(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I was born in a very poor mountain region in Anhui Province, just a few years before the Great Famine in China. We were so poor that I rarely had shoes and did not have enough to eat. After I grew up, I got married and became a single mother in my early 30s.
I was a teacher at a school affiliated with a state-owned enterprise. All officials at the school were well connected. They did not know or care about teaching. They were only interested in money. I did not give them “presents” as did other teachers, since I had little money, and I did not want to bribe anyone. As a consequence, I was treated poorly in that school.
When I had almost lost hope in 1996, I obtained a copy of the book Zhuan Falun. I was immediately attracted to the book. I kept reading the book that day and even forgot to eat. That is when I became a Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong) practitioner. From the book I came to understand why human beings suffer, and I wanted to follow Master to return to my true home!
Jiang Zemin and his followers launched the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999. During that difficult time, I trusted Master Li even more. I knew there was nothing wrong with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and I firmly believe in these principles.
I have been practicing Dafa for 23 years. There is so much to say, and so many stories to share. The path of cultivation is certainly not easy, yet nothing can stop me from following Master.
My Shoes Did Not Squeak and Helped Me Escape
Local practitioners decided that we needed to go public to show our support for Dafa. That morning, more than 60 practitioners gathered in a busy district of the city and did the Falun Dafa exercises. We set up a ten meter-long banner, inscribed with the words “Falun Dafa is Good.” The exercise music could be heard clearly by the shopping crowds several streets away. I felt wonderful when doing the exercises. I felt Falun law wheels rotating, and my body felt very light.
I opened my eyes after we finished the one hour of standing exercises, and saw that we were surrounded by several rows of police officers. One officer shouted at us, “Who is your leader?” A female practitioner answered firmly, “We have no leader.” The police ordered us to line up and they started to take photos of us. The practitioners around me remained calm, and no one was moving.
I suddenly thought, “No, I can not be arrested. My son, a high-school student, needs me at home. I shall go home.”
As soon as I thought this, I started to walk toward the circle of police. I was wearing a pair of high heel leather shoes which usually made loud sounds when the heels hit the hard ground. This time, however, my shoes made no sound as I walked on the hard concrete. It felt like I was walking on a soft carpet. When I reached the police, two of the officers stepped aside and let me pass. After I walked away from danger, my shoes began making loud sounds again. I returned home safely.
I later learned that the other practitioners were arrested. Some were taken to a brainwashing center, and others were detained in labor camps.
“The Entire Bus Is for You”
During the summer break of 2009, I took a bag of truth-clarifying materials and headed to my hometown. I wanted people there to learn the truth about Falun Dafa.
At the long-distance bus station, I was stopped by a security inspector who ordered me to take my bag down for an inspection. I thought that he could not inspect my bag.
As soon as this righteous thought was formed, the inspector smiled and pushed me very hard. I almost fell. I then realized that I had already passed the inspection line and was inside the station. I sincerely thank Master for protecting me.
I arrived at my hometown after several hours and waited in the woods until almost midnight. I then quickly distributed the booklets, DVDs, and amulets to every house. The villagers would see them when they opened their doors the next morning.
When I was done, I walked along the winding mountain road. There was no one that night. All I could hear were animals howling in the surrounding mountains. I was not scared, because I knew Master was right there with me. I recited Master's poem:
“A Great Enlightened One fears no hardshipHaving forged an adamantine willFree of attachment to living or dyingHe walks the path of Fa-rectification confident and poised” (“Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions,” Hong Yin, Volume II)
I sent righteous thoughts while walking. After about 30 kilometers, I arrived in another town. My legs were sore and tired. I sat down and waited.
It was barely dusk when the bus stopped in front of me. It was heading to the provincial capital, and the driver was waiting at the bus door. I quickly got on the bus. Just when I sat down, a young man got on the bus. He was eating fritters. He smiled at me and said, “Look how great you are! The entire bus is for you!” I did not realize that Master was encouraging me through this young man's words. I answered politely, “Oh, there will be more people boarding the bus soon.” I suddenly realized that the young man who just spoke to me had vanished. I was the only rider on the bus.
I fell asleep. When I woke up, it had arrived at my bus stop. This trip took more than 20 hours. Because of the long walk, my feet were covered with blisters. Yet my heart was filled with happiness.
My Job Was Successfully Transferred
A new government policy required that all schools affiliated with state-owned enterprises be converted to community public schools in 2002. All school employees would be transferred to the public school system, except, “any teacher who has been disciplined would not be transferred,” said the government document. With this “rule,” because I was a Falun Gong practitioner I would no longer have a job.
Master said:
“In the face of the groundless harming, in the face of the persecution of Dafa, and in the face of the injustice forced upon us, we cannot handle things or categorically accept things as before in personal cultivation, because Dafa disciples are now in the Fa-rectification period. If a problem isn’t caused by our own attachments or mistakes, then it must be that the evil is interfering or doing bad things.” (“Fa-Rectification and Cultivation,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I thought, “I shall not acknowledge the old force's persecution.”
I went to talk to various levels of officials, including those in the public security, 610 Office, city council, and city education committee. I told them that Falun Gong practitioners are all good people. They knew my reputation as an excellent teacher. The officials I spoke to were all polite, and many of them promised they would try to solve the problem.
I had a very clear dream one night. I was suspended above a ditch full of dirty water. A colleague was standing nearby with a merciful expression on her face. I reached out to her with my right hand, but she was too weak to pull me up. I then saw a man standing on the other side. He was in a suit. He was watching me with a serious yet compassionate expression. I reached out to him with my left hand and hoped he would pull me up. Instead of taking my hand, he suddenly appeared right next to me, and then it felt as if someone was pulling me up by my jacket. I immediately had enough strength to lift myself up out of the ditch.
I knew that Master was helping me and that I should be able to overcome this obstacle soon. I held strong righteous thoughts.
I went to see the director of the city education committee again. The director said right away, “No problem. Your job will be transferred.” He also praised my past work at the school.
The leaders in the company which my school was affiliated with were very supportive of me. They spent a week speaking with upper-level officials and sent reports saying how good I was, and that my job should be transferred to the public system, even though I practiced Falun Gong. A female friend and colleague told me, “I took a day off, and I was prepared to spend the entire day looking for the city education committee leaders, and speaking to them about you. And you know what? When I entered the committee office, all the leaders came in, as they were having a meeting! I was able to talk to all of them in less than two hours. Falun Gong is powerful.”
The city government notified my school several days later that “The teacher who practices Falun Gong has special permission to be transferred to the public school system. Please proceed immediately.” All of the teachers applauded when this was announced in my school.
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