(Clearwisdom.net) I'm a Falun Gong practitioner from Heilongjiang Province. Before I obtained the Fa I had a lot of illnesses. I felt pain all over my body because of rheumatism and was weak due to neurasthenia gravis. I had a massive hemorrhage because of various gynecological illnesses, symptoms of brain thrombus [stroke], nephritis [kidney disease], hemorrhoids and lymph node illness. Surgery did not help at all. In order to cure all these illnesses my family spent all the money we had. I was so weak that I could not do anything. In my workplace I was well known for always being ill. I had practiced Qigong for five years, but that did not help either.
I Obtained the Fa and Enlightened to the Dao
In 1998 I was fortunate to hear about Dafa. At first, in order to cure my illnesses, I only focused on practicing the exercises every day. Later the veteran practitioners told me that I should not just practice the exercises, but that I also needed to read the book to study the Fa, because Falun Gong is a practice for cultivating both the mind and body. Though I was illiterate I started to read the book with a great deal of effort. I saw vivid light on the book. With encouragement from Teacher, I gradually learned to read. Now I'm able to read all the Dafa books and truth-clarifying materials.
Three months later all my illnesses were gone. I had only obtained the Fa in 1998. Soon, in 1999, the persecution started. Why am I still so determined? This is because I have benefited from Dafa! In the past I spent so much money, but none of my illnesses were cured; however, after I learned Falun Gong, all my illnesses were gone without spending a cent or taking one tablet of medicine. Teacher eliminated all my illness karma. I was freed from the serious illnesses and I felt my body was so light with good health. I resembled a disabled person before, who could not do anything; but now my children and family no longer have to worry about me. Furthermore, I'm doing all that I should do for others. All this cannot be bought with money.
As I have disciplined myself according to the requirements of Dafa, I've been getting along well with my son and daughter-in-law. They both are very supportive of my practice and never interfere with me. So, I am able to devote myself totally to promoting Dafa and to cultivation.
Enlightening among huge tribulations; making progress step by step
On July 20, 1999, Jiang's faction started to persecute Falun Gong. The head of our local police station came to my home and said to me, "If you want to practice, just do it at home. Do not cause trouble to our work." I did not have a deep understanding of the Fa at the time, so it did not occur to me to step forward to clarify the truth. I accepted Teacher's new articles and truth-clarifying materials and continued to study the Fa and practice the exercises at home. I also knew that I should be firm, but I had an attachment to fear. Besides, as both my sons work in the police station, I was afraid that my practice might cause trouble for them. I could not let go of this selfishness and sentiment, so I failed to step forward.
In 2000, I met a fellow practitioner from Jilin Province. She said to me, "Teacher has endured so much for us, taking all our karma upon himself. We should not hide at home and passively endure the persecution. We should go out to validate the Fa." Suddenly I realized what I should do. I organized a group Fa study and brought fellow practitioners to my home to listen to the tapes of Teacher's lectures, with the result that my attachment of fear was greatly reduced.
Towards the end of 2000, I studied Teacher's article "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America" and further understood what I should do. I took the train, along with three fellow practitioners, to go to Beijing to validate the Fa. However we were identified when the train arrived at Shanhaiguan Station. The conductor and security guards cooperated with the policemen at Shanhaiguan Station. They confiscated our money as well as our train tickets. They did not find my banner. They locked us up together. In our room were fellow practitioners from Shenyang, Changchun, Sichuan Province, Hulan, Tieli, Jiamusi City and many other regions. The policemen interrogated us, ordering us to tell our names and home addresses. I saw that the practitioners who told them their addresses were all put into a police van and taken away, one after another, by personnel from the local "610 Office". The policemen beat and dragged practitioners, and those who unfurled a banner and shouted "Falun Dafa is good!" were all pushed into the van while being punched and kicked.
While witnessing this we shouted together, "Falun Dafa is good!" The policemen then locked the door. So, we opened the window and shouted toward the outside, "Falun Dafa is good!" People on the street came over to watch. A policeman was so scared that he started to sweat. He came into the room and pleaded with me, "Granny, please stop shouting. At my age I should be your son. You are so elderly, so please do not shout! Please sit down!" I said, "If you want us to stop shouting, you have to promise me three things: First, you must acknowledge that Falun Dafa is good; Second, you must not beat Falun Dafa practitioners when they are arrested; Third, you must let us out of here." He hurriedly said, "Falun Dafa is good, Falun Dafa is good. Isn't this good enough?" While he was speaking, he sounded like he wanted to cry and continued, "I will call you mother if you want me to. Who knows how you have offended Jiang! He is the one who ordered us to arrest you. We are doing this for the sake of keeping our jobs! If you want to practice, you just go home to practice! Nowadays there is no way to reason with anyone." Then he hurriedly went out.
At mealtime they told us to count off [do a head-count]. Our hearts were together; none of us would eat! In the room opposite ours were more than twenty people who all did a head-count. In the end, all of us practitioners who refused to do the head-count or eat were released.
Validating Falun Dafa and clarifying the truth in an open and dignified manner
In May 2001, I moved to a new place and realized there were things I should do in that area. I couldn't get in touch with local practitioners, though, so, among other things, I practiced writing, "Falun Dafa is good" and "Falun Dafa is the righteous Fa" at home. When I thought I was good at writing those words, I bought a box of chalk and went out to write them on structures where people could see them. [Translator's note: In China, the government controls the media and blocks all channels of appeal, so practitioners have to write in public places to clarify the truth.] Day or night, I wrote and taped the words on electricity poles and on walls. Police cars often zoomed by me. After I got in touch with local practitioners, we went out to hang banners and distribute flyers as a group, and we never stopped validating Dafa.
In the summer of 2002, a fellow practitioner from my former work unit who had just been released from prison asked me for truth clarification materials. I got a bag of Fa lectures and flyers for the practitioner. At the same time, I prepared a set of truth-clarifying materials as well as VCDs, audiocassettes and flyers for the local police station. However, I bumped into the chief of the police station on my way and he took me to the police station.
At the office he wanted to know the source of the materials and to whom I was going to deliver them. I didn't answer his questions, kept sending forth righteous thoughts and I asked Teacher to help me eliminate the evil elements behind the officer. I thought, "The perpetrators are quite vicious and some fellow practitioners still haven't stepped forward. I must protect fellow practitioners and not cause any losses to Dafa."
When he asked, "Where did you get the flyers? Who are you delivering them to?" I said, "I brought them for you." He said, "Why should I read this?" A young officer came in and asked me to go to another room for further interrogation. I didn't move; instead, I smiled at him and sent forth righteous thoughts. The police chief started to flip through the truth clarification materials. When the young police officer saw this, he left quietly. I sent forth righteous thoughts as I taped Fa-rectification verses to their desk. The police chief thought I was going to snatch the packet of truth clarification materials, so he stood up and spread his arms to block me. I erected my hand and sent forth righteous thoughts. He asked me, "So, you are still practicing!" I told him about the facts and exposed Jiang and his followers' crimes of persecuting Dafa practitioners. I said, "None of you dare to speak about Jiang's crimes and scandals except us Dafa practitioners. Jiang is still alive and in power, and that is why you are following him. You would have treated me differently if he were gone. Don't help him to commit crimes; save yourself!" The police chief eventually became clear-headed and released me.
I do not mean to show myself off in writing this. I simply want to remind fellow practitioners not to be afraid, because if we are, the evil will take advantage of our fear and manipulate the police, perpetrators and deceived people to persecute us.
During the Sixteenth Party Congress in 2002, personnel from the local police station, the police station in my former work unit area and leaders of my former work unit came at me together. They took turns knocking on my door and phoning me at all hours. I sat at home and sent forth righteous thoughts with great concentration. I sent forth righteous thoughts on the hour every hour, 22 times a day. They walked around the house and checked for my footprints, to see if I had left. I heard everything from inside my home. They eventually left after failing to get in the house.
On one occasion, without any police, the leader of my former work unit, the head of the local mine, a section head and the accountant came to my home. I thought, "Since I was retired, I did not have an opportunity to go to my work unit to clarify the truth to them. Now is the time to do so." I gave each one of them a packet of materials, including VCDs and audiocassettes. I treated them kindly and clarified the truth to them from my heart. During the whole time, from when they came until they left, none of them said a bad word about Dafa. I used to be the most inefficient worker at work; I was a widow and had to take care of several children. After the head of the local mine listened to what I said, he called out my name and said, "How come you know so much? You are even talking about the universe!" Since they got to know the truth, they never bothered me again.
During the Sixteenth Party Congress, the perpetrators searched and illegally arrested many practitioners. With Teacher's protection and powerful righteous thoughts, the perpetrators not only didn't get anything from me but many of them learned the truth.
After I studied Teacher's articles, I felt the urgency even more to clarify the truth and offer people salvation. There is no time to waste. Offering people salvation is as urgent as putting out a fire that will kill people. In the comprehensive truth-clarification, I always remind myself first on all occasions, "Give up selfishness; it's important to save people." Then I send forth righteous thoughts while clarifying the truth to strangers.
Once I talked to a middle-aged woman and clarified the truth to her. She said, "Although I don't know much about Falun Gong, my husband was in Beijing in 1989. He saw with his own eyes that the soldiers killed many students with tanks and automatic machine guns during the June 4th Massacre. The blood was running like streams. Yet the state-run TV broadcast lied and claimed the students burnt the soldiers to death, in order to deceive the people. Actually many people know the truth about the massacre and that the official TV is full of lies."
Once I clarified the truth to vendors when buying steamed buns. I told them, "Please, remember that Falun Dafa is good." Another day I went to the same market to buy meat. I approached a stand and asked, "Is this meat fresh?" The young man answered, "Aren't you the lady who told us the other day 'Falun Dafa is good'? How can I trick you?" I realized that the reason he said it in public in the presence of others was to promote Dafa and to help me eliminate fear. My efforts in clarifying the truth were not in vain. I walked my path little by little in an open and dignified manner.
I do not mean to praise myself by writing all this, but to validate Dafa and save people with my firsthand experiences. No matter what we do, we must regard the Fa as the top priority and not mix ordinary people's things in our mind. I have encountered many apparently dangerous situations, but managed to emerge unscathed. Some fellow practitioners think I wasn't persecuted because I have a son who works in the police system, to which I disagree. I think this opinion is acknowledging the old force's arrangements and at the same time negating Dafa's power. In fact, Teacher mentioned numerous times that Dafa practitioners must treat the persecution with righteous thoughts. Teacher also told us repeatedly to study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth.
When reflecting upon my cultivation path, I realize that I have encountered and overcome many difficulties on my journey as described by Teacher, "With no attachment to anything, the path underfoot is naturally clear," (from Hong Yin II, provisional translation) and that is why I'm able to be more clearheaded, more mature and more diligent in this time of Fa rectification.
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