(Minghui.org) I was born into a happy family. My parents had six children, three during the Eastern Front of World War II (1941-1945) and the other three afterward. I was the fifth child and was always regarded as the “ugly duckling” because my sisters and brothers were more attractive.
If there had been more women in labor at the hospital in my village when I was born, people would have thought I was someone else’s child. I was very small and underweight and had wrinkles all over my face—like an old lady. Whether I was hungry, tired, or needed a diaper change, I never cried, which puzzled my mother. It wasn’t until I was three years old that I started to resemble the rest of my family. I’ve always had a good relationship with my parents and we understood each other.
Seeds Sown at a Young Age to Practice Falun Dafa
By the time I was eight, every household had a radio. This was a tremendous change in a remote village like ours. From concerts to news and from weather forecasts to fairy tales, we listened to almost everything on the radio with the exception of programs promoting atheism. Whenever such a program was broadcast, my mother would say, “Turn it off! Those are lies! How shameless!” My mother gave us a very good spiritual foundation because she respected Gods and the divine.
Many traditions were preserved in my family. I respected my elders, took care of the younger ones, and was hardworking. I encountered many life and death situations during my childhood and teen years. My mother later told me that I was frequently on the verge of death but I miraculously survived each time. After I began practicing Falun Dafa and reading the teachings (Fa), I understood that I was protected by Gods since I was young.
First Encounter with Falun Dafa
In 2002, a girl who fixed my computer where I worked gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa. I was intrigued by the title because I’d never heard it before. When I opened the book to the first page and saw the 卍 (srivatsa) symbol, I was stunned and thought, “What did this lady give me?!” I did not know the true meaning of the srivatsa symbol back then and only knew that the (black) swastika was a symbol of fascism. I quickly closed the book and put it on a shelf. I don’t know why I didn’t return it to the lady. I just put it on a shelf and forgot about it.
[Editor’s note: The 卍 (srivatsa) symbol is widely found in ancient Eastern, Western, African, and South American cultures. For the Chinese and people living in Southeast Asia, the srivatsa symbol is often associated with Buddhas and Buddhist scriptures and sculptures. Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, said, “I can disclose to you that the srivatsa 卍 indicates the level of a Buddha’s attainment; only beings who have achieved the divine status of a Buddha have it.” Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun]
I was in my 50s, and my health began to deteriorate. I had a calcium deficiency and in 2004, the doctors said that I had a musculoskeletal disorder. It meant that in six months, I would be sitting in a wheelchair.
I told myself that I wouldn’t burden anyone and I would not end up in a wheelchair. I would find a way to improve my health. I thought of Zhuan Falun, the book that I put on a shelf two years before.
I had no knowledge of any cultivation methods prior to encountering Dafa. Although my parents were religious, they never imposed their beliefs on us. They simply lived according to their conscience and raised us accordingly. After I began to read Zhuan Falun, I understood a lot of things and found the answers to many questions that I’d had since I was a child: “What is the meaning of life?” “Why do I dream about certain things?” “Why do I know in advance what will happen?”
Eliminating My Attachment to Fear
I was happy and excited after I began to practice Falun Dafa. I wanted to tell my friends and family and the people at work how wonderful Falun Dafa is. I realized I needed to be rational when my older sister criticized me. I saw my attachment to zealotry. I was reading Master’s other lectures at that time and understood that I needed to use my wisdom to tell people about Dafa.
But after my older sister criticized me, I was afraid to tell people about Falun Dafa. It almost seemed like I was being controlled by my feelings and emotions. I needed to overcome this fear of communicating with people. So, at group practice sites, I took the initiative to distribute materials about Falun Dafa and I answered people’s questions. It wasn’t until I realized that I could answer anything people asked, including things that upset me, that I passed on the responsibility of distributing flyers.
Telling Chinese People about Falun Dafa
During an online experience sharing in 2007, a practitioner in Siberia suggested that we should clarify the truth in Chita, a big city in Russia, since there were many Chinese construction workers there. He suggested that we tell them about Falun Dafa and the persecution and that some Russians also practiced Falun Dafa. I decided to participate in this activity since I was off work in June and July. I called up a practitioner in Irkutsk and we decided to go to Chita together.
Taking a train to Chita meant that I would have to spend four days on the road, so I bought an airplane ticket instead. After purchasing my ticket, the practitioner from Irkutsk said that she couldn’t go. I was troubled, and my attachment of fear surfaced once again. I told myself that I was not capable of going alone and I hoped that someone else might go with me.
Before I started to practice Falun Dafa, I often got very sick and even got pneumonia whenever my hands and feet were cold. After I began practicing, I seldom got sick.
Then, just as I made the decision to cancel or postpone my plane ticket, I had symptoms of severe cold allergies in June. My coworkers were worried and suggested that I stay home and rest. I asked myself, “Where did these symptoms come from? What did I do wrong?” I realized that it was not my true intention to change my plane ticket. It was the attachment of fear and lack of self-esteem that interfered with me.
I immediately told myself, “I will fly to Chita! I can do this!” I’d gained experience in clarifying the truth to government officials with our local coordinator. Therefore, I was determined to fly by myself to clarify the truth to the government officials, law enforcement, and Chinese construction workers. My illness symptoms disappeared miraculously, and the practitioner from Irkutsk called me the next day to say that she was able to go to Chita after all. I enlightened that it was important to have righteous thoughts.
Experiencing Master’s Protection During Our Trip
The practitioner and I met in Chita. We stayed next to a hotel where many Chinese officials lived. We read the Fa and practiced the exercises in the evenings and discussed our plans. We planned to first clarify the truth to government officials, then go to a nearby Chinese construction site, and then take a taxi to another Chinese construction site in the suburbs. Siberian Falun Dafa practitioners prepared ample copies of the Epoch Times for us.
We successfully clarified the truth to government officials the first day and left them many copies of truth-clarification materials and also our contact information.
We asked the staff at the front desk of our hotel how to get to the construction sites in the city. When we got there, we saw that most of the construction sites were fenced in. Although we were unable to get in, we held the newspapers up at the openings and invited the workers to take them. We placed the newspapers along the fence, and when we came back, they were all gone.
Chita is bleak in the winter and extremely hot in the summer. That summer was no exception. We often felt Master was helping us while we were there. There was a bus stop nearby, and whenever we were tired and wanted to rest, it would rain for 20 to 30 minutes and the heat would go away. We proceeded to the construction site. The Chinese workers somehow knew that we were Falun Dafa practitioners. They shouted, “Falun Dafa! Falun Dafa!” and ran over to us. The newspapers we brought were distributed very quickly.
Another incident left a deep impression on me. Chinese construction workers work all day, from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. We arrived at the construction site around 9 p.m. and saw that there were three locations. The first was a large pit where workers were building the foundation. At the second site, workers built the foundation for the first floor, and at the third location they were building walls. Before we were able to get close to them, a sandstorm wiped up and we couldn’t see a thing. We sent forth righteous thoughts. While reciting the words for sending righteous thoughts, the sandstorm ceased suddenly. The Chinese workers ran towards us and held out their hands, signaling for a copy of the newspaper. Before we left, I looked back and saw ab unforgettable scene. The workers sat on dirt mounds, wooden stools, or on the ground reading the newspapers. Unfortunately, we did not have a cellphone that could take photos.
We distributed newspapers to the Chinese officials staying at the hotel next to us on the last day. The practitioner from Irkutsk went while I stayed at our hotel and sent righteous thoughts. She came back 30 minutes later and said she’d distributed the newspapers.
Elevating Myself While Helping Present the Art of Zhen Shan Ren
I decided to learn more about the artworks in the The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance) International Exhibition so I could be a presenter and explain the artworks during the exhibition. I was able to help bring the beauty of Falun Dafa to people and expose the CCP’s crimes in the persecution by helping host the art exhibition. In the process, I was also able to eliminate many of my attachments such as the mentality of showing off, competitiveness, lack of confidence, and zealotry.
A mother and father and their 7 or 8-year-old son came to the art exhibition. While I was explaining the Falun emblem, the little boy suddenly exclaimed, “Yes, I know. This is a symbol of longevity!”
Hearing what the boy said, I recalled something Master said:
“After the Falun is installed, it won’t come to a stop at any time. It is always turning as I described, always refining you.” (“Teaching the Fa in Beijing at the Zhuan Falun Publication Ceremony,” Explaining the Teachings of Zhuan Falun)
Conclusion
I enlightened that Master has given each and every cultivator an opportunity for eternal life.
I understand that we practitioners are here to cultivate ourselves and help save people. Thank you, Master, for your boundless compassion and protection!
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