(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 2014 and I’m now 70 years old.
I wake up at 3:10 a.m., and join practitioners around the world to do the exercises. I read one lecture in Zhuan Falun followed by memorizing the Fa. After I send righteous thoughts at noon, I go out and tell people about the persecution. After the pandemic started in 2020, I continued going out every day. When I return home, I go online and submit the list of people who quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its youth organizations. Afterwards, I read cultivation articles written by fellow practitioners on Minghui.org. I memorize the Fa and study the lectures of Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) given in other regions. I only rest after 10 p.m.
In the past, I just crossed my legs when I read the Fa. I was afraid of the pain (of sitting in the full lotus position). When I saw the other practitioners sitting upright with both legs crossed in the full lotus position when they read the Fa, I also wanted to be respectful to Master and the Fa. In August 2020, I started to sit in the full lotus position when I read the Fa. I also hold Zhuan Falun with both hands and focus on each word.
Even though I was reading the Fa, my mind wandered and I really did not understand what I read. However, when I truly wanted to study the Fa seriously, there was interference. I felt sleepy. This went on for a long time but I just could not stop it. Sometimes I could not concentrate on what I was reading. By the time I realized that I was so sleepy, I’d already read a few sentences.
I knew that this problem was due to negative elements that were stopping me from obtaining the Fa by disturbing my Fa study. I realized that I cannot follow the old forces’ arrangements: What I am reading is the most sacred, universal Dafa, so I must study the Fa seriously with the most respectful and most sincere attitude. Those bad things are not the true me, so I must get rid of them.
Later, our small Fa study group started to memorize the Fa. Although I’m slow at memorizing, I reaped many benefits. When I just read the Fa, I was just reading the sentences. I did not understand the Fa principles. However, while memorizing the Fa, Master enlightened me to the Fa principles. I thus truly experienced the miraculous feeling of studying and obtaining the Fa.
When I memorize, study and obtain the Fa, I am moved to tears. When I am memorizing and reading Dafa, I try my best to have a truly calm mind and not think about other things. I just let every word get into my heart and every sentence get into my mind.
The process of memorizing the Fa is actually a process of cultivating my determination and it is also a process of assimilating with Dafa. When I read the Fa after memorizing it, my Fa study state is different from before. Now, I can get the Fa into my mind better and I also understand even more principles.
Memorizing the Fa opened up my wisdom, increased my benevolence, and helped me to maintain a good cultivation state. I looked within for my own problems when conflicts arose. I got rid of attachments and gradually improved my xinxing. I also understood that only by studying the Fa well can I maintain the best cultivation state and do well the three things that Master asked us to do.
Cultivation is a serious matter. Every thought should be based on the Fa. Improving one’s xinxing and getting rid of attachments are fundamental. On February 3, 2022, which was January 3 on the lunar calendar, I read cultivation sharing articles on Minghui.org. One seemed familiar. I realized that it was an article I’d submitted in 2021 for the online Fa conference. So much time had passed that I thought it would not be published. I was very encouraged when I saw it.
I saved the article in a document folder. I thought that this was Master encouraging me to try my best to do the three things. Even though I felt I should not tell others about the article getting published, I stil thought about which practitioner I should tell. My attachment to showing off, ego and being happy all started coming out but I didn’t realize it. But the old forces saw this clearly.
After I went to bed, I felt cold. I added another layer of blankets, but I still felt cold. When I woke up to send righteous thoughts at midnight, I still felt cold. By the time I woke up at 3:10 a.m. to practice the exercises, my stomach was churning. When I did the second exercise, I went to the toilet twice but I did not vomit. My legs shook when I did the second exercise.
I remembered what Master said,
““I’m Li Hongzhi’s disciple, I don’t want other arrangements or acknowledge them”—then they won’t dare to do that. So it can all be resolved.” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)
I reminded myself: I am a Dafa disciple. I only follow Master’s arrangement. I will not acknowledge any fake illness symptoms or persecution forced on me. Even if I did wrong, I will correct myself. I definitely do not allow the old forces to make use of any loopholes to persecute me.
I looked within. I found the attachment to fame, showing off, wishing to be praised by others and wanting to be comfortable. After I sent righteous thoughts, my condition improved. The fever also subsided. I just felt a bit lethargic.
When my husband got up, he asked me what happened. I said that I was eliminating karma. On the fourth day of Chinese New Year, we invited the whole family over for a meal. In my heart I told Master that I definitely cannot let them see that anything was wrong. I recovered by the time we had lunch. Not only was the fever gone, I was able to eat. After everyone left, I went out to clarify the truth.
This experience showed me that cultivation is serious. A cultivator’s every thought and notion must be based on the Fa. I have no right to show off or brag about myself. Everything that I have was given by Master. I can only do the three things well, study the Fa, cultivate myself well, send righteous thoughts and put my heart into clarifying the truth to save more people. Without Master and Dafa, I would not have what I have today.
I thought that since I was old, I no longer had attachments to fame, or showing off. But they were just deeply hidden. Through this incident they were exposed. I deeply experienced the serious nature of cultivation. I knew I needed to focus on studying the Fa well, look within unconditionally, and correct my thoughts, notions, speech and behavior based on the Fa. I am truly grateful to Master and Dafa.
A fellow practitioner’s cultivation article titled, “Let the Dirty Water Be Poured Out from My House,” deeply touched me. When the water supply in her village was stopped for a while and resumed daily for a few days, that practitioner opened her taps to let the dirty water in the pipeline be released from her home first after water supply was resumed. This way, when the other houses turned on their taps, their water supply was clean. This may seem like a small matter, but for practitioners nothing is trivial.
I suddenly realized that I store clean water before the water is turned off. I wait until everyone else turns on the water and it runs clear before I use the water from the tap. I never realized that I was being selfish. There are no small matters in cultivation. I mentally thanked that practitioner for the reminder. The article helped me see my selfishness. A few days later, the water was turned off. This time I did not store water.
Before I began practicing I looked down on my husband and talked down to him. I was heavily influenced by the CCP culture and I was overbearing. My family was educated, and my job position and salary were higher than his. I felt I had the upper hand in every argument and everything in the family was decided by me.
After I began practicing, I realized that this mindset came from CCP culture. I knew that I should be benevolent and calm. I must examine myself to see where I did not do well when I met with conflicts. I now speak in a gentler tone, and I’ve stopped arguing. The atmosphere in our home improved and our family is harmonious. When problems arise, we discuss how to handle them. My husband openly communicates with me now. This was impossible before I began practicing Falun Dafa.
After the COVID outbreak in 2020, I continued going out to clarify the truth face-to-face every day. As long as someone understands the truth, they will be saved—maybe even an entire family will be saved. If there is time, I can say more. If time is limited, I say less. But I always remind them to remember the two phrases “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and that quitting the CCP and its youth organizations can help them remain safe.
One afternoon, I met an older man. I greeted him and said, “Hi, you look very kind. I’d like to tell you something good. Heaven blesses good people. Please say, ‘Falun Dafa is Good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is Good’ and heaven will bless you.” He immediately said he knew about the two phrases.
I asked, “Do you know about quitting the CCP and its youth organizations to remain safe?” He said, “I know, I have already quit the CCP.” Then I asked him, “Did you quit through the formal quit the CCP website?” He said he quit himself and that he only joined the Young Pioneers and Communist Youth League. I said, “In that case, let’s help you quit the Young Pioneers and the Youth League.”
I gave him some printings, including Minghui Weekly. He was happy and carefully put them in his bag. I asked him to share the information with his family, relatives and friends, and ask them to recite the two phrases and quit the CCP and its youth organizations that they’d joined. That way, they will be able to survive the pandemic. I pointed out that he would have done a good deed and accumulated virtue. He agreed.
I once met an 85-year-old woman. When I clarified the truth to her, she agreed with everything I said. She told me that she joined the CCP and both of its youth organizations. I explained that quitting the CCP and its youth organizations from the bottom of her heart now would save her life. She happily agreed to quit all three CCP organizations.
Then I told her that reciting the two phrases would improve her health and help her survive the pandemic and other disasters. She was happy and kept thanking me. I said, “Please thank Falun Dafa’s Master. Master asked practitioners to tell people these good things so they can have a peaceful and safe life.” She said, “Thank you Falun Dafa’s Master!”
I gave her the 2022 New Year calendar and she immediately said that she would give it to her son. She said that her son especially believes in Dafa and even told her what Falun Dafa is all about. She also said that her son did not join the CCP and its youth organizations but he still did well in his job. He is a water conservancy engineer and was always rated as excellent at his workplace. I said that he was blessed for treating Dafa with kindness.
One day, I met a young woman while I was waiting for the light to turn green at a traffic junction. I immediately began clarifying the truth to her. She said she thought Falun Dafa was good. She also said that she really hoped that everyone could be kind and, that way, society would be wonderful. I said, “You are a really kind person. Please recite the two phrases and Heaven will bless you.” I asked her if she joined the CCP and its youth organizations. She said that she only joined the Young Pioneers and Youth League. She happily agreed to quit them. Just then, the traffic light turned green and I wished her a peaceful, safe and wonderful future. She was happy, thanked me, and crossed the road.
One afternoon I noticed a woman bring her grandchild out to play. She threw cherry bombs on the ground and the little boy stepped on them for an exploding sound. I said, “The child is so young but he has no fear.” The grandmother said that he stepped on the cherry bombs when he was only two years old. I said that this child was really good. She smiled happily and I started to clarify the truth. She happily quit the Young Pioneers and Youth League.
I said to the boy, “Remember to recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’ with sincerity and you will become more healthy, more clever, more active and more cute. You are a good child.” The little boy was busily looking for cherry bombs. He suddenly raised his head, looked at me and nodded seriously. I was amazed. I knew that although the child was so young, his understanding side knows that he represents the sentient beings of his world.
No words can describe my gratitude to Master and Dafa. I am lucky to be able to be part of this historic event. Master is really great! Dafa is really great! Thank you, Master for your vast benevolence. Cultivating in Falun Dafa is really great!