(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2001. It has been quite a while since I obtained the Fa, but I haven't genuinely practiced it for very long. I cultivated on and off for some time, until I gained access to the Minghui/Clearwisdom website. I started to be diligent after that. I'm summing up my past experience in cultivation, to report to Master, and to share with fellow practitioners.
I Obtained the Fa in Prison
The way I obtained the Fa is like a drama. Previously, I was a senior manager in a large state-owned enterprise and led a life of luxury that was the envy of all. I heard of Falun Gong when Master Li came to our area and gave Fa lectures. A manager in another company that had a working relationship with ours attended the lectures. He strongly recommended Falun Gong to us when we ate together. I listened but had no desire to learn more about it. Plus I had been poisoned by atheism for so many years that I didn't believe in karma. I passed up the first opportunity to obtain the Fa.
Later on, two of my colleagues started to practice Falun Gong. I heard them talking about it. My initial understanding was that it was only for healing and fitness. In 1998, I recommended it to my mother so she could exercise. I was about to go and get a copy of Zhuan Falun from one of my colleagues, when my mother called me. She told me that Falun Gong practitioners in her city were being secretly investigated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). She told me to stay away from it. My parents' generation has lived through every single movement since the CCP came to power. They were scared to death. They would never do anything if the CCP said not to. I did not go to see my colleague, so this was the second time I passed up the opportunity to obtain Dafa.
After July 20, 1999, the CCP spread the lies and slander about Falun Gong throughout the length and breadth of the country. The TV programs that slandered Falun Gong played repeatedly all day. The practitioners in our company gave up the practice under pressure. For a person who knew nothing about it, I gave up my thought of possibly learning Dafa.
By that time our company was implicated in a financial crime. All those involved, including me, were summoned and detained. It was management that had taken advantage of the loopholes in national policies and committed the crime—I was innocent.
In the detention center, I met many Dafa practitioners. It was the darkest time of the persecution of Falun Gong. Groups and groups of practitioners were arrested and taken to the detention center. They were later sent to forced labor camps or prisons. Through conversations with them, I started to understand that Falun Gong was not only for healing and fitness. It was about cultivation and returning to one's original self. I also understood why those practitioners risked being arrested, being beaten or even being killed, yet they wouldn't give up their belief. It was their belief in the Buddha Fa.
I read through Zhuan Falun and felt renewed in body and mind. My heart found a home after more than 30 years of being lost in this human world. Studying the Fa and doing the exercises became a routine for me. Even though the conditions in the detention center were a far cry from what I was used to at home, my health improved a lot. I didn't have any serious illness prior to my practicing. However, I was busy all day and had the pressure of work, plus the whirl of society, and I suffered from high blood pressure and serious myopia by the age of 30. I realized that my eyesight improved a great deal after a six months of practicing Falun Gong. In the past, I couldn't see the TV screen clearly even with my eyeglasses on. Now I could see it clearly from a distance. Therefore, I was in a good mood despite my detention.
My happiness puzzled those handling my case. They learned that I practiced Falun Gong from the guards. From the Fa, I learned that we should tell the truth in all things. I gave up my original thought of absolving my company and myself from guilt. I told the truth and was cooperative. I no longer hated them. They were surprised and didn't oppose my practicing Falun Gong. The guards didn't pay much attention to my practicing it, either, even though it was the darkest time of the persecution. Now I realized that it was Master who created that good environment for me. I don't think that I could have kept up the practice under pressure at that time.
Dafa practitioners had created a good environment in the detention center where I was held. All the inmates in the room, drug addicts or thieves, were moved by practitioners' kindness and unselfishness. They accepted Dafa practitioners and never interfered with our Fa-study or exercises. After I started practicing, I was strict with myself according to the standards laid out in Zhuan Falun. I tried to be nice to everyone and was willing to work. Others looked up to me with respect. Compared with the work environment where I had to listen to the boss and worried about office politics, I felt relaxed despite the physical conditions.
I had thoughts of disbelief at the beginning. I did more Fa-study as Master taught us to. I found that all my questions were answered by reading Zhuan Falun. I had different understandings after each reading. The thoughts of disbelief were eliminated gradually.
Later on, I developed the attachment of pursuit. I wanted my case to be closed faster. I wanted the persecution of Falun Gong to end sooner. I would be the luckiest person that way. Because I obtained the Fa at this time, I didn't suffer any persecution, and if it ended, I could still be left to be a human being even if I wouldn't reach consummation. My thoughts were selfish and I only wanted to attain self-liberation. I didn't understand the principle of saving sentient beings. Only when I eliminated the attachment of pursuit and studied the Fa and did the exercises with a sincere heart were all the problems solved right away. My case proceeded smoothly and I was released not long after.
Being Diligent
When the movement to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations started in 2004, a practitioner told me about it, and I quit without hesitation. I woke up suddenly and I realized that I believed in Dafa from the bottom of my heart. No matter what, if Master and Dafa required it, I would do it without question. I think Master saw my firmness in Dafa and helped me get an easier and better paying job. One colleague at the job knew computers well. We had a conversation once and talked about the Internet blockade. He said, “The Internet cannot be blocked. There are many software programs that can remove the Internet blockade.” He gave me Freegate software.
I was thrilled when I opened up the Minghui web-page for the first timeThe Chinese version of Clearwisdom). I was grateful for Master's arrangement. I was also remorseful for not having accessed the Minghui website sooner. In the past, I received the link for Dynaweb but didn't dare use it.
I read other practitioners' experience sharing articles on Minghui and realized that I had fallen far behind. Even the elderly practitioners established their own truth-clarification materials production sites and learned how to use computers. I said to myself, “I'm young and use computers in my daily work. I should establish my own materials production site.” At the time, the practitioners I knew didn't use the Internet. I had to teach myself. I learned to download files and print out the pamphlets to hand out. I didn't know computers well at the beginning and there were many Internet safety issues. However, I wasn't afraid as I wasn't aware of those issues. I didn't have computers at home at that time. I brought my own printer paper to work and used the company printer. I did the printing in the early morning when my co-workers were not there yet. I sometimes did the printing on weekends. There were times that colleagues came in right after I finished printing. I never had a problem. Later on I downloaded “Establish a Material Production Site From Scratch” and learned how to create encryption disks and burn CDs. I never thought I could learn those things before. We later bought a computer at home and I could burn CDs and hand them out.
Breaking Though Notions
In one Minghui article I read, the author said that she was always trying to clarify the truth in the residential area where the staff of the judicial system lived. My understanding is that they receive very few truth-clarifying materials about Falun Gong. I was afraid to go to those areas in the past. My home was not far from the police residential area. I encouraged myself to break through that notion of fear and go there. I still remember the first time I went there. It was an early Saturday morning. With my hat on and wearing a mask (I was still afraid), I entered an apartment unit. After I put a Dafa informational sticker on a wall, a woman came downstairs. From where she stood, she would be able to clearly see what I was doing. I was startled but not as afraid. I removed the sticker and left. She came downstairs without saying anything. I went into another apartment unit and put the sticker on a wall. This was the first time someone had seen me since the day I started handing out materials. It seemed that there were more evil elements in those residential areas. Those residents had fewer opportunities to find out the truth. I later went to these residential areas several times. I didn't think it was good to leave a lot of materials there, so I only went to one or two apartment units. Later I would go there again and try not to put the material in the same apartment unit I visited before. The Shen Yun DVDs would be the best materials to leave and having righteous thoughts was most important.
I went to the court residence area once. I knew each apartment unit had a gate. I said to myself, “I'm saving people here. There must be some open gates.” I went to a building at random on my bike. I passed several apartment units and the gates were closed. I got to the last apartment unit and it didn't look like it was open. It was a dead end and I had to get off my bike. I went to the gate and found it wasn't closed. I went upstairs and met two people on the second floor. I didn't stop and kept going upstairs calmly. I went to the top floor. As I came downstairs, I stuck Shen Yun DVDs on some of the doors. The gate was closed when I got to the first floor. If I had gotten to the gate after the two people who were going out, the gate would have been closed and I wouldn't have been able to get in. What a fine arrangement!
One Sunday, I went to personally hand out Shen Yun DVDs. I discovered that there was a police brigade right beside a particular store. I wanted to go in, but was afraid as the security was normally tight at such places. I didn't go in and went to several other stores. Then I thought that it wasn't accidental for me to discover that place and I should check to see if there was any chance to get in. When I got back to the gate of the police brigade, a woman was going in and the guard asked her what she wanted. While they were talking, I put a Shen Yun DVD on the front table and left. Through those incidents, I realized that Master would make arrangements for us to save people as long as we were steadfast.
Most of my friends knew nothing about my practicing Falun Gong. I didn't clarify the truth to them. I did talk to one or two friends. However, I had many bad thoughts myself, and I was busy doing things and didn't study the Fa, so my words had very little effect on them. I had no clue how to start a conversation with strangers either. I realized that I hadn't done enough Fa-study.
When I wasn't busy at work I downloaded Zhuan Falun and other lectures to my work computer and studied the Fa whenever I had time. My xinxing improved a lot through Fa-study. I was impatient while burning CDs and printing pamphlets. I often got angry with my daughter and it made her upset. I calmed down through Fa-study. Doing Fa-validation work is itself not really genuine cultivation. I had to truly cultivate at the same time.
I knew a practitioner in detention. She gave up the practice after she was released. I met her in a store two years ago. I didn't think it was accidental and wanted to help her, but I didn't think I could persuade her to return to Dafa. I tried to give her some materials to read but she refused to take them. I didn't dare say that I had access to the Minghui website, and I didn't contact her afterward. She got in touch with me recently and this time I didn't want to miss the opportunity again. I gave her the most recent Minhui Weekly and Master's recent lectures and she took them. Other practitioners were helping her as well. During my conversation with her, I felt that my speech had become more powerful. Later I overcame my fear and brought her to my work. I showed her how to access the Minghui website. It really amazed her.
Since I learned the practice secretly, my friends and colleagues didn't know about it. I had fear and the mentality of saving face, so I didn't mention it to them. A couple of my friends later developed cancer. I overcame my fear and gave them amulets (1). I told them to recite “Falun Dafa is great, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great” and gave them the Shen Yun DVDs. Then I realized that people accepted it easily once I overcame myself and eliminated the fear.
Family Benefited
I had been secretly reading the books and doing the exercises since I obtained the Fa. I didn't dare tell my family and thought they would try to stop me from doing the exercises and reading. I didn't want to disturb the peaceful life we had. Speaking of Falun Gong, my family had an irresponsible attitude of standing aloof from things and it was hard to have a good family environment.
However, I had been strict with myself according to Dafa's requirements. My family was surprised since I had been selfish and assertive before. I had changed into a calm person and never wanted to get the upper hand anymore. I talked to them individually about how I benefited and the goodness of Dafa. My mother had a sudden heart problem and accepted my suggestions when her condition was critical. She wore the protective amulet and recited “Falun Dafa is great, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great.” She recovered quickly and is reading Zhuan Falun now. She didn't dare to tell others though.
My father was stubborn. He was disgusted with the CCP and quickly quit it and its affiliated organizations. However, he had some misunderstandings about Dafa, such as “besieging Zhongnanhai” and “Not being tolerant.” After we bought a computer, I played the DVD “We Tell the Truth to the Future” and others about prophesy for him. While he was watching, I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all the evil elements that interfered with him. He said he didn't want to watch it at first. Once the program started, he watched carefully. He's changed ever since. Nowadays, if I don't maintain my xinxing sometimes, he will say, “Are you following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance? Sometimes your behavior is no better than mine!”
My younger sister was eccentric and extreme. I had a low opinion of her and disliked her. I tried to improve myself and spoke with her about Falun Gong. I didn't go any deeper, though, as I thought she might not understand it. However, her enlightenment quality is very good. After reading Zhuan Falun for the first time, she said it answered all the questions about life she had ever since she was a child, such as why people come to this world and the purpose of life. I felt ashamed. Her enlightenment quality was so much better than mine. She has been actively doing the exercises and studying the Fa. She felt the rotation of Falun in her abdominal area. She felt her body rising up when she was half-awake. She was extreme and had a violent temper before. She would yell at her husband if things were not done her way. She has been improving herself a lot. She has been nice to her husband and mother-in-law. She said she would have a headache if she ever yelled. It is Dafa that changed her. Her husband has been supportive of her practicing Falun Gong. He taught her how to access the Minghui website and he benefited, too. One evening when he was riding his bike, a car driven by a drunk driver hit him. He fell to the ground in a sitting position without any injury. Since then, he has had a positive view of Dafa and has started practicing Falun Gong with my sister's help.
My husband is kind and responsible and believes in karma. However, he had bad thoughts about Dafa due to the CCP's influence. I didn't dare to tell him about my practicing. He noticed that my temper was getting better and I was improving myself. Prior to practicing Falun Gong, I wasn't responsible for his parents and brothers and didn't want to go to his parents' home. After I obtained the Fa, I started to ask him things about his family and tried to go to his parents' home with him. We sometimes talked about Falun Gong, and we both received emails about the truth of Dafa. He gained a better understanding of Dafa. When he was not feeling good, I would encourage him gently, “I can teach you the exercises. You see how good I am nowadays.” He asked me, “How long have you been practicing?” He has very good enlightenment quality. He felt good doing the exercises and made a big improvement studying the Fa. It might be that he has good inborn quality, as he understood the Fa principles quickly.
My daughter had been in poor health since she was a child. She started doing the exercises and Fa-study in junior high. She's never had to take medication since then. When the Influenza A virus was spreading one winter, many students were infected and her school was closed for several days because of that. She just had a runny nose and recovered in a couple of days without taking any medicine. She likes to study the Fa but doesn't like to do the exercises as much. I urged her to do the exercises and sometimes scolded her in a rough tone. I realized that I shouldn't scold her even though it is to try to help her improve. I removed the mentality of impatience and other mentalities during the process. During the last year of junior high, she did one exercise and studied the Fa every day. She was just a little bit above average academically in her class. Some parents suggested that we hire somebody to create an invention (it is a fraud) to help her score. I discussed it with my daughter, and we decided not to engage in such fraud. We would let nature take its course. My daughter did very well in the high school entrance exam and got the best score in three years.
I obtained the Fa after July 20, 1999, and didn't set high standards for myself. During the time of Fa-rectification, we should try our best to validate Dafa whether we are veteran practitioners or new practitioners. I'm writing this paper to encourage myself as well.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners! Heshi!
Note:
(1) Amulet - In China, practitioners sometimes clarify the truth by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.
