(Minghui.org) I am a retired woman in my 60’s. In 1997, I began to experience a number of health issues and was diagnosed with hyperostosis, gallstones and kidney problems. I constantly had an upset stomach and vomited a lot. On the day I retired, I walked to the retirement office. The 500 meter trip took me more than an hour, and I was exhausted. One day in May 1999, I had a very lucid dream: In a heavy downpour, I struggled on a muddy and rocky pavement, enduring pain and hardship every step. Suddenly I raised my head and saw a huge golden Buddha sitting in the sky. I was so stunned that I woke up right away. At that moment, I knew I would begin to enter a Buddhist cultivation practice.
Before long, a friend told me about Falun Gong. After searching for three days, I found a practice site. A volunteer coordinator taught me the exercises, and I acquired a copy of Zhuan Falun. When I was learning the exercises, I was constantly in tears. Three days after I began to practice Falun Gong, I saw Master cleansing my body and all my energy channels were opened. Seven days later, my stomach trouble disappeared, and I could eat a variety of foods without trouble. I felt very energized and relaxed. In the first three years of my cultivation, all my periods came with dark bloody clots. I felt much younger and was so excited that I had finally found a true cultivation path.
Clarifying the Truth; Overcoming Sleepiness while Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts
Two months after I began to practice, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned Falun Gong, and the brutal persecution ensued. On July 22, 1999, I joined other practitioners on a trip to the provincial capital to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. The police stopped us half way and sent us back. At home, we could no longer practice openly; the police were monitoring the coordinators. I began to study the Fa and practice at home every day. I was determined to follow Master’s teachings and never give up.
When Minghui.org published an article telling practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts, I began to do this on a daily basis, but I had trouble doing it at midnight because of sleepiness. I knew this was not right, but just could not overcome it.
In 2002, Master published a short poem “Hurry Up and Tell Them.” I decided to tell people the facts about Falun Gong. In the beginning, I was very nervous, and could not finish my own sentences. I started to jog in the morning, and used the time to clarify the truth to people. I started at 4 a.m. every day. When I saw other joggers, I told them about the benefits of Dafa and amazing stories. When people asked me for directions on the street, I would walk with them for a while and tell them about Falun Gong. Most people believed me. After that, I was no longer sleepy at midnight.
Happy to Save More People
After the Epoch Times published Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in 2004, I realized that I must go out and help save people no matter where I went. Every day I sent forth righteous thoughts and asked Master to give me power and wisdom before I went out.
One day while I walked on a street, a motorcycle helmet rolled toward my feet. I picked it up and saw a man with a motorcycle and realized that Master had sent this man to me. I walked up to him and handed him the helmet. Before he left, I quipped: “Your helmet is beautiful, and your bike looks expensive. You must be an official, right?” “How do you know that? I do have some responsibilities,” he replied. “Then you are a Party member, right?” “Of course,” the man said. I went on: “The CCP has killed over 80 million people, including many high ranking officials. The Party is a murderer.” He nodded and I continued: “It has done so many bad things, and God will not let it off the hook. You are a part of the Party. When the judgment comes, its members will be punished. You must quit the party to escape that fate. You will be rewarded for doing that.” He smiled and was not ready to leave. I also told him the truth about the staged Tiananmen Self-immolation incident, and reminded him to remember, “Falun Dafa is good, and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” He was grateful: “You know so much. You must be a teacher, right? Thank you so much.”
One of my grandsons was a Communist Youth League secretary, and he had recruited many children into the League. When I returned to my home village, I told him about Falun Gong. He said he knew, because a young Falun Gong practitioner from his school had clarified the truth to him several times. He also had read some truth-clarification materials. But he was still not sure he wanted to quit his membership. I handed him a brand new MP3 with a file of Master’s lecture. He immediately listened to the lecture and suddenly said: “Grandma, my mind feels sharp, and my eyes feel clear now. In the past my brain was fuzzy and I had trouble with my vision. Dafa is great. I will listen to you Granny. I denounce my memberships from the Youth League and the Young Pioneers.”
At the dinner table, he sat next to me and said: “Granny, your skin looks so good. I believe in Falun Dafa because of you.” He began to write a statement to withdraw from his memberships. He also expressed remorse for his activities in the past, and said he would resign from his post of League secretary. His step-mother, however, was not very happy: “If you step down from that job, you will lose your scholarship. That’s a few thousand yuan per year. If you ask your dad for that money and he beats you, I will not back you up.” I immediately began to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil elements influencing them. I told his father the facts for a while, and he agreed to withdraw his membership from the Party. Finally my grandson’s step-mother also agreed to quit. I felt very grateful for Master’s compassion.
Before I left, I gave my grandson a card that contained a Dafa message. But he asked to have all the cards, and promised he would convince all other League members in his class to quit. He said he would give a card to each classmate. He also said he would remove all the smear campaign papers against Falun Gong from the school’s bulletin board. He also wanted to learn the Dafa exercises and said he would practice in his dormitory with other classmates. I advised him to spend more time with other practitioners and begin to study Dafa in earnest.
Looking Inside for Issues; Resolving Grievances
My younger daughter got married in 2005. Her husband was an only child living with his mother. He was not a polite person and lacked the basic respect for older generations. His mother had a nasty temper. She was not satisfied after taking all my daughter’s money and sent her son to me for more money.
After my daughter gave birth, she was resting at home. Since the new mother and baby must avoid the cold draft, my daughter closed the windows. When her husband and mother in law came back in the evening, they both complained it was too hot and opened all the windows and doors. They showed no concern for my daughter’s well-being. I was very upset, and returned home angry. Shortly after that, I began to read Zhuan Falun. Gradually, I felt more at peace, but I still felt resentful.
One day during meditation, the angry face of my son-in-law appeared. Shortly after that, his face changed into that of my late husband’s. I felt weird, because my husband had been dead for years. Suddenly I realized that Master was giving me a hint: Despite his death, I had not resolved my attachment to resenting him, and had not paid off my karmic debt to him. Since these are the things I needed to relinquish, they manifested in my son in law’s attitude.
I began soul searching and also found my attachment to money. I also had fear. Master told us in “Realms” from Essentials for Further Advancement:
"A wicked person is born of jealousy.
Out of selfishness and anger he complains about unfairness towards himself.
A benevolent person always has a heart of compassion.
With no discontentment or hatred, he takes hardship as joy.”
Reflecting on this teaching, I found many evil elements in my thoughts; they were not my true self. The real me consists of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I became determined to seek to resolve these issues with compassion. I had to eliminate the evil elements influencing my son-in-law and his mother.
I began to care for their well-being. When visiting them, I always brought something nice. I often cooked meals for them. Slowly, they began to smile and told me they admired my good health.
I noticed the changes. A few days ago, my daughter and her husband came back from a vacation and gave me a pair of shoes as a gift.
After I began to look inside for my attachments, things around me changed accordingly. This experience illustrated that “looking inside” is a precious gift from Master, and it is the ultimate truth. Master has done so much for us. I will redouble my effort in cultivation and earn Master’s compassion.
Please correct me if there is anything inappropriate.
