(Clearwisdom.net) I began Falun Dafa cultivation in October 1997. During these almost ten years of cultivation I have learned many lessons, due to strong attachments that the old forces had latched on to. I had regrets for not being diligent enough in cultivation. But I can positively say that during all this time I have always firmly believed in Master and Dafa, especially during this Fa-rectification period. With this firm belief in the Fa I have managed to rescue sentient beings with compassion and reason. I have carried out my prehistoric vows and tried my best to do well the three things during the Fa-rectification period.

I was then only in my thirties, but prior to beginning cultivation I had many illnesses, including insomnia, mental illness, heart disease and stomach disease. I had to rest for a month or two after working for several months and suffered so much. But not too long after I began Fa cultivation all my health problems disappeared. Later, I let the old forces take advantage of me because of my showoff mentality, the attachment to complacency, the attachment to self-validation, my ego and the attachment to fear. This created losses during my rescue efforts and Fa-validation work. With my firm belief in the Fa and Master and fellow practitioners' help and support, I was able to overcome these difficult times. Since then I have never deviated from the Fa.

Establishing a Cultivation Environment - Solidly Validating the Fa

I would like to first let you all know how I established my family cultivation environment and rescued the sentient beings in my family.

Among members on both sides of the family - my side as well as my husband's side - there are some who are teachers, some work for the Public Security Bureau, and some are leaders at work. Most are members of the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) whose ideology has poisoned their minds and deceived them. All of my family members have tried ever since July 20, 1999 to persuade me to give up Falun Dafa. Their efforts arose from the CCP's nationwide slanderous propaganda about Dafa and Master. My husband said, "If you want Dafa, it means you do not want this family. We have to divorce." I said, "Practicing Dafa is for getting healthier and following the principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance' to be a good person. There is no conflict between Dafa and family. I want both Dafa and family." He said, "You have to make a choice between the two." My father and brother said I was being selfish and did not consider family. When they saw that their persuasions did not work, they started hurting me physically. They held my head and banged it against the wall. They pushed me down stairs. I tumbled down the stairs and bumped my head. My formerly nice father-in-law also made many sarcastic comments.

Although I was hurt physically and mentally, I had one thought in mind: there is nothing wrong with Dafa practice. There is nothing wrong with me following the principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Dafa not only gave me health, it also makes me mentally aware and I understand the true meaning of being human. Master gave me the wisdom in Zhuan Falun that can take me back to my true home. I am determined to practice Dafa until the end. Master's Fa taught me how to pass the tests in tribulations with my family.

I understand completely that the reason my family was against me was because of their fear of implication based on their past experience with the evil Party. In the meantime I kept clarifying the truth to my family and studying the Fa diligently. The Fa principles became clearer to me. I was able to continue negating the old forces' arrangements. While I was studying the Fa diligently and upgrading my xinxing, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors behind my family members. I also patiently explained the truth. Gradually they came to understand the truth and were saved. So far, my father, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother, and brother's wife quit the CCP. My father and brother have solemnly declared that the statements and acts they had made before, that were not respectful to Master and Dafa, were null and void. My husband works for a police department. The evil party forced the officers to persecute Dafa practitioners, but they are forbidden to keep records about it. There is never a written document for that, only oral commands, which puzzled him and made him think more. He read Zhuan Falun several times and understood that Dafa is good. He quit the CCP as well.

I deeply felt Master's compassion during the past seven years of establishing the family cultivation environment. It was Master who pulled my whole family from the evil CCP's hell. Master saved us and helped us find a new life and see a bright future.

I have kept righteous thoughts and righteous actions at work during these past years. I changed my work environment and rescued many sentient beings.

After July 20, 1999, afraid of being implicated by the Party, the leadership at work demoted me from middle management level to a regular employee, saying they were "protecting me." They made me work on the production line. I did not comprehend what was happening from the Fa principles' perspective and simply followed their orders. Later I realized that this is the evil Party's persecution of Dafa practitioners at work. Nevertheless, I followed Master's advice - that Dafa practitioners will be good persons no matter where they are. Thus, I have worked hard with the workers on the production line. I maintained righteous thoughts and righteous actions and saved many sentient beings around me.

I clarified the truth to acquaintances and told them that Falun Dafa is a righteous Fa, that it teaches people to be better persons, helps people to get healthier, and that the evil CCP is afraid of righteousness which is why it persecutes Dafa practitioners. After the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published I realized my huge responsibilities. In order to rescue CCP members I tried even harder to tell people about the Nine Commentaries, and distributed the Nine Commentaries. I explained the truth and exhorted people to quit the CCP to ensure their safety. I rescued more predestined people. Someone once said to me, "For somebody like you who used to have a strong competitive work mentality to have worked quietly on the production line for seven years without pursuing recognition and money is absolutely unbelievable. Falun Dafa can indeed change people!"

From July 20, 1999 until now I have always practiced the exercises and studied the Fa at work during break time. During the past seven years of establishing a Fa-rectification cultivation environment at work, people went from not understanding me to looking at me respectfully. Dafa tempered me. Master's vast benevolence saved me and the sentient beings who have a predestined relationship at my work environment.

After I realized Dafa practitioners' sacred responsibilities, and that coming to this human world is for us to spread the truth and rescue sentient beings, I have worked toward that goal. Master asks us to

"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy." ("Rationality" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)

I have done it from different angles, in different areas.

1. At the very beginning of the persecution my instinct told me we should not let the Jiang regime unscrupulously defame Dafa. I had to do something. So I started writing banners that proclaimed the truth: "Falun Dafa is Good," "Falun Dafa is the Righteous Fa," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is Good," "Persecuting Falun Dafa is Unbelievable Injustice." I posted them in the hallways of residential buildings. I eventually received truth-clarifying flyers and CDs from Dafa materials production sites, which I distributed during my lunch hours. I did not have any fear. I distributed them during the day time, with dignity. During distribution I often recited Master's lectures. I was always safe, and everything always went smoothly. Master later taught Dafa practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts. I sent forth righteous thoughts as I was clarifying the truth. Sometimes I sent forth righteous thoughts to cleanse the field before I left to distribute materials. Once I wrote a 1.08 m x 1.06 m (3.5 x 3.5 ft.) banner and posted it at a popular market, close to my house. The banner read, "Persecuting Falun Dafa is unbelievable injustice." Officials from a local police precinct even came out to look at this. Many people saw the banner. Another time, I made a 3 m x 0.6 m (9.8 x 2 ft.) red banner with words in yellow reading, "Falun Dafa is a Righteous Fa," and posted it in our residential area. It stayed there for a day and rescued many sentient beings and frightened the evil.

2. Writing letters to clarify the truth. For example, I mailed letters to reporters who work for CCTV (China Central Television), principals in the educational field, and personnel in the business world. I also clarified the truth to government officials, and told them that Dafa is innocent, and about the principle, "Good is rewarded with good and evil meets with retribution."

3. Utilizing shopping opportunities to rescue more predestined people in society. Grocery shopping was an opportunity to clarify the truth about Dafa to vendors. When I buy clothes, I exhort the predestined people to quit the CCP. When I take a taxi I clarify the truth to the taxi drivers. I used paper currency to write messages to rescue sentient beings and for quitting the CCP. I also encouraged my child to use paper currency to clarify the truth.

4. Eliminating any displays or pictures that slander Dafa and poison sentient beings' minds. I once went to a bank to meet a friend and saw some Dafa-slandering images on the second floor by the security office door. I knew I had to eliminate this bad thing. That weekend I sent forth righteous thoughts before I left home and asked Master to strengthen me, to not let security guards be present, so I could remove these images. Security guards were not there when I arrived. Within two minutes I was able to get rid of the big picture. Another time a fellow practitioner told me that there were Dafa slandering pictures in a university's exhibition window. The fellow practitioner and I got rid of those as well.

5. Taking advantage of gatherings with classmates and visiting friends and relatives to clarify the truth. Once, the mother of one of my classmates was sick. I bought some fruit and visited her so I could clarify the truth to her. During that visit I was able to exhort nine people, including the father, brother, sister-in-law, three sisters, herself and two other visitors in her house to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Another time during a classmates' gathering, I sent forth righteous thoughts before going there and asked Master to help eliminate the evil factors controlling my classmates. Through truth clarification efforts I persuaded nine people to quit the CCP. Most of them were government officials and leaders of different levels. Not only were they rescued, but people around them would be spared mind-poisoning propaganda because these nine people now knew the truth.

All in all, to rescue more sentient beings, we have to establish a proper environment in our families, work and society during Fa-rectification. This process made me soberly realize that we have to follow strictly what Master asks us to do - to study the Fa more because,

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, I have never stopped studying the Fa. I study at least one chapter of Zhuan Falun per day. I also study Master's new lectures. I memorized Hong Yin, Hong Yin II and certain other lectures. I read the "Minghui Weekly" on a regular basis to remain informed of Dafa cultivators' progress and Dafa news around the globe. I send forth righteous thoughts and practice the exercises every day. Sometimes, if I miss practicing, I make it up at a later time.

Because of my desire for comfort I am still not diligent enough. I only have recently started memorizing Zhuan Falun. I still have many human notions and attachments I need to eliminate. But with Master and Dafa's guidance, I listen to what Master says and firmly believe in Dafa. I understand that rescuing sentient beings was my prehistoric vow. Therefore, during the past seven years, I have taken advantage of different situations, gatherings, holidays and vacations to clarify the truth and exhort friends, relatives, and other people to quit the CCP. So far, over one hundred people in the family have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I also clarify the truth and exhort people at work and in society to quit the CCP. Over three hundred people quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations due to my efforts.

I know I am still far from what Master asks us to do. I will always remember what Master said in "Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles,"

"Be sure not to become lax. You must not slack off, and you must not become apathetic."

I will not stop on my Fa-rectification cultivation path, and I will continue to rescue more sentient beings.

Illegally Arrested Twice - Maintaining Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions

In late 2000 I went to Beijing to validate Dafa and was illegally arrested and taken to the Beijing Qianmen Police Station. I was then transferred to the Shunyi Police Station. I was illegally detained in the Shunyi Prison for two days and three nights.

While I was at the Shunyi Police Station, the police took away my one thousand eight hundred yuan and some other things I had with me. They ordered me to report my name and address. I refused and said, "I am following the law to seek justice for Dafa. I am innocent. I do not need to report my name to you. You should unconditionally release me." Between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. the guards removed my jacket and pants, leaving me barefoot and in underwear. They made me bury my feet in the snow, and raise my hands with both knees bent. They made me stay in the cold for six hours. They also forced me into handcuffs and shackles and made me sit on the "dead person's bed," (1) with arms and legs stretched out. Five male guards forced me to bend my feet, and attempted to make me hold the position "flying an airplane" (2). Because I was able to recite all poems in Hong Yin before I went to Beijing, in addition to I reciting many of Master's lectures before, no matter how brutal the evildoers tortured me, I kept reciting the Fa in my mind and melted into the Fa. I thus did not suffer any ill effects from the cold, despite the six hours. I did not even feel very cold. Those five male guards attempted to force me to "fly the airplane," as stated above. I refused to cooperate with them. They were all sweating and tired, which made them puzzled. The electric baton on the dead person's bed did not harm me. I knew Master was compassionately protecting me (the persecution details have been exposed on the Minghui website).

Officers from Division One of the police department arrested me at a market in the second half of 2004. It came about because of a betrayal by a former practitioner, who turned against Dafa under brainwashing and torture. I did not cooperate with the illegal arrest. I continued to explain the truth to people at the market, to expose the evildoings. The police handcuffed me, pulled me into the car and took me to Division One. I was fearless. I knew I was doing the most righteous thing to rescue sentient beings. I did not cooperate with the evil. They did not get anything from me, and did not find the over two hundred truth-clarifying stickers I had with me. I also told two young policemen the truth of Dafa, to rescue them. They asked me, "You can practice at home. Why did you come out to distribute materials?" I said, "The media does not tell any truth. It is all lies and slander. Why do they not let Dafa practitioners explain the truth and appeal for justice? Distributing truth-clarification materials is for the purpose of offering people salvation and to make them aware of the persecution, for us to protest the persecution. If I could split my body, part of me would sleep at home at night and the other half would distribute materials outside, to rescue people." I then sent forth righteous thoughts, to ask Master to strengthen me. I was able to walk out of there at 7:00 p.m. that night. The police demanded that my family pay several thousand yuan in "fines." My family refused to pay.

It only took me seven hours to get out of there with dignity. It was because of Master's benevolent protection. When the police arrested me, Master had a friend of mine witness it. The friend notified my family to affect a timely release.

Identifying Fundamental Attachments - Walking Well on the Fa-rectification Path

Although I have practiced for over nine years and closely followed Master to today's Fa-rectification cultivation period, I still have many attachments. For example, when clarifying the truth and exhorting people quit the CCP smoothly, I would have the attachment to my complacency, and my showoff mentality would emerge during truth clarifying incidents. Sometimes I was not diligent enough to distribute truth-clarification materials. I still have the attachment to fear and was afraid of being taken advantage by the old forces, which would cause suffering physically and mentally. This means I still don't 1000elieve in Dafa and Master. I also still have a fundamental attachment to curing illnesses. When sharing experiences with fellow practitioners I always want to talk first about what I did, which reflects my attachment to having to feel important, competition and showing off , and validating myself.

I feel that cultivation is like a pyramid. The higher the level the narrower the path, and the stricter the requirements for our xinxing will be. We should clearly understand our duty to eliminate all human notions, study the Fa diligently and solidly upgrade our xinxing. I will closely follow Master to validate the Fa, walk well on my cultivation path, fulfill my prehistoric vows, and walk to consummation, following Master home.

Due to my limited level, please point out anything that is inappropriate.

Notes:

1. Dead person's bed - The four limbs of the practitioner are stretched out and tied to the four corners of a cold metal bed frame. The practitioner cannot move at all. He is not allowed to get up to eat, drink, or use the bathroom. This treatment usually lasts from several hours to more than a ten days. As one can imagine, this type of cruel torture causes severe damage to the practitioner's mind and body. See the illustration of this form of torture at http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/12/15/55600.html.

2. Flying the airplane - Criminal cell leaders often use this persecution and torture method on practitioners on the instigation of policemen and jail guards. This torture requires practitioners to bend over while holding the legs straight. Then, with the feet close together, the arms are lifted to the highest position possible, with the hands touching the wall. If practitioners can't bear it, the prisoners in the cells and designated torturers will gang up to beat them. See the illustration of this form of torture at http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/12/15/55600.html.