(Minghui.org) My hometown is in Yunnan Province. Our tribal minority lives in isolation in camps on the high mountains with steep cliffs. Although our population is small, our history goes way back. We all believe in Buddhism. Our tribal leadership, the Patriarch, is passed from father to son. I am the daughter of the Patriarch.
My Early Life
I was a cute, fair, plump baby everybody loved. A fortuneteller once told my mother: “Don’t count on how well you’ll be taken care of by her. When she grows up, she’ll be married off at a very faraway place. Your love and care won't be returned in any shape or form.”
When I was about four or five, my father and elder brother were away, leaving only my mother and me at home. My mother had a dream in which a tall old man with snow-white hair piled high on his head prompted her, “Get up now. Carry your daughter outside. The bandits are on their way!” Mother acted at once. She found a place in the jungle where we could hide. By then I was awake but did not utter a sound. Soon we saw a crowd of people holding torches approach our camp. They killed everybody in sight and burned our homes to the ground. Mother and I had to seek shelter with relatives living elsewhere.
Because of this incident, people thought I was special and treated me as a person of importance. Later on, I was married off to a faraway place, just as the fortuneteller had predicted.
Leaving Home
The evening before my wedding, my relatives from the neighboring camps as well as many camp leaders gathered to send me off, singing songs all night long. They sang:
The bamboo leaves outside the bamboo building are making noise The moonbeam shines on the bamboo leaves The wind blows and the shadows of the bamboos move Where has our daughter gone off to? They also sang: The mountains are high and the river is long Married far away to a foreign land Forget not to return to visit your mother
My Heart's Greatest Desire
After several decades away, my homesickness lessened. Still, there were sweet memories deep in the crevices of my soul. I continued to feel a great attachment and a loyal connection linking me and the people in my tribal hometown.
It was only after I started practicing Falun Gong that I realized this connection was a predestined relationship. In my tribe, I was the only Falun Gong practitioner. Later, I also realized I was married far away so that I could obtain the Fa, and that, through me, my tribal people would benefit, too.
Soon after I obtained the Fa, I introduced Falun Gong to my closest relatives. Returning home to my tribal community to spread the Fa became my heart’s greatest desire.
However, the overwhelming persecution started and I was repeatedly illegally arrested and subjected to forced labor. My heart’s greatest desire was inevitably shelved.
One time, I was reading this passage in Zhuan Falun:
“The great enlightened people all have their own paradises to which they save human beings. These Tathagata Buddhas such as Sakyamuni, Buddha Amitabha, and the Great Sun Tathagata each have their own paradises for saving people. In our Milky Way, there are over one hundred such paradises. Our Falun Dafa also has a Falun Paradise.” (“The Buddha School Qigong and Buddhism” from Lecture Three)
At once, I realized my tribal relatives and I are of the same heavenly kingdom where the clouds are fluffy white and the trees are jade green. I remembered I had also seen scenes of my reincarnations over hundreds of years. Many of these scenes were related to these tribal people. My age old desire to go home to clarify the truth to my tribal people became solidified.
The Journey Home
The journey home was quite arduous. The train ride took two days and one night, with multiple transfers. The last leg required employing a three-wheeled cart. The driver was unwilling to go through the jungle at night, so I clarified the truth to him. I told him I practiced Falun Gong so I would not run into any danger, and, since he was helping me, he would also not run into any danger, because the gods and Buddhas would be watching over us. His father was listening to what I said. He told his son, “Give her a ride. This lady looks to be a true practitioner. It will be our blessing to help her. Go. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”
Nighttime in the jungle can be scary. The mountain road appears to be a fine thread, undulating, without an end in sight. The three-wheeled cart travelled in the darkness, amidst the howling of wolves and the screeching of monkeys. Most people would not choose to make such a journey. I told the driver, “Don’t be afraid. Say ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’ Dafa’s Master will protect us.” I sent forth righteous thoughts non-stop as we talked, both to dispel his fears as well as further clarify the truth to him.
After traveling several kilometers of mountain road in the jungle, we finally arrived at a guesthouse at 1:30 a.m. The driver insisted on going home. He said, “I am not afraid at all. Instead, I feel everything in the jungle is afraid of us and is staying far away from us. I truly trust this Falun Gong you’ve been telling me about.” I said to him again, “To trust and repeat ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’ will eliminate all evil and take you safely all the way home. I will send you good vibes from my end. You’ve quit the communist party, so the Gods and Buddhas will protect you.” I called him at 4 a.m. He said, “Thank you. I’m already out of the jungle and almost home.” A little later, he called to say, “Thank you very much. My father is just telling me what a great lady you are. He also told me he’s only met a true practitioner like you once in his lifetime. He’s very happy. He wants me to thank you again.”
A Warm Welcome
The next day while waiting for my cousin to pick me up, I visited one of the tribal camps. All my relatives there were very excited to see me again after so many years. Because I am the Patriarch’s daughter, they knelt in front of me in proper tribal etiquette, but I knew it was because their true nature recognized that I was the one to bring them the truth. It’s Master’s glory, yet He let me have the honor. I told my relatives I was there as a Falun Gong disciple to share with them the good news about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I told them about my cultivation practice and being persecuted. They had tears in their eyes. They told me, “We know you are a good person, an honored person in our tribe.”
My cousin drove me to my grandma’s house. Our camp used to have only four families, now it has increased to 37. All my relatives greeted me with the proper tribal etiquette, then embraced me, saying, “We have waited all these long years. You’re finally home.”
Over a hundred people gathered in Grandma’s old-fashioned bamboo building. We all sat down to a family reunion banquet.
It is our custom not to brood over anything but to express all feelings in song. They sing whatever they see and feel. My grandma is almost 100 years old. She was in high spirits when she saw me. She raised her thumb and declared, “My granddaughter is great!” Then she sang,
My granddaughter is great, is really great My granddaughter is our tribe’s gold ingot
My relatives all scrambled to invite me to stay the night at their homes and eat dinner. Our tribal people are very hospitable. When a married daughter returns home after a long lapse of time, it’s customary to have every family send out a dinner invitation; it’s also customary to have every invitation accepted, without exception.
Letting Everyone Understand the Truth
There was a couple in their late 70s who had stopped by four or five times with their invitation. So I went to their home with gifts. They were waiting with fruit and tea. They called out my name, clasped both my hands, and said, “We’ve waited for decades for your return. We miss you so much. You are our good tribal daughter who brings us peace and happiness.” After I clarified the truth to them, they cried and said, “We believe everything you said. All you said is true and good. You’ve been gone for so long but you left to bring us back the holy scriptures.”
One day I was standing by the roadside chatting with a former classmate. Suddenly, somebody came up from behind me and hit me on the head, scolding me all the while. I turned around to find an old man over 80, round eyes, a hunched back, and a recessed chin from losing all his teeth. He pulled at my hands and raised his hand to hit me again, “You’ve forgotten. You’ve forgotten me. I think of you every day. I miss you every day. You came back, but you will not come see me.
When you were young, your father gave you away because he owed gambling debts. It was I who paid your ransom. One day we were in the fields when a huge thunderstorm came. It was I who carried you on my back and ran under a big tree. You didn’t want me to carry you and bit me on my shoulder. Look at me. Don't you know who I am? I was your old county chief!” I looked at his tear-streaked face and cried, “Old county chief, how are you? I remember you now. I’m sorry. Today, I’ll definitely pay you a visit.” I wanted to say more, but the words got stuck in my throat.
That afternoon, I took some gifts to pay a visit to the old county chief at his new bamboo house. The old man was overjoyed. He introduced me to all his family members and treated me to a grand feast. I told them about Falun Gong and my persecution experiences. He said, “We’ve heard. You were persecuted. You suffered. The Communist Party is bad, I know. You have helped me quit the Party. You have to come back and see us again.” I said, “I will. I’ll remember to come see you often.”
During that period of time, I seized every moment to make amulets to give to everybody. They all accepted them with both hands, saying, “We are blessed. Master has blessed us.”
My elder brother is a very kind person. He loves to listen to me clarify the truth. He becomes mesmerized. He says consistently, “Falun Gong is truly great. The Communist Party objects to Falun Gong because it is afraid that more people will become good.” I told him, “Those who practice Falun Gong will not think of themselves but of others first. They do not take anything that belongs to others. Master teaches us to cultivate our xinxing: Do not want what is not yours, and what is yours will not be taken away.” He kept nodding, “That’s the rationale. Falun Gong is truly great.”
Amazing Things Happen
One afternoon on my way to a relative’s home, I spied a black wallet. I picked it up and went searching for the owner. Everybody told me, “We here have this custom: if a person finds something but nobody claims it, then that person owns it.” I told them, “We who practice Falun Gong have to think of others. Whoever lost the wallet will be worried. If I can’t find the owner, I’ll go to the broadcasting station to make an announcement.”
When I arrived at the station, I ran into my elder brother and told him about the wallet. He unzipped it. Inside was a pile of 100-yuan bills and two bankcards. He examined the wallet closely and counted the money. Then he exclaimed, “This is my wallet. There are over 1,000 yuan and two bankcards, totaling over several tens of thousands in cash. Thank you, Falun Gong. Thank you, Master Li. Now I trust 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good' even more. Falun Gong is great.”
My cousin, the sixth son of my elder brother, was in the hospital in town. He called three times to see me. One day while we were having lunch, he came home and looked us up. He said, “I haven’t eaten for a whole week.” I said, “Come. Eat with us. You’ll be okay.” While we ate, I told him about how great Falun Gong is. He listened until he finished eating, then said, “I feel great. The hospital can’t treat my illness. Listening to you, I feel great now, as if everything is fine. I haven’t eaten so well and so happily these past few years.”
I accompanied my cousin to his home and further clarified the truth to him. I said, “Nowadays, nobody talks about morality, only money. People will hurt others over personal gain. Gods and Buddhas are everywhere. Every bad deed has to be repaid. For the sake of ourselves and our families, we should start right away to act in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The Communist Party does bad deeds. Heaven will destroy it. If we remain its members, when heaven destroys it, we will be destroyed with it. To be safe, we have to quit the Party and its affiliated organizations.”
I also told him about wallet. At once, he seemed very uneasy. I asked him what was the matter. He said, “We did a bad deed. My young daughter picked up a wallet on the way home. I found more than 2,000 yuan in cash inside and spent it all. Within three months, my daughter’s entire body turned yellow and weak. She didn’t get better when we put her in the hospital. It’s been more then three years now. We’ve already spent nearly 30,000 yuan on her hospital expenses but she’s still unable to go back to school.”
I asked my cousin to call his little girl over. I clarified the truth to her and told her to repeat “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” The little girl listened attentively. Shortly after that, we noticed her spirits seem to have been refreshed. Later on, she came over every day. She told me, “I just feel great when I’m with you.”
Last summer, the sixth son of my elder brother called specifically to tell me, “Thank you, aunt. Thank you, Master Li. The day before yesterday, my car went off the highest peak and was totaled. I was thrown from the car into the river. Passersby took me to the hospital. I was unconsciousness for a day. According to the doctors, I suffered no injury except for a scratch over one eyelid. The money from the insurance company was almost enough to pay for a new car. Even the doctors said I must be under some powerful protection to be so lucky and blessed. I know it was Master Li who saved me. I will definitely tell people about this. I’ll tell them to remember, 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.' It’s Master Li who saved my life. Thank you, Master Li!”
Although traffic into the mountains is now much improved, the undulating mountain road is still scary every inch of the way. The road is very steep. Some parts of it appear to be practically perpendicular. Whenever I wanted to go somewhere to clarify the truth, the young people would willingly give me rides on their motorcycles. Even though I am way over 60, when I think about my responsibility and about the sentient beings eagerly waiting for me to tell them the truth, I dare to go anywhere. Moreover, I have Master to protect me.
I have an aunt who had to catch her breath whenever she moved. When I went to see her, I had her sit up in bed and recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” with me. Half an hour later, she said, “In my whole life, I’ve not felt so good and relaxed as I am right now. I feel refreshed and light, as if I could float. I also felt something rotating outside my body.” I told her, “You have a predestined relationship. These are all good things. Just keep your faith strong.”
My aunt who had been lying in bed all these years suddenly got up, left the room, and returned with a platter with several incense sticks and a small package wrapped in yellow cloth. She held the platter up level with her forehead, knelt in front of me, and said, “Through your blessings, I’ve had my problems removed. Thank you. Please accept my small token. If you refuse, my sins will remain.”
I knew in the yellow cloth would be several hundred yuan in cash. This is our tribal formality during ceremonial offerings to the gods and Buddhas. It’s also commonly done when showing a special gratitude towards a benefactor. I would run into that a lot when visiting different relatives. I would always refuse and they would say, “If you don’t want money, take some tribal specialties.” I would still refuse but remind them to remember to say “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
So I said to my aunt, “Our Master is great and compassionate. He does not allow us to accept any money or gifts. We save people without gain or fame but with complete selflessness. Master Li will take care of everything. If you will put your faith in Falun Dafa, you will be guaranteed peace and harmony.”
I also told her, “It is Master Li who bestowed everything on you. If you want to give thanks, give thanks to Master Li.”
Her eyes brimming with tears, my aunt said, “I thank Master Li. I also want to be Master Li’s true disciple.”
Young and Old Have Been Waiting for the Truth
Some elderly relatives in their feeble 70s heard of my return and dropped by. They would all listen attentively when I spoke to them about Falun Gong, that people who practice it always speak the truth and will not cheat or lie, that cultivators are good to everybody and cultivate xinxing to be good people.
They would say, “We hear you. We believe all you say is the truth. Whatever you say, we believe. Everything the Communist Party says is nothing but lies. Falun Gong is the Buddha Law. We all believe in Buddhism. From now on, we will believe in Falun Gong and Master Li.”
The tribal children in every camp are especially wonderful. When I visited and stayed in a particular camp, the children would greet me before they went off to school, and when they came home they would invariably bring me all kinds of wild flowers. They all remember to say “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Every day, there would be somebody new who would come over to say. “Grandma, I haven’t quit yet” or “I haven’t gotten an amulet.” I would help each to renounce the Communist Party and its affiliates and give each an amulet.
Sometimes, I would go with relatives to the jungle to pick wild vegetables. The air in the jungle is particularly fresh, and all kinds of wild flowers grow there. My celestial eye could see the trees, grass, and flowers all waiting to hear the truth about Falun Gong, so I would say to them in a loud voice, “Please remember ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’” There are two trees that are extremely tall. They both appear as human shapes in another dimension. They appear very old. After I clarified the truth to them, they put their hands in front of their chests in heshi and told me, “We’ve been waiting here for 6,000 years.”
One day at the open market, a woman stopped me in my tracks and asked, “Do you know who I am?” I studied her and thought she seemed familiar but just couldn’t recall her name. She said, “I used to sell rice noodles. Did you forget?” When she said that, I remembered her at once. I told her, “I obtained the true Buddha Fa in my mother-in-law’s home. That is the Falun Gong that the Communist Party is persecuting. I’ve been practicing for over 10 years. I came home this time not just for a visit but especially to tell everyone about Falun Gong.” She was excited and moved. She cried and gave me a big hug.
Another day, my cousin’s friend came to visit when my cousin was out. I clarified the truth to the friend and helped him quit the Party. When my cousin returned and called his friend, he found out his friend had just finished building a new home and wanted him to go for a celebration. His friend added, “Your aunt is great. Please be sure to bring her along.”
I have another cousin who wouldn’t leave my side for a week. He would repeat “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” non-stop. Once he put his amulet around his neck, he would not take it off. He also made me teach him the five exercises. He had never sat is the lotus position before but was able to for half an hour the first time around. He said, “Sitting in this position feels so comfortable. Even if it hurts, I still don’t want to take my legs down. I feel full of energy after sitting like this.”
I sought out every person I used to know to clarify the truth to them and help them quit the Party. I also sought out people I didn’t know. Because we are from the same place, our accents are identical, and our customs are similar, we were able to hit it off immediately. Since we warm up right away, that makes clarifying the truth particularly easy.
I also heard through the grapevine that a classmate lived in an adjacent small town. I made contact by phone and hired a cab to visit her. Her town is in a coconut grove. The road into town is lined with bright red silk cotton blossoms. This is a town where a minority of tribal people settled down to live. My classmate’s daughter and son-in-law are both county officials. They received me with great warmth. They treated me to fragrant rice made in bamboo and rice cooked with rice seeds. They showed me around to enjoy the local scenery.
The entire time I talked to them about the changes I experienced after I started practicing Falun Gong and how wonderful it is, and about the evils of the Communist Party. Their family have all quit the Party. My classmate’s son has some kind of illness so he continues to say “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
The month passed quickly. I was getting rather emotional. My tribal people are so simple and hospitable. They all believe in Falun Gong. It was as if they’d been waiting for me to show up to tell them about the truth all these years.
The night before the day I was to leave, many people came to repeatedly ask me to come back and visit. Some suggested that I return when I retired. One even said, “I’ll give you my tea trees growing on a hill. I guarantee you’ll live much more comfortably here in the rural mountains than there in the urban city.”
The moon began to rise. We began to sing our tribal songs:
After listening to Falun Gong Our hearts have bright light from now on We toil and strive all life long The nine golden words will be kept in our hearts Tomorrow the train will toot Our sister will be on the road Tonight the melons and fruits are fragrant Sister When you hear the birds sing Know that they are calling you to come home Coconut trees bear coconut fruits Coconut fruits produce much coconut juice Our sister comes home to save us Succeeds in consummation to reap Buddha right fruit
