This article was first published in 1998.

(Clearwisdom.net)

In 1998, “Qi Lu Evening News” published a series of articles criticizing Falun Gong. (Editor's Note: all media in China was then, and is still today, controlled by the CCP; a key component of its massive propaganda machine) The articles created a big commotion in society. All of a sudden, Falun Gong became a hot topic over dinner tables. The reports caused various reactions among Falun Gong practitioners. Many of the practitioners felt that the whole issue was a good test of our dedication and faith - as the harsher the environment, the firmer we would position ourselves. They felt that we should not pay any attention to what the paper said. Certain students felt that the reports were not truthful, had twisted the facts and that therefore there was a need to clarify the truth. In order to protect Falun Dafa's honor, several practitioners called the paper and filed a complaint. Some made personal visits while some others wrote to the editor to have the report adjusted. Several others were indignant at the defamation of Teacher Li in the report - they demanded an apology and that the paper stop publishing further such reports.

Let us also look at the issue from another perspective.

From the outside, the report had smeared our good image. But, if we looked at the issue objectively, the situation was not that bad – it has helped disseminate Dafa in society. Since the reports were published on the Qi Lu Evening News, more students have joined us. On the other hand, the issue also brings out where we have fallen short.

“In genuine cultivation practice one must cultivate one’s own heart and inner self. One should search inside oneself rather than outside.” Zhuan Falun

Hasn't the paper given us an opportunity to look into ourselves and find out where we have fallen short?

Since 1992, Teacher had given lectures in over twenty cities in China. Numerous government departments and cultural groups had offered support. The response from the public had been overwhelming - it was trendy to learn Falun Gong at the time. In Shandong province alone, Teacher Li conducted five full nine-day seminars. Nevertheless, Falun Gong was still not as popular as in some other areas. In Beijing, it was estimated that there were half million students practicing Falun Gong. We had people from all walks of life - people from the agriculture, engineering, building and commerce industries, as well as people from the education and military sectors. From the higher government levels, there were cadres and officials from the state and provincial armies. From other public and private sectors, participants include people's representatives, professors, specialists, scholars, and other celebrities; primary school, high school and college students, including many foreign research students, also formed a large number.

Influenced by such a huge number of people practicing Falun Dafa in Beijing, reports in the local media were very positive, whereas in Shandong, we were surprised to find that the Qi Lu Evening News, a rather reputable paper, knows so little about Falun Dafa.

There are cases where people have thrown away their crutches and walked normally again after practicing Falun Dafa. There are innumerable cases where people who have suffered from long periods of sickness now lead normal lives. These cases seem to have been misinterpreted. On the other hand, this indicates that we have not made ourselves known sufficiently to the media, hence the paper's misunderstanding.

At the 1993 Oriental Health Expo in Beijing, Teacher Li was honored with the highest award – The Award for Advancing Boundary Science and the Expo’s “Special Golden Award.” Teacher was named “The Most Acclaimed Qigong Master”. He was the only Qigong master so honored.

By early 1995, Falun Dafa had already propagated over the four continents of Europe, America, Asia and Australasia. Falun Dafa Associations were established in Sweden, France, England, Germany, Russia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, etc. The book “Zhuan Falun” was published in seven languages - in both simplified and original Chinese, in French, German, English, Japanese, and Korean. The efforts built up good cultural relationships between China and other countries, and also drew international attention.

In August 1994, the Mayor of Houston, Texas honored Master Li with “Honorary Citizen” and “Goodwill Ambassador”.

Enscripted on the certificate were these words -

“We, the duly authorized city officials, do hereby take pleasure in appointing you an Honorary Citizen of the City of Houston, Texas in recognition of your outstanding success you have achieved in your worthy vocation and in appreciation of your valuable contribution you have made, and are making, through unselfish public service for the benefit and welfare of mankind. Furthermore, as a token of high esteem, we have selected you to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador of our City…”

The Mayor of Houston proclaimed Saturday, October 12, 1996 as Li Hongzhi Day.

Master Li has gained the respect of people all over the world. The “Qi Lu Evening News” public attack and defamation on Master Li's honor broke our hearts as we had not been protecting his honor properly.

Changchun is Master Li’s hometown, where Master Li is well known and respected. In Dalian, there are over 100 thousand Falun Dafa practitioners. The attendence is no less than ten thousand people at any experience sharing conference, which is also highly supported by many government departments. Teacher Li has said many times that the cultivation environment was created by us.

Students from Changchun and Dalian have created extremely good cultivation environments.

In Shandong, we have a good cultivation environment as well. The practitioners here have strict discipline and maintain high moral standards. One does not find Dafa practitioners among the loafers, ruffians, cheaters, or the unreasonable. Practitioners only talk of giving, not seeking fame or wealth. They consider others first in every circumstance and are kindhearted. As a result, they have brought boundless happiness to their families and a prospering society.

In September 1996, a retired cadre from the Provincial Fuel Company by the name Xing Fukun, led over a hundred other retiring officers from other state and provincial enterprises in an appeal to have their pensions revised. After practicing Falun Dafa in March 1997, Xing refused to represent the members that year in the protest. Zhang Zhenjie, a retired employee from Jinan Instrument company, was quite influential in his workers' salary appeal. After practicing Falun Dafa, he used the Dafa standard to evaluate himself, and has not participated in any protest movements since.

Ms Xu Huilan lived in Saiqian village, Fu Shankou town. For many years, she had been in conflict with her parents-in-law. She stopped supporting them financially and was reputed to have constantly abused them in the neighborhood. The family court tried to settle their disputes several times but to no avail. Ms Xu then started to practice Falun Dafa and her behavior quickly changed. She recognized her character was far from a Falun Dafa practitioner's standards and apologized to her in-laws. Now she offers to help with their farm duties and looks after their welfare whenever she can. The whole family is now harmonious. With a change of her abusive habits she also got on well with the neighbors. Her case soon became exemplary in the neighborhood and similar family disputes cases had since been settled. Practitioners had now learned to look into themselves whenever disputes occurred.

Near Saiqian village, there was a park left unattended for many years. In their spare time, Dafa practitioners helped clean up the park. It has now become a good site to practice the Falun Gong exercises as well as for general public gathering. The site is also a popular sports ground for the youngsters. Very often, Falun Dafa practitioners take initiative, promoting and motivating activities in the village. Recently they took a lead in an environmental clean up. Seeing that the practitioners did not have a venue to meet at night for Fa study, the local branch Party offered their office as a meeting place. The general feeling was that the Dafa practitioners were considerate, unselfish, and had initiative. Overnight visitors to the village were often recommended to stay in Falun Dafa practitioners' home.

Zhou Ziming was a wheat farmer from Guan County. The wheat produced in his farm was of several grades. Instead of sending in the top grade wheat to the government, he said that he often delivered a mixture of both top and poorer grade grains. However, since taking up Dafa cultivation, he has kept the lower grade for his own consumption, and gave the top grade grains to the government. “Falun Dafa has changed me,” he said.

As for the health benefits of Falun Gong, the effects are even more prominent. Through the practice, the practitioners have verified that as long as one cultivates in accordance with the principle of Zhen, Shan, Ren, persists with Fa study and the exercises, and lets go of one's many desires, the body will automatically reach a sickness free state. All of those who only practice the movements but do not cultivate their xinxing will not achieve anything. Dafa is mysterious and wonderful.

For practitioners who can measure up to the standards of a cultivator in their cultivation, their bodies will undergo big changes and sicknesses will disappear. Through practice, many of them have divorced themselves from hospitals and medicine. The practitioners have not only helped the state in saving huge sums of medical expenses, but also avoided suffering hardships themselves.

Senior Engineer Zhu Xiuchen had bowel cancer. After chemotherapy treatment, she became a regular visitor to the hospital.

“Since taking up Falun Dafa practice in July 1994, I have stopped taking medicine,” she said. “Teacher did not stop me from taking medication. I stopped because I had taken too much medicine and made no progress. I spent a lot of money from the health care department of our work unit, but my body was getting worse. Falun Dafa had saved me. My sickness is now gone, without healing!”.

A semi-retired cadre named Sun Fangyu lived in Huaiyin district. She had a bad stroke. Her limbs became inactive, and she was blurry in her speech. After practicing Dafa, she quickly recovered. Her limbs regained mobility, speech was clear and audible, and she could go shopping on her push-bike.

Ma Guilin worked in the Provincial Socialist Institute. He had a lymphoma attack in 1995. The hospital gave him a combination of radiation and chemotherapy treatment. As a result, he lost all the hair and the whole body was but skin and bones. In April 1996, he took up Dafa practice. Not only was the sickness gone, but also his hair grew back and his cheeks turned rosy. He was more spirited and turned completely into a different person.

Actor Li Daijiang suffered from urinary tract infection caused by foreign obstruction. It gave him tremendous pain. One day in July 1997, shortly after taking up Falun Dafa practice, the pain came again. Then, he passed out a piece of stone through his urine and recovered. He often showed that piece of stone to people and said that the power of Dafa had helped him.

Falun Dafa emphasizes xinxing cultivation. High level Dafa cultivation is genuine science and not some nonsensical teaching. Falun Dafa practice is getting more and more popular in the public.

The “Qi Lu Evening News” has made us recognize the demand of a high level Dafa cultivation. Our every action must conform to Dafa.

Teacher Li said that as Dafa practitioners we had to be good, starting from the ordinary people's level, and we had to be better than even heroes. If that is the case, have we met this standard, at home or at work?

“And we’ve said, too, that if every one of us cultivates inward, if every one of us examines his own character for causes, if when we don’t do well we look inside ourselves for the cause, and we try to do better next time, and if we think about other people first any time we do something, then the world will change for the better, morals will go back up, people’s civility will improve, and crime will go down. Maybe we won’t even need policemen. There will be no need for things like neighborhood watch, and everyone will watch over himself, and they’ll look inside their own minds to fix things. Wouldn’t you say that’d be great?”(Zhuan Falun)

My personal understanding is that everything that happens in the course of our practice is associated with our cultivation, and everything that happens is meant to help improve our xinxing. Hence, we must value every opportunity. In the midst of our trial and tribulation, be steadfast and have faith. Cultivate inward and pay more attention to xinxing elevation. When we use Dafa standards to evaluate our speech and actions, and be more aware of our personal image, then promoting Dafa with the image of a Dafa practitioner will be the best form to protect Dafa, and the best way to bring blessings to mankind.