(Minghui.org) I grew up in poverty. I had very poor health and a lot of debt because I couldn't afford to pay for the medical expenses. My two children were attending junior high school. I lived on painkillers and could only manage to do some simple farm work. My life was tough.
I met a Falun Dafa practitioner in 2005 who said I should try to remember the words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I thought, these were three very beautiful words! I soon borrowed the book Zhuan Falun from practitioners and began reading. I had severe pain in my legs, but I continued to read. When the pain was unbearable, I stood up and continued reading. Then, suddenly, I heard a man's voice telling me to keep going.
In seven days, tuberculous enteritis, an illness that I had years ago came back, and I also had diarrhea. But I didn't take any medication. Other illnesses that I had also disappeared one after another. Life became more enjoyable for me as I no longer had to fight against all kinds of diseases.
I thought to myself, this is truly remarkable! I will try my best to do what Teacher Li (the founder) requires practitioners to do to walk my path of cultivation well. I need to learn, cultivate, and suffer and save sentient beings in this secular world. That was how I became a Falun Dafa disciple.
During that time, there were few truth-clarification resources. There was a weekly magazine. So, I wrote how I benefited from practicing Dafa and used it as a flyer to give out to people. But it was not enough. I then thought to myself, didn't I also have a mouth that could talk to people? That was how I began doing face-to-face truth-clarification.
A practitioner once saw me talking to people about Dafa at a local market. She took me to her home and showed me large bags of truth-clarification materials. I was so delighted! But then I thought, I couldn't take them all because other practitioners could make use of them too. From then on, I went out to distribute and paste flyers. I also continued to talk to people about Dafa face-to-face. Wherever I was needed, I was there.
Sometimes I got off from work early and went alone to a seashore that was as far as 16 miles away back and forth. I came upon several sea cucumber farms and a processing plant. There were as many as 50 workers in the area. I once worked there for 5 years. That was before I started to practice Falun Dafa. I often had opportunities to talk to groups of people. In the afternoon, I would go to nearby villages to distribute flyers. I talked to whoever I met.
On two occasions I was followed while distributing flyers, and I used those opportunities to explain the facts about Dafa. I even visited one in his home, and after listening to me clarify the facts he no longer followed me.
Once my boss challenged me to not dare say, "Falun Dafa is good." I said, why not? So, I shouted, "Falun Dafa is good!" A worker said, "Come take a look at this Falun Dafa practitioner! Her complexion has changed and she appears very young and healthy!” Everyone took notice of what she was saying and looked at me.” I said thank you to Teacher in my heart.
The month of May is the marine breeding season. It was also the time to do work with oysters. There were as many as 80 to 90 seasonal workers in the field. Because the money they earned depended on how many oyster seedlings they did, I decided not to do too much, and instead, I used the time to talk to people about Dafa to one group of people, and then another. That way, everyone got to hear the truth by the end of the day.
Some people said, "What she says is really true!" Others said, "Jiang Zemin (the former communist party leader) causes disasters in China. The moment he was in power there was a flood. Then workers got laid off. Then there were new buildings here and there. We have no more land!"
Clarifying the facts in front of a large group of people was something I was good at. Wherever there was a big crowd, I was there. I didn't have time to count the number of people, and neither did I know who was around me. I just kept talking and clarifying the truth of Falun Dafa. Under the protection of Teacher and gods, there has never been any interference. Perhaps that is my cultivation path. So, I was determined to do more truth-clarification to save sentient beings.
I often felt that Teacher took care of me whenever I did truth-clarification out in public. He also gave me opportunities to be diligent. At home, whether they were the irresponsible remarks made by my son, the critical comments triggered by my daughter-in-law, or the abusive language used by my husband, I thought I handled these tribulations well and did not become affected by human emotion. Although I must admit, my heart ached.
At this moment, Teacher's words came to my mind:
"Accordingly, in your future cultivation, you'll run into all kinds of tribulations. How could you cultivate without these hardships?" (Zhuan Falun)
These words were comforting especially during difficult moments. Perhaps there was emotion that I needed to relinquish. So I kept studying the Fa by memorizing it. The study helped me meet challenges with a calm mind. I was thankful for Teacher's help! I understand that the more Fa-study we do, the more sentient beings we can save. Fa-study and saving sentient beings complement each other.
I still remember the day when I went to work at a market. There were more than 50 people present. I clarified the facts while working. Then someone behind me said, "How dare you talk about Falun Dafa? I'll report you to the police!" I replied, "My life would have ended if there was no Falun Dafa. It's Dafa that gave me a new life!
Another person who was working by my side didn't believe a word I said. She said she only believed in money that can be used to buy rice. I said to her, "One day when the calamity is here, it doesn't matter anymore whether you use money to buy rice or bread because there will be no money. Giving you a chance to be saved before the calamity comes is Dafa's mercy. Cherish it!"
I often gave people truth-clarification materials that I brought along with me. They passed them on to others after reading them. Gradually, my attachment of zealotry, the mentality of showing off and not willing to be defeated were all surfacing.
I once dreamed that Teacher was dressed in white and sat above the market to observe the field. After waking up, I realized that I was being guarded by Teacher, so I was safe.
Many times, I dreamed that I was in the middle of a big field, clarifying the facts to a big crowd. There were also times Teacher was present and talked to many people. It felt like there was a big conference. Sometimes flowers along the sidewalks greeted me with big smiles. Then there was a time that Teacher showed me in the dream the effects of saving sentient beings.
Once I saw over 50 people dressed in white and wearing white hats. All of them knelt and bowed to me. I wasn't sure how to interpret the dream. Then a voice that sounded like Teacher said it had something to do with my clarifying the facts. Then I understood that these people were all those who have been saved.
All these were Teacher's mighty virtue. I wouldn't dare to claim that it was to my credit that all these people were saved.
My son's family needed my help in 2010 and this created a new environment for me to do truth clarification. Sometimes I did it well, but sometimes I did it poorly. I looked after my grandchild while studying the Fa by heart.
I thought I couldn't disappoint Teacher. I wouldn't want to fall behind. So, every day I brought along my grandchild to clarify the facts to people. Sometimes I went out at nighttime to find people to talk to and didn't go home until 9:00 or 10:00 pm. The days were fruitful!
Because I insisted on clarifying the facts all these years, I have met all kinds of people. Some listened, and some didn't. There were also those that went to the police to report on me. Once, the police wanted my son to visit them to tell things about me. My son didn't want them to arrest me, so he spent over 3000 yuan to treat the police to a meal. They must have said something to him. When he came home, he was furious. He shouted at me and even threatened to keep my grandchild from me. At that moment, Teacher's words surfaced in my mind,
"Just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations" (“Teaching the Fa at 2005 Canada Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference V)
I thought, Dafa disciples are solid like rocks and nobody dares to move them, so I sent righteous thoughts and clarified the facts. In the end, my son said, "Let's all go to sleep. This elderly woman is really stubborn!" That was how I overcame another tribulation of emotion.
Once I went to do some shopping at a market, and there was a vendor selling long peppers. The peppers were in two piles, one being expensive but good quality, and another one cheaper but naturally imperfect. I saw that an elderly lady who practiced Christianity bought the good quality ones, but she paid the cheaper price. I said to the vendor to give me two pounds of whatever quality. I paid and told him to keep the change.
The man said, "I wish everyone was like you!" I said, "I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and my teacher taught us how to be good people. We need to consider others first and conduct ourselves well no matter where we are."
Sometimes a vendor gave me an extra bag to carry the groceries when I bought a lot. This extra bag made me think twice about myself. I checked to see if I was attached to greed. Very often I refused to take an extra bag because it made the vendor pay more. Although sometimes the groceries I bought were indeed not too fresh. I never went back to the vendor to make complaints and never took advantage of the vendors.
Every single thought that a cultivator has, that a cultivator says, and their behavior, and even a glance, can all reflect his cultivation state. We need to meet the Fa's requirements and conduct ourselves well. Otherwise, we could damage Dafa's reputation and even block people from being saved! We need to be thoughtful in everything we do.