(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Gong in April1999. One of my friends told me he was going to watch a videotape of Teacher's lectures that night. After dinner I went over to his house and watched with him. I was very interested and watched all of the lectures. That is how I started on my path of cultivation. Under Teacher's great compassionate protection I have walked each step smoothly on the path of cultivation.
Studying the Fa Well and Strengthening Righteous Thoughts
I only have a sixth grade education and I don't usually read books. I had a hard time reading even one paragraph from the newspaper. When I first started reading Zhuan Falun, I could not recognize many characters, and sometimes I would read the same sentence over and over but still could not understand its meaning. I wrote down all the characters that I could not understand on a piece of paper and then asked other practitioners what they meant. I would study again and try to memorize the characters again or ask again and again until I could remember their meanings. I started to memorize the Zhuan Falun in 2002.
Usually I do the meditation in the morning, followed by the first four exercises. Then I go to the market to shop and to deliver materials that explain the truth about Falun Gong. In the afternoon I study the Fa. In the beginning I could only study one lecture of Zhuan Falun each day. One year later I could study two lectures or more each day. I also spent extra time systematically studying all of Master's teachings. I have being doing this for ten years now.
It was less than three month after I became a practitioner when the Chinese Communist Party started to persecute Falun Gong. My family members, except my daughter, opposed my practicing Falun Gong. My husband, my father-in-law, my parents, and the rest of my relatives tried to interfere and stop me from practicing. My husband even threatened to divorce me. My parents traveled from the countryside to my home to urge me to give it up. Friends and relatives would call me and threaten me.
During those days I suffered terrible psychological stress and pressure. My heart began to vacillate. However, I insisted on studying the Fa everyday. I studied the Fa each time I felt depressed. When studying the Fa, I left go of everything on my mind and I felt refreshed.
Before cultivation I was often sick, but now I was much healthier, and I felt as light as a feather. My determination to cultivate was strengthened. When I decided that no one could stop me and that I would practice Dafa until the end, there was less interference.
Studying the Fa Well to Save My Own Family
At first I only studied the Fa and did the exercises behind the backs of my husband and my father-in-law. I often had to study the Fa and do the exercises while they were not at home. Sometimes I was not able to study the Fa for a whole day. Because of this I wasted a lot of time. I was very anxious, and I decided that this was not a long term solution--I had to stop hiding.
One morning my husband saw that I was doing the exercises. He was rude to me and complained, but I ignored him and continued to do the meditation. He started to kick me, but still I did not move. He decided he could not stop me, so he left. Another time when I was going to study the Fa, I could not find my book anywhere. I asked my husband if he had seen my book. He replied that he had not. I searched again and still could not find it. I was sure he must have hidden the book from me, so I said that I would leave him if he did not give the book back to me. He did not say anything. I started to get dressed and was ready to leave. When he realized that I was going to leave for real, he returned the book, and since then he has not disturbed my studying the Fa or doing the exercises.
We live with my father-in-law. Before I started practicing Falun Gong I did not look after him very well. If he wanted a drink of water, I only gave him a small amount, because he would then go to the toilet and urinate outside of the bowl. Then I would have to clean it, otherwise the toilet would smell. When he wanted to eat, I only give him a bowl half full. Of course, when my husband was at home I treated my father-in-law differently. Every day I hoped he would die and thought that, if he died, I would be very happy.
After I started cultivation I looked back at what I had done and tried my best to suppress these unworthy thoughts according to the Fa's principle. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:
"Of course, in practicing cultivation in ordinary human society, we should respect parents and educate our children. Under all circumstances, we must be good and kind to others, not to mention to our family members. We should treat everyone in the same way. We must be good to our parents and children and be considerate of others in all respects. Such a heart is thus unselfish, and it is a heart of kindness and benevolence."
One time my father-in-law was sick and had to stay in the hospital. I had to take care of him because my husband was working. I realized that I was a practitioner so I agreed to do it without complaining. I went to the hospital and looked after him. Because he had an IV, it was difficult for him to get to the bathroom, so I had to take the IV bottle and go with him. Sometimes he was not able to make it to the bathroom in time and he would urinate in his pants while still in the bed.
One day my father-in-law had diarrhea. He needed to go to the toilet, but because of the IV he did not make it. He lost control of his bowels and soiled his pants, the bed, and the floor. I changed and washed for him immediately. I took care of him for two weeks while he was in the hospital. My husband was very happy because he did not have to miss work during that time. I took that opportunity to tell my husband about Falun Gong. I told him that I did it because of the teachings of Falun Gong. I wouldn't have done it if I had not been practicing Falun Gong. I told him that the television told lies that defamed Falun Gong. After he heard this he did not say anything, but I knew that he had a better understanding of the truth.
Once I had a fever and chills, even though I was covered with two quilts. My husband asked me to take some pills. I told him that Teacher was purifying my body for me and I did not need to take any medicine. He brought the pills for me to take, but I refused them. He was very unhappy and said that I wouldn't recover if I did not take medicine. I told him not to worry about me and that I would be fine the next day. He was dubious. The next morning he got up and asked me how I was feeling. I told him that I felt fine. He did not believe me. He touched me and felt that my fever was gone. My husband witnessed this miracle of Dafa and since then he has not opposed my practicing Falun Gong.
Fulfilling the Mission of Saving Sentient Beings
In order to enable more people to understand the truth and be saved, I go out to deliver truth clarification materials everyday. In the beginning my hands and legs were shaking with fear, and my heart was beating very fast. I tried to calm down, but the first time I was about to stick the materials to a door, it suddenly opened. I ran away very fast all the way home. I've often regretted that incident, thinking that if I had delivered the materials to the person and told him the truth, he might have been saved. Since that experience I have eliminated my fear about delivering materials.
One afternoon as I left some materials at the front door of a house, I saw a person walking towards me. I thought to myself that he could not see me and he then walked behind and past me and really did not see me.
Taking Care of a Young Practitioner Is My Duty
Once my daughter was sick in bed with a fever and sore throat. I told her to say out aloud, "Falun Dafa is good. Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is good." Soon after, she fell asleep. When she woke up she told me, "Mum, I don't feel uncomfortable and my throat is not hurting anymore. Dafa is truly miraculous!"
Every Monday when school had its flag-raising ceremony, my daughter sent forth righteous thoughts. She was very pleased to tell me, "Mum, Teacher's Fa is very powerful. The flag fell down while it was only raised half way." I replied, "Teacher was encouraging you. You should persist."
My daughter can be critical of herself and her relationships with her classmates are usually good. However, sometimes she goes too far because of her strong personality. As soon as she got home from school one day I saw that she was not happy. I asked her, "What's wrong? Why are you unhappy?" she said, "The teacher was unfair. During study hall the girl behind me called my name, so I turned around and asked her what was the matter. The teacher said I was talking in class, and she was very harsh with me. I tried to explain to the teacher that the girl behind me called me, but the teacher said that I did more than that and that I was talking to the girl. When I tried to explain again, the teacher said that I was just looking for excuses."
Looking at my daughter, I knew she was telling the truth. I said, "Have you forgotten that you are a cultivator? As a practitioner you should have taken this opportunity to improve your Xinxing. Don't you think it would have been a good opportunity for you to improve your xinxing? Why do you look toward others but not search inward? You argued with your teacher. This is your attachment to fighting and you should eliminate it."
After listening to me, my daughter said with regret, "Why didn't I see myself as a practitioner then?" I told her, "If you study the Fa more, you will think of yourself as a practitioner naturally when you face conflicts, and you will not argue with people anymore." My daughter said to me, "Mum, I understand now. I will apologize to the teacher tomorrow."
I will study the Fa more diligently in the future and try my best to do the three things that Teacher requires and reach consummation.
