(Clearwisdom.net) On April 29, 1994, I was very fortunate to have attended the 7th Changchun Fa Lecture by Master. Fourteen years have passed and the scenes of Master's lectures are still vivid and very clear in my mind. It was a privilege and my eternal honor having been able to participate.
Even before I participated in Master's Fa lecture, I had begun practicing the Falun Gong exercises. Three years before, a friend of mine acquired the practice from Tsitsihar and introduced it to us. He taught us the exercises. In those days, we only practiced the exercises and did not yet understand the Fa principles. After practicing for a while, as I was performing the Falun Standing Stance, I could feel there was something rotating above my head. As I had not read any Dafa material nor did I attend any of Master's lectures, I did not understand the reason. When I inquired through this friend, he always said that it was an excellent sign.
One day while at a friend's house, I was informed that Master Li would be teaching his 7th Falun Dafa lecture and exercise instruction class in Changchun. I expressed interest in going but was told that it might be difficult for me since I may not get the time off work. Right then, I made up my mind that I must certainly go!
Previously I burned incense and offered daily prayers to Bodhisattva Guanyin. I prayed and asked her to help me to get the leave I needed to attend Master's lecture in Changchun. Although everything went smoothly, later after studying the Fa, I understood that on the surface it appeared as if Bodhisattva Guanyin had helped me. In reality, at this time of the Dharma ending period, there was no one intervening in ordinary people's affairs. I realized it was Master's benevolence that came to my help because of my sincerity.
On the first day of Master's lecture, I started to cry when I saw Master. Teacher appeared to be large, gentle, solemn and compassionate, I felt a warm energy current flowing through my entire body.
Before practicing Falun Gong, I had an ill body. I had a heart problem, headaches, back pain, rheumatism, arthritis, stomachaches and so on. According to my mother, ever since birth, I was always sick. I used to be on medication all the time. Ever since I understood things, I remembered that I did not have one day of feeling well.
At the Fa lecture, benevolent Master spoke about why human beings suffer from disease and illness, he helped purify our bodies and living environment to enable us to practice cultivation. He also taught us the universal principles. In a short span of three days, all my illnesses disappeared, my entire body became very light. I realized it was through Master's grace and benevolence that all this had happened. I also realized the purpose of life and understood the universal principles of returning to one's true self.
Although I acquired the Fa, my cultivation path was not at all smooth sailing. My husband was opposed to my practicing Falun Gong. He would beat and scold me, confiscate my book, burn my sitting meditation mat etc. In the beginning, I would cry and endure it. Inside myself, there was no compassion at all, I used to hate and scorn him. The situation was exactly like it was described in Zhuan Falun:
"Your spouse would not care if you were to do something else. Qigong practice should actually be a good thing, but she always finds fault with you. In fact, your wife is helping you eliminate karma, though she does not know it herself. She is not fighting with you only superficially and still good to you in her heart--it is not so. It is real anger from the bottom of her heart." (Lecture 4, Zhuan Falun Revised 2nd edition)
I became aware of the principles through studying the Fa. Later, no matter how the situation was, it could not disturb me, nor change my determination in cultivation.
Once I returned home after practicing, he locked me out and refused to let me enter the home. I sat calmly outside. Finally he opened the door for me. On another occasion, I came home late at round 10:30 PM after attending the local Fa conference. He purposely locked me out again. I did not get angry, but calmly I stayed in a fellow practitioner's house and returned home the next morning. Without any grudge or complaint I started cooking and performing the household chores. On seeing this, he said that as I came home late at night yesterday, should something bad have happened, it would be difficult for him to forgive himself. I did not say a word although I realized that it was also difficult and not easy for him to have locked me out.
Many of our fellow practitioners in our location knew of my difficult home environment. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me, since I did very little Fa study. I could not walk past this first major test. Later through continuous Fa study, I realized that the difficult environment allowed me to upgrade myself as well as help me to eliminate much of my karms. I sincerely thanked my husband for creating an environment to help me strengthen my belief and faith, and to keep persevering until today.
14 years have passed since I first saw Master, yet the events of that time are still vivid and fresh in my mind. I still remember Master's kind and benevolent appearance, forever engraved into my memory. During the 14 years of cultivation and Fa validation, I have staggered along; every step taken was under Master's benevolent guidance and protection. Whenever I failed in my xinxing test, our benevolent Teacher would always enlighten my path to help me ascend. I must not disappoint our benevolent Teacher. I vow to do the three things well so I can accompany our Teacher and return home.