(Minghui.org) I was a university professor and also practiced qigong in my spare time. As I continued to practice more seriously, I came to realize that there should be a profound meaning behind qigong. I was not sure what exactly it was; it might just be self-cultivation. I had always been looking for a true master to show me how to cultivate myself.
Destined to Find DafaOn May 1, 1996, seemingly by chance, I came across a qigong practitioner who introduced me to Falun Gong. I was touched at hearing about it and was determined to practice Falun Gong.
A few days later, I got the four Falun Gong books, including the main text, Zhuan Falun. When I opened the book, I was engulfed by some immense energy. I finished the book in one sitting and was touched profoundly. All of the questions I had about life had been answered. I knew that I had finally found the true way that could guide my self-cultivation. I finally found the master that I had been waiting for. Words could not describe how excited I was.
I also had the feeling that I had read the book before, although it was not as clear. At that time, the book seemed to have been imprinted in my mind. I remembered exactly where certain sentences were located.
After I finished reading the book, all my ailments were gone and I felt very light. My outlook on the world changed. I was no longer my calculating former self. Since then, as I go about life, I have been following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance laid out in the book, and strictly holding myself to the standards of a cultivator.
I took fame and personal gain lightly and never went after any self-interests. Even though what was supposedly mine had been taken away, I had no complaints. I had no intention to be in a leadership position. However, my colleagues were impressed with my character and abilities and strongly recommended that I be promoted to management. So I took the position.
I wasn’t a typical manager. I was not pretentious and I consulted with my team members about work and we made decisions together; I never took unilateral action. Everything was transparent when it came to task delegation. I usually offered good jobs to other people instead of taking them for myself. I was basically providing services to others, not managing people.
As a result of my leadership, the bad culture at our workplace was soon put to an end. My supervisor and my colleagues were appreciative of my work. I was named the company’s best employee every year. Later, I offered the honor to a senior colleague. He was touched and said, “We finally have a good leader!”
The regime of Jiang Zemin and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ganged up to launch a widespread crackdown and persecution of Falun Gong starting on July 20, 1999. To help the authorities to understand the truth of the practice, I went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong, with the best intention. When I got there, I realized that it wasn’t that the government did not understand Falun Gong; it was that they planned this persecution after a thorough investigation. At that time, the police often told us, “We know that you are nice people, but the government said to crack down on you, so we have to.”
I was taken to the detention center due to my appeal. There were all kinds of people in the cell I was thrown into. Having heard that I practice Falun Gong, a few inmates sought me out to chat whenever they had any issues. I helped them according to the understanding I had gained from the Falun Gong books. They were all very happy. They said, “Had I met Falun Gong earlier, we would not have ended up here.”
One small business owner loved to chat with me. He said, “Falun Gong is the best!” Another inmate scared him, “You are talking good of Falun Gong. I guess you don’t want to get out.” He replied, “I am not scared. Falun Gong is good!” The next day he was released. And yet, the other guy was reprimanded by the guards and was made to sit for an extended period of time as punishment. He no longer had the arrogance he had in the past. Sentient beings’ attitudes determine their fate; it is not something human beings can comprehend.
Another inmate who was the head of a city government department also liked to chat with me. I told him the truth about Falun Gong, and when he understood it, he asked me, “How do you practice Falun Gong?” I said, “Now, you can simply meditate and say ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance’ in your heart, and when you get out of here, go find a Falun Gong practitioner to learn it.” He then meditated every day and repeated silently “Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.” A few days later, he was informed that his case had been dismissed and he could go home. He was excited and came to say goodbye to me. There were many such examples of people reaping good fortune as a result of understanding the truth.
One day, a murderer came in looking very depressed. I went to him and asked what was bothering him. I learned that he was a workshop director at a company and he accidentally killed his wife. I told him, “Everything has a karmic relationship, there is no such thing as accidents; it is all karmic retribution. Be open-minded. One’s life and death is not entirely within one’s control.” After hearing this, he was no longer depressed.
The next day, he got up and told me, “Last night I had a dream in which I went to a very clean house.” I said, “It’s because you understand something that ordinary people don’t know and are already different from ordinary people. Even after you die you won’t go to hell.” He was very happy, and I told him many more principles from the Dafa books, and he was very receptive.
A day later, he told me that he had another dream that night. This time he went to an even more beautiful house than the one from his previous dream! I said, “You are already in heaven, you understand the principles of Dafa, and you are no longer an ordinary being.” He was very happy and said, “Even if I die, I have no regrets, I can let it all go. Thank you!” I left the cell a few days later and didn’t know what happened to him afterward.
It was a hot May day, and the hot sun was scorching the earth. I went to a field with a few relatives to plant some things. Since there was no livestock, a man had to carry the plow, and several of us carried the rope and pulled the plow to break the soil and plant seeds. The weather was hot and I had to pull the plow hard. I was hot and tired, but as I pulled, I felt no more heat and a small cool breeze was blowing. I looked up and saw a big beautiful halo over the sun, like a wheel, blocking the sun from our part of the world.
I knew in my heart that it was Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, who was watching over me with compassion! No words could express my gratitude and longing for Master! At that time, those few relatives felt the extraordinary power of Falun Dafa. They had given a lot to protect Dafa practitioners in those days of insane persecution. Now they have all been blessed and are living rich and happy lives!
I found a job after a period of leaving home to avoid persecution. The older lady living next to my apartment was a member of the neighborhood committee, and her husband and son were both police officers. As I didn’t hide my own situation on my resume, they soon found out about me and began to monitor me. When I took the train, they followed and watched me. I knew that the local public security department had sent them to spy on me. I was not moved. I went to work every day and I always greeted them warmly when I ran into them. I had no complaints or hatred for what they did because I knew they had been deceived by the evil CCP and were pathetic.
One day, a woman knocked at my neighbor’s door, but no one was there. The woman then knocked on my door. I opened it and asked, “What can I do for you?” The woman said, “I’m a relative of this family. I bought a cake, but no one is home. Can I leave it with you?” I said, “No problem. Leave it with me.”
In the evening, when the older lady returned home, I gave the cake over and explained what happened. She was happy to get it. Before I left, I reminded her, “Make sure you call your relative to verify whether this was from her. Nowadays do not take anything from anyone!” She was touched after hearing that. Later, after she called, she told me that it was indeed from her relative. She also expressed her gratitude to me.
From that day on, the whole family’s attitude towards me changed. She often reminded me to be safe. I expressed my gratitude to her.
A few years later, I returned to my hometown. Since my former employer wouldn’t give me my job back, I found another place to work to make a living. When I first arrived at my workplace, I told the unit leader about my personal situation, “I am a Falun Gong practitioner who used to teach at a university and was illegally discharged from my former unit because I petitioned for Falun Gong.” I told her the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution. After listening to what I had to say, she agreed to hire me.
When I first arrived at the new workplace, the first thing I did was clean up my studio, which was only a few square meters. Then I organized the files in the cabinets, which was convenient for other employees. After I finished, the whole studio looked new, and my superiors were very satisfied.
In my position, I worked with many staff members. My priority was to consider others’ needs. My efforts were appreciated by both the staff members and the management. The staff members trusted me and liked to chat with me. I took the opportunity to tell them the truth about Falun Gong, and they all appreciated it.
In winter, sometimes it snowed very heavily, with more than a foot of snow; it made it hard for people to make it to work. Whenever this happened, I was the first one to arrive to clear the snow. When other staff members arrived, they would help me clear the snow, so everyone could make it to the office without issue. Once, I arrived early to clean up the snow and my boss saw me. He told the person next to him that I exuded kindness throughout my body.
Once I drove my family to a food market in the city to go shopping. I dropped off my family and stayed in the car. At this time I saw a young man come out of the market and opened a car door. Soon, the man came out of his car, with one hand on the steering wheel, and the other hand pushing the car forward slowly. No one helped him even though there were many passersby. I went over and helped him push the car. He turned around and saw me helping him push the car. He was very grateful and said, “Thank you, brother!” I said, “No problem!”
When asked, he told me that his car suddenly ran out of gas and he had to push it to a gas station a kilometer away to refuel. We continued to push the car until we got to the gas station. It hurt my back pushing the car, but I decided to persevere, as it was easier for two people to push. When we got to the gas station, I asked him, “Do you have money to refuel?” He said, “Yes!” He added twenty dollars of gasoline. I was worried that he had too little gas to get home, so I gave him money to fill up more, but he said that he didn’t need my money and that it was enough. He insisted on buying me dinner and I told him, “I am a Falun Gong practitioner, and we don’t want to be paid for doing things for others, but I just hope you can understand the truth about Falun Gong and be saved.” He was stunned at first, then said enthusiastically, “Thank you!” I gave him informational materials and helped him quit the CCP, and he asked me to leave my phone number to thank me later. I said, “Don’t thank me! You can thank me by going back and telling your friends and family about today so that they can all understand the truth and have a good future.” He said, “Sure!”
The kindness cultivated by Dafa practitioners in accordance with Master’s teachings is like a golden key that opens the locks in people’s hearts that have been sealed for a long time, breaking the lies of the Chinese Communist Party and Jiang’s rogue group that smear Falun Gong. It sends the truth of Falun Gong into people’s hearts, awakening their consciences so that the world’s people can make a rational and correct choice at this critical moment in history and move toward a better future.