(Minghui.org) I was born in 1992, and I have been immersed in the blessings of Falun Dafa since preschool.
Children Growing Up in Dafa Are the Happiest
In December 1996, my father began practicing Falun Dafa. After several months, my mother and I noticed his personality and behavior change for the better. In 1997, my mother took my father's advice and also began practicing Dafa. At the age of five, I followed my mother into cultivation.
At that young age, I was not clear on what cultivation meant to me. Fortunately, my parents knew the significance and took me to study the Fa and do the exercises. They gradually shared with me the meaning of the Fa. During the summer at the end of elementary school, my father guided me to memorize Zhuan Falun. Dafa was gradually taking root in my life.
When I was little, I was very cute and adored by grownups. It led me to become vain and crave fame. My father used to say I was difficult to raise because I was pretty and mentally strong. I often bullied my cousin, scratched her face, and even made her bleed.
I was also weak and prone to illness. It was quite common for me to be sick twice a month, and these bouts of illness lasted nearly two weeks. Medicine did not help much.
However, after I started cultivating Dafa, Master purified my body. I became a healthy child and no longer needed any medicine. Not only did I become more and more healthy, but my xinxing also gradually improved.
My personality changed a lot as well. I realized I had to conduct myself according to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, respect my elders, and be forbearing and willing to help others.
I would take care of my cousins at home and always kept them happy while playing with them. At school, I was keen to help the kids who were facing difficulties. Everyone said that I was a smart, sweet, and kind child. In retrospect, I feel that children growing up in Dafa are the happiest.
Dafa has also taught me a lot about being a good person, such as being sincere and kind, tolerant, forgiving, and not fighting for personal gain. I became sunny, optimistic, generous, and classy.
Mom Told Me to Get Rid of My Hatred for the Police
Later on, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Dafa, and television programs were filled with attacks on Dafa. I remember standing there, watching the news, and thinking, “This is not possible. Dafa practitioners are not bad people at all.”
Then I asked Dad why. He explained how the CCP controlled the media and was framing Dafa in the news. As a child, my mind was purer and I had no doubt about Dafa. Not long after, my father was illegally detained and persecuted twice by the CCP.
I experienced physical hardship and mental scrutiny. One time, my gums became badly swollen, and an ulcer in my mouth was so painful that I was unable to eat. For several days I stayed in bed and did nothing. My mother then joined me to study the Fa, look inward, and send righteous thoughts together. I gradually cheered up.
Every time I went to the labor camp to visit my father, I sent righteous thoughts to clear out the evil dark elements and rotten ghosts around the labor camp. I asked Master to give me the power to break through the cross-examinations and eliminate the obstructions placed by CCP personnel at the visit.
One day when I was in 5th grade, my mother took me to visit my dad. She asked me to find a way to recite to him Master's new scripture, “What's to Fear.” I was scared by the police but I still managed to be brave enough to whisper into my dad’s ear:
“Should you have fear,it will seize upon youIf thoughts are righteous,evil will collapse”(“What's to Fear” in Hong Yin Volume II, Translation Version A)
But my voice was too weak for him to hear clearly. Before I finished the poem, the police yelled at me to stop whispering. I felt scared and horrible. A sense of hatred against the police rose inside me.
When I told my mother how I felt, she told me hatred was a type of attachment that we need to get rid of. I sent righteous thoughts to clear up the fear and hatred.
Master Has Been Caring for Me
Dafa has given me wisdom and led me to achieve academic excellence in school. I always got good grades since I was young, and I never needed to spend money on extra tuition.
My mother told me that before I started practicing Dafa in kindergarten, I had such a difficult time with math that I had to use all my fingers and toes to count. My parents worried I would be poor at math in the future. However, to their surprise, after I started to study the Fa, math became my strongest subject all the way until I was admitted to a top-rated high school and then a reputable university.
Once in an advanced math exam in college, most students were stressed out and did not receive a good grade, but I got 99 points out of 100.
In my senior year of college, everyone faced many hard choices, such as employment and postgraduate admission exams. In order to keep me from being polluted in the environment of ordinary society, my parents wanted me to continue my education. They knew that once I entered the workforce, I would be faced with the issue of marriage. Continuing my education would be a way of avoiding the distraction of marrying early.
I was admitted to a Ph.D. program thanks to the endorsement of my university. I was offered over 2,000 yuan a month in financial aid and 5,000 yuan in academic scholarships, which allowed me to be financially independent of my parents.
My family and friends all admired me for what I had accomplished. Dafa changed my life. As long as one follows the requirements of Dafa, Master always arranges the best for us.
Overcoming Fear
When I was young, I was afraid of the dark and dared not sleep alone. I was like this until junior high. When I distributed information materials about Dafa, especially during cold winter evenings, I had to walk along dark country roads and was often accompanied by the sound of dogs barking.
I shook inside but would send righteous thoughts to overcome the fear. Sometimes I did not want to go out with other practitioners because I was scared and wanted to be comfortable, but I was also afraid of being criticized by my parents.
I would think about it more. I saw other practitioners being so serious about telling people about Dafa and not being afraid of hard work. I wanted to be like them, so I changed my mind and followed them.
There were several times when we had no trouble during the distribution, and I grew complacent. Whenever that happened, I would encounter some startling near misses, such as stepping on a dodgy stair. It made me realize my attachment, which I would immediately eliminate. When I did so, the “danger” would be gone.
Recovering from an Accident
In elementary school, I was the class monitor. I had good grades and did well, so my teachers and classmates all liked me. Over time, I became fond of the limelight. I became less keen on studying the Fa and did not listen to my parents.
One day when I was crossing the road during my school lunch break, I was hit head-on by a taxi. My classmates were frightened and called my parents immediately. My dad rushed over on his motorcycle. I had a big bump on my forehead and another on my knee.
My dad looked me over and then told the driver, “It's all right. You can go.” The driver wanted to give us some money to go to the hospital, but my father politely declined. He said that it was all right because we practice Falun Dafa. It was a busy street, and many commuters were looking at us.
When we got home, we immediately sent righteous thoughts and looked inward. I realized that my lack of motivation for studying the Fa caused these troubles. It was Master who bore this tribulation for me. Otherwise, it would be horrifying to think what would have happened to someone of such a young age in an accident like that.
When I went back to school in the afternoon, my classmates had already heard about the accident. They were all puzzled as there was just a little bruise on my forehead. “How come you recovered so fast?” they asked.
Good Cultivation Environment
Prior to high school, my father calculated the daily round trip time between home and school. In order to save time for me to study the Fa, he sold our house and bought another one closer to school, which cut the commute from twenty minutes to five.
Although the commute was shortened, he insisted on picking me up every day after school so we could share our understandings of the Fa on the journey. Every night at 10 o'clock, we started our Fa study. I would finish my homework at school so I didn’t have anything to do at home.
Being in a STEM trial program, in which there were fewer girls than boys, I was often unavoidably disturbed by fame, fortune, and sentimentality. In a citywide mock examination, I received fourth place in the whole city and first place in our school. My attachment to fame rose again. When parents picking up their kids at school praised me, I would wave to them, feeling happy and satisfied.
Some parents liked me because they knew my parents practiced Dafa. When my parents told them about Dafa and persuaded them to withdraw from the CCP, they understood and withdrew wholeheartedly.
My cultivation state was often reflected in my schoolwork and daily life. Sometimes when I was negligent with Fa study and cultivation, my grades would drop a lot. Yet, when I understood the importance of Fa study and genuine cultivation, and conducted myself according to the Fa, my academic performance would improve significantly.
Although my cultivation is far from the requirements of the Fa, Master has always helped me compassionately. Every time I made a little progress, Master would encourage me by opening up my wisdom and allow me to achieve more.
Persevering Amid Persecution
It was my junior year of high school when my father was persecuted by the CCP. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for many days.
My grandmother stayed with me at home after I finished school each day. Even though I knew it would not do any good to think about my father with sentimentality, I couldn't help crying when I thought of him being persecuted.
Every night when I got home from school at 10 p.m., I would take a shower, pay my respects to Master, and then study the Fa by myself.
It was under the blessing of Master and Dafa that I made it through that difficult time. I was not crushed under the academic pressure or the suffering of my father being tormented. Every time I think back to my senior year, I am extremely grateful to Master and Dafa. Without Master’s compassionate care, it would have been impossible for me to come out so healthy and optimistic today.
My cultivation in childhood followed my parents' guidance and mentorship. Now I need to walk my own path. I need to always ask myself to follow the Fa and avoid going with the flow when facing temptations in society. I will do my best to help sentient beings and live up to the responsibilities and mission of being a Dafa disciple.
Thank you, Master, for your mercy and salvation!
