(Minghui.org) Leading up to the 20th anniversary of Falun Dafa spreading around the world, I realized that it has been some time since Dafa has been recognized in China. I had the fortune to start practicing Falun Dafa in the fall of 1997.
Everyone who cultivates in Dafa has experienced a lot. Some experiences cannot be summarized in a simple way and I feel that Dafa has been imprinted deeply in every person's heart. When we Dafa disciples gather together, there is no need for words; we know, and we can all feel the strong connection to the people around us, the world, and the universe. Our enlightening to the characteristics of the universe, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” is deep, and strong.
When I first encountered Falun Gong, I didn't realize what this meant. I learned the five exercises, and felt that practicing the fifth exercise was particularly comfortable. When we meditate, we need to do the full lotus position, and close our eyes, but my legs could not fold into full lotus position. When I was doing meditation, my knees were high in the air, about 30 centimeters (~1 foot) from the floor. After four months of practicing, I was able to do the full lotus position, but only for 20 seconds. This was the beginning of my cultivation.
After I discovered the book Zhuan Falun and began to read it, some unbelievable things occurred right after. I found that whenever I held Zhuan Falun, my hands would feel hot. Every time, this warm energy would flow from the book to my hands. This didn't occur when I held other books. Another good memory was when I finished reading Zhuan Falun in three days. When studying the Fa I felt very tranquil, as if everything was so natural. From then on, my heart was clear; I knew I would follow the path of Falun Dafa to cultivate.
Since then I have experienced all kinds of incredible things. For example, when my children were young, every night I read Zhuan Falun for them. My wife found they would go to sleep very well. Sometimes the children had symptoms of fever, stomachache, or diarrhea, but whenever I read Zhuan Falun for them, these symptoms would disappear. After experiencing all this, my xinxing and understanding of Dafa were constantly improving. Cultivating our minds is also the key to cultivating Falun Dafa.
In 1998, I heard that Falun Dafa practitioners were about to hold an experience sharing conference in Geneva, Switzerland. I decided to go. It was my first time attending this type of gathering. I took the night train, and arrived in Geneva around nine o'clock in the morning. Soon I met other practitioners and together we went to the conference location. It was in the Union Building. When we entered the building, we had to pass the security check, so everyone stood together to wait. That scene was very wonderful. So many practitioners dressed up to attend the conference, all radiating a righteous demeanor. It was so striking to see so many kind people together. This large-scale experience sharing conference had over 2,000 practitioners from all over the world attending, and it was all open.
Then a surprisingly happy thing occurred: the Master of Falun Dafa, Mr. Li Hongzhi, showed up. He stepped on the stage with a smile, with both hands pressing together to greet everybody. At that time I felt that Master's gesture was creating a miracle, as everything became more solemn. All of the participants stood up and applauded. When Master was lecturing, practitioners sat quietly and listened. I'd never experienced this kind of scene.
Possibly every Falun Dafa practitioner has thought about this question, “Why do I practice Falun Dafa?” especially right after the CCP's persecution began in 1999. For myself, through cultivating Falun Dafa, I found trust and hope again. I experienced several failures from the age of 23, and my life had lost its way. My life was drifting. Falun Dafa taught me that “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” was the highest principle in the universe. Man must follow this principle and conform to the universe. My heart felt enriched and peaceful.
I realized that everything Master taught me centered around the principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” Once, a college professor invited another practitioner and me to his class to answer questions regarding Zhuan Falun. This class was about China, and the students more or less knew a little about Zhuan Falun, therefore all the questions centered around the principles of Falun Dafa. No one at that time could find any higher principles than “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” They found that everything good in human history was contained in these principles. Furthermore, you could find people practicing Falun Dafa at all ages, all social levels, and various careers.
Eight years ago I was working in a music institute and planned to let my coworker know about Dafa being persecuted in China. Once while we were having a workshop, I distributed a piece of paper among my colleagues which had an introduction to Falun Dafa, and facts about the persecution. A month or two later, my supervisor invited me to attend the next workshop. She said they needed to discuss a controversial issue, and the meeting atmosphere would be peaceful if I were present. I told her that this was because I practiced Falun Dafa. Afterward, this supervisor mentioned my calmness multiple times when talking to me. She said, “I felt Falun Dafa made our working environment better.” This shows that one person practicing Falun Dafa will benefit the surrounding environment.
This year we celebrate 20 years of Falun Dafa spreading to the world. From the facts about the beauty and grandness of Dafa, to the bloody persecution started by the CCP, what we should do is to tell people the truth, and let them position themselves correctly. People should no longer ignore the suffering of innocent people. In my daily life, when I talk about the persecution with other people, they normally take my side and support us, and some have even become my friends. Later when we meet again, both of us are very happy. Recently, while I chatted with somebody on the street near my home, many people said hello to me while passing by. He asked me, “How come you know so many people?” I told him that I met many people because of Falun Dafa and standing together against the persecution.
The above was just a portion of the wonderful things that I've experienced since I have started practicing Falun Dafa. Many enlightening experiences are in my mind, more than I could write down. Here I'd like to wholeheartedly present my respect and appreciation to Master.
