bin. She was beaten and verbally abused. My younger brother suffered from a mental disorder. My older sister took care of all the housework. She is honest and simple.
I grew up in a family where no one taught me anything and there was no mother's love, so I followed society's trends and spent my time and money on clothes, drinking and food. I had a strong sense of vanity and jealousy, and was self-centered. Sometimes, I'd go to play cards or dance, and acquired some bad habits. I tried very hard to get away from such an environment, so I hurriedly got married at the age of eighteen. Originally, I thought that marriage would bring me happiness, however, my life became even worse. I had fallen into a living hell and was miserable.
My husband was an alcoholic. Every time he returned home, day or night, he would get me up. He would then punch and kick me until I was covered with bruises. He dragged me out of bed, even at night. Later after I had a child, he beat the child while he was beating me. He never took care of the family. He treated me well when he was sober. I cried all the time, and regretted marrying a man like that. I always complained about my fate, and thought that life was unfair. During my fourteen years of marriage, we fought all the time, and I was beaten numerous times.
One month after I began practicing Falun Gong, my husband wanted to beat me again after he'd been drinking. The telephone rang at that very moment. When he picked up the phone, Teacher's Fa came to me. I instantly begged Teacher to help me. I had only one thought, which was to leave home immediately. I stayed at my sister's home that night. Since that day, my husband never beat me again.
My mother also benefited from my practice. She suddenly became aware of when to come back home and change into clean clothes and tidy herself. She also became a real mother, washing clothes, cooking meals, doing the shopping and having normal conversations with neighbors.
Everyone who knew my mother said to me, "How did your mother turn into a new person? She was insane for the last 30 years. How could she recover, especially at her age?" I shared that I believed that she benefited because I practiced Falun Gong. When they heard this, many of our neighbors began to read the Falun Dafa books.
I cultivated according to Teacher's words, and the standards set for cultivators. I tried to be a person with high moral standards that was helpful to others. My husband verbally abused me often, but I never gave any thought to that, and became cheerful as well. Once my daughter observed these changes in me, she also began practicing Falun Gong.
Prior to becoming a practitioner, I didn't know how to educate my daughter, and never spoke to her in a kind manner. After I started practicing, I taught her the moral standards of a true human being. This included being respectful to teachers at school, not arguing with classmates, and actually helping those classmates who were having problems. I never pressured her, and didn't push her to score the highest on her examinations like the other parents did. I explained that it was alright if she tried her best, and that Dafa would open her wisdom. She then indicated to me that she wanted to practice Falun Gong, and is now a practitioner.
I felt grateful witnessing the great changes to my family. The more I practiced, the more I wanted to practice, nor could any obstacles obstruct me. Someone said, "Everyone else is pursuing wealth, and you're still young. Why do you practice Falun Gong?" I told them about the great changes in my family after I started practicing Falun Dafa.
My husband also benefited. One day while he was working with some tools, a metal cylinder from a crane fell on him. He was knocked to the side with such force that he looked like a feather in the air. The metal cylinder fell on the spot where he was working. His colleagues were all quite scared at the time. When he returned home, he said, "It's very good that you practice Falun Gong. It's certain that divine beings protected me. Please do a good job in your cultivation." His factory manager and colleagues were amazed by what had happened, and understood that Falun Dafa was good! They saw my husband float to the side. How can an average person float in the air? I went to his factory to visit him, and his colleagues told me that my husband often praised me, saying that Falun Gong was really wonderful.
Teacher taught me everything, and changed me from a narrow-minded person who cared only about personal gains and losses, into a practitioner who was willing to put other people's interests first and was always self-disciplined. Therefore, my level was upgraded.
In the past, I would retreat when faced with difficulties, so I never stayed in a job very long. After learning Falun Dafa, I was able to face difficulties by bearing in mind Teacher's Fa:
"When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible." (from Zhuan Falun)
Therefore, I stuck to my practice. Dafa gave me strength and helped me to learn the responsibilities of a human being. Now I do everything this way, from start to finish.
Now, I don't have an inferiority complex and I'm not jealous about others' living conditions and beautiful clothing. My vanity disappeared, and I can face all kinds of difficulties directly. Dafa helped me to gradually develop my own judgment and endurance, including the capability to support the family. My husband treated me badly in the past, so I wanted to divorce him. After practicing Falun Gong, I still wanted to divorce him. However, Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, that no one should seek divorce because of practicing Falun Gong. Teacher saved my family. Gradually, our family became harmonious. I really wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, "I am the luckiest person in the world!"
Standing Up Against the Persecution and Clarifying the Truth
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, local police came to ransack my home and demand that I stop practicing Falun Gong. The officers said that this news was broadcast on television. I was devastated. Why couldn't people practice such a good exercise? The police deceived my sister and me into going to the police station, but were then held at a detention center for about ten months. My family suffered greatly after we were taken away. My sister and I represented typical cases. We were dragged outside the detention center and photographed, videotaped and paraded in the street, then criticized at public denunciation meetings. I didn't do anything wrong. My words and deeds didn't break any laws in the country, nor did I bring any danger or harm to the country and people. These events made me more sober-minded, and I came to understand that evil can never triumph over good. With renewed confidence, I knew that upholding my belief in Falun Dafa was the right thing to do.
In the days that followed, the police who were violent towards us, the inmates, and non-practitioners were moved by our sincerity and kindness. Many of them said that Falun Dafa was good. They knew that it wasn't like what was described on television. The police asked me why I wanted to practice. I replied that the exercises were good and the practitioners were good people. They would never argue or fight with others. They treated others kindly, since they'd let go of their bad tempers. I told them that practitioners were all open and honest, and never covered up anything. Since practitioners believe that everything has a predestined relationship, they don't harbor grievances towards those who mistreat them.
Over the decades, nothing changed me -- but Falun Dafa did change me for the better and broadened my mind. Wherever I went, I spoke compassionately. Others felt the true compassion from my heart. I didn't seek repayment for treating other people well, so they all respected me from the bottom of their hearts. Dafa changed my life. How could they ask me to stop practicing Falun Gong? Wouldn't that mean taking away my life?
I described my experiences in detail to the police and they were all affected. When I was among the inmates, they all liked to hear anything related to Falun Gong. At that time, people in China heard only one perspective, which was all negative propaganda. I explained that many people practiced Falun Gong. Couldn't they judge good from bad, or weren't they able to think for themselves? I said that, in the past whenever I had money, I spent it on clothing and only cared about my appearance, and not my family's livelihood. However, after practicing Falun Gong, my health had improved substantially, and my moral standards were raised. I paid less attention to my outer appearance, but rather focused on how to treat others well. Furthermore, my bad temper was gone, and I became more benevolent and serene. I talked to them about how to be a good person. People receive blessings only by becoming good, therefore when one's wishes are good they are naturally fulfilled. Many of the inmates said that they liked listening to me.
I was released after being held at the detention center for ten months. I was detained a few times later on, but I never gave in or wavered in my determination. Sometimes the fear mentality would arise. However, by studying the Falun Dafa teachings more deeply and spending more time distributing the truth-clarification materials with fellow practitioners, the fear mentality diminished and my righteous thoughts became stronger.
I set up a Fa study group with the help of another practitioner, and benefited greatly from it. Whenever I had some worries or tests that I was unable to pass, I shared them with fellow practitioners. They helped point out my shortcomings and encouraged me to do well. I felt that this was so good.
One day, a practitioner told me that the police were hiding outside her home, so she wanted to stay with me for a few days. I thanked her for her trust and agreed to let her stay. She was touched. We shared from the perspective of the Fa, and I asked her not to be afraid, since we didn't do anything wrong. Some practitioners told me, that if the police came, then it was time for us to clarify the truth to them. The people from the neighborhood committee came a few times. After clarifying the truth to them and after they understood the truth, they stopped coming. After I shared this example, her fear mentality disappeared and she went home nobly and righteously. In the days that followed, she came to the Fa study at my place every time, regardless of the weather conditions.
Another practitioner was bedridden for two years and couldn't move her limbs. Her health improved after she attended Fa study. Her complexion cleared, and she began to move her arms and legs a little. Practitioners helped her with her daily needs, shared their understanding of the Fa with her, and encouraged her. Not long after, she was able to stand, and joined us in clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings.
This sharing is actually a very small part of my cultivation over the past twelve or so years. This is all that I can express in language, yet there are many other things that I can't express in words. Teacher cherishes us and always gives us opportunities -- no matter what mistakes we make, and hopes that we can improve. He never wants to abandon us. No words can express my gratitude to Teacher. I can only repay Teacher's mercy and efforts to save us by redoubling my diligence and doing well in the things a Dafa disciple should do.
