(Minghui.org) Hello, venerable Master! Hello, fellow practitioners!
When I began attending junior high school in 1997, one of my relatives brought me a copy of Zhuan Falun and other Falun Dafa books. After I read Zhuan Falun once, I thought: How great Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is! There was also the principle of “no loss, no gain” that I memorized by heart. Since then, I have followed Master’s teachings and was helpful to my classmates and my teachers and all my classmates liked me. When I graduated from high school, in the class book, many classmates wrote down my motto, which was “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
After July 20, 1999, practitioners in China were targeted and persecuted. My relative was arrested and persecuted. I lost my cultivation environment, but I still remembered “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
A few years later, I went to study in Japan. I only took with me a hand-copied version of Hong Yin and read it occasionally.
My health was poor since childhood, and my heart, liver, and kidneys were weak. Sometimes I had migraines. I also had serious anemia and tracheitis. If I stood for too long, I’d faint. I often went to the hospital to get injections. I frequently suffered from lower back pain.
One time in high school, I was in so much pain that I fainted. An x-ray showed that I was born with a seam in my spine where the bones did not grow well. The doctor said my back pain would continue even after I was an adult.
My father is a senior Chinese medicine doctor. When he checked my pulse, he said that none of my internal organs were in a good shape. Even though I took many medications, nothing helped. He taught me Chinese acupuncture, and when I didn’t feel well, I did acupuncture on myself.
It’s difficult to be a foreign student in Japan. In 2009 I felt very weak. I did acupuncture on myself, which made me feel better. After a few days I had a relapse. I began having bad dreams in which demons with messy hair chased me. I was so terrified that I woke up screaming. I was afraid to sleep because those demons always came and chased me. I was exhausted and emaciated and felt I was on the brink of collapse. I thought: Life is too difficult. I even thought about ending my life. After suffering for six months, I remembered Falun Dafa.
In January 2010, I finally began to browse the Minghui website. Seeing Master’s benevolent face in the picture and the cases of Dafa practitioners being persecuted, I wept. I wondered: Why was the persecution so severe? I couldn’t wait to read Master’s new articles. I also learned how to do the exercises myself online. I listened to the recordings of Master’s lectures and I felt that his voice was powerful. I enjoyed listening and I felt close to Master.
I wept as I read Master’s new articles. Falun Dafa is truly wonderful. It touched me and reminded me of the joy and happiness I felt when I began practicing as a child. I cast away all my medications and read the Fa and did the exercises. I became healthy and stopped having bad dreams. When my family and friends saw the changes in me, they felt it was truly miraculous.
Through Fa study, I realized that as a practitioner, one should participate in group Fa-study and exercises. I lived in Kanagawa at that time, so I contacted the coordinator in Yokohama and joined the group study and exercise at Yamashita Park. Fashion was my major in school, so I liked the so-called fashionable things. For example, I dyed my hair yellow, wore heavy make-up, and my clothes were weird.
The other practitioners were all very nice to me. After we finished doing the exercises, I went with other practitioners to hand out informational materials to Chinese people. I was very happy. Whenever I had time, I joined the group study and exercises. One night in my dream I saw Master. He looked exactly the same as the picture on the Minghui website. He smiled at me compassionately and walked towards me. I was very excited: I obtained the Fa! Master is taking care of me! After 13 years I finally returned to cultivation.
In March 2010 I was tied up with job hunting. I slacked off in studying the Fa and doing the exercises. Probably because of my attachment, even though I had interviews with 15 companies in seven months, I didn’t get any offers. I was exhausted and disappointed. In the end, I thought, “Let it be. If I don’t end up with something, I’ll go back home. I will just focus on cultivation.”
Master said,
“We believe that one thought can determine the outcome of things ...” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
With this thought, the outcome suddenly changed. One day, the school principal told me, “A famous clothing company, which is ranked either first or second in Japan, will come to our school to interview students. You are an excellent student in all aspects and also won a scholarship. The school wants to recommend you. Do you want to interview with this company?” Hearing this great news, I immediately said yes. After five intensive interviews, I was offered the job.
When I received the offer, I couldn’t believe it. How could I possibly be hired by such a famous company? I was the first foreign student they’d ever hired. My story was reported in the International Student News. My principal and teachers also spread the news.
I knew that I got the job due to Master’s arrangement and empowerment. My fate was changed because I practiced Dafa. I was able to stay in Japan to assist Master in the Fa-rectification and save sentient beings. It was truly as Master said,
“You put in the effort and your teacher will handle the rest.” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I truly came to feel Master’s compassion and how extraordinary Dafa is.
I clarified the facts to school teachers and students. I also gave them Dafa books to read. Both the principal and assistant principal came to talk to me, “People from the Chinese Embassy came to this school. If they know what you’ve been saying, you’ll be in trouble. You have a job offer, please consider your future.”
I said, “Falun Dafa is wronged in China. For me to be hired by this company, it’s only because I practice Dafa. I had the courage to handle the interviews. I understand that you are worried about my safety.”
I was still on my learning curve in clarifying the facts to people, so I didn’t talk to them in depth. I only asked them to read the informational materials.
[Note from Minghui Editors: As to practitioners outside China, they should not go back to China. Master has said that in his lectures explicitly. We hope everyone will treat the Fa as Master.]
I had just resumed cultivating, so my understanding of the Fa was quite shallow. I couldn’t let go of my sentimentality towards my parents. I thought: I had a job. I had to at least go back home to visit them. This would be my last time to visit them.
Fellow practitioners tried to convince me not to go back, as I could face danger. But I said, since I was a new practitioner, I should be fine. I didn’t listen to Master or other practitioners, so I got into trouble.
In December 2010, I arrived at the airport in my hometown. When I passed through customs, the staff didn’t let me go. A police officer walked out of a room, grabbed my passport, and went back into the room. I asked the staff, “Why was my passport taken? What’s wrong?” They didn’t say anything. I began to sweat and thought: Will they arrest me? What should I do?
I suddenly remembered Master. I silently said, “Master, please help me!” At that moment something amazing happened. A wave of energy penetrated through me from head to toe. Then this energy surrounded the airport, as it was extremely powerful. At that moment, my fear was gone. It was miraculous! The feeling was truly beyond description.
After 15 minutes the police officer walked out of the room and handed my passport to a staff member. He called my name, returned the passport to me and said I could leave. I asked, “Why did you take my passport?” But there was no answer. I passed through customs safe and sound under Master’s protection. I also safely returned to Japan.
When I now recall that day, I truly appreciate Master. It was truly as Master said,
“...Disciples’ righteous thoughts are strongMaster has the power to turn the tide” (“Master-Disciple Grace,” Hong Yin II)
If I hadn’t called out to Master to help, I can’t imagine what would have happened to me. I truly came to feel how difficult it was for practitioners in China to save sentient beings in such a harsh environment.
I applied for refugee status in 2012. A few years passed, but I still didn’t get it. I became more and more attached to my visa. I began slacking off in studying the Fa and saving sentient beings. I ended up wasting a lot of precious time. When Master saw that I did not enlighten, and that I was too attached to the visa, He hinted at me in a dream: My refugee application didn’t go smoothly because I did something terrible in Japan in one lifetime, which had created a great deal of karma for me here. Consequently, I had this tribulation in this lifetime.
Master said,
“I can help you eliminate a great deal of karma, but you must face on your own what you are to face, and neither Master nor anyone else can do so on your behalf. You have to, yourself, get through the attachments that are to be removed and the tests that need to be passed.” (“Be Vigilant,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III)
After I came to understand the cause and effect of this matter, I gradually let go of my attachment.
About two weeks before I was granted refugee status, I had a clear dream. In my dream, a person who held a camera said, “People who have refugee status please come over to take a group picture.” I thought: Was it because I’d get the result? Sure enough, I was told my refugee status was approved. Everything was truly arranged by Master!
The past nine years were so long. After having endured so much hardship, finally I got my status. I felt I finished such a long journey and the feeling was hard to describe. Thank you, Master, for giving me a chance! Thank you, fellow practitioners who helped me!
I was hot-tempered since childhood. Sometimes I’d fight with others to the point of even hitting them. If my friends were bullied, I’d fight with the people who bullied them. When I grew up, I even fought with male students. Even after I began practicing Falun Dafa, my demon nature was still very strong. As soon as I heard unpleasant things, I resented the person who said it. Even though I knew this was wrong, I couldn’t always hold my temper. Fellow practitioners reminded me that I needed to broaden my heart. Afterwards I felt disappointed and regretted failing these tests.
Master said,
“The established habits are really hard to get rid of, and the Party culture that teaches people to struggle has distorted people’s character into one with which people will feel happy only if they cut loose all at once. It really won't do if these things taught by the evil CCP are not corrected.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIV)
I made up my mind to eliminate my demon nature. Master encouraged me multiple times. One time, I saw in my dream that Tang Monk sat in meditation by the sea. A young couple wanted to harm him. As they approached the Tang Monk, Monkey King flew over and tried to use his golden stick to hit them. Right then, Tang Monk used his thought to stop Monkey King, “I knew long ago that this couple would come and harm me. But I have no resentment towards them. Let them go.” Monkey King could only listen to his Master and do nothing. Then they just vanished. Tang Monk’s tolerance and compassion touched me.
Another time, I heard that a practitioner who I helped before said bad things about me behind my back. I thought, “Why doesn’t he appreciate my help? How can he be like that?” With my resentment flaring up, I felt bitter and tired. One morning while I was meditating in a park, I said to Master, “Master, this resentment is hard to eliminate. Why do I get angry so easily? How can I be like this? How can I eliminate it?” I suddenly felt my body enter another dimension where there was no resentment or hatred. It was so peaceful and wonderful. I had no bad thoughts, my mind was empty and I was in a state of non-action. It was truly wonderful. This state lasted for a few days.
For the next few days, I was in a compassionate field and only thought about the good side of this practitioner who badmouthed me. When I didn’t have any resentment, my body was so light, and my mood was exceptionally good. I realized that my hatred and resentment were human notions that harmed myself and the sentient beings in my world. I also realized that behind my resentment, there was very strong jealousy. I wanted to thank Master once again for eliminating my filthy karma.
My cultivation path has been very bumpy. I made every breakthrough by asking Master for help. Without Master’s saving grace, I couldn’t have made it to today. No words can express my gratitude to Master!
In the limited time left in Fa-rectification, I will seize the time to cultivate myself solidly, eliminate my notions, do the three things well, study more Fa, and save more sentient beings. I don’t want to disappoint Master or the sentient beings who are counting on me.
(Presented at the 2022 Japan Fa Conference)