(Clearwisdom.net) I am a middle-aged man. Throughout my life, I had always been interested in qigong and started practicing qigong in high school. For the past 30 years, I practiced in many qigong schools. It was just like Teacher said,
"In particular, many of our practitioners who study one practice today and another tomorrow have already messed up their own bodies. Their cultivation is bound to fail." ("Genuinely Guiding People Towards High Levels" in Lecture One of Zhuan Falun)
It was my great fortune to find the genuine cultivation practice of Falun Gong. I attended Teacher's classes in Jinan, Harbin and Yanji in 1994. In late June 1994, I attended Teacher's second Falun Gong class in Jinan.
Before each Fa lecture, Teacher would pull out a piece of paper and put it on the desk. I remember that Teacher said, "When I talk, I get right to the point, so I hope that everyone will pay close attention. Do not take notes, since you cannot write everything down in its entirety, and it will distract you from listening to the class." Therefore, we calmed our minds and listened to Teacher's lecture. I remember that Teacher said, "To be able to listen to my Fa lectures and attend my Falun Gong classes is a reflection of your ancestors having accumulated a lot of virtue or at least a great blessing in your life." At first, I didn't understand much about Falun Gong, but it still made a great impact on me when Teacher said that we must have a lot of virtue or we would not be able to attend his class. I felt that this was something extraordinary. Indeed, many of my notions and concepts, including my moral values, were fundamentally changed. It was as though a window to my soul had been opened and the light finally shone upon it. I cherished the opportunity to be there and felt incredibly fortunate.
During the classes, fellow Falun Gong practitioners would hand lost items, including watches, necklaces or cash, to Teacher. Before each class, Teacher would announce and show the lost items to the class so that their owners could claim them. One day an envelope containing several hundred yuan was found. Teacher read the name and address written on the envelope before that day's class so that its owner could claim it.
It was very hot in Jinan, but there were no empty seats in the stadium. Even the court was half filled with people. Many people used a fan to cool off. I remember that Teacher said, "The more you use the fans, the hotter you will feel. Go ahead and put the fans down." After people put down their fans, they felt a gentle breeze and applauded. Teacher's Fa lectures were extremely popular. Many times Teacher's Fa lectures were interrupted with thunderous applause. Teacher often had to say, "Do not applaud, for it will slow down the class and the Fa lecture."
We stayed at Lishan Hotel. It often rained while we were in class. It was miraculous that it would stop raining when we left for or returned from class. In other words, it only rained when we were indoors. There were about 4,500 people from throughout China attending Jinan's Falun Gong classes. A veteran Falun Gong practitioner from Zhengzhou asked me, "Have you practiced other qigong before?" At the time I was practicing in a very popular qigong school. I learned that this particular school invites animal possession. He said, "You are very lucky to practice Falun Gong after practicing that qigong." He didn't explain when I asked him why, but he told me, "Pay attention to Teacher's Fa lectures and you will understand why." Sure enough, Teacher talked about animal possession on the third day of the class and I suddenly understood. Fake qigong schools ruin students' health and they don't even know what hit them. We were so lucky to attend Teacher's Fa lectures, for Teacher removed all the spirits possessing our bodies.
My friends and I arrived in Jinan a day ahead of the first day of class. After we checked into the hotel, we went to Huangting Stadium to find our seats. Unexpectedly, I started to suffer from neck pain when I returned to the hotel. The pain lasted for a few days, and it was so painful that I couldn't sleep. I could only doze while sitting on the bed at night. It was not until later that I realized that Teacher was cleansing my body. After the neck pain subsided, I felt very light and energetic. Before the end of the class, Teacher asked every student to write a paper to share his or her experience. I remember Teacher saying, "I will read every student's paper. I can tell what you are thinking even if you just draw a line on the paper."
After the class concluded, Teacher gave another series of classes in Dalian on July 1. Some practitioners purchased plane tickets to Dalian to make sure they could attend the class, but Teacher told them not to travel to Dalian by air and suggested that they have the plane tickets refunded. A fellow practitioner from Jinzhou, who took the train with us, told us that he was charged a 50-yuan processing fee to get his plane tickets refunded. I didn't understand why Teacher told us not to fly to Dalian. We had a discussion about this and decided that there must be a good reason. Later we learned that this particular flight from Jinan to Dalian was canceled. Teacher was so compassionate and thoughtful.
On August 5, Teacher gave classes at an ice rink in Harbin. On a Sunday practitioners went to Taiyangdao for sightseeing and ran into Teacher there. They were so excited and asked to take a photo with Teacher. The volunteers traveling with Teacher hesitated to grant their wish, as there were over 20 practitioners asking to take a photo with Teacher, but Teacher graciously granted their request and told one of the volunteers to take the photos. These precious photos will always encourage us to stay diligent in our cultivation.
On August 20, Teacher gave classes in Yanji. On the last day of class, Teacher answered the practitioners' questions. I also asked a question, "Who is the host of the Falun Paradise?" I looked forward to Teacher's answer, but Teacher read the note and didn't answer it. Instead, Teacher put it aside and picked up the next note. I was quite disappointed at the time and didn't understand why Teacher didn't want to answer my question. It was not until later that I realized the question reflected my poor enlightenment quality and that I shouldn't have asked the question, which wasted everyone's valuable time. I felt ashamed after I identified the reason. I should have studied the Fa more and done it better.
During Teacher's class in Yanji, an unusual thunder storm hit the area. It was the most severe natural disaster in the area in a hundred years. At the time we stayed at Yanji Medical College. That morning one great thunderclap followed another, and it was pouring rain. We heard thunder and high winds, and saw lightning bolts. It was as though they were having a contest to see which was more ferocious. I saw a large tree of over 100 years old split in half and many other trees falling down. The roads were so flooded that regular cars could not pass. That evening, we went to class as usual and saw that the streets were littered with debris. Many billboards had fallen down and the water level on the streets kept rising. Large trees had fallen down and blocked the road. There were no vehicles on the streets. A bus was lying under a giant tree. It was crushed and the windows were smashed. We knew that this hurricane was not a coincidence.
Our great compassionate Teacher donated the remaining 7,000 yuan from the revenue of the Yanji class to the disaster relief efforts in Yanji.
At the class conclusion ceremony, Teacher gave a Falun Gong banner to each exercise practice site in Yanji. In return, practitioners from many different areas presented their own Falun Gong banners to Teacher as gifts. A fellow practitioner and I, too, presented a Falun Gong banner to Teacher on behalf of the Falun Gong practitioners in our area. I had the great fortune to shake hands with Teacher. Teacher had large, warm and unusually soft hands. It was an indescribable feeling.
Soon Teacher published Zhuan Falun, in which Teacher said,
"As I have mentioned, this is because I am the only person who is doing such a thing. There are not many opportunities for something like this, and I will not teach this way forever. I think that those who can listen to my lectures in person, I would say, honestly... you will realize in the future that this period of time is extremely precious. Of course, we believe in predestined relationship. Everyone sits here all because of a predestined relationship." "I think that my time for teaching the Fa has virtually come to a close. Therefore, I want to leave genuine things for everyone so that there is Fa to guide everyone in future cultivation practice." (Zhuan Falun)
Every time I read these two excerpts of the Fa, I am enveloped with a warm feeling, for they remind me of the time when I attended Teacher's Fa lectures. Thirteen years have passed, but I remember everything as if it was just yesterday. Those days were the happiest days in my life. Those days were the days I had waited for over the course of many lives. I shall never forget them.
I am the happiest person in the world. In fact, every Falun Gong practitioner is the happiest person in the world. We are fortunate to have been born in the most special time in history, when the entire universe is being rectified. Among the world's population of 6-7 billion people, we are so fortunate to be under Teacher's guidance and to be able to assist Teacher with His Fa-rectification. "An opportunity that comes once in a million years" does not suffice to describe this most precious opportunity to practice Falun Gong. We disciples cannot possibly repay Teacher's infinite grace, except to follow Teacher's teaching, do the three things well, save more sentient beings and reach Consummation and return home with Teacher.