(Clearwisdom.net) In the spring of 1996, I borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from a colleague. I read it very quickly. I was astonished by its contents and thought that it was very good. The book answered many questions that I had since I was a child, such as why we are human beings, where do we come from, where will we go after we die, how does one become a good person, cause and effect, karmic retribution, reincarnation, etc. Although there were things I did not understand, it did not lessen my enthusiasm. I thought I had discovered a hidden treasure, and, as I continued to read, I shared it with my friends and family. I began my journey in practicing Falun Gong, even though I did not know how to cultivate.
The first time I read Zhuan Falun, I kept falling asleep. I noticed a large eye in my forehead between my eyebrows. It had long lashes and kept blinking. After I finished reading the book, I learned that Teacher had opened my celestial eye. Teacher then cleansed my body. I used to have headaches, dermatitis, and tonsillitis. Like Teacher mentioned in the book, they all vanished without the use of medications or injections. It was miraculous! I saw the book in a new light.
Because I was brought up as an atheist, I had no concept of cultivation and knew nothing about the Buddhas and the gods. One day after work, I bought a lot of crabs and steamed them for dinner. While doing the second exercise, I felt the crabs crawling on my arms and scratching me. It felt very uncomfortable. All of a sudden, I realized Teacher was reminding me that a cultivator should not kill living beings. Since then, I have not killed a life for food.
As my understanding of the Fa deepened, I learned to conduct myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When I gradually upgraded my xinxing, I was not as willful, arrogant, unruly, self-centered, or feisty as I had been before, and I was able to understand, forgive, put others before me, and look at issues from another person's point of view. Of course, the process of eliminating bad habits and traits was full of struggles and painful experiences. But I was able to do better after studying the Fa and enlightening to Teacher's compassionate reminders. I noticed changes in my moral values and my life was elevated to a higher level. I had never felt such joy before!
Teacher purified my body, step by step, as my understanding of the Fa progressed. I used to suffer from intestinal inflammations several times a year. Every time it happened, I had a high fever and diarrhea and was unable to get up. My husband had to carry me to the hospital for intravenous therapy, and I would be bedridden for several days. The first few times the inflammation flared up after I began to practice Falun Gong, I did not go to the hospital even though I suffered from the sickness karma. My husband didn't suggest that I go to the hospital, because he had previously witnessed the miracles of Dafa. One time, however, the symptoms were so serious that he became afraid and wanted to take me to the hospital. Although I was very weak, I said firmly, "I'm not going to the hospital. Teacher is eliminating the sickness karma for me." I fell asleep after I said this. The next morning I was well and in good spirits, as if nothing had happened. Things like this had never happened to me before I practiced Falun Gong. Our family once again witnessed the wonders of Dafa. Since then, for the last 13 years, I have not had the symptom of diarrhea. I can eat whatever I want and don't have to worry about whether the food is hot or cold or whether it is fresh or not. Also, the symptoms of a breast tumor were also eliminated by Teacher after I had enlightened to his teachings.
One time I had pain in my right arm. It felt like a bone spur had grown in between the arm and the shoulder area. It hurt so much that I could not move it, and it was so swollen that I was unable to use my hand. The pain bothered me so much that I could not sleep. I asked Teacher, "Please help me. I cannot bear this pain any longer." While I was half asleep, I sensed that someone stood in front of the bed, grabbed my right wrist, and pinched it very hard. My arm and hand were fine immediately. I knew that Teacher had dissolved my karma. I think every Dafa practitioner has experienced miraculous happenings like this to varying degrees.
When one of Teacher's lectures outside of China was published, my husband and I turned the pages with great anticipation. We saw many rotating Falun, srivatsa, and taiji symbols turning clockwise nine times, then counter-clockwise nine times, just like the ones on the exercise DVD. I still remember the dazzling images of the symbols. It would be inconceivable to non-practitioners as to how Falun symbols can turn on a piece of paper. Extraordinary phenomenon like this revealed the boundless power of the Fa and were shown to those who believed in it. My family was very happy and full of joy to be able to practice Falun Dafa.
On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong. When the media broadcast this news, it seemed as if the sky had fallen. The persecution came about so unexpectedly. I did not understand why the government was preventing people from practicing Falun Gong. Falun Dafa had enabled people to gain healthy bodies, elevated their morals, and taught them to be good. Wasn't this a good thing for the society? I was in shock, stunned, and in pain. I was at work when the news broke. A recent college graduate who was watching the television with me said calmly, "Don't be sad, Sister. This is just like the Tiananmen Square Massacre that happened on June 4th." I was dumbfounded and unable to think. I did not understand his words and knew nothing about the massacre, even though a graduate school student from Qinghua University who was involved in the June 4th incident had mentioned it to us before at work. When I think back, I realize that my young coworker's words made sense.
After hearing the fabricated rumors that slandered Teacher, I was at first shocked, then angry, and later I was afraid. Every day, the media broadcast false accusations and information. One day I was watching the news with my son. I said, "Is this really possible? What am I supposed to do?" My son, who was attending first grade at the time, screamed, "It's not true, it's all false. They are rumors, don't believe it." It seems like it only happened yesterday, and I'm still proud of my son for saying things like that, ashamed of myself for my cowardice, and thankful for Teacher's ingenious arrangement.
I asked myself, "If someone saved your life, would you sit on the fence while he encountered hardships? When you have experienced something that has touched your life and you have benefited from it, would you remain silent to protect yourself?" Even ordinary people would consider not helping or not speaking up to be shameless behavior. So for someone who is striving to be a righteous and kind person, it is important to tell those who are deceived one's personal experience in following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. There is nothing wrong with speaking and telling the truth.
In the days that followed, I had to make a decision between kindness and evilness, good and bad, right and wrong, true and false, and life and death. I told myself to not drift along and to be righteous. Teacher said, "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 let go of fear and began to clarify the truth to people. I noticed that clarifying the truth not only saved sentient beings but also helped me get rid of my attachments. During the process, I have gradually eliminated my attachment to not wanting to speak and being arrogant. At first I was very passive, then I became proactive in using every opportunity to help my friends, family, schoolmates, and colleagues understand the truth and withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Later, whenever I ran errands or went shopping, I would approach strangers and tell them the facts.
Sometimes my emotions were stirred when I talked to people about Falun Gong and quitting the CCP. I would be happy when others agreed with me and upset if they did not. I thought, "Why can't you listen to me? You will regret it in the future when the bad elements are being eliminated." Where was my compassion after all these years of cultivation? My attachment to being competitive surfaced when I was agitated, and I was not behaving like a practitioner. Then I thought about Teacher's benevolence. When I began to practice Falun Gong, I was like a child learning to walk. Teacher looked after me with tremendous patience and benevolence and helped me stand up righteously. He pulled me up and carried me forward. He gave lectures and reminded me to be a good person and never left me. Now I finally understood a deeper meaning of "benevolent salvation." I would become emotional and cry every time I watched the videos "We Are Telling The Future" and "The Eternal Story."
At present I sense that Teacher's Fa rectification is proceeding rapidly and people are not as indifferent as they used to be. I often encounter those that approach me and willingly listen to the facts. Once I went shopping with my sister, who is also a practitioner. In the bus on our way back, I began to converse with others and told them about Falun Dafa and quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Although they knew a little about it, they still asked questions and listened. People in the back of the bus did not know each other at first but ended up talking to each other. A lady commented that she had not been this happy for a long time. Finally, some of them quit the CCP and others gladly took truth clarification materials with them. I truly felt that people were waiting for salvation.
My son graduated from university this year. He called me one day to tell me that a company had hired him. He was one of the two people who were hired among many other applicants. His classmate's mother took good care of him and found a nice place for him near the new job. Everything seemed to be marvelously prearranged. My son said, "Mom, I don't think I'm that virtuous or capable, but Teacher is helping me." When my son was preparing for the college entrance examination, he traveled to several out of town fine arts colleges to take the tests. It was during the winter, and he did not know anyone. But people offered to help him everywhere he went. My son said, "Teacher arranged everything to help me." And I replied, "Those who believe in Dafa are very fortunate. So you need to do well and thank Teacher."
My husband also said that the job he has now was given to him by Teacher, so there is no need to fight or behave competitively. As long as one conducts oneself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and follows what is being arranged, then things will happen miraculously. One day when my husband and I were studying Teacher's lectures outside of China, he said, "Why are the characters in the book so large?" I said I could not see that. He pointed out that whatever we were reading, the characters would stand out and were enlarged. At the same time, next to us, the celestial maiden in a picture on a card containing the words "Falun Dafa is good" was dancing, as if we were in a heavenly world. Thanks to Buddhas' infinite grace, we were immersed in the Buddha light. We feel so fortunate to cultivate in Falun Dafa.
A phrase came into my mind one day: "Little drops of rain quietly moistened everything" (Note: the phrase is from a poem composed by a famous poet, Dufu, from the Tang Dynasty) and reminded me that Dafa has purified practitioners' bodies and eliminated their karma and Teacher spread us like seeds around every corner of the world. He then nurtured us; gave us water, sunlight, and air; and helped us grow into towering trees, so that we can validate the Fa to varying degrees and assist him with Fa-rectification. When I see the increasing number of people that are quitting the CCP, I think it is the result of "little drops of rain quietly moistening everything."
I'm grateful for Teacher's merciful salvation, but I do not know how I could repay what he has done for me. I just want to let Teacher know: "Your disciple has matured under your benevolent guidance. I'm no longer ignorant, timid, or indecisive. Whether I'm a big tree or a little blade of grass, I want to reach my full potential. Now that I understand the meaning of life, I want to follow you and return home with you."