(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am a 60-year-old practitioner and a retiree. I was blessed with the good fortune to learn of Falun Dafa in 1996. For the past 11 years I held firm in my belief in revered Master and Dafa, despite the brutal persecution and misunderstandings from my family, friends and others, due to fear and propaganda. I completely negated all of the old force arrangements and at the same time constantly cleared away deviated notions. I eliminated all types of interference and was able to make it this far.
Among the three things Master told us to do, the first thing is "study the Fa well." My own experiences made me realize that solid Fa study enables us to save sentient beings in our own world and even more grand worlds; "sending forth righteous thoughts" is eliminating the beings who have committed crimes in Fa-rectification, who can no longer be saved; clarifying the truth is saving people deceived by Communist Party's culture and lies. Studying the Fa well is the basis and foundation for doing the three things well. When we study the Fa well, we know what to do when problems arise; that is why I take Fa study very seriously.
Four generations of my family live under the same roof. I am responsible for the care of my 90-year-old father and newborn grandson and has thus always have loads of household chores to do, yet I manage to squeeze in time for Fa study. For example, when my grandson falls asleep, I read Zhuan Falun. When I watch my grandson play outside or while I shop in the market, I take out a piece of paper, write down a passage of Fa, and recite it. After a while, the papers accumulate and I staple them together to study. Sometimes when I wake up at night, I get up and recite the Fa, and sometimes I recite the Fa to my husband.
I spend two hours a day reciting the Fa. I also hand-copy the Fa, and now the pile of writings is more than one foot tall. I memorized Master's Hong Yin using only the time when I cook and run errands.
I love studying the Fa. I often see golden, glistening wan symbols between the lines in Zhuan Falun, and the characters spinning look like tiny diamonds. I also see evenly spaced, illuminated red bars, each one about 0.1 inch long on the hand-copied verses of Zhuan Falun. Whether or not I am able to see anything, I have never wavered in my belief in Dafa.
I went to Beijing to safeguard Dafa in January 2000. The police illegally arrested and detained me and threatened to send me to a labor camp. During a physical exam I quietly asked Master in my heart, "Master, I want to go home, not to enjoy my life, but because I have things to do. Thank you." I regained freedom and returned to Fa-rectification with Master's protection.
I went to Beijing many times since then when Dafa was slandered and Master was attacked. I shouted "Falun Dafa is good;" "Restore Master's reputation" in Tiananmen Square. I was successful and returned safely during all of my trips due to the power of firm righteous thoughts. Some 610 Office agents tried to take me to a brainwashing center in 2003 but failed because of strong resistance from my family. They then called the accountant at my workplace. They made her call me and tell me to go to the retirement office with my ID and retirement certificate, saying I had received a raise in pension. I remembered Master said, "...and to be able to consider all perspectives." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston") I thought there were too many holes in the accountant's story, because I had never before heard about a raise in pension. I decided it was a trap and refused to go. It turned out I was right. I then thought, "The officials and accountant worked together to persecute me. I must explain the facts to them." I went there after a few days, and they quietly listened to me. They said to me apologetically, "The 610 Office made us do it."
I told them about having gone to Beijing, and subsequently my workplace officials deducted two weeks' pension. I said, "Whoever remembers 'Falun Dafa is good' will be rewarded, and whoever slanders Dafa or persecutes Dafa practitioners will certainly receive retribution!" Two days later the person in charge at the retirement office called me and told me to pick up the two weeks' pension that had been withheld from me. This reflects the might power of Dafa.
I was arrested for the third time in September 2005. I shouted, "Falun Dafa is good" all the way to the police department. I remember Master had said, "If there were no outside factors, would humans dare to do anything to gods?" ("In Fa-Rectification Your Thoughts Have to be Righteous, Not Human")
I sent a powerful righteous thought, "Disintegrate all evil elements and rotten demons from other dimensions that persecute me!" I also asked Master, "I will leave this place at 3:00 a.m. tonight. Please help me and get a taxi for me. Thank you, Master!"
Soon, the police chief, political head, the head of the 610 Office and the record keeper arrived. The police chief said they would ask me some questions and record my answers. I told them, "You waited outside my home and broke in after I returned home. It's a crime! The Fa is rectifying the universe, and all Dafa disciples hope you will have a bright future. I refuse to answer any question, for your own good. I believe you understand."
They didn't say anything and left. In the afternoon, a person who participated in my second arrest came to ask me questions. I said, "You persecuted me last time. Let me tell you, whoever persecutes Dafa disciples will receive retribution." He said, "Oh, let's not talk about last time. This time, you can talk about whatever you think is not important and steer away from the important things." It sounded like he was being nice but in fact he was trying to get me to talk. I knew rotten demons in other dimensions were controlling him. I recited, "Big deal if they've cultivated almost 1,000 years, a pinky is more than enough to crush them." (Spirit Possession, The Third Talk, Zhuan Falun, 2003 translation version) I disintegrated the evil with righteous thoughts and ignored all of the official's questions.
His mobile phone went off and according to what I overheard, something happened in his family. He left. I fell asleep but was startled awake when someone was knocking on the door. I suddenly remembered that I had planned to leave. I didn't know the time but I thought, "Since someone is knocking on the door, it is Master telling me to leave. It means now!" I stood up and sent righteous thoughts thinking, "Do not wake up, and the metal gate shall not make any noise." I walked down the stairs.
I came to the realization that the arrangements Master makes must be a smooth path. As I pulled the gate open, I immediately spotted a taxi waiting nearby. Tears gushed out of my eyes, and I felt Master's compassion was omnipresent. I asked the driver, "What time is it?" "Three o'clock." Exactly as I had asked Master! I left the police department openly and dignified after 24 hours of illegal detention.
Master told us we are cultivators who are walking on the path toward godhood. I realized whether or not we explain the facts or work with other projects, we are doing what gods do, so we must think about things with the righteous thoughts of gods, and miracles would happen.
Once I saw a long, golden banner carrying a phrase that explains the facts, but the banner was wrapped around an antenna on the roof of a three-story apartment. I decided to take it down and climbed up to the roof, but it was beyond my reach. I needed a long stick. When I went downstairs, a young man rode by on a bike, holding a long stick. It was exactly the length and thickness I had in mind. A thought flashed across my mind, "Didn't Master make this happen?" I stopped the young man and explained the issue to him. He gladly agreed to get the banner for me. It took him a long time to get the banner. I said, "Young man, you are doing the best thing! Remember, 'Falun Dafa is good' and you will be rewarded!" He smiled and agreed.
After the "610 Office" agents failed to take me to the brainwashing center they announced they would not give up until they arrested me. I left home and went to a city more than 1,000 miles away to avoid persecution. One day a person told me to leave immediately. I realized Master was prompting me, so I left the city right away.
Two days later a group of officials from the city police department and the local police department went to my residence trying to arrest me, but I had already left. I thought, "I'm walking on the path toward godhood, and I shoulder tremendous responsibilities. Although it's dangerous to stay at home as I would risk arrest at all times, it is where I would fulfill my vow of offering sentient beings salvation. I must go back."
Once at home, my husband told me the officials took all of my Dafa books, computer(s) and other tools I had used to make Dafa materials. They did not leave a receipt and looked for me at my relatives' homes. I stayed home and didn't go out for a long time. My heart was filled with fear. I remembered that I had been arrested three times, and my family was traumatized and worried about me. However, I was able to completely negate the fear. Master said, "Then what's there to fear? And what is more, you are truly saving people--openly and with dignity saving their very being--and they will be able to sense that." ("Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005")
From the perspective of cultivation, Master told us we might only rescue people whose good side would sense my compassion and kindness. From the standpoint of common sense, the police took my things without so much as issuing any receipt--this is burglary, not within the function or duty of the police. Who should be afraid?
I stepped out openly at the end of March this year. The police never harassed me. Master said,
"In the cultivator's cultivation he maintains his character, abandons his attachments, and forgoes any incorrect pursuits, as prescribed by Dafa. Any wicked entity will be afraid." (The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa)
I heard a thunderous sound within my body, and I knew Master was encouraging me. Master said, "...the whole process of cultivation is a process of constantly getting rid of human attachments." (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)
During cultivation I have continuously purged myself of bad notions. One attachment is the desire to do everything during projects to validate Dafa. I usually like to do lots of things, which is not wrong in itself; but if I'm too attached to it, then it is a notion to be let go of. It would mean I am trying to build greater mighty virtue by doing more things instead of thinking about what is most appropriate for a specific project. For example, one practitioner was better suited for a certain project and other practitioners suggested him; yet, I stubbornly insisted on doing it myself. Although it was completed, many practitioners were upset. In fact, I was showing off and had the selfish desire to build greater might virtue instead of thinking about how to achieve a better outcome for the whole body. I ignored other people's feelings.
I also need to get rid of the "clique" mentality. I always work with one practitioner because we have lots of things in common. After a while, attachments surfaced and we formed a clique. We became reluctant to point out each other's shortcomings and even ignored them. This is a serious attachment.
After having cultivated for a while and having done some Dafa work, I felt I have more valuable experiences than others and put myself above others. I became judgmental, like an ordinary official. I liked for others to follow my suggestion. Recently, I read "Teaching the Fa to Australian Falun Dafa Practitioners," which deeply touched me. Master was pointing out my shortcomings! I insist on my own opinions and sometimes loudly criticize others. What do I get in the end? Ordinary things, which I must discard in order to become a god.
For the past 11 years, I have had pain and joy on the path of cultivation Master had arranged. I have summarized my experiences in four words: "believe" in Master and Dafa and never waver at any time; let go of anything that people deem good, which means giving up human attachments, as we become gods once we let go of human notions; courage to eliminate fear, and the courage to walk the path Master has arranged, and finally, diligently carry out the three things Master requires.
Master has given me so much. I can never praise Master and Falun Dafa with words. My only wish is to work harder so Master has to worry less, and I will return with Master.
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
