(Minghui.org) When reviewing the path I have walked in my cultivation practice, I came up with the title for this article. Although I have a long way to go to reach the requirements from Master, I think this is a good opportunity to look back and learn from my experiences.
Finding the Way Home
I was often sick during my childhood, and it was not easy to survive in the impoverished countryside. After graduating from elementary school, the Cultural Revolution started and the entire nation was in chaos. Following others, I left the classroom and worked the land with other peasants. I married my husband when I was in my twenties and was miserable.
My husband had a bad temper, and he was also an alcoholic. He had hoped for a son, but I gave him two daughters. This made him even angrier and he looked for trouble with us every day. He stopped working at the age of 37, saying he had to because of alcohol poisoning, although he continued to drink and fool around after he was drunk. He turned the dining table upside down, threw things around, swore at the children or me, and beat us. He occasionally pointed a knife at me, and right before it would touch me, he would shout and threaten me. Sometimes he waved the cooking knife around, forcing me and my daughters out of the house. Desperate for some peace of mind, I became a Buddhist.
My husband died at 48, and this was a big change for me. By then, I had been a Buddhist for five years but had still not found a path for me to achieve liberation. I was in despair. At that time, information about Falun Dafa had reached my region. One young man that I did not know came to my barbershop very often and would tell me about Falun Dafa. He said the meditation improves mind and body, and one can achieve Buddhahood in one lifetime. Thinking it was so precious and my life had been so painful, I decided to learn it.
In those days that I first took up the practice, I felt as if Master had pulled me from a disaster and pushed me up. Master also gave me hints to encourage me to be strict with myself and follow the Falun Dafa principles.
A large malignant sore appeared on my back and later grew to the size of a big tomato. It burst open, and pus and blood came out from tiny holes like a wasp nest. Unable to see it or touch it, I asked my daughter to wipe the pus and blood off with toilet paper. She was frightened to see it, and I had to assure her it would be fine. While cleaning it at a public bathhouse, I stayed in a corner to avoid terrifying others. My thoughts were simple and I did not have the idea that it could be a bacterial infection in my mind. Several days later, the sore dried up and healed.
Talking about it with others later, I heard that a large malignant sore like that would cause extreme pain and the medical treatment was also expensive. But throughout the process, I did not feel any pain, and I knew Master had helped me. Similarly, my other illnesses were also healed, including lumbar disc herniation, arthritis, cold shoulder, and nasal problems.
I was very fortunate to find a light in the hopeless, long night, and a path that led me back home.
A Computer Illiterate
After former leader of the Communist Party Jiang Zemin banned Falun Dafa in July 1999, I was very sad. Looking at people on the street, I knew that were I to give up my belief, I would be lost in the maze again just like them. So I reminded myself to be determined in Falun Dafa.
After letting go of human notions, I joined other practitioners to oppose the persecution. We went to the city government to do the exercises and went to Beijing to appeal. We also distributed pamphlets and put up posters in local areas. Officials considered me an organizer and detained me five times. While in custody, I wavered under the pressure and it was a painful experience that caused me deep regret.
To help others know about Falun Dafa, I began to learn how to use a computer at the age of 63. Despite my elderly age and poor education, I gradually learned some basics, such as how to get on the internet, download files, print documents, and produce pamphlets. This was a big help to the local area. With access to Minghui every day, I read lots of articles from practitioners in China and overseas. I truly enjoyed cultivation practice, like a fish in the water and a bird in the sky.
Although I had only finished elementary school, Master helped me and gave me opportunities to learn how to type Chinese text on a computer. Especially during the time when we were filing the lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, I helped lots of practitioners draft their criminal complaints. Because I was over 60 and had just learned how to use a mouse, typing was difficult for me. I had poor eyesight and was clumsy handling the computer. Plus, I had already forgotten the pinyin that I had learned in elementary school. So everything needed to start from the beginning.
With few computer skills, it took a long time for me to finish the first criminal complaint against Jiang. While typing the second one, because the file name was the same, I accidentally replaced the earlier article with the second one. I tried several times and did not know what had happened. It was a hot summer day and I was busy working on it the entire day until late into the night. I was sweating and my eyes were blurry, and I did not know what was going on. My human notions also surfaced, “So many capable young practitioners did not spend time on it. And they relied on an old woman with little skills to help them. Ugh!” I really could not understand this.
The next morning, several practitioners came to up to pick up the typed criminal complaints. Seeing them coming, I almost cried and complained about the difficulty I had, “I am one of the oldest practitioners in the region and was not well-educated. I just learned how to use a computer, and I have to do all these. All the workload fell on me and it was really too much. I hope young people like you could do more...” I said.
Seeing me very disappointed, other practitioners consoled me saying I was very capable. They encouraged me to continue. As I had not eaten breakfast yet, one practitioner bought me some food. After calming down, I looked within and found my attachment of resentment and rushing, as if not doing these complaints in time would make us lag behind. As a result, I could not understand why some practitioners were hesitating. After I realized these human notions, one practitioner with good technical skills came and solved the problem.
After preparing the criminal complaints against Jiang, I took other practitioners to mail them at local post offices. During those days, I had physical discomfort all over and could not turn my neck. I looked inward and noticed that I liked to be in charge and to coordinate projects. In fact, I should have thought more about this from the perspective of cultivation practice, instead of leading everything. After finding these attachments, the discomfort disappeared and I felt relaxed.
When looking back, I realized Falun Dafa is extraordinary and it turned a computer illiterate person like me into someone who could help a lot with material production.
Responsible for Saving People
In Guiding the Voyage, Master said,
“Clarifying the truth isn’t a simple matter—it’s not only a matter of exposing the evil. When we clarify the truth we are saving sentient beings, and at the same time it involves the matter of your own improvement and your elimination of attachments during your cultivation, and the matter of Dafa disciples being responsible to the Fa in their cultivation, as well as issues like how you fill and enrich that paradise of yours in your final Consummation.”
I knew I had to cultivate myself well, assist Master with Fa-rectification, and save sentient beings. But I had only done so sporadically in previous years. Starting last year, I changed my approach and clarified the truth wherever I went.
Heilongjiang Province is in northeastern China and the winter is freezing cold, often 30 degrees below zero (about -20F to -30F). Despite the snow every day and the extremely cold weather, I kept going out every day to save people. In fact, I was able to blaze my path over the past one and a half years.
This spring I noticed that police officers were on duty at almost every road crossing, train station, and other busy areas. I was not disturbed and continued to do what I was supposed to do. On the bus I would send forth righteous thoughts to clean the environment.
When I met someone, I usually gave them a Falun Dafa keepsake first. As they were examining the beautiful token, I would talk about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, followed by how badly the Communist Party had mistreated practitioners.
Sometimes, I started with topics closely related to daily life, such as fake merchandise and adulterated or toxic food products. I would explain to them it is the Communist Party that caused the moral degeneration in China, and I would recommend they renounce their membership of the Communist Party organizations. Many of them agreed and thanked me.
Of course, one also needs to be compassionate and wise to get the facts across successfully. One time, when I met a man in his 40s on the bus, I smiled at him and handed him a CD, saying it had software that could overcome the internet blockade. “Is this about Falun Dafa?” he asked casually as he took it. “Of course, you can access lots of useful information, including Falun Dafa,” I replied.
The man was very talkative and said he worked in the police department. He kept expressing his opinions about Falun Dafa and other belief systems. He seemed very knowledgeable and had good reasoning skills. As a result, I barely had a chance to speak.
The man's voice was very loud and almost everyone on the bus could hear him and knew he worked in a police department. When it was time to get off, I interrupted him and said, “I am sorry, but I have to leave now. Glad to have met you today to hear these things—it is probably a karmic relationship.” He nodded and said yes. Looking him in the eye, I said, “You are a knowledgeable and intelligent person. I have to tell you something.” I lowered my voice and said sincerely, “Everything has its fate, just like the different dynasties in China's history. Always remember what is important for us and our future. Falun Dafa is here to save people. How about I help you quit the Party with a pseudonym of Tian Yi? ” He nodded again and said, “Sure.”
Before stepping off the bus, I was about to open my bag and give him some more materials. He looked at my bag with a smile as he waved the CD with software to me, “This is fine. This will be more than enough.”
When looking back, I knew that when we were able to maintain a peaceful and compassionate mentality, we will be able to help people quit the Communist Party organizations.
Making the Best Use of Time
Through the years I've always treated others with compassion and have been able to remain undisturbed no matter what happens. Someone once asked me, “Why would an old lady like you come out on such a cold day? Aren't you afraid someone will arrest you? Do you get paid for doing this?” I replied with a smile and said, “Well, how much money do you think someone would have to pay you for you to do this? This is compassion—someone has to care about the safety and future of others.”
I live by myself and I have a busy schedule every day. After doing the exercises in the morning, I study one lecture of Zhuan Falun before going out. I am able to help more than 10 people, or up to 20 people, quit the Communist Party organizations in two or three hours.
In addition, I spent more than 8 months and was able to memorize Zhuan Falun once. I am now doing it for the second time. At the same time, I memorize lots of poems from Hong Yin and often read articles from Minghui.
To save time, I only have two meals a day, during which I often listen to podcasts from Minghui. In the meantime, I also send forth righteous thoughts to help practitioners with sickness karma recover. I also send forth righteous thoughts at the four set times every day and study lectures other than Zhuan Falun. I have decided to fully immerse myself in the Fa and be a genuine Falun Dafa disciple.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, practitioners!
