(Minghui.org) I worked as a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) grassroots leader for more than 20 years. Due to my long term exposure to the political ideologies of the CCP at work, I had little trust in everyone and in every matter. However, as I am about to retire, I can still turn back from that lost path and walk onto the path to regain my true self. I deeply feel Master Li’s great compassion! I would like to share my experience with fellow practitioners.
My wife began to cultivate in Falun Dafa 10 years earlier than I did. Before she practiced cultivation, she had a lot of occupational diseases, and she was tortured by illnesses, such as cervical bone hyperplasia, lumbar vertebral bone hyperplasia, chronic pharyngitis, and severely irregular menstruation.
She tried all kinds of exercise therapies, took many medications, and even learned various types of qigong, but to no avail. As her lumbar vertebral bone hyperplasia was quite serious, she needed me to rub her lower back with medicated oil every night before she slept. She had to sleep on her side instead of lying on her back. I felt sad every time I saw her pained expression. She was tormented by her illnesses.
After cultivating in Falun Dafa, all the illnesses that plagued my wife disappeared without any treatment, and she was full of energy every day. However, as I was the secretary of the CCP’s grassroots department, I was influenced by the political ideologies of the Party, and I was deeply deceived by the lies that were fabricated by the Party. I did not trust anybody. So I did not try to understand Dafa on any deeper level.
Furthermore, many qigongs had cheated people. As such, I was worried that my kind-natured wife would be cheated out of her money and property. I was also worried about the evil Party’s persecution of Dafa. Therefore, even though I saw the changes in my wife’s condition, I did not believe in the practice. I argued with her that it was psychological effects that made her feel she was so relaxed with all her illnesses gone. Due to that, whenever my wife tried to clarity the truth about Dafa to me, I responded with anger and even threatened to divorce her if she did not give up her cultivation.
However, Dafa had already been rooted in her heart. My wife expressed to me in a very steadfast manner that she would persist in her cultivation of Dafa till the end. Seeing that I could not make her waiver, I tried ignoring her for a long time.
At that time, my understanding of the Fa was very poor. As I think about it now, I am full of shame, and regret how I treated my wife. Despite how I treated her, she still loved and cared for me and our family as normal. The elderly in our family and all of our relatives and friends complimented her. At work, she was also highly recognized by her manager and colleagues, such that her position got higher and higher over time. She rose from a deputy post in an internal department to the deputy leader of her workplace. This was a blessing that my wife received from her cultivation.
During our daily living, my wife handled one family matter in a way that really moved me. My younger brother unfortunately suffered from a serious illness for two years. He had not yet recovered from his illness when his wife passed away from a serious illness. His family still had a child, who studied at the university and needed to be provided for, and an elderly one over 70 years old, who suffered from chronic illnesses.
In order to pay for medical treatment, my brother sold his house. When they had no home to return to, my wife voluntarily suggested that he move in with us, saying if we do not help them, no one would. My wife’s act of righteousness really moved me. I said to her, “I also had this thought yesterday, but did not dare to bring it up as I was afraid that you might object to it. I am really thankful to you for that.” My wife replied gently, “Dafa’s Master teaches us to be good people. If we do not even help our own family members and only care about our own enjoyment, how can we be considered good people?”
Actually, before making this decision, I also worried about the stress it would bring to our lives in the future. In their current state, without the ability to buy a house, they would continue to stay at my house for a long time. In other words, their future treatment expenses, recuperation expenses, and all their living expenses would also be borne by us. There would also be differences in lifestyle between the two families. Thus, I really had some concerns about this matter. However, my wife made good on her offer. She actively went about settling this matter and got busy with cleaning the house. In this way, my brother’s whole family moved in the next day.
As the saying goes, “Gathering together is good, but living together is difficult.” There were many differences in the two families’ lifestyle habits and tastes for food. Apart from paying for all their food and lodging expenses without complaint, my wife also put in her utmost effort to look after their nutritional needs and dealt with the household matters really well. The two elderly members of the family were over 70 years old, and they suffered from a few chronic illnesses, such that their medical bills cost more than their food expenses. My mother often suffered from back pain, and her whole body was itchy due to eczema. After my wife came home from work, she helped them to apply medicated oil to ease the pain caused by their illnesses. The elderly folks were so touched that they wept in secret.
Since my wife started to cultivate Dafa, she always uses the Fa principles as her guide and corrects her own behavior. While she did her best to look after the family, her heart was calm and at peace. I know that this is a display of compassion common to all Dafa practitioners!
As I am a relatively careful person, I do not easily believe what other people say. However, based on my trust in my wife, and my observation of her improvement in mind and body, I gradually started to change my view of Dafa, from rejecting it to not rejecting it, and then to being curious about the practice. When my wife once again handed me some truth-clarification materials about Dafa, I was no longer so resistant, and seriously read them. From there, I started to have positive understandings of the truth about Dafa. Later, I started reading Zhuan Falun and Master’s other lectures with respect.
Master’s vast and deep Fa principles totally subverted all that I had learned in the university and all that I had come into contact with at work. My perspective of the world opened widely, and I would lament with deep emotions: all the logic in the mortal world is flawed. Only Master’s lectures are applicable in all ways and are unbreakable. In this way, I truly started to cultivate Dafa.
Every day after I returned from work, no matter how late it was, I studied the Fa before I went to sleep. I often exchanged my understanding of the Fa principles with my wife. It was only when I stepped onto the path of cultivation, that I finally knew the true purpose of life! I am grateful to Dafa’s Master for his benevolence, and for awakening me, someone who was lost in the mundane world during this Dharma-ending period!
Under our influence, my brother and his son also took the initiative to study the Fa and practice the exercises. All the older folks in our house recited the auspicious nine words, “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” every day. The whole family really cherishes this sacred affinity with Dafa, and we are immersed in Dafa’s Buddha light every day and live harmoniously with each other.
People my age have experienced many things, so we do not easily believe the miracles that others tell us about. However, during my course of cultivation, I really witnessed the miracles of cultivating in Dafa! Take for example, when I first started cultivating. I always had to go to the toilet, and one time I suddenly passed small black blood clots. At that time, my understanding of the Fa was quite poor; so I was scared. Later, through studying the Fa, I learned it was Master helping me cleanse my body.
Just as Master says,
“A body like that can’t help but have reactions when it’s swiftly purified, like we do. So reactions should be expected. For some of you it may take the form of vomiting or loose bowels. Students everywhere have told me in written accounts about having to look for a bathroom all the way home from our classes. That happens because your internal organs need to be purified.” (The Second Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Another example occurred when I was doing the exercises. During the second exercise, I suddenly heard sounds of flying wheels that were especially crisp. That high decibel “Hoo hoo” sound of metal was a sound I had never heard before.
Another time was during a dream. I vividly felt that a cold large snake swam out from the back of my body slowly. I was afraid that the headrest would obstruct it from swimming out, so I carefully lowered my chin to rest on my chest so that it could swim out freely. Since then, my hands and legs no longer twitched when I slept at night. Later, I learned that Master helped me cleanse the bad beings that were in my body.
One night my wife said that the local education system organized a comic competition against evil cults. I was worried that there may be comic pieces that slander Dafa. The next morning when I got out of bed, I did not take the time to brush my teeth or wash my face. I just hurried to make a call to the relevant schools’ management and told them: Falun Dafa is a righteous spiritual practice that is rooted in Buddhist tradition. It teaches people to become good people. Our country does not have any laws that prohibit cultivation in Falun Dafa, so you must not mislead the students! I also personally went to check the relevant comic contents to get rid of those that slander Dafa so this group of lives can avoid being harmed by poisonous lies.
Another time, someone at work attended a meeting for the higher authorities and brought back a big roll of promotion posters. As they were about to distribute and put up these posters, I realized that I needed to check the contents of the posters. Indeed, I discovered there were some posters that slandered Dafa. I quickly took out those posters and got rid of them.
On another day I was out checking display boards. I saw there were display boards that slandered Dafa. So, I immediately removed them and replaced them with other content.
While performing my duties at work, I did what a Dafa practitioner should do. I also stopped sentient beings from being poisoned and harmed. I believe there are gods watching everywhere, so after I went to our office each day, I sincerely recited the nine words of truth, “Falun Dafa is Good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is Good.” I am really thankful that I have Master’s benevolent protection, such that the department I work in was always safe every year.
Since cultivating in Dafa, I’ve learned that things I cannot see do exist. Just like electromagnetic waves and the air all around us, our naked eyes cannot see them, but they truly exist. This truly freed me from the restraints of atheism. I also grew to have sincere respect for Gods and Buddhas. With the guidance of Master’s Fa principles, I corrected my own behavior. In this way, I gradually took things like money, property, fame, and personal benefits lightly. I became healthy, and lived every day, relaxed and carefree. My colleagues said my skin became delicate and rosy--I was the picture of health. I am calm and peaceful when I encounter matters, and am in great spirits!
Because I have Master’s protection, my work arrangements were always in line with my wishes to protect Dafa, and my family is a scene of harmony and goodness! The leaves of the lemon tree that I personally planted on the balcony even miraculously had udumbara flowers growing on them... I deeply understand that all of these things are the limitless encouragements from our benevolent and great Master!
I am really honored to be so fortunate to obtain the Dafa of the universe and to follow Master to rectify the Fa! I deeply know that all these are bestowed upon me by Master. However, I still have many shortcomings and attachments that are buried in my heart—hidden very deeply.
From now on, I want to face all of these attachments even more solemnly and use Dafa to reflect on my every behavior and thought. I want to abide by Master’s requirements, get rid of all the elements that don't believe in the Fa, do well in the things that Dafa practitioners should do, and catch up with the progress of Fa rectification.
I know that Master must have suffered a lot of hardship, made a lot of sacrifices, and spent a lot of effort for sentient beings like us, who are heavy with notions and full of karma, to allow us to become Dafa practitioners. I have nothing that can be used to repay Master. So I can only bow to Master and be grateful!
Kindly point out where there is room for improvement in my understanding.