(Minghui.org) I learned about Falun Dafa at the end of 1999 when I read Zhuan Falun to my mom. She wanted to practice cultivation but was illiterate.
I was 21 then. Dafa's profound principles amazed me. Because my mind was filled with modern science and atheism, I couldn’t take the step of becoming a Dafa practitioner back then. I thought I could just follow Dafa’s principles and become a good person.
Reflecting on the Persecution
My mom and aunt were arrested in February 2002 and later sentenced to six years in Jinan Women's Prison. Our home was ransacked. Many other practitioners in our town were arrested at the same time.
Though I was learning Falun Dafa at the time, I didn't have a good understanding about the Fa, so I was at a loss when the disaster hit.
I looked up into the sky and asked myself, “Do gods really exist? Why is such a horrible persecution happening?”
A voice echoed in my heart, “I should believe in Dafa and follow Master's words at all times. Dafa is the most righteous.”
I was taken to the brainwashing center in 2003. It was a residential location and had a big courtyard.
The person in charge said, “I know Falun Gong is good. You are all good people. My younger brother is a policeman. Everyone in our family stops him from arresting Falun Gong practitioners.”
My Family Suffers
During these years of persecution, numerous Dafa practitioners suffered brutal torture and their families were broken. My family also suffered tremendous pain.
My father missed my imprisoned mom so much that he indulged in excessive drinking. One time he hysterically shouted in the street, “Master Li was able to benefit so many practitioners by spreading Falun Gong in only a few years. Who else could do it?!” He later died in a car accident after drinking heavily.
My grandmother was imprisoned too for having two daughters that are Falun Gong practitioners. She passed away in sorrow and anger.
It felt as if the world was crashing down all around me. Police confiscated all our Dafa books. I lost the cultivation environment. I soon went back to being an ordinary person. On two occasions I showed symptoms of a serious illness. Things seemed hopeless.
Resuming Cultivation
I was still in low spirits when my mom was released from prison. She was very sad after seeing me and constantly encouraged me to resume cultivation.
It took six months before I finally let go of my fear and decided to practice Falun Dafa. As soon as I made that decision, I seemed to enter another dimension. I burst into tears the moment I turned on the audio of Master's Fa lectures. I realized that Master still recognized such a disappointing disciple!
Guiding People to Learn Dafa
I started telling people about Falun Dafa at the factory where I worked in 2010.
One colleague named Xiaoli had a lump on her breast. She tried so many treatments, but nothing worked. I told her many true stories of practitioners who recovered from serious illnesses.
As it was my first time telling people the facts about Falun Dafa, I made a point of adjusting my mentality and identifying my attachments whenever I noticed her confusion. Gradually she changed her way of thinking.
I persuaded her to give cultivation a try. “The hospital couldn't cure the root of your illness,” I said to her. “Why not read Zhuan Falun? If you like it, continue reading it. If you don’t, just return it to me. You will not lose anything. It’s just like a pear: How would you know if it is sweet or sour if you don’t taste it?”
Finally, Xiaoli showed some interest. “Please get a copy of Zhuan Falun for me.”
She shared her thoughts with me every day at work after she read the book. “Wow! Everything in the book is teaching us how to become good people. I like that.”
Her lump disappeared before she finished reading the book.
Xiaoli then asked me to get another book for her mom. I went with Xiaoli to her mom's home. I told her mother the facts about Falun Dafa and taught her the five exercises.
“My daughter told me the good news about her condition,” she said to me. “I will practice Falun Dafa. From now on I will follow Master Li's words with all my heart.”
Xiaofang was another colleague from Yunnan Province. When she was a child, a fortune teller told her that she carried strong energy and had a great predestined relationship with the Buddha school. The fortune teller also said her fate would change at the age of 36.
She was exactly 36 years old when we met. I told her about the wonders of Dafa and how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecuted Falun Dafa and practitioners. As we got along with each other, she felt that I was really a good person. She eventually also became a Dafa practitioner.
She saw a rotating 卍 in the book the first time she read Zhuan Falun. I said to her, “Your inborn quality is really good. You have a predestined relationship with Dafa. You should start the practice immediately.”
Watching Every Thought and Action
One experience reminded me to behave well and always watch every thought and action as a Dafa practitioner.
One day I got into an argument with a colleague and displayed selfishness, competition, and a strong willingness to fight. Xiaofang saw my behavior and said, “Look at how this Dafa practitioner is behaving. I will not read the book (Zhuan Falun) anymore.”
I regretted my actions after hearing her words and felt bad the whole afternoon. I decided that I shouldn't keep people away from Dafa just because of my bad behavior.
I laid down my fear of losing face and apologized to Xiaofang. “I’m sorry. This was my fault. I failed to maintain my xinxing and didn't do well according to Dafa principles. Dafa is righteous. It's me who is not doing well. Do not be affected by my bad behavior. This Dafa is something to be treasured.”
Xiaofang then decided to continue reading the book Zhuan Falun. I learned a big lesson from this experience: As a Dafa practitioner, I must discipline myself strictly with the Dafa principles. My improper words or behavior might prevent people from being saved or studying the Fa.
