(Minghui.org) Greetings, Respected Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
The folks in my village describe me as a “gold phoenix flying out of a mountainous village.”
I left my home town - a poor remote village over forty years ago. Although I've led a peaceful and affluent life in the city, I often miss my hometown which is 260 miles away. In the early years, I returned there often to take care of my parents and siblings. After I started practicing Falun Gong, I went there to promote Falun Dafa, and over one hundred people in that area started practicing. After the persecution of Falun Dafa began, I've returned there numerous times to clarify the truth to the villagers. I will return again in order to reconnect with former fellow practitioners.
Teacher’s words reminded me,
“Moreover, this Fa is what’s fundamental in the cosmos, so those people who are still unable to
step forward today will be weeded out after this tribulation is over. Many of them are people
who have strong predestined relationships. This is why Master has waited and waited.” (“A Suggestion” from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Teacher said:
“As for those who've gone to the opposite side during this persecution or even done awful things, let me tell you that Master still doesn't want to abandon them.”
and,
“Since I don't acknowledge the old forces' arrangements and I don't acknowledge this persecution...” (“Touring North America to Teach the Fa”)
Teacher also said,
“It is true that Master does not acknowledge the persecution, but things have gotten to where they are today and the persecution has, after all, happened. Besides, there are so many Dafa disciples who have done very well and come through. But as for those who have gone over to the opposite side and written something for the evil, what can we do about the stain? What can we do about those who had earlier benefited from Dafa and then didn't validate the Fa during the persecution? They have to be given a chance, right?” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
It is Teacher’s wish that we find and reconnect with our former practitioners. Every time I returned to my hometown, I visited former practitioners and told them that Teacher was waiting for them to return to Dafa.
Teacher emphasized:
“A while back, some Dafa disciples had not yet stepped forward, so we had to wait and do our best to have them come forth. But the time for this is running out. When I saw students who came out of China, I urged them to tell the students who haven’t stepped forward to quickly do so—to have them quickly find those lost students and spell the facts out for them, for what they otherwise face is a most tragic of ends. Cultivation is no trifling matter. And that’s especially so for Dafa disciples, who shoulder such great historic missions. Bound up in that mission is the survival, the life or death, of simply countless beings. Wouldn’t you call that something major? It’s a huge thing.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching”)
I realized that we must act immediately – speed up and grasp every second to find our former practitioners. This is yet another mission for each Dafa practitioner.
There are over 100 people who once practiced Falun Gong in my hometown. However, due to the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), most of them have given up their practice. Some even stepped onto a deviated path and helped the evil to “brainwash” other practitioners. Some were very determined practitioners at the beginning and went to appeal in Beijing, but were sentenced to forced labor camps as a result. Upon returning home, they gave up their practice and led a large group of people to learn other qigong practices. Some are still practicing Falun Gong but they are very fearful. Most of them only read the book Zhuan Falun, but don't read Master's new articles or Minghui Weekly. They also refused to accept any truth clarification materials, let alone participate in validating Dafa.
What shall we do with so many former practitioners? Each one corresponds to a huge universe. If one came back to Dafa, his corresponding universe will also be saved. On the other hand, if one life is lost, his corresponding universe would be lost. How significant is this issue? This is why Teacher said: “...what they otherwise face is a most tragic of ends.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching”)
We need to find them immediately! Even though the village was far away and the weather was quite hot, nothing stopped me from assisting Teacher and validating the Fa. Before the persecution began, I made several trips to my hometown so that people could learn about Falun Dafa. After the persecution started, some stepped onto a deviated path. Teacher gave me a hint to find them, one by one. Some of them signed the repentance statement while others switched to different qigong practices. I also visited them repeatedly and urged them to return to Dafa, however, I didn’t succeed. Since then, I've thought about them often. They are in a very dangerous situation and yet are not aware of it. I cried for them many times. When I looked inward, I knew that I had loopholes since I'd been arrested over ten times. They have been under tremendous pressure, seeing my experiences. Now, I am very confident because I firmly believe that Teacher and Dafa will open their hearts.
Other practitioners helped prepare enough truth clarification materials for me to take, including copies of the article “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching” by Teacher, and several satellite dishes for receiving the New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV) channel. We had three tasks: The first was to install the satellite dishes so that people could watch NTDTV and learn the truth about Falun Gong. The second was to distribute materials, clarify the truth and ask people to withdraw from the CCP and affiliated organizations in the local supermarket. The third task was to reconnect and “wake up” our former practitioners.
I went to visit a former assistant and his family. I said, “Brother and sister, you went to Beijing to validate Dafa years ago. Teacher has never abandoned you and wrote many articles asking you to come back…” We studied the article “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching” together. They said, “These are Teacher’s words. Please leave the article with us.” So I left three copies. They had changed to practicing another form of Qigong, so I asked before I left, “How many people have followed you to practice another qigong?” They replied, “Over one hundred.” My tears streamed down. What tremendous karma they had committed! What will happen to all those lives?
The practitioners who installed the dishes were on a tight schedule, so we had to return home soon. With Teacher’s protection, we accomplished the three tasks smoothly. Although the former practitioners have not returned to Dafa yet, we laid a good foundation for our future work.
The evil feared that people came to learn the truth, and subsequently escalated the persecution against practitioners who installed the NTDTV dish network. Nearly 100 practitioners in our area were arrested and their satellite dishes were removed. In my hometown, all the dishes were taken down and the police traced the source of the network. The environment suddenly became very harsh. However, there were still so many former practitioners who needed me. The practitioners in my current city didn’t want me to go there, and practitioners in my hometown also didn’t want me to come back. They told me that the evil forces were searching everywhere for me. What should I do? Should I wait until the environment becomes better? The persecution has been ongoing for 13 years. Haven’t we persistently walked our path while under pressure? Teacher must be worried about those who fell behind. Teacher has been waiting. How can I simply stay at home? I am a Dafa practitioner in the Fa-rectification period. I have Teacher and Dafa in my heart. It is the most righteous thing in the universe to assist Teacher to validate the Fa and save sentient beings. No being could have a reason to persecute me, so I adjusted my thoughts and decided to take a trip to my hometown.
Seeing that I was so determined, fellow practitioners prepared many truth-clarification materials and DVDs for me. In order to “wake up” our former practitioners, we also printed many copies of the experience-sharing article “What I Saw While in Sitting Meditation – The Status of Those Who Betrayed Dafa.” We prepared copies of Teacher’s articles “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching” and “2012 International Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital.” I knew that the Fa was most powerful.
Before I left, I said to Teacher, “Teacher, please support me and put a cover over me so that the evil can’t see me. Please let all predestined people and our former practitioners come to me. I must accomplish the mission of saving sentient beings and waking up former practitioners.”
Practitioners helped me to transport several bags of materials to the bus. It took several hours for the bus to travel over 200 miles. I then needed to take another small bus. When I finally arrived at the destination, I visited former practitioners one by one. There is typically only one village every two or three miles in the rural area. Their homes were scattered around 50 or 60 miles. I can’t recall how many times I needed to take a bus or taxi. Along the way, I clarified the facts about Falun Gong to the people I met and asked them to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. They all gladly accepted materials. One time when in a minivan, I clarified the truth and gave the materials to the people who sat in front. Passengers behind him had been listening, and stood up and asked for the materials. The materials were passed from person to person, from front to back. The scene was very peaceful and moving.
I visited one practitioner’s home and first spoke to them about the persecution and practitioners' worldwide efforts to uphold the truth. We then studied Teacher’s article “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching.” I told them that Teacher has always been waiting for them to return to Dafa, and they were very touched. One former practitioner took out the well-wrapped Dafa books from the cabinet and said, “I have kept these books for many years. I knew that they were precious.” He promised that he would resume practicing the exercises and studying the Fa.
An elderly woman who was illiterate said, “In the past, I would listen while others read the Fa, but we no longer have a Fa study group and I can’t listen to the Fa anymore.” I then got Teacher’s Fa lecture tape recordings from my cousin and gave them to her. She said happily, “I am saved.”
At noon, I visited another former practitioner. There was no one home and the door was half open. I had to wait under the hot sun. I was saddened to see the quiet house - it used to be so busy. On Fa study nights, the house was filled with people. How many people were harmed by the CCP's persecution?
Another couple no longer lived in the village. They happened to come back to have some dental work done and planned on staying for only four days. I went to their home the afternoon before they left. They were very moved. Teacher arranged this encounter. They took Teacher’s articles and the truth-clarification materials, and told me that they would read them carefully.
On my way to another village, I came across another practitioner. This was truly a meticulous arrangement, since I would never have found him if we hadn't met there. He recognized me first, “Big sister, you still look so young. Come to my home and chat?” I went to his home and told him the truth about the persecution. His whole family also withdrew from the CCP's organizations. He then led me to another practitioner’s home. We shared our experiences and studied Teacher’s article together. They promised to return to Dafa and set a good example for the villagers. How miraculous! The whole village would have been left out if I hadn't met him. Thank you, Teacher!
One practitioner only read the book Zhuan Falun and refused any new articles. She is currently a dignified practitioner who is doing well in all aspects of cultivation including studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, sending righteous thoughts, reading Minghui Weekly and clarifying the truth. She requested the truth clarification materials often, and actively spread the truth to others.
I went to the assistant’s home again. He said, “I've already had other people read Teacher’s new article “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching.” I told them that you'd come to visit, and that Teacher has been waiting for us to return to Dafa.” I was truly happy for him. We studied the article “2012 International Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital” and several experience sharing articles by other practitioners regarding truth clarification. After reading the article “What I Saw While in Sitting Meditation – The Status of Those Who Betrayed Dafa” (parts I and II), he and his wife were shocked. They both cried and expressed regret from the bottom of their hearts. I asked them to reconnect with other former practitioners. They both replied, “Yes, we will. We will.” They asked for a large set of materials to give to the ones they'd led to another qigong practice.
During those four days, I travelled 50 to 60 miles in the countryside. I crossed streams and rivers. The travel was easier during the daytime, but it was truly difficult at night because it was so dark. I crossed the corn fields in the dark and was blocked by a river. The rainfall increased this year and I didn’t know how deep it was. What shall I do? There were many practitioners on the other side of the river. I asked Teacher for help from the bottom of my heart. I must cross the river. With shoes in my hands and two bags of materials on my back, I crossed the river. This was unimaginable - I didn't dare to walk in the dark when I was young - but was able to cross a river in the dark at the age of seventy. Dafa is truly omnipotent!
During those four days, I was too busy to eat, and the effort was truly arduous. One night at around 10 p.m., I went to my mother’s home to visit her. Unexpectedly, she was frightened to see me, “Why did you come back? Go! Go!” She had witnessed me being arrested many times and was truly frightened. The whole village was a bit nervous due to the satellite dish network installation. Thus, my mother, brother and sister-in-law didn’t dare to keep me for even one night, and drove me out in the middle of the night.
Four days later, I returned home safely. I knelt down in front of Teacher’s portrait to thank Him for His protection. I found and reconnected with many former practitioners without difficulty. I will continue to work hard to assist Teacher to validate Dafa and fulfill my prehistoric vows.
Thank you Teacher!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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