(Minghui.org) I used to be quite interested when others retold things that happened to them. Today, I'm on the other side of the fence and telling my cultivation stories.
I was, just like almost everyone in China, undergoing atheist brainwashing over the past years. However this didn’t stop me from stepping on the Falun Dafa cultivation path.
As a child I knew of the Celestial eye, which every human has. Alas, people focused on materialism, so people's original, inborn capabilities gradually degenerated. The fundamental issue is that people believed less and less in anything they couldn't see.
I truly experienced mysterious phenomena that were discussed in cultivation circles and I also saw things others couldn’t see. Therefore, I believed the stories about people cultivating in the famous mountains and who were thousands of years old.
I cultivated under a master from the Taoist School and also was given pills of immortality. This master was very capable and could come and go without casting a shadow. In the past I didn't discuss such matters with anyone, but today I used it as an introduction to my story.
1. The Buddha Fa and the True Scriptures Unfolded before My Eyes
In Mid-November 1997, I began to practice Falun Dafa, thinking that it would keep me fit and cure my illnesses. Within a few days I realized that if a human being wanted to be in good health and have illnesses cured, he or she must pay attention to virtue, live by the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and be a good person.
I came to understand that Falun Dafa is not for people to keep fit and cure illnesses, but is a true and high level cultivation way and the first step is that the Teacher purifies practitioners' bodies. I also realized that Zhuan Falun was a priceless book. Once I understood the preciousness of Falun Dafa, I grew determined to live by the principle Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, be a good person and return to my original true self.
I had learned at a young age that it was very difficult for those that wanted to cultivate to find the true scriptures. After finding the precious book, I failed to understand why Teacher allowed everyone to obtain this precious Buddha Fa. Only when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa in 1999, I finally came to understand that not everyone could attain the Fa. There were those that weren’t allowed to know about the Buddha Fa, including those that came with ill intentions or were not predestined. They could not find the deeper meaning contained in the book. Also, because of the persecution and the vilification of Falun Dafa, a lot of people lost the opportunity to cultivate in Falun Dafa, something they had been waiting for through many reincarnations.
2. Cultivating in Ordinary Society
Teacher said,
We don't isolate ourselves in temples or mountains
We are students, farmers and workers alike
Directly working on our hearts, we cultivate the Fa
Pure lotus in the secular world can't be tainted
(The Approach to Cultivation from Hong Yin III)
There were times when I thought cultivating was not difficult. I thought that as long as one conformed to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and became a good person, one would be on par with the level of one's realm. Practitioners are at different levels, but they all can be a good person in line with the requirements of a particular level. If you are a student you must study well, if you are a parent you must take good care of your child. This is Dafa's basic requirement for a practitioner.
My wife died when our daughter was three years old and we depended on each other for our survival. At the time I had a very bad temper and often beat her. Once I cultivated in Falun Dafa, my daughter was the first to benefit, as she no longer had to face beatings from her father. I began to teach her the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. When she was bullied at school and complained to me I used the Dafa principles to teach her to be tolerant. After teaching her the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance she gradually changed as well. Our life became harmonious.
I wanted my child to study well and be protected from being polluted. Especially in today’s society, people live by corrupted principles. Even, many adults are unable to distinguish good from bad, so how can one expect a child to be any different?
Teacher said:
“Zhen-Shan-Ren is the sole criterion to discern good and bad people” (Zhuan Falun)
“A person is like a container, and he is whatever he contains.” (“Melt into the Fa,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
We can’t let our kids read tainted books and magazines. I didn’t want to pressure my daughter when it comes to studies, but found ways to help her, by applying the Falun Dafa principles to become a better student.
During the recent years, I suffered from the CCP's persecution for not renouncing Falun Dafa. My daughter didn’t fare any better. She lived a homeless and unstable life. Yet, she was a good student. The head of the local police bureau went to her school to ask about her. When seeing me, he raised his thumb and said, “Your daughter is a student of good character and fine scholarship. One class teacher at the junior high school told me that your daughter is the best student she has ever taught!”
When it was time to take the university entrance exam, I told her that the result was not important and told her to keep a peaceful mind. She was interested in three universities. Her teacher was not satisfied with her taking such a casual attitude while applying to schools. However, she was accepted by a provincial key university. My daughter was the best student of that year's graduates and was granted a scholarship. The blessings of the Buddha Fa helped her achieve something she could have never dreamed of otherwise.
3. Forbearing without Regret
I was a person of unpredictable moods and when we were homeless and wandered through different parts of the country I often fought with others. But, after stepping onto the Falun Dafa cultivation path, I changed significantly because I wanted to follow Teacher’s guidance, be a good person and live by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Teacher said,
“For instance, when someone swears at you among everyday people, you do not say a word and feel very calm; or when someone throws a fist at you, you do not say a word and let it go with a smile.” (Zhuan Falun)
I worked hard to overcome my abrasive behavior. In the spring of 1999, I had business contacts with the father of a practitioner. I can’t remember the reason, but he got angry at me one day and verbally abused me for several days. At the beginning, this was hard to take, but I didn’t dare to lose my temper out of fear of losing face. Then, all of a sudden I had let go of my resentment. The feeling gained after the elevation of my xinxing can’t be described in mere words. In autumn, that old man wanted me to listen to him and I didn't. He swore again and I simply laughed. Ever since then it I no longer was in conflict with others. Now, I get along well with this old man. I finally felt at peace with all of mankind.
4. “It Seems Falun Dafa Is Pretty Good”
I left my hometown in 1993 and worked as a laborer. Since I became a practitioner, I no longer was interested in petty advantages or profit. I took on the heavy, dangerous and dirty work, and left the safe work to others. One autumn, I was working on the farm of a wealthy family. It was already dark when the harvester got stuck in the field and needed a tractor to pull it out. Someone had to unhook the steel rope from underneath the tractor. Everyone wanted to go home. I agreed to remove the rope although it was dangerous. Since the steel rope was still stretched tight with the tractor I was unable to take the bolt out. I asked that the driver back up a little bit. However, the driver couldn’t hear over the noise of the tractor. He thought the bolt had been removed so he engaged the gear and drove forward. I jumped into the gap of the hydraulic device that supports the cutter. People were terrified. They yelled at the driver to stop the tractor. Only when the tractor stopped did I really feel scared. If I would have been a little bit slower I would have been run over.
One winter we were loading the grain. The driver's cab could only sit four out of the five people necessary to do the job. Every time, I agreed to sit outside the cab for an almost two-hour drive. One day on returning home I lost my balance and fell from a height of three meters because my hands and feet were half frozen. My boss was afraid that I might be hurt. I had a thought that I would not blackmail him for money even if I was hurt. It was this one thought that brought a positive outcome. I was fine after fellow workers helped me get up and move around.
Corruption is very rampant nowadays. When people sell grain they would mix something bad or fake into it, or did other wrong things to cheat the customer. The additional money was divided among the boss and the workers. This is a very common practice. However, I never accepted a penny. Later, one of them said, “It seems Falun Dafa is pretty good!”
5. Practicing Falun Dafa Brings Happiness
I was arrested again in 2004. I knew that I hadn’t committed any crime and the law could only punish when a crime was committed, but could not punish thought. Belief was not a crime and handing out fliers and posting signs were allowed because of freedom of speech. My lawyer said, even if we hung a banner with the words “Heaven Eliminates the Chinese Communist Party” at Tiananmen Square, it would not be considered a crime. At the most, it would be considered a violation of public security regulations. That day, the guard who escorted me to the detention center beat me inhumanly and laughed while beating me. I was really stunned. He asked me if I would continue to practice Falun Dafa. I said it was impossible for me not to practice. Guards and inmates broke out in laughter. I suffered torture at the detention center and one day felt like one year.
I was later transferred to a prison, where I was asked if I pleaded guilty. When I said “not guilty,” I was beaten up. The prison authorities threw me into a small dark cell with handcuffs and shackles locked to rings fixed on the ground. Then I was shocked with electric batons. The guards didn’t allow me to put on my clothes and I nearly died of the cold. They asked me if I repented and I answered “No.” Eventually, I was released. If one is not afraid of death one feels very relaxed.
Before I started to cultivate Falun Dafa I was a very selfish person, but after cultivation I could let go of being selfish. No matter where I was, I always thought of other people’s needs first. So I felt happy at all times. One inmate said, “This practitioner really cultivated very well. He is happy all day long.”
6. Smiling when Beaten
One day, an inmate said that the guards wanted to know if I had any relatives. I said yes, but we had not been in contact for many years. This inmate became angry and began to punch and kick me. I was not afraid, angry and felt no pain. I wanted to laugh but stopped, fearing he might misunderstand and think I had a mental problem.
As a matter of fact, my not contacting my family and relatives was not because I lacked sentiment towards them. My daughter and I experienced a lot of the cold shoulders while moving around the country. At the time, I hated this world. If I had not practiced Falun Dafa I might have not lived to see this day and maybe I would have done many bad things. After stepping on the cultivation path I no longer held any hatred and had no enemies. Actually, I kept the memory of many people in my heart. But, today people don’t understand cultivators because of the CCP’s lies. Some people even do not believe there are good people in this world.
7. Inmates' Future Secured
I became a good buddy of an inmate, who turned positive towards Falun Dafa after he understood the facts about Falun Dafa. One day when he saw me do the meditation he could barely wait to tell me that he saw a pink lotus flower in front of my chest when I was doing the meditation. I told him it was a good thing, “because you have a righteous understanding of Dafa. You will have blessings in the future. Later, he was transferred and urged me before leaving, “Falun, you must hold on to it!” Later on, another inmate also turned positive towards Falun Dafa after having understood the facts.
8. Righteous Thoughts Stop the Broadcast of a Slanderous Television Program
One day the prison decided to brainwash all detained practitioners. We were forced to watch a television (TV) program slandering Falun Dafa. I refused to attend. The prison guard threatened to beat me. I was very much afraid because Mr. Zhang Litian, a practitioner I had known, was beaten to death and three other practitioners also died as a result of the persecution. However, I remained unmoved. Then the guard ordered two inmates to carry me to the brainwashing class. The two inmates were trembling with fear and said, “Big brother, sorry, we do not have any choice.” They put me down in front of the TV. I closed my eyes, turned a deaf ear to the program and concentrated on the Chinese word “Mie,” which means eliminate. Not long after the TV stopped broadcasting because the power switch tripped, and kept tripping. They tinkered with it for quite a while and by the time the switch stopped tripping, the program was finished.
9. Happiness Never Comes Alone
I had a friend who had visions and what he foresaw was always quite accurate. Several years ago he said that once people would have heard and understood the facts about Falun Dafa, all young people would only want to marry a practitioner. He said, “Single people like you will find good girl.” He also told me I must never get affected in this world full of material desires.
A few years later my friend’s prediction came to be true. I set up a family and bought a house. Someone said that I must have accumulated the blessing for several lives, but actually I benefited from Dafa. My wife also believed in Falun Dafa, since it turned a bad person into a good person. To tell the truth, it did not mean I did not want anything and did not care about anything because I practiced Falun Dafa. The difference was that I no longer complained about anything and held no hatred. I was calm, completely at ease and felt very much relaxed.
I had been poor since I was a child and lived under other people's roof. Sometimes I would wake up from a nightmare. I suffered many miseries in this human society. In the haze and confusion, I was struggling for survival while praying and yearning for a better life. After cultivating Falun Dafa, I gradually let go of feeling inferior, as the principles and abilities I enlightened to and obtained from my cultivation are more than enough. My fellow practitioners can be found in more than 100 countries and regions, and I also have the greatest Teacher in the world. I won’t ask anyone for anything but give to others and it doesn’t matter whether they realize what I have done or not. This does not mean that I’m perfect. There are still times when I have failed and caused some misunderstandings.
A lot of people don’t know the cost of practitioners' persistence and sacrifice. As a matter of fact, the endurance of practitioners is supporting the moral standard that was destroyed by the CCP. People have forgotten that the existence of mankind is based on a moral system. Over the last dozens of years, the CCP has instilled atheism and struggle into the Chinese people. This destroyed the morality of the Chinese people and many in society no longer measure themselves by the standard of good and evil, and right and wrong.
In the cosmos, the human society is like a cell. When it turns bad and corrupt it will be replaced with a new cell. When the human society turns bad there will be a many natural disasters, as one can see from the past to the present.
Today, the persecution of Falun Dafa causes great loss and destruction. Peoples attitude towards the CCP's atrocities are testing human beings moral standard and conscience, and it is also the key to having or not having a future.
I hope my story will awaken those that have gone with the flow, open up a memory buried deep within them and realize that changing their thoughts is imperative.
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.
