(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I'm 80 years old and I began practicing Falun Dafa more than 20 years ago. I became a Dafa practitioner in 1999, before the persecution in China started. It was remarkable how I obtained the Fa.
I would like to share my cultivation experiences.
I had a very clear dream years ago—Master was holding my hand as we walked along a sunlit country road. Master has been holding my hand, guiding me and protecting me as I overcome one obstacle after another, ever since. My cultivation path has been filled with happiness as well as regret when I did not do the three things well. No matter what, I'm determined to remain steadfast.
I was always taken advantage of. I worked hard and never took advantage of others. I considered other people's feelings so everyone liked me. After practicing Falun Dafa, I used the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance as my guide.
When I was a child, my celestial eye was open. I knew things and I saw angels. When I fell asleep, I often saw flowers blossoming with my celestial eye, just as Master described in Zhuan Falun. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope. I remember telling my sister to “watch the kaleidoscope” when she had trouble falling asleep, but she did not understand what I was talking about.
Life-Altering Experiences
People say that some experiences change one's life forever—I've had several of these life-changing experiences.
The first one was when my son passed away. I was so distraught that I wanted to die. I began to drive recklessly, until one day, I died! The driver’s side of my car was completely caved in. There was a big dent in my head and my right foot was severely injured. I was taken to two hospitals.
At the second hospital, I was pronounced dead and taken to the morgue. Three hours later, my daughter came. She noticed I was breathing and called for a nurse.
I remember I went to Heaven. I met my son there and we talked. I saw his guardian but I could not see the guardian's face clearly. I'd seen the guardian several times when I meditate or at some key moments. I was given a choice to stay or go back. I said I had to go back to earth because I had an important mission to complete.
For the next two years I had to walk with a crutch. My right leg was operated on five times. I had to re-learn how to walk, speak, and read. I lost the ability to play the piano.
My Cultivation Journey Begins
My next life-changing moment was when I found Dafa or, as I should say, when Dafa found me. I remember it vividly, as if it happened yesterday. At that time I had been studying Tantrism for four years.
Master said:
“I have said that all those who teach the practice of Tantrism in society under the banner of Tantrism are shams. ” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
Unfortunately I did not know this, so every Thursday I attended the Tantrism class. One day, the school was closed. I felt lost. I prayed to the Creator to show me a true Way. My prayer was immediately answered! My phone rang, and a friend asked if I was interested in attending a nine-day Falun Dafa seminar.
I was excited and said, “Of course!”
Just before this happened, I read an article on the Internet about how Falun Dafa practitioners were arrested on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. I thought, “If the Chinese Communist Party is against Falun Dafa, it must be good.”
I attended the nine-day seminar. Every evening I drove more than 100 kilometers to watch the video recordings of Master's lectures, and I returned home very late. I was tired but I did not give up. While watching the video lectures, I saw Master's halo, and I also saw the seminar coordinator's halo, which was very colorful.
After the seminar, I immediately organized a nine-day video lecture seminar in my home, and seven people attended.
During the seminar, my celestial eye reached a certain level. I saw two of Master's law bodies. Master told me to end the immoral relationship I’d been in for ten years.
After watching the second lecture, Master started to cleanse my body. It was painful. I felt terrible. I wept and asked Master, “Do I have to bear all the pain all at once? Can’t it come once in a while?”
The unbearable pain disappeared instantly. Almost immediately I regretted bargaining with Master. I should have toughed it out. Since then, I believe the pain I suffer every day is related to this.
Learning the five exercises was easy. It seemed I already knew how to do them. I could feel strong energy, although I experienced pain each time I did them.Now when I do the second exercise, I feel I am holding a universe that is vast and heavy.
One night I dreamed that I saw a world emerging from a giant gate. A tiny person was dragging the world along with a rope. It was my world and me.
During that time, I could feel energy every morning when I woke up. I would get an electric shock wherever I put my hands, just like Master described in Zhuan Falun. I can feel Falun and energy mechanisms rotating in my body. My celestial eye saw the process of consecration. I saw energy growing upward in a spiral form above my head.
Despite my advanced age, I began menstruating again.
From 1999 to 2017, every week new practitioners came to my house to learn Falun Dafa. I also went to a local exercise site each week, where many practitioners did the exercises together.
In 2017, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I felt very uncomfortable, although I knew it was false. I did not take any medication or have chemotherapy. But I did not do the Falun Dafa exercises either. I had no energy, had difficulty walking, and bled heavily.
I canceled the exercise site at my home. I was worried and chose to give it up, although I did not think it was a good decision.
Looking Back Over My Cultivation
Someone asked whether I’d started to practice Falun Dafa because I wanted to have my illnesses resolved. The answer is no. I did not even know the practice could resolve illnesses, although my blood cancer and uterine cancer disappeared after I began practicing. My long term migraine headaches vanished in one day. My skin disease was gone as well.
Another pivotal moment in my life was being invited to help with the French Minghui website.
In the summer of 1999, shortly after I began to practice, two practitioners asked me to help establish the French Minghui website. I immediately agreed. Master suggested the site be created.
I knew Master wanted me to join the project, and I felt he was right beside me. I was more than happy to help. After the French site was created, I was invited to do proofreading and help translate Zhuan Falun. I often thought I did not deserve such an honor.
During Minghui's early days, a new practitioner from Spain helped with the translations. Both of us felt the evil attack our bodies. He said he couldn’t take it and resigned. It was very painful. Local practitioners came to my home to send righteous thoughts to clean up my environment. It was effective. I saw many negative substances and I cleaned them up by sending righteous thoughts.
I did my duty diligently. I translated one or two articles every day and did some proofreading.
During a parade in New York City, I almost gave up in the middle as the route was quite long. The practitioner next to me kept encouraging me. I suddenly noticed her toes were bleeding. “It's no big deal,” she said lightly. I was touched by her forbearance. We walked together to the end.
I had never missed a single Sunday group Fa study. I also drove to another city twice a week—once for group Fa study and again for group exercises. Later, I was unable to drive, and my driver's license was canceled due to the problems with my leg and foot. My car broke down. I still managed to participate in all the Fa experience sharing conferences and important meetings between 2018 and 2019.
Master said,
“I am rooted in the universe. If anyone could harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe. What I have said may sound quite inconceivable. You will understand it later as you study further.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Participating in Other Projects
I consider myself a key member of the French Minghui website, and I work very hard for the website. I've also participated in many other Dafa projects.
In 2004, I heeded Master's call to clarify the truth in Manhattan. Winters in New York are very cold—but I would not miss a chance to save people.
When I participated in a book exhibition, an invisible hand pushed me down on the cold ground, where I lay until someone found me that evening. Once when I was introducing the Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance International Art Exhibition, I was thrown to the floor by an invisible force. The sound of my head hitting the floor echoed throughout the room. Another time when I was in a subway station for an activity during an experience sharing conference, a hand pushed me down the stairs. The practitioners with me were all shocked. I stood up without a scratch.
I usually work alone, but I never feel lonely, because I always feel that Master is helping me, sometimes reminding me of certain vocabulary words as I translate. I have no doubt Master has been guiding me the entire time.
I’ve participated in many local activities to save people in my area, such as visiting mayors and congressmen and telling them the truth about Falun Dafa. Sometimes while coordinating activities I got phone calls day and night. At first I did not have a competitive mentality, but I developed one later.
I participated in rescuing Chinese painter Mr. Zhang Kunlun who was arrested and tortured by the CCP. We worked with a congressman and we succeeded. When a Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance International Art Exhibition was held, I was very disappointed that I did not get a chance to introduce Mr. Zhang. I spent weeks preparing for this event—helping with translations, etc. On the opening day, I was told another practitioner would introduce him.
I realized that I had the mentality of showing off. Master used this to help me eliminate this attachment.
When the local Shen Yun promotion team refused to let me participate, I was shaken. I’d wanted to help since the very beginning. On the other hand, I knew I needed to improve myself and eliminate my human emotions and desires.
For a long time, I followed a fellow practitioner as my role model to measure whether I was cultivating diligently. I was wrong to do this. Each of us has to walk our own path.
Eliminating Sickness Karma
The summer of 2009 was especially difficult—I kept having physical problems. Even my computer was hacked. These intense attacks exhausted me. I looked inward and sent righteous thoughts. In the end, Master helped me and eliminated my karma.
I remembered what Master said, “Let joy be found in hardship.” (“Tempering the Will,” Hong Yin)
When I looked at Master's portrait, Master was smiling at me.
Sometimes I sent righteous thoughts all night. I knew my righteous thoughts were so strong they could move a mountain.
I've experienced countless miracles and been saved three times from near-fatal traffic accidents. One time, the left front wheel of my car suddenly fell off. Just as my small car was about to collide with a semi-truck, Master grabbed my car, lifted it up, and gently put it down on the other side of the road. Those who witnessed this incredible event stopped their cars and said, “It's a miracle!” The truck driver couldn't believe his eyes.
I was hoping for a similar miracle to happen so my problems would get solved.
Master said,
“The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts.” (“Drive Out Interference,” Essentials for Further Advancement II)
In 2017, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I did not go for medical treatment. I firmly believed in Master and Dafa. Local practitioners sent righteous thoughts for me. The coordinator of the local Falun Dafa Association told me he had the same problem before and it went on for six months. I was encouraged, and nine months later the cancer was gone.
Let Go from a Project
A project coordinator mentioned my possible dismissal before it happened—so it wasn't a total surprise when it really happened. I first heard about it when another practitioner phoned me.
I wept. I never felt so hurt—not even when my son was killed by a drunk driver. I was extremely sad. I felt I’d failed Master and Master did not want me anymore.
When I looked inward, I understood this was a “stick wake-up” from Master. Master said,
“...so let me give my version of a stick wake-up to those who don’t measure up and have put themselves on the brink of danger.” (“My Version of a “Stick Wake-up,”” The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III)
I knew I did not cultivate my character well. I easily got angry over little things and I shouted at others. I wanted everyone to listen to me. I did not realize that “who is right and who is wrong” is not important in cultivation.
Nothing is accidental. I knew Master gave me this opportunity to examine myself and improve. Master did not give up on me!
My biggest issue was that I lacked compassion. I could see my strong competitive mentality, sometimes even in my dreams.
When I started to write this sharing article, I saw many things. Last night, I experienced true compassion for the sentient beings in my world, whom I must save and bring home. I told myself that I will cultivate well, improve my character, and save more sentient beings. I will not disappoint Master.
Final Words
I'm not young anymore—I'm nearly 90. My face has no wrinkles. No one can tell that I'm almost 90. But when I walk, I do look old. I hope this is only karma elimination.
Above is my understanding at my current level.
Master said:
“...you must cultivate the part that you are supposed to cultivate. As for the things that you can't cultivate, and can't detect or recognize--or take care of even if you could recognize them--Master will take care of them. ” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York”)
“I have already told you that cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while transformation of gong is done by one’s master. ” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Thank you, Master!
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