(Minghui.org) I have been practicing Dafa since 1996. My cultivation path hasn't been smooth, but Teacher Li (the founder) never gave up on me, for which I am very thankful.
Remembering the Outdoor Practice Site
A colleague in my office started to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. When we chatted, he often talked about Zhuan Falun, the main book of this cultivation practice, which got me interested. I borrowed it and after reading it, I understood that this book gave me all the answers that I had been searching for throughout my entire life. I was excited and wanted to cultivate.
The colleague told me the schedule of a practice site near my home. So I went to the site on the day I didn't go to work. There were many people doing all kinds of exercises in the park. I asked a woman for directions to the Falun Dafa group.
When I found the group, they had finished with the exercises and some were chatting. I sensed that I was surrounded by an unknown but comfortable energy. I couldn't help but cry.
An assistant said, “You're starting to learn Dafa and your main consciousness in another dimension is so happy; he couldn't help himself and had to cry.” I didn't understand what he said and neither did I know what he meant by main consciousness. I just knew that nobody teased me for crying. The environment was peaceful and people seemed to be so friendly.
From that day on, I went to the park daily to do the exercises. We were together until 1999, the year when Jiang Zemin, the former head of the communist regime, launched the persecution. Even now, when I walk by that park, I think back of those good old days.
Obtaining Something While Pursuing Nothing
Before joining Dafa I had stomach ulcers, heart disease, insomnia, pain in the liver area, and so on. Neither western nor Chinese medicine could cure me. Especially when my liver was in great pain, I didn't dare to let the quilt touch my body at night. During the day, my right hand often touched the liver area and gave it some “support” to keep it functioning normally. In Chinese medicine, this was called the “liver qi stagnation.”
Ever since I practiced cultivation I studied the Fa, and did the exercises daily. They kept me in a good mood. I had a good appetite, slept soundly, and my body felt light.
Teacher said,
“Since ours is a Buddhist discipline, we believe in destiny, and I would say that it is the workings of destiny that have brought you to the practice. It could be that you are meant to learn it. So I would suggest that you cherish it and get rid of any worldly intentions that might have initially motivated you.” (The Second Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I walked into Dafa with a very simple and pure mind. Teacher saw the simplicity and purity, and therefore, he has given me the very best. I recovered from all my illnesses.
One Thought Determines the Outcome
Ever since I began to cultivate, there has been a yardstick in my mind which I use to measure moral character. As a Dafa disciple, I live by the Dafa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Teacher teaches us how to be good people, and I want to listen to Teacher and be compassionate.
Once I carried my daughter on my back when riding a bicycle. We got hit by a young man who came from the opposite direction. My daughter was thrown several meters and I fell to the ground. We were surrounded by a big crowd. The young man was very scared. He wanted to go to the hospital with us. I said, “Don't drag me. I can't move.” I kept thinking in my head that I was okay. I told the man, “I won't go to the hospital. We are okay. You can go. I am not tricking you.” He left his phone number with me and then took off. We stayed until we could move, then walked home.
Teacher said,
“We believe that one thought can determine the outcome of things, for better or for worse.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I believed that if my thought wasn't righteous at that moment, we would have been either seriously injured or even died.
Losing Direction
In June 1999, I quit my job. One month later, the persecution of Falun Dafa began and the practice site was forced to disband, and so did the small Fa-study group. I lost contact with all practitioners. Because I cultivated poorly, I thought that if the government didn't let us practice, I should stop too. I was full of regret for having stopped practicing when I returned to cultivation.
Although I kept the Dafa books, I didn't cultivate seriously and diligently. I was busy with ordinary work and family, so gradually I began having health issues. All my illnesses came back. Then, my mom passed away – a painful experience for me. Eventually, I suffered from depression. I closed myself up and didn't want to see anyone. I only ate, took medicine, cried, and slept all day long. Later I increased the sleeping pill dosage. But nothing worked.
The painful depression afflicted my body, wore me down and killed my will. I thought of committing suicide so that I could be liberated. My daughter was scared. She said, “I despise you,” suggesting that she would look down on me if I committed suicide.
Returning to the Cultivation Path
Although I didn't cultivate diligently, I believed in the goodness of Dafa. Then, I suddenly understood that no medicine could cure me, only Dafa could save me. I rushed to the garage to look for my Dafa books. It took a while, but I finally found Zhuan Falun. “Thank you, Teacher. Thank you, Teacher,” I said.
I closed the garage door. With no music in the background, I began doing the first exercise. I eventually found all my Dafa books and returned to the cultivation path on February 17, 2008.
After I returned to cultivation, I studied the Fa continuously and understood more and more of the Fa principles.
Teacher said,
“Neither mother nor child recognizes the other in their next life, and any karmic debts that remain between the two will have to be settled just like with anyone else. But people can’t see these things for what they are, and so they often can’t move beyond their affections. Some people are inconsolably grieved at the passing of a beloved child, or mother, and long for them for the rest of their lives. But it never occurs to them that these ordeals are meant to wear them down, and are intent on making their lives difficult.” (The Sixth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
My mind was clear. Wasn't Teacher talking about me? I was so attached to my mother and the attachment was so huge that I felt like carrying a sack on my back which tired me out. Dafa helped untie the knot in my heart.
As I studied the Fa and did the exercises regularly, I experienced the power of Dafa. I could sleep well and was no longer depressed. I now look 10 years younger.
Clarifying the Truth
I missed the opportunity to cultivate for some years and felt that I had to catch up with other practitioners. I bought a computer so I could read the Minghui website every day. I also bought a laptop which I brought with me whenever I worked out of town.
To tell people about Dafa, I went to visit all my relatives and classmates in Anhui, Henan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang. I helped them quit the Party. When I was on a train, I downloaded Dafa informational materials and gave them to people to read and also helped the train conductor quit the Party.
I was clarifying the truth everywhere I went. Sometimes when I ran out of materials, I would arrange for a time to bring brochures to those who did not have any.
We often said, “See you rain or shine.” The simple statement showed that the world has gradually recognized the evil nature of the Party, and it also expressed the voice of the general public and conveyed a strong public opinion.
Arrested and Detained
I was arrested in 2015 and detained for one month. After that, I clarified the truth to everyone I met.
All my Dafa books, equipment, and personal belongings were confiscated. In addition, the authorities detained my daughter for over 40 hours and continued to harass me and my family.
In the detention center, the police and guards hit me, threatened me, and put me on trial. They refused to give me anything to eat. They tried to put me on an iron chair, but I did not cooperate because I didn't commit any crime. They asked me why I practiced Falun Dafa. I said if I didn't practice, I would have died.
The few of us who were detained clarified the truth to everyone. We also helped them quit the Party and its youth organizations. Some of them said that they would practice Dafa after they were released. I said, “How about practicing now? I can show you how.” They said they didn't dare to do it now.
I became anxious and wanted to find a way to leave. We sent righteous thoughts and asked Teacher to help. Practitioners and my daughter also made their best efforts to rescue us. I was released in a month.
Dafa has been spread around the world for 27 years, and people from all walks of life and ethnicities in over 100 countries embrace the practice despite the persecution. Let's encourage each other to continue with our efforts to awaken people's conscience and be ready for a better world without communism!
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