(Clearwisdom.net) I started practicing Falun Dafa sixteen years ago. When I think back to the time of Teacher's classes, his kind, mighty image remains very clear in my mind. When I think about what Teacher has given in his tireless travels across the country to spread the Fa for everyone's salvation, and for the salvation of sentient beings, my heart becomes more resolute about the mission and the responsibility of being a Dafa practitioner during Fa rectification.
1. Starting the Practice
I was born and raised in a forested region and my physique was poor since birth. I tried to build my physique to improve my health and so I practiced Qigong from many different schools. I traveled around the country and spent quite a bit of money but my body remained the same. I also discovered there are many things about Qigong that I still didn't understand. I discovered that the supposed "Qigong masters" were really mostly charlatans who were just trying to get rich, so I just gave up on Qigong and began to study Buddhism. I've been to many Buddhist and Daoist temples and also had my share of suffering. After cultivating for a while, I found that even those temples were not pure.
At the time that I was so discouraged, in March of 1994, I met a friend in the city while he was passing through. He had with him a copy of Falun Gong and he introduced it to me. He said, "This is a good practice. It's a practice that Teacher is personally imparting and the classes are currently held in many places around the country. It's a virtuous Dafa, and it's clearly very effective for improving your health. It's not some ordinary Qigong."
That very night I read the book from cover to cover without stopping. After reading it I was very moved. The questions that remained from all my previous Qigong learning were all clearly answered by a few simple words from Teacher. At the time I thought, "I must learn this Fa." So on the second day, I went to a book vendor and bought a copy of Falun Gong. The bookseller told me, "This book is sold out throughout the city; this was the last one." I was very moved after hearing this.
When I returned home, I read the book every day. Some of my local friends also passed the book around to read. They all thought it was good. We just didn't know when Teacher would be coming in person to teach a class here. I thought about this every day. I was eager to see Teacher.
2. Bathed in Teacher's Grace
In early August 1994, a colleague of my father's went to the city on a business trip and brought me a ticket to Teacher's class that was going to be held there. He told me he was strolling in the park and by chance met someone selling these tickets. He knew that I was reading this book and learning this Fa without having seen Teacher, and so he bought a ticket for me. After I heard this I was extremely happy that I could finally see Teacher in person. Back then I had stomach pains which wouldn't go away, even after taking medicine. But after I received the tickets, the pains in my stomach immediately went away. It seemed coincidental, but it wasn't so. Teacher was already cleansing my body but I didn't know it at the time. I delivered the good news to my other friends and the six of us took a journey on the 5th of August to Teacher's class in Harbin City.
At the time the class was held in an ice hockey stadium in Harbin City District 8, which had a capacity of over four thousand people. Because there were others coming from around the country in addition to the locals, many people weren't able to get tickets. In order for more people to hear Teacher's lectures, tickets for additional seats were sold and over five thousand people were in attendance.
Teacher's seat was in the center side of the conference site. There was a simple table and chair. Every day Teacher took a sheet of draft paper out from his pocket for the lecture. Every day Teacher walked from the front entrance into the conference site. Because I was sitting by the north wall, I couldn't see Teacher very clearly. The second day I sat next to one of my friends by a passage way and I could get a clear look at Teacher. Teacher had a tall body, a kind face, and wore a white shirt every day. Although the days were hot and the stadium was packed with people, there was never a hint of sweat or stain on Teacher's shirt collar. The shirt Teacher wore always appeared very clean and simple.
Due to my lack of understanding at the time, I took pictures of Teacher every day when he walked past me. Every time Teacher would kindly and gently raise his hand a little to cover his face. Despite this, I still did not enlighten and continued to take pictures. When I went home to develop the pictures they were all overexposed. I later understood it was disrespectful to Teacher and to the Fa and that I should not have taken them. I was regretful that I didn't understand this at the time. The event I remember most was when I was walking out of the conference hall before class and I suddenly saw Teacher entering from the main doorway. At the time my heart jumped as I excitedly walked to Teacher and shook his hand with both hands. I shouted, "Teacher!" At the time my mind was completely blank and I no longer knew what to say. Teacher looked at me and with a kind voice he said, "You shouldn't be this way." And I stood there and watched as Teacher walked into the stadium. Whenever I think about Teacher's words, it becomes difficult for my heart to be at ease. I deeply understood Teacher's hardships in saving people. I believed Teacher is telling his students, "You must be mature. Don't simply walk in based on one impulse, but be resolute in cultivation and treasure this rare and eternal opportunity."
3. Healing My Father's Illness
When the classes were held in Harbin City, Teacher also conducted a lecture assembly at the Worker's Civic Center. In order to let more people with predestined relationships hear the Fa, Teacher said in class, "Those who attended my class shouldn't go. Give this opportunity to attend to someone who hasn't obtained the Fa." So I didn't plan to go, but I was idle that day and I went to the center anyway. Then I just happened to stumble across a middle aged woman selling tickets. The assembly was about to begin, and so I bought the ticket and entered. Again I was able to listen to Teacher's lecture. At the time Teacher was cleansing the bodies of everyone present. Those who had already been healed of their illnesses thought about their family members and they too would be healed. My body was already cleansed and so I thought, "I traveled to so many places to learn Qigong but my parents have been worried sick about me. I should do something for them if I can." I thought about the area around my father's head to cure him of his illness (my father had a severe cases of dizziness, and numbness in one of his arms and hands. He was afraid he would have a stroke). Teacher then called out: "One, two, three, everyone stomp their feet." During the assembly Teacher cured my father of his head illness.
My father has not had any more of his head problems to this day. In 2002, I went with my father to a stroke examination hospital in Shenyang City. There were no signs of any illness during the CT scan, adding further to the proof of Teacher's mighty grace.
4. Following Teacher to Listen to the Fa in Yanji City
After the class in Harbin City, I followed Teacher to the attend the lecture in Yanji City on August 20th. During the time of the lecture, we encountered some heavy storms. At one point the rain fell up to half a meter. Some of the trees were split by the lightning. The main streets of the city had been flooded. However, none of this impacted the students attending the classes. The students whose Celestial Eyes had opened said it was the evil in other dimensions trying to interfere with Teacher spreading the Fa. Teacher cleansed the evil and the environment of Yanji City as well.
After the final day of the question and answer session, at the request of the students, Teacher sat and showed us the big hand signs. Finally Teacher gathered all the income from the Fa class and, in an act of charity, donated it to a nearby Red Cross center. When everyone heard the news they applauded thunderously throughout the entire hall. Before it ended Teacher stood in the center of the conference hall and displayed the big hand signs once again. Even though I could not understand the meaning behind Teacher's hand signs, my very core was shaken by it and I could feel Teacher's vast and mighty grace. My eyes teared up and as I gazed at Teacher, I didn't want to leave.
For all that Teacher has given us students and for all Teacher has given sentient beings, we can never repay. We must only continue to make progress, try our hardest to do the three things well, help Teacher to validate the Fa, and complete our great historical missions.