(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I was born in 1961 and moved from Northeast China to South Korea in July 2007. I worked as a civil servant in a government agency, but I’m now retired.
In the winter of 1969, the wicked CCP (Chinese Communist Party) ordered my family of ten to go to the countryside and undergo “reform through labor.” My dad was the only one in my family who was able to work. We had difficulty making ends meet. We never had enough food, and usually didn’t know how we would get our next meal.
After this traumatic experience I suffered from neurological headaches. When I was 12 years old my vision significantly deteriorated. With the aid of a 1000-degree lens for a myopia and astigmatism correction, my vision was only 0.4 for my right eye and 0.6 for the left. After giving birth to my son in June 1985, I suddenly developed acute enteritis. I often vomited and had diarrhea, and my weight gradually dropped from 50 kg to 30 kg (110 to 66 pounds). When I developed a gynecological condition, my back hurt so badly that I almost wanted to crawl on my stomach.
Misfortune usually comes in groups. When my son was just 100 days old, my father-in-law suffered a hemiplegia, and one side of his body was paralyzed. After being in a coma for more than a month and he was unable to take care of himself. My mother-in-law developed heart disease and was barely able to take care of herself. What was even more unfortunate was that my son contracted infectious hepatitis B virus when he was three years old.
With the intense mental stress, my husband developed a heart condition (myocardial infarction) and high blood pressure, and was admitted to the hospital. I was on the brink of collapse. I wept constantly. I was sometimes so upset that I had a hard time breathing. Due to excessive tearing, the fundus of my eyes became dry and painful, and my right eye shrank and I couldn't see clearly.
By the time I was 28 years old, I was blind in my right eye. A well-known ophthalmologist said that I would also be blind in my left eye if I didn’t take medicine every day. I worked during the day, and at night I had to take care of my entire family, who were hospitalized! I couldn’t even afford to buy medication for myself. It felt like my life was a nightmare and I cried every day.
As the saying goes, “Life and death are preordained, and rank and riches are decreed by Heaven.” I was very fortunate to begin practicing Falun Dafa in September 1997. A practitioner brought me a copy of Master’s book Fa-Teaching Given at the Conference in Sydney. When I opened the book and saw Master's picture, I shed tears and couldn’t stop until I finished reading it.
Master said,
“As long as the green mountains remain, I’ll always have enough firewood. With Master and the Way by my side, what is there to fear?” (Fa-Teaching Given at the Conference in Sydney)
I suddenly understood the relationship between myself and the three words, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, their connotation and profound meaning. I felt I understood what righteous thoughts and righteous Fa-principles are. Master took me out of the sea of suffering and pointed me in a new direction. Before I knew it, the pressure in my chest reduced. My whole body felt relaxed and happy. I felt relieved. I knew that my perspectives on life, the world, and values all changed.
At that moment I truly felt reborn and no words could describe my feelings! I knelt down with my hands pressed together and thanked Master.
I went to a practitioner’s home to learn the exercises. I felt the Falun turning as soon as I started to do them. It felt like a precision instrument that kept turning faster and faster. When I raised my hands to the front of my head as I did the second exercise, I felt as if a flow of warm blood pouring from my head to the bottom of my feet. Another practitioner said, “Master is taking care of you and is cleaning up your body.”
I went to work the next day. Even though I did not eat breakfast, my body felt relaxed. When I rode my bike, I felt like I was treading on air as if somebody was pushing my bike from behind. I arrived at my workplace before I realized it. The whole experience was amazing! I was moved and grateful. I said to Master, “Master! No matter what happens in the future I will continue to cultivate to the end.”
All the diseases that plagued me for years were gone within a few days, without my taking a pill or spending a penny. I have been carefree every day and living an easy and happy life since then. I work hard to spread the practice and hope that all beings will be as happy as me.
After the CCP began to persecute Falun Dafa practitioners on July 20, 1999, I went through several risks without running into real danger—thanks to compassionate Master's protection and practitioners’ collaboration, help and encouragement.
In January 2017 I began working the day shift in a buffet shop. The 72-year-old South Korean boss wanted to hire me full-time because she thought that I was a good person. I said, “I’m sorry. I have to take a two-month break to promote Falun Dafa.” The boss joked, “What is so important that you skip working and making money. It’s incredible.”
I told her about Falun Dafa and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I told her that my entire family was tortured by illnesses and I thought about giving up my life when I was only 28. I said that I recovered from my stubborn illnesses a few days after I practiced Falun Dafa without spending a penny. I also told her about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa. I said, “Practitioners around the world expended great effort and dedication, and have created such a good environment for us to cultivate and promote Falun Dafa. So every year I take a break from my work and use that time to promote Dafa.”
She said, “Such a good practice! I will call you after you finish promoting Falun Dafa. Please come to work for me for sure.” Two months later, she suddenly called me around midnight, “Can you come to work tomorrow?” After we negotiated, she hired me.
Our buffet shop is set up in another restaurant during noon time when the restaurant is not open. So every morning, we have to move all pots and pans, oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, etc. into the restaurant from the warehouse where we store everything.
I slipped and fell one morning in December 2017, at around 10:00 a.m. I felt dizzy for a moment, then sat on the bench and wiped the vegetables. I saw red water drops on the ground, then I noticed a lot of them on my apron. I wondered what was going on. I touched my chin and saw that my hand was covered with blood that was dripping down. I hurried to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror I saw that the front of my earlobe was torn and only a bit of thin piece of skin connecting it with my ear. I immediately remembered Master’s words,
“We’d say that a good or bad outcome comes from one thought. The difference in one thought leads to different results.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I gently pressed the flesh of the drooping earlobe back to its original position. At the same time, I sincerely asked Master, “Master! Please help me. Although I have a lot of attachments and loopholes in my cultivation, I absolutely do not allow the old forces to take advantage of my loopholes to persecute me. That will discredit Dafa, cause inconvenience to customers, make a bad impact, and lead to economic losses to the shop owner.”
The customers were entering the store, so I anxiously moved my hand away from my ear. My earlobe was reattached! I shed tears of gratitude. Thank you, Master! Because of the excessive blood flow, I couldn’t wipe it clean. So I had to ask the chef to help me. He was shocked and immediately asked, “What happened?!” Before I responded, he shouted, “Boss, come quickly. Something big happened. Come quickly!”
The manager, the front team leader, and others hurried over. The manager was frightened and told the team leader to run to the drugstore to buy anti-inflammatory medicine. Then he picked up the phone and wanted to call an ambulance. I said, “I’m okay, I’m okay. Don't you often say that my Master always helps me! I'm fine!”
The boss said, “There's so much blood! Let’s go to the hospital to have it stitched up.” I said, “Look, isn't it already reattached? I don’t feel any pain at all. Many customers are here. Let’s hurry and take care of them.” Seeing me still smiling as usual, my boss and co-workers said, “It’s amazing! It's incredible.”
My coworkers were amazed. They said while we had lunch together, “Falun Dafa is really powerful, truly amazing, and really miraculous! We all believe in gods from our ancestors and are very devoted, but it can’t compare with Falun Dafa. We have never seen anything like this before. Today we have witnessed divine miracles with our own eyes! We truly thank your great and compassionate Master!”
The boss told his family what happened. His son sent me a message at around 7:00 p.m. saying, “I’m so sorry. You were injured because of the extremely poor conditions in our kitchen. But you have not a single word of complaint, and you even did not delay our business. Our whole family is praying for you, and we pray to God to please keep you safe.”
I replied, “Thank you! I fell by accident. After I began to practice Falun Dafa, I tried my best to improve my moral character and be a better person. My compassionate Master has endured great difficulties for me. I went through several dangerous incidents without falling into real danger and safely passed many tribulations. Please rest assured.” The boss’s son replied, “Our whole family thanks your Master!”
The next morning when we got to work, they surrounded me and checked my ear. They were stunned when they saw that my ear was no longer swollen and had basically returned to normal. They kept saying, “Your Master is so great and merciful!”
They knew that I got up at around 4:00 a.m. every morning regardless of the weather, then took a 4-meter-long double-layer banner with words about Falun Dafa, a tape recorder, and some informational booklets, and rode my bicycle to the exercise site where I do the five Falun Dafa exercises. Afterwards I take everything home and then take the subway to work. I usually arrive before 9:00 a.m.
I joined the Tian Guo Marching Band and had to practice my instrument after work every day. When I got home, it was already around 11:30 p.m. I went to the subway station every Saturday and Sunday to put up exhibition boards about Falun Dafa and tell people about the persecution. My coworkers thought I worked very hard. They all praised me for not talking a lot but working hard with no complaints. They said I did the dirtiest and most tiring tasks.
Master said,
“...but have also left you my demeanor. While working, your tone of voice, your kindheartedness, and your reasoning can change a person’s heart, whereas commands never could!” (“Clearheadedness,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
I want to be a true cultivator, to treat everyone with kind words and deeds, to have compassion for ordinary people, and open up their kind thoughts instead of returning hurt for hurt and feeling resentful.
In April 2018 I began working at a convenience store, which is located at a busy intersection. Seventy percent of our customers are Chinese. The alley on the right is a smoking site where a large number of people come and go. The owner of the store who is a Korean practitioner, said to me, “As long as there are activities to clarify the truth, and save sentient beings, we must participate in them even if we have to close the store.”
I volunteered to work the night shift because I wanted to promote Falun Dafa during the daytime. When there aren’t many customers, I distribute The Epoch Times newspaper and informational materials to them. I also explain the facts about Falun Dafa and advise them to quit the CCP. We usually have about 900 customers per day. We provide our services very patiently, attentively, warmly, and kindly no matter what kind of customers we encounter. We have a lot of repeat customers, and even the pandemic did not impact our business. We often play the music Pudu and Jishi in the store. My boss and I are cultivators. Besides cultivating ourselves well, we also have the responsibility to save people.
When the pandemic broke out at in early January 2020, my boss said, “The time that Master extended with tremendous endurance is for us to save more people. We should take advantage of our great location and do something more to promote Dafa.”
The first thing we did was to post signs titled, “Staying Safe During The Pandemic” on the front and back doors, above the ATM machine, and on the front windows. We also created leaflets containing the words, “As long as you respect and believe in God, you will avoid disasters. During the epidemic, please remember Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
We thought about playing recorded messages outside the store. Coincidentally, a customer left his tape recorder in the store that night and after several days had not come back to pick it up. My boss and I enlightened that it was really urgent to save people! Master hinted us to hurry up to broadcast the truth, so that people will know the truth quickly, be blessed, and avoid disasters to ensure their safety.
My boss asked that before we open the store in the morning, we should place the rack of informational materials in front of the store and broadcast the facts about Falun Dafa. The next day when I took over the shift at 8:00 p.m., I saw customers taking photos. Some quietly listened to the broadcast, while others asked about the facts, etc. My boss and I were so excited that we took photos with our mobile phones, and we found that “Falun Dafa is Good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is Good” were shining golden in the photos. Our emotions were really hard to describe. More and more people have come to take informational brochures, listen to the broadcast, and quit the CCP.
Master said,
“Also, with those people that you run into by chance, who you run into in daily life, and the people you run into at work, you should all clarify the truth to them. Even when in your daily life you pass by people so quickly that you don't have a chance to talk to them, you should still leave them with your compassion and kindness. Don't lose those who should be saved, especially those with predestined connections.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
One day a customer in his 40s walked into the store at around 10:00 p.m. He excitedly pressed his palms together in front of his chest and bowed, “Thank you, sister!” I asked what he was thanking me for. With tears in his eyes, he said in a heavy voice, “Big sister, you helped me withdraw from the CCP and that saved my life. It’s a pity that my good friend died and left behind his wife who is nine months pregnant. When my friend and I drove together last month to run an errand we had an accident. The other driver paid a compensation of 100 million yuan. But no amount of money can compensate his wife for her loss!”
Hearing what he said, I was stunned for a moment. He immediately explained, “Sister, two months ago, I stood outside of your store and listened to the broadcast. Then when I came in, you sincerely urged me to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. You said it can ensure my safety. You also talked about the staged Tiananmen Square self-immolation. You told me that Falun Dafa practitioners cultivate to be good people, yet the CCP persecutes them, cruelly persecutes them, and sentences them in prison. The CCP even kills them for their organs without using anesthetics. I withdrew from the CCP after I learned the truth.”
I remembered after hearing what he said. He put his hands together and thanked me. I said, “Don’t thank me. Let’s Heshi and thank compassionate Master! Master saved you!”
Two well-dressed young men came into the store at around 2:00 a.m. in June 2020. One man handed me some money and said, “I want to buy a copy of Zhuan Falun.” I thought I heard it wrong and asked him what he wanted to buy. He said that he wanted to buy a copy of Zhuan Falun. He explained that he passed by here a couple of days ago and listened to the facts about Falun Dafa. So he came back to buy a copy of Zhuan Falun.
He is a relatively well-known singer. I told him what Falun Dafa is and explained how millions of people are withdrawing from the CCP to secure their safety. He immediately withdrew from the CCP with his real name. The next day at around 10:00 p.m. when he got the book, he held it excitedly with both hands and bowed to me, “Thank you, Sister.” I said, “Let’s thank Master! Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!”
Master saw that I had the heart to help save people, so he led people with predestined relationships to our store. Master has given me such a good cultivation environment and opportunity, and I must cherish it. So I told myself not to think about anything and not to have any negative thoughts as well. I must study the Fa well and cultivate myself well. Kind words and good deeds are righteous thoughts and right deeds. I will seize the time to earnestly clarify the truth, save sentient beings, fulfill my prehistoric vows, and go home with Master.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(2021 International Online Fa Conference)