Returning to My True Self

(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998 when I was 37. Dafa helped me understand the true purpose of life as I followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be a good person. I was kind to everyone, and as a result, my environment both at home and work changed from being rigid to harmonious.

My husband is part of a large family. He worked away from home, so our daughter and I lived with his parents, three younger brothers, and two sisters (one older and one younger) in the same house.

There were endless chores, but I was always blamed for doing everything incorrectly. The living conditions were difficult. Every time the wood-burning stove was lit to cook, smoke filled the entire house. It was cold inside in the winter and hot and stuffy in summer. The roof of the 10-square-meter house leaked. On rainy days as it poured outside, water dripped inside, and there was no dry place. I often climbed up on the roof to cover the holes with plastic sheets, but no one would help me. Over time, resentment and hatred grew in me, and I had conflicts my husband’s family. I began to have health issues, such as insomnia, weakness, and rheumatism in my legs, making it difficult for me to walk.

Taking the Initiative to Resolve Conflicts with My In-laws

One day, I met a practitioner who explained that Falun Dafa taught people to be kind and to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It was a bonus to find out that it was free to learn. I went to observe practitioners practicing the exercises together one morning, and was amazed to see that there were people from all walks of life, such as teachers, officials, and civil servants.

I borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main teaching of Falun Dafa, and started reading as soon as I got home. The book was so captivating that I couldn’t put it down. Gradually I began reading it aloud, and my daughter, deeply moved, also began practicing Falun Dafa.

Dafa changed me being selfish, quick-tempered, and narrow-minded into someone who considered others first and treated everyone compassionately. I was enlightened that, as a Dafa cultivator, I must strive to hold myself to higher standards, so I took the initiative to resolve my conflicts with my in-laws and we’ve lived in harmony ever since. My husband’s siblings had difficulties, so my husband and I decided to give the 8,000 yuan that his father left us, to them.

In addition, the ailments I used to have all disappeared. I haven’t taken a single pill in over 20 years—ever since I began to cultivate. Witnessing the positive changes in me, my family and friends were all impressed by Falun Dafa’s power.

My Family Is Blessed by Dafa

My husband also began to practice Dafa, and his chronic stomach disease soon went away.

When my daughter was a little over a year old, she developed a lump in her neck. We sought a cure everywhere and eventually found a specialist who said it was a cyst. Medication provided some relief, but the lump grew back as soon as she stopped taking it.

While practicing the exercises one day, my daughter felt as if two large hands were pressing and squeezing the area where the lump was. After that, the lump oozed pus and blood. But when it stopped draining, the wound closed up on its own and the stubborn ailment was completely cured.

Our entire family was blessed by Falun Dafa. We have now moved into a new house and our lives are happy and joyful.

Coworkers Commend Dafa

I was a sanitation worker responsible for cleaning public streets and areas. Before I started practicing Falun Dafa, I often got to work late and left early. I was picky about the tasks that were assigned to me, and when my supervisor criticized me, I held a grudge and felt indignant. My relationships with co-workers were tense. I even secretly took things home. However, Falun Dafa taught me to be a good person, so I began arriving at work on time, and no longer complained about being treated unfairly.

I was assigned to clean certain areas with two co-workers. But they never came to work on time and often left early, just like what I used to do. I was often the only one cleaning the streets that were assigned to the three of us, which meant that I was essentially doing the work of three people by myself, while they were being paid the full salary.

Being a Dafa practitioner, I knew that nothing happens accidentally, so I took on the work of three people and managed to keep our assigned areas very clean. In the winter, they seldom showed up to work at all, so I was the only one cleaning the entire place. Noticing that I was doing the work of three people without complaining, the head of the sanitation team commented, “Falun Dafa is amazing! It has transformed a selfish and competitive person into someone who is diligent, positive, and willing to cover for others without compensation!” From then on, my supervisors and coworkers respected me, and praised Falun Dafa for completely transforming me.

In the spring of 1999, our company was reorganized, and everyone vied for the easier streets to clean—except me. In the end, I was assigned to clean the streets that no one else wanted. When the supervisor asked me why I didn’t compete for a better assignment, I replied, “I’m a practitioner; I need to let others have the better choices.”

The section I was assigned to had two garbage transfer stations and an open-air vegetable market. It was impossible to clean the entire place by myself, so I hired three people to help me, paying them with my own money. I gave them breaks and bought them protective gear such as gloves and sun hats. During breaks, I even bought them fruit, popsicles, and other treats. They were very happy to work for me.

Our hard work was finally recognized by our supervisors, residents, and vendors in the area. The unit leaders were especially pleased, and said, “Falun Dafa is good, Falun Dafa is truly good!” The local TV station even interviewed me.

Persecuted for My Faith

On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) head, launched a persecution campaign against Falun Dafa and its practitioners, employing all of its media to spread lies to defame Dafa. Because I went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa to tell people the truth, I was illegally detained in a local detention center for nearly 17 months before being sentenced to three years of probation.

During my illegal detention, my company sent representatives many times to the Public Security Bureau, the police station, the detention center, and other government agencies, to request my release so that I could return to work. They told everyone that I was their best employee. Eventually, I was released and my company assigned me to be their general assistant, a position that many people envied.

After our company moved into a new three-story office building, I worked tirelessly from early morning until late at night, cleaning the entire building as if I were cleaning my own house.

When it snowed in the winter, I suggested buying a mat for the front entrance area so that people could wipe their feet when they entered, but the office manager refused to pay for it. So, I paid for one out of my own pocket.

Items in the office would often go missing; even newly purchased items would disappear. My manager entrusted me with the office items, knowing that I kept meticulous records and used them responsibly. He said, “Things last longer when they’re under your care.”

Unyielding Despite Pressure from the CCP

Because I visited Beijing to appeal for Dafa, the police often pressured my company to fire me. They visited my home several times a day, even late at night, urging me to renounce my faith in Dafa, and threatened me with further persecution when I refused to give in. On January 7, 2007, they arrested me and detained me in the police station, but I managed to escape. I was then left with no choice but to leave my hometown and go into hiding.

When the police couldn’t find me, they harassed my family, trying to force them to disclose my whereabouts. After the police confiscated my daughter’s newly-issued ID card, she was also forced to leave our hometown and move frequently to hide.

Family and Friends Help Clarify the Truth

With my help, my family and friends all quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. They agreed with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and even let me distribute Dafa materials at their family events. When they encountered people who believed the lies and slandered Dafa, they used me as an example to help clarify the truth.

One time, my sister-in-law overheard people discussing the media’s defamation of Dafa at a large market. She intervened and said, “Falun Dafa isn’t like what it says on TV.” She then told them how I benefited from Dafa.

Later, my extended family helped to operate a material production site. The equipment and materials were spread out in their homes because the police often came to my house to harass me. They gave me keys to their places so I had easy access to what I needed. One uncle and his wife even protected Dafa practitioners who had been displaced.

Once, a few of my coworkers were taking a break after cleaning the snow-covered streets, when several police officers told them to remove the banner hanging on the electric pole that read, “Falun Dafa Is Good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Is Good.” They refused.

When my mother-in-law passed away, my supervisors wanted to come to my house to help me. I told them to wait for me to pick them up outside a nearby police station. But it was cold outside, so they went in. When the police heard that they were waiting for a Dafa practitioner, one officer asked, “Is it true that Falun Dafa practitioners don’t care about their families?” My supervisor replied, “That’s not true at all! She is a very kind person who helps everyone when they’re in need. She’s excellent at her job, and took excellent care of her mother-in-law!”

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to cultivate Falun Dafa in this lifetime. I’m grateful to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, for pulling me out of suffering, and guiding me to the right path to return to my true self!