(Minghui.org) I used to suffer from many illnesses and took medication throughout the year. Severe stomach problems and arthritis made life depressing and joyless. Shortly after I started practicing Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in the summer of 1997, when I was in my 30s, all my symptoms and pain disappeared. Filled with gratitude toward Master Li, I have cultivated in Dafa ever since.
My third eye opened not long after I took up the practice. I saw Falun rotating with a full spectrum of exquisite colors. I also saw a large eye before my eyes, just as Master described in Zhuan Falun. I also saw our practice site “shielded by a red light so it is red all around” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun), and many other incredible scenes.
My outlook on life completely changed after I watched Master’s Fa lectures in Guangzhou. I understood that I had to follow the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance to be a better person. I eagerly studied the Fa and did the exercises with other practitioners, basking in the Buddha light each day. Those were the best times of my life.
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned Falun Dafa and launched the persecution in 1999, I have diligently cultivated myself to be more compassionate and selfless so I could better validate the Fa and help Master save people.
My mother is in her 80’s and lives by herself. My older sister and I take turns staying with her to take care of her. Over the years, I created a routine that allowed me to care for my mother and do the three things. I usually get up early in the morning, make and have breakfast with my mother before heading out to clarify the truth with another practitioner. After lunch, the practitioner comes over and we study the Fa together.
My mother never went to school but she enjoys listening to us read Zhuan Falun. She also listens to Master’s Fa lectures in Guangzhou. My mother never started practicing Falun Dafa, but has been supportive of Dafa and my practice over the years. She recites “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” every day and enjoyed good health well into her late 80’s. Even her gray hair turned black again.
As my mother aged, she started to experience more health problems. The joints of her right arm became deformed and swollen, causing her right hand to tremble involuntarily. Lower back pain also made it difficult for her to straighten her back. She became more and more dependent, to the point that she needed help using the bathroom. It was a test for my patience and, with time, my resentment surfaced.
One time, right before the 12 p.m. global time to send righteous thoughts, my mother needed to use the bathroom. As I supported her and helped her slowly walk toward the bathroom, she accidentally relieved herself in her pants. Scrambling to help her out of her soiled clothes and clean up the mess, I complained loudly and scolded my mother.
Afterward, I felt so bad for behaving that way. I didn’t act anything like a cultivator. I looked inward and found my biggest attachment—the attachment to self. I didn’t want to have to do more cleaning up, and resented my mother for causing me to miss sending righteous thoughts. I saw clearly where I fell short, and sent righteous thoughts. I said silently in my mind to the attachments, “You are not me and I don’t want you. Master told us to be compassionate toward all people, and that includes my own mother.”
As I worked diligently to improve myself, gradually I was able to handle similar situations with a calm heart like a true cultivator. When I talked to my mother, my tone softened. My mother often compliments me for meticulously and patiently taking care of her, as if she was a child. Her happiness brings me joy and pride.
Practitioner Anxin and I were partners in clarifying the truth for many years. We worked well together and have helped many people quit the CCP and its youth organizations.
Last year, practitioner Bian was looking for a new partner to work with and often asked Anxin to go with her when clarifying the truth in person. It didn’t bother me at first, but as it happened more frequently, I started to feel annoyed whenever I saw them working together. I started to complain about Bian.
As the thought of Anxin and Bian working together crossed my mind one day, my heart ached as if it had been stabbed. I became aware and looked inward to examine myself. “Isn’t this resentment?” I asked myself. Even after consistently sending righteous thoughts for a period of time, I felt that I was still holding on to this attachment and couldn’t let it go completely. When the thought of them working together crossed my mind again, I caught it immediately and looked inward. I found my hidden attachment of jealousy, my competitive mentality, and my dependency on Anxin.
I sent strong righteous thoughts to eliminate all these attachments. Master saw my determination and helped me remove them. I was no longer resentful and could stay calm when I saw the two of them working together.
I am grateful to our compassionate Master for arranging these opportunities for me to find my attachments, get rid of them, and improve myself.
My main method of clarifying the truth is to talk to people in person. Whether it is freezing cold outside or scorching hot, nothing stops me from going out and clarifying the truth year-round. It is like wandering around in society, where one could run into all kinds of people. Some were receptive and some wouldn’t even listen. Some thanked me and some cursed me. Some even threatened to report me to the police. Regardless of their attitudes, I strove to meet the standard of a true cultivator and tried my best to be kind to everybody.
One time, I stopped by a small vendor to buy some peaches. A woman in front of me bought a few pounds, but paid with a 100-yuan bill. The young vendor didn’t have the change for it but couldn’t walk away from her business to get the change. I took the bill to a nearby shop and exchanged it for 20 five-yuan bills. She was very appreciative and thanked me again and again. I told her, “Don’t mention it. I know you have a low profit margin selling peaches. You probably have to pick them in the morning and try to sell them all that day, otherwise they would not stay fresh in this hot weather.”
I told her that I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and that Dafa teaches people to be good by following the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. I talked to her about the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident being staged to smear Falun Dafa. I told her to remember, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’” When I asked if she had heard of quitting the CCP and its youth organizations, she said someone had told her about it. She’d never joined any of the CCP’s youth organizations and knew that Dafa is good. I was so happy to hear that.
When clarifying the truth at a park one time, I ran into a woman my age. I greeted her and struck up a conversation. She told me she was retired and doing her morning walk in the park. I said, “It’s predestined that we meet today. Have you ever heard of quitting the CCP to stay safe?”
She frowned and shook her head, saying, “I don’t want to get involved with Falun Gong. Many of my relatives work in government agencies and my husband works for the police department. He is in charge of Falun Gong [cases].”
I smiled, and replied, “It doesn’t matter what your family does for a living. Everybody is in charge of their own life and has to make their own choices. Staying safe should be everybody’s top priority.”
She reiterated that she was retired and that the CCP pays her a few thousand yuan pension each month. I told her, “The money is not the CCP’s. The Party doesn’t produce anything. How did it earn the money? It’s all taxes from the Chinese people. Just look at the corrupt Party officials, they are all getting rich from bribes and embezzlement. Why doesn’t the Party pay the beggar on the street a monthly pension? It’s because you’ve worked hard for decades and have earned it. You deserve it.”
I continued, “Falun Gong teaches people to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance to be good people. Dafa cultivation helps practitioners improve their moral characters. The practice has spread to more than 100 countries worldwide, and has benefited a great number of people. Yet only the CCP persecutes Falun Dafa. It is all because Jiang Zemin [former head of the CCP] was jealous of Dafa’s popularity. The Tiananmen self-immolation was staged to smear Falun Gong and incite hatred against practitioners.
“Think about it: 80 million innocent people died of unnatural causes during multiple political movements since the CCP took power. A person must pay for killing a life. This political Party has so much blood on its hands. Do you think heaven is going to let it get away with it? The CCP will fall sooner or later. If you have joined the Party or any of its youth organizations, you’ve taken an oath to be a part of it for life. You have to separate yourself from it in order to stay safe.”
The woman said she had joined the Young Pioneers, but not the Communist Youth League or the CCP itself. I told her, “How about I pick a nickname for you to renounce the Party? Remember to sincerely recite ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion is good’ and you will receive blessings.” She agreed and thanked me.
These are some of my experiences cultivating in Dafa and clarifying the truth over the years. I ask fellow practitioners to kindly point out anything that is not aligned with the Fa.
Thank you, compassionate Master.