(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1992, and I’m now nearly 80. I am deeply honored to have attended five lectures given by Master Li, the founder and teacher of Falun Dafa, in Changchun. I want to share my story of obtaining Dafa and some of my cultivation experiences.
In September 1992, I experienced the happiest time in my life. It was a fundamental turning point in my life. I went from hell to heaven, and my cultivation journey began.
The Starting Point of My Cultivation Journey
Before cultivating, I had all sorts of illnesses. I suffered from neurasthenia, insomnia, a duodenal ulcer, and rheumatoid arthritis. At 50, my face was full of wrinkles. I needed reading glasses, had pain all over, and often lay in bed in agony. My sons and daughters took turns massaging me, which only made me slightly more comfortable.
My family spent a lot of money on treatments for me. I was seen by several experts in Western medicine, many Chinese medicine doctors, and even tried some folk remedies, all to no avail. I guessed this was my fate, and I just had to accept it.
I found my long-lost joy again in September 1992. A Falun Dafa class was held at the Jilin Provincial Party Auditorium. My husband and daughter attended it. They told me excitedly about Falun Dafa’s miraculous effects in curing diseases and keeping fit, but I was not impressed with what they said.
My father-in-law became critically ill in his hometown in Shandong Province, and my husband was forced to stop after attending four of Master Li’s lectures. He had to go back home and see his father. When I saw the ticket for the qigong class on the desk, I felt I didn’t want it to be wasted, so I went to the class with my daughter.
Magical things happened as soon as I entered the auditorium. My entire left leg had an electric, hot, and numb feeling that I’d never felt before, and then my legs became very relaxed. My whole body felt comfortable, and my energy field was particularly strong. I was shocked and thought, “This qigong master is definitely extraordinary!” I decided to ask him if I could have a Falun (law wheel) installed even though I had missed the first four days of lectures.
I mumbled the words as I thought them. My daughter told me to sit down, saying, “Would such a famous qigong master answer you?” I disregarded what she said and was determined to ask Master Li my question.
I stared at the podium intently, and suddenly my eyes lit up. A tall figure slowly walked in from the left side of the stage. I rushed to the podium, all excited like a naughty child, to see Master up close. My first impression was that he was tall, majestic, amiable, and approachable.
When Master saw me, not only was he not displeased, but he smiled and kept looking at me with great concern. I asked, “Teacher, I came to the class for the first time today and am four days late. Can I still get a Falun?” Master answered straightforwardly, “Yes.” I was excited.
Master Gives a Lecture to the Changchun Assistants
Many years later, Master returned to Changchun from the United States in July 1998. A Fa Conference for Assistants was held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Changchun, and Master came to give a lecture. Most who attended were veteran practitioners who had attended classes before. But there were also newcomers.
I felt a sense of intimacy when I walked into the venue. It was decorated grandly. The first thing that caught my eye was that the tables in the lecture hall were covered with golden tablecloths and had flowers and flower baskets on both sides, which made it look festive. The atmosphere was solemn and sacred.
As practitioners erupted in thunderous applause, I turned around and saw the tall figure again—Master had arrived. Everyone was embraced and cleansed by Master’s powerful energy. I burst into tears.
The entire audience fell silent as Master began to speak. He lectured for over five hours. During the break, Master changed from sitting to standing on the stage. He stood on the left side of the podium and answered questions from the students. I was very close to him. There was only one person in front of me, so I could see him clearly.
I could see Master’s face was covered in sweat, and he was holding a bottle of mineral water. To answer practitioners’ questions, he didn’t even take time to sip the water. He just wiped the sweat off his face with his hand. This went on for a long time before someone handed Master a roll of paper for him to mop up the sweat.
Practitioners asked questions every time Master tried to take a drink. So the bottle of water was never opened throughout the whole conference.
Safeguarding Dafa on Tiananmen Square
To uphold the dignity of Dafa, I went to Beijing twice. I was one of the 10,000 people who petitioned the government at Zhongnanhai on April 25, 1999. When the persecution of Falun Dafa began on July 20, I went to Tiananmen Square and unfurled a banner I had hidden in my sleeve that said, “Falun Dafa is righteous.” I shouted, “Clear my Master’s name! Falun Dafa is good!” A group of plainclothes policemen rushed over, hit me, dragged me away, and stuffed me into a police car as I continued shouting.
I saw the police treating other practitioners the same way. The words “Falun Dafa is good. Clear my Master’s name” were heard everywhere.
The police drove us for about half an hour and then stopped at an empty public square. They left us in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, the square was filled with practitioners.
The police tortured us in various ways. They ordered us to keep our feet together, squat down, and not let our buttocks touch the ground. We were told to clasp our hands behind our heads. Whoever did not do as instructed was beaten, kicked, or made to kneel. I was thinking, “I will squat to the end but never kneel down to the evil; I will only kneel to Master.” By having this thought, I was able to squat until the end without changing my position.
After a long time, a policeman came over to me, muttering, “Let me see what kind of person you are.” He tried to kick my left shoulder. The strange thing was that his foot slipped down my arm. It was apparent that I was able to withstand the kick because Master protected me. Even so, because I squatted for so long, the toenails on both feet later turned black and fell off. It wasn’t until I returned home and did the exercises for a period of time that new toenails grew back.
I was taken to the Handan No. 3 Detention Center. I went on a hunger strike for 11 days to demand my release. The officer who interrogated me was from my hometown. He was brought up well and had good moral character. He contacted my family and helped get me home safely. I still feel grateful to him even though this happened over 20 years ago.
“Returning to Youthfulness” When Nearly 60
Looking back at the last 31 years, I have experienced the ups and downs of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution and have made it through. I became a completely different person after I started practicing Falun Dafa. All my chronic diseases disappeared, the wrinkles on my face gradually decreased, I was no longer deaf or blind, and I even stopped using reading glasses five years ago. All my teeth are intact. However, my back is slightly hunched.
What’s more amazing is that my white hair is gradually turning black from the top of my scalp down. People are in awe when I tell them my age when I clarify the truth to them. Fellow practitioners who haven’t seen me for many years jokingly say I’m “rejuvenated” when they see me.
I have boundless energy. I feel better than before I practiced Falun Dafa and have not fallen behind in talking to people about the persecution, thereby saving them. I have gone down country roads and climbed the stairs in high-rise buildings to distribute Dafa materials. I also use technology, even at my age. I can make all kinds of truth-clarification stickers, amulets, and exquisite desk calendars.
I will continue to be one of Master’s qualified disciples and continue working diligently.
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