[Celebrating World Falun Dafa Day] My Small Barbershop Is a Big Window into the Truth

(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998. I run a barber shop. My small barber shop has been a big window for people from all walks of life to learn the truth about Dafa.

While celebrating the 24th World Falun Dafa Day, I would like to share some of my experiences of clarifying the truth over the years, and thank our Master for his boundless mercy!

“You Are Such a Good Person!”

The year 2000 was the craziest year for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) media to spread rumors that smear Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong). One day, a cadre came to my shop for a haircut, and I said that the CCP’s propaganda about Falun Dafa was not true. I told him I practiced Falun Dafa and benefited both physically and mentally, then told him how good Dafa is.

He said he happened to have travelled to Beijing during the April 25 appeal. He saw many Falun Dafa practitioners standing on both sides of the road, and they were all very disciplined and peaceful. How could they be a threat to the government? “That group of people was very civilized, [they were] very good people,” he said. Since he saw it with his own eyes, he did not believe the CCP’s slanderous reports at all.

One cold day, an older man came in when my shop opened. After the haircut, he fumbled through his pockets but found no money. He looked embarrassed, and I thought he must have been in a hurry in the morning and forgot to bring money.

“It’s all right, Uncle,” I said. “Have you had breakfast?” He said no. I ordered a bowl of noodles for him at the snack bar across the street. He happily finished the noodles and thanked me.

It may seem like bad business that I didn’t charge the older man for his haircut. Furthermore, I even treated him to a bowl of noodles. Since I practice Falun Dafa, I believe my business will naturally go well as long as I am a good person.

The older man was so grateful to me, that he told all his acquaintances: “The owner of that barber shop practices Falun Dafa, and she is such a nice person!” He told them the story and brought them to my shop for haircuts. I took the opportunity to clarify the truth to them about Dafa.

They told me, “The older man said you are a very nice person, and it really is true. Falun Dafa teaches people to be good. The CCP lied to us (about Falun Dafa).”

One day in 2000, two thugs, each holding a meter-long steel bar, were chasing and beating a young man who came to our town to work. Everyone on the street feared getting into trouble, so no one intervened. The young man was badly beaten. He'd previously had a haircut in my shop, so he ran to my barbershop. I immediately dragged him into my shop, and scolded the two men who were beating him. They were shocked at first; then they left without saying a word.

The young man was beaten badly, and it took several months for him to fully recover. He did not want to work in this town anymore. He knew I practiced Dafa. Before returning to his hometown, he brought a bag of fresh fruit to thank me. “Big sister, if it weren’t for your righteous help, I might have been maimed or killed that day.” He said sincerely, “No one dared to stand up for me, but you did.”

I told him it was Dafa’s Master who taught me to be a good person. He immediately said: “Master Li is good. Falun Dafa is good.” He said he would tell his family and friends the truth about Dafa.

“I Am So Glad My Son Is Learning from You”

Before I practiced Dafa, I charged a tuition fee for an apprenticeship, and the apprentices had to cover their living expenses. Since practicing Dafa, I no longer charged tuition fees for apprentices, and I took care of their food and lodging and gave them some pocket money. Most of the young people I taught were the only child in their family. They came to learn a craft from me, and I couldn’t let them down. I used Dafa’s principles to teach them.

I've had more than 20 apprentices. The youngsters not only learned the skills, but more importantly, they understood the truth about Dafa and its principles of life. Some of them followed Dafa’s requirements to be good people, and some also began practicing Falun Dafa.

Yanzi was one of my apprentices. Her father passed away early, and her mother worked hard to raise her. After graduating from a vocational high school, Yanzi was always on her mobile phone. She refused to do any chores at home, and did not listen to her mother. She did not like to talk to her mother at all. Her mother was very anxious for her daughter, but the mother couldn’t change the situation. Then someone introduced her to my shop.

Two months after Yanzi was with me, she visited her mother. Her mother called me: “Sister, thank you! You did such a great job with my daughter. Her character has improved so much, and she even looks better! You really taught her well!”

Xiaoshan was an eighteen-year-old young man. Before coming to my shop, he'd learned to cut hair at another barber shop. That shop owner was gay and asked Xiaoshan to dress and behave like a female. In exchange, he gave Xiaoshan good food and extra money. Xiaoshan became a lavish spender and behaved weirdly. His mother sensed something was wrong with her son and did not let him go back there. Someone then introduced Xiaoshan to my shop.

I treated Xiaoshan as my own son. With my encouragement, he started to read Dafa books. He became joyful and cheerful. He was no longer interested in homosexuality and returned to his normal boyish appearance. His mother commented, “My son was learning to cut hair at another place, and he turned bad. You corrected him. I am so glad my son is learning from you!”

I knew these young people were here to form a holy relationship with Dafa.

One of my apprentices was from far away, and she initially missed her parents. I took good care of her. After she completed her apprenticeship and left, she called me: “Someone said bad things about Dafa, and I told them the instructor who taught me to cut hair is a Falun Dafa practitioner, and she is the best person in the world!”

During the years that I ran my barber shop in my hometown, my apprentices took the initiative to help me remove any slogans that slandered Dafa from nearby door panels, walls, and electricity poles. Their benevolent deeds helped to reduce the evil CCP’s poisoning of sentient beings. Some took Dafa truth-clarification materials and gave them to villagers, and some asked me to help them and their family members quit the CCP organizations. They understood the truth and chose a bright future.

“This Amulet Really Works”

In 2009, I thought my fellow villagers back home might not know the truth about Dafa yet, so I returned to my hometown and opened a barbershop.

My next-door neighbor, who owned a clothing store, was in her 30s and had suffered from stomach problems for a long time. Running her business was difficult, and she had to care for her family. I gave her a Dafa truth-clarification amulet. Then one day she told me, “Sister, this amulet really works! I recited the sentences on it whenever my stomach hurt. Now my stomach has no problem, and my business is improving!” She understood that Falun Dafa is good and on occasions spoke out for Dafa.

A customer of mine named Rong was in her 30s. When she came to the barbershop to get her hair washed, she complained that her husband was gambling and did not bring his income home. He also often cheated on her. They fought frequently. Rong had a sleep disorder, and her face was spotty. I realized that she must have come to learn the truth and be saved. I gave her a Dafa amulet. Then she recited the Dafa message on it every morning and evening.

When Rong came again to get her hair washed, she said, “Sister, this amulet works! I feel better whenever I recite the sentences on it.” She told me what happened the day before. Her husband was beating her, and she started reciting the sentence; then her husband suddenly stopped beating her. After that, she repeated, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” even more often.

Ms. Liu also came to my shop to wash her hair. The CCP’s Party culture had deeply poisoned Ms. Liu’s husband, who was once a lower-ranking leader. He drank heavily and often lost his temper. Earlier, he beat her and injured her arm. When Ms. Liu came to my shop for a hair wash, she looked sad. She said her husband often beat her. They had no money, no social security, and relied on their daughter for living expenses. The couple was not in good health either.

I wanted to help Ms. Liu. So I told her about my experience and how Falun Dafa gave me hope: My many old diseases were gone, and I had not been ill for many years, not even a cold. I benefited so much from Dafa, both physically and mentally.

Ms. Liu believed in Dafa right away. She took a Dafa amulet and started reading Zhuan Falun. Since then, Ms. Liu followed Dafa’s principles. No matter how her husband treated her, she always behaved according to Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and treated her husband kindly without resentment. The extraordinary power of Dafa was demonstrated in Ms. Liu. Her illnesses were gone, and she experienced the joy of being free from illness. In the past, she couldn’t eat cold, oily, or spicy foods, but now she can eat most anything without a problem. She became the healthiest person in her whole family.

The day after Ms. Liu got the precious book Zhuan Falun, her daughter called her: “Mom, I dreamed of a giant Buddha last night!”

During the days that I ran the barbershop, I interacted with many customers and sent Dafa’s blessings to them. In the store, I also played New Tang Dynasty TV’s programs, which my customers liked.

Since the persecution began, my family and I experienced illegal detention, house raids, imprisonment, and repeated harassment. But we have not been intimidated and are still walking this divine path to return to our true home.

Master said:

“...most people in the world today have come from the heavens to obtain the Fa.” (“Fa Teaching at the New York Fa Conference on the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of Dafa’s Introduction to the Public,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIV )

All people in the world have a kinship with Master. So they are all our sisters and brothers. When they meet and become acquainted with me, I will tell them the truth about Falun Dafa and give them a chance to be saved.

(Selected Submission Celebrating the 24th World Falun Dafa Day on the Minghui website)