(Clearwisdom.net) I have been a Falun Dafa practitioner since the fall of 1997. I have experienced much joy and sadness in the past seven years; more importantly, I have developed a rock-solid faith in Falun Dafa and witnessed the boundless might of Falun Dafa as it has manifested itself to me.
My serious constipation problem disappeared right at the very beginning of my cultivation. Every day I would hurry home to have dinner after work, and then I'd be off to join the group for Fa study and exercise. I was very happy both spiritually and physically, and I felt that life was very enriching.
After the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners started on July 20, 1999, I had to study the Fa and do the exercises at home alone. I read three chapters of "Zhuan Falun" each day and began to memorize the book. I immersed myself in Dafa and felt that time went by very quickly.
In March 2000, after I had the opportunity to share experiences with some practitioners who had just returned from appealing in Beijing, I realized that as a practitioner, I too needed to call for justice for Falun Dafa. In June, I left for Beijing with a fellow practitioner. Before I left, the Bureau Chief warned me that if I appealed in Beijing, I wouldn't be given a housing unit. This housing was under construction and was funded by everybody in the housing project (all my savings were invested in the housing project), but I was not deterred. However, I didn't want my action to implicate the factory director, who had been supportive of my cultivation practice, so I wrote a letter resigning from my job. In retrospect, it was an omission on my part. At the time, I felt that I wasn't doing anything wrong, but I didn't want to implicate the factory director.
On the way to Beijing, I was light-hearted without much worry. We had a pretty smooth journey to Tiananmen Square. We walked around the gate tower of Tiananmen Square, stood at the center of the square, and then we began the exercise of the Falun Standing Stance (1) while surrounded by plainclothes and uniformed police officers. The moment I raised my arms in the wheel-holding position, I felt a deep sense of holiness. Later, I was taken to the branch office of Tiananmen Square in a police car. The local police from the Beijing office told us to go home, so we returned home safely. Officers from our local police station didn't come and get us, and I got to the housing unit and had my job back. Then I realized that cultivation is the process in which we remove all human attachments. Once we can do that, we will receive whatever we deserve to have.
In 2001, I relaxed my cultivation because of my desire to lead a comfortable life; I no longer wished to do Fa-validation activities, yet I was jailed. Without righteous thoughts and having the feeling that cultivation was too demanding, I made unconscionable mistakes because I wanted to get out of jail. After I read Teacher's article "Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples" and other articles by Teacher, I finally understood what it meant to be a practitioner during the Fa-rectification period, the serious nature of being a practitioner, and the great responsibilities bestowed upon each practitioner. I decided that since I'd obtained the Fa and had become a practitioner, I would resolve to follow Teacher's footsteps all the way. I also realized that it was most dangerous for me when I didn't follow Teacher's teaching and that the old forces would pull me down.
The following are some stories I'd like to share with my fellow practitioners from the last two years.
In the beginning of 2003, a few practitioners from the same information center were arrested on the same day. The next morning, officers from the Public Security Office came to search my house. I was there with another practitioner (his wife was arrested) when the police came in, showed their police I.D., and started searching the house. I was sitting on a sofa and began to send forth righteous thoughts. The police took my fellow practitioner when they didn't find anything. I was left alone in the house and felt quite pleased with myself. I thought that I had done so well with sending forth righteous thoughts that the police didn't take me. After a while, there was a knock at the door, and I thought that the practitioner had returned. To my surprise it was the two policemen, who had come back for me. They threatened that if I didn't go with them, they would take me by force. Then they did use force to take me downstairs to the police car and to the security office headquarters. I quickly realized the deeper reason I was arrested was that I had such notions about myself and that I hadn't tried to help my fellow practitioner.
After I was arrested, I thought to myself that I mustn't let them persecute me, because there were still so many things that needed to be done, and I asked for Teacher's support. Then they let us go without getting any of the information that they were looking for. I realized that on the path of cultivation, one will obtain very different results depending on whether one sets out to validate the Fa or to validate oneself. When we try to validate ourselves, we give the old forces an excuse to persecute us, because that's a very selfish notion that springs from self-interest. That notion is consistent with the principles of the old universe, so the old forces can easily interfere.
Teacher asks us to cultivate to the point where we are capable of thinking of others first all the time When the police arrested my fellow practitioner, my first thought was not to send forth righteous thoughts for his sake. I was instead pleased with my ability to dodge the arrest. That was a very selfish thought. Therefore the police turned around half way back to their station and came back to arrest me. This was an important lesson. I recalled that Teacher said, "The evil takes advantage of the slightest gap and glares menacingly at every single word and action of yours. Whatever you're attached to, that's what the evil beings will strengthen, and when your mind is off they will make you irrational." (Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference) As a matter of fact, Dafa disciples are one body, and every disciple is a member of this whole body. The evil will have nothing to exploit when every Dafa disciple always puts others first.
In April 2003, I carried a black bag filled with information materials about the persecution written by a fellow practitioner, and I was going to "B" City in "A" County to distribute the materials. I got on the train, and there were two policemen who were checking passengers' baggage. They were doing a thorough job, checking and passing VCDs or a microphone back and forth. I couldn't sit still any longer, so I immediately began sending forth righteous thoughts to clear out all the evils that were trying to persecute me. The police came and asked me to open my bag. I tried to remain calm while opening the bag and sending forth righteous thoughts. I couldn't imagine what would happen if they kept on looking. I concentrated on one thought, "Teacher, please help me and don't allow them to continue." With this one thought, the situation changed. Although the policeman checked very carefully and even checked my little purse, he stopped when he got to the Dafa materials, which were wrapped with clothes. He left, and I was instantly relieved. After a while I was still frightened. I was afraid that they would come back to check again because the passengers next to me said that they had conducted searches five times already. Then I changed my thought, "No more searches are allowed." They didn't conduct any more searches and I safely brought the materials to the "B" City.
Through this event, I realized that the greatest righteous thought is to remember well that we are Teacher's disciples when encountering danger. The reason that danger came upon me was that I had a human notion. I was not fully intent on bringing the truth-clarification materials to "B" City, so the evil found an opportunity to exploit and test me. Because I had strong faith in Teacher and kept the righteous thought, I was able to avoid the danger and remain safe.
During this Fa-rectification cultivation period, I tried to do well the "three things" that Teacher told us to do. Much interference ceased to exist when I studied the Fa well, so I would calm myself and study the Fa when I encountered interference. One time, I was having a problem with the copy machine. I disassembled and reassembled the machine but it was still did not work. I was tired and agitated from trying to fix the machine for such a long time and it was getting late. I decided to stop for the day, and I went home and calmly studied the Fa and sent forth righteous thoughts. The next morning, the copy machine operated normally. One must study the Fa diligently and keep a calm mind when validating the Fa so that one is not hindered by appearances, which can hide the essence of any situation. The results will be vastly different if one tries to solve a problem with human notions instead of with righteous thoughts. One must be immersed in the Fa when validating the Fa and clarifying the facts, and look within when encountering interference.
There is much more to do in clarifying the facts to people. I was disturbed when I read Teacher's article, "Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World's People" because I felt that a great gap existed between my level of participation and what Teacher has required of us. Taking advantage of every opportunity to clarify the facts to people face-to-face, I realized that this was my responsibility and it was for saving those who were destined to be saved. I was able to clarify the truth to people with simple facts and without mixing in my own agenda, so the effect was good.
The period of Fa-rectification cultivation has been going on for five years. I have gained a much deeper understanding of the Fa and reaped many benefits. I've enlightened to a great truth: one is most secure when one follows Teacher's teaching and does what Teacher asks. With a cultivator's righteous thoughts and a rock-solid faith in Teacher and the Fa, one will be safe. With the ability to look within when running into problems, one can solve problems from the foundation. True happiness comes from being immersed in the Fa.
Note:
(1) Falun Standing Stance is a tranquil standing meditation composed of four wheel-holding positions. Frequent performance of Falun Standing Stance will facilitate the complete opening of the entire body.