(Minghui.org) I am a 49-year-old peasant who started practicing Falun Gong in 1997. I was young at that time but avidly read Zhuan Falun despite pressure from my family. I suddenly understood a lot of profound principles. For example, the reason for sickness is caused by the black matter “karma” which is produced by doing bad things. To be healthy and happy, people cannot do bad things and must live according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
For the past 20 years, I remembered what Master Li Hongzhi (the founder) taught and have been working hard to be a truly selfless person in any environment. I also have no longer needed to take medicine. Falun Gong purified both my body and my soul.
In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) openly started to persecute Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners. The slanderous campaign, which used lies to cover up the truth, caused many people to misunderstand Falun Gong and turn against it. This caused many practitioners unprecedented hardship.
Like many practitioners, however, I did not retreat. We risked our freedom and even our lives to tell people the truth about Falun Gong and debunk the CCP's lies. We refused to drift along with the current of ordinary society and worked diligently to improve our character. More and more people witnessed the goodness of Falun Gong and realized the evil nature of the CCP. Many chose to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. A lot of people began supporting Falun Gong and some also expressed interest in learning the practice.
Ali (a pseudonym) is the commander of the militia in our village. He is in his 60s and lives behind my house. After Falun Gong was persecuted, the village assigned him to watch me. In the winter of 1999, many Falun Gong practitioners in our town, including me, were illegally detained and persecuted at the local police station. Those days were frigid. Ali witnessed a young female Falun Gong practitioner wash her hair with cold water in the yard of the police station in the morning. After returning to the village, Ali told people that Falun Gong was really powerful: They wash their hair outside but do not catch a cold.
Fellow practitioners and I told Ali the truth about Falun Gong, and he was very agreeable. He said he benefited from my practice since we lived close. He had not been sick for years. After the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published, he had a further understanding of the corrupt nature of the CCP. Not only did he quit the CCP, but he also persuaded his wife, two sons, daughters-in-law, daughter, son-in-law and his sisters to withdraw their memberships as well. During one CCP member meeting at the village, Ali exclaimed, “The CCP is so corrupt, and its days are numbered. Everyone is trying to save themselves by quitting the CCP.”
Since 2015, over 200,000 Falun Gong practitioners have sued Jiang Zemin, the main culprit of the persecution of Falun Gong, using their real names. Ali’s family also signed the petition letter.
Sometimes I need more space to store the materials for making calendars with information about Falun Gong. Ali would let me store things at his home. He supports Falun Gong, and he and his family are blessed. He lives a happy life without much hardship.
Arqi (a pseudonym) is two years younger than me. He is my childhood friend. Arqi had kidney stones and was often hospitalized. A few years ago, he suddenly had a high fever. When he went to renowned hospitals in our area, the doctors said they could not do much. Both Arqi's kidneys were full of stones. It was recommended that Arqi be immediate transferred to a hospital in either Beijing or Shanghai. Arqi knew what this meant for him. In desperation, he remembered what Falun Gong practitioners told him. He thought only Falun Gong's Master could save his life, so he began to recite in his heart,“Falun Gong is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” continuously.
At this time, his relatives got in touch with a hospital in Beijing. However, the train to Beijing on that night had already left. Everyone was anxious and knew that Arqie's condition was dire. Suddenly, the station staff said that a passing train would arrive at Beijing too, but the speed was relatively slow. Everyone was relieved. On the train, Arqi was put on a drip. He did not stop reciting “Falun Gong is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” When he arrived at the hospital in Beijing, the expert read Achi’s medical records and exclaimed: “It is a miracle that you made it to Beijing.”
Arqi's two kidneys had to be operated on, but the most famous kidney stone expert in the hospital had not returned from an overseas trip. So it was arranged to let another doctor do it. It surprised everyone that the famous doctor came back just before Arqi's operation. He successfully did the surgery. Several days later, the doctor excitedly brought in Arqi's lab report: “You recovered so fast! All indicators have reached the standard.”
Before Arqi was discharged, the doctor quizzically looked at Arqi and said, “I did not expect you to recover this fast!”
Arqi told me that he did not stop reciting “Falun Gong is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” even while in a semi-conscious state on the operating table. After he was discharged, Arqi told his daughter-in-law he had dreamed of a Buddha.
Arqi threw all the medicines which he brought back from the hospital away. His wife was puzzled: "What are you doing?" Arqi replied: I now have Falun Gong, so those are not needed. Since then, he has begun to practice Falun Gong.
Every year before Chinese New Year, I go to the market to sell incense, as people use it to worship their ancestors. I have two neighbors with booths at the market. My neighbor on the left is an elderly lady in her 70s and also sells incense. She has an electric tricycle. Our booths are separated by a three-meter-wide road. People often say, “Two of a trade seldom agree.”
However, Master Li teaches:
“… the key is to deal fairly and act with integrity.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
The elderly lady had a hard time pushing the tricycle. So I helped her push and park it correctly. When she had a hard time going uphill, I again assisted her. This woman could not stop praising me. I told her that I practice Falun Gong, and that our Master taught us to act according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. At the same time, I told her not to be fooled by what was said about practitioners on TV. She said she knew all about it.
Last year her husband sold incense at her booth. I talked to him. He told me his wife said that I was a good person. I replied: “It is because I practice Falun Gong.”
I have many varieties of incense. Sometimes he ran out of goods and would come over to get some from me. I only charged him the wholesale price and did not make a penny from him. He knew that. We got along very well.
My neighbors to the right sold fried dough sticks in their booth. Their business is doing very well. They are older than me. In the beginning, they didn’t give me much space. My booth was kind of cramped. Later they found out I was nice and honest, and my incense sold very well. They were willing to talk to me and took the initiative to give me more space.
They also wanted to sell incense at their hometown two years ago. I sold them some at the original price and told them where to go to buy more, how to sell, what to sell, and how much to buy each time. They were touched and often put fried dough sticks on my cart. Last year, they gave me one-meter additional space for my booth. They often now say, “We could not imagine that we would have such a good neighbor like you.”
The couple knew that I practiced Falun Gong. The husband often asked me about Falun Gong. I told him about the health benefits of the practice. He said that he had neuropathic asthma, and that he wanted to learn Falun Gong. I got him the main book Zhuan Falun. He also withdrew from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. On the last two days before Chinese New Year, I finished selling my goods and told them I would be leaving. Both of them stood up and said: “Happy New Year!”
With the unremitting efforts of practitioners, more and more people understand the truth and support Falun Gong. They are kind to Falun Gong practitioners and have received blessings. After reading the two books The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and The Ultimate Purpose of Communism, people are also increasingly aware of the evil nature of the CCP. Those who are awakened have wisely chosen to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I sincerely hope that everyone can better understand Falun Gong and choose a bright future for themselves by quitting the CCP.