(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa on February 23, 1999. I’m 81 years old and live in a rural, mountainous region. I only completed elementary school.
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Dafa began only five months after I started practicing. Since then, for more than 20 years, no matter how difficult the situation, I’ve never stopped telling people the truth about Dafa and assisting Master Li Hongzhi (Falun Dafa’s founder) with saving people. This has only been possible under his compassionate protection and Dafa’s guidance. Only by studying the Fa well can we fulfill our missions as Dafa disciples.
Making the Right Choice
Shortly after I began to study the teachings of Dafa, I understood that illnesses and misfortunes all come from karma. Fighting for personal gain is not the purpose of life; the real purpose is to cultivate, achieve consummation (enlightenment), and return to our original homes in heaven.
Every sentence of the Fa is true. For example, Master said he would purify disciples’ bodies. Before practicing Dafa, I suffered from many health issues, including rhinitis, headaches, dizziness, ear and leg pain, and an inability to eat. Doctors tried all kinds of things but to no avail. But after less than a month of practicing Dafa, all these health problems that had plagued me for 20 to 30 years disappeared. I was able to eat again, and I felt so light when I worked in the fields. From then on, I made up my mind to always listen to Master and do what he asks us to.
I tried to study the Fa as much as I could, including Zhuan Falun, Essentials for Further Advancement, and Master’s early lectures and was able to enlighten to many of the Fa principles. The righteous thought of firmly cultivating Dafa was deeply rooted in my heart.
Ten thousand Dafa disciples went to Beijing on April 25, 1999, to peacefully appeal against the CCP’s slanderous propaganda and persecution. I thought, “No matter how big the obstacles I encounter, I will continue to practice Dafa. Even if others stop practicing, I will continue.”
On July 20, 1999, the police and government officials in our town went to harass all Dafa practitioners and ransacked their homes. Every practitioner was pressured to hand in statements to give their stance on Falun Dafa. The most fundamental test for a cultivator had arrived! Everyone had to make a choice. Some were afraid, bowed their heads to the evil side, and gave in. By recalling Master’s words, “Be resolute cultivating Dafa, the mind unstirred” (“True Character Revealed,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress II) I was inspired to make the most important choice in my life.
Following Master’s Guidance
After the persecution started, practitioners entered the period of Fa-rectification cultivation, in which we resist the persecution and help Master save sentient beings. We lost the large practice site and the group Fa-study environment in my town. Only four of us were still silently persevering, but none of us knew what to do about the dire situation at hand.
A practitioner went to his hometown and brought back some truth-clarification pamphlets. This was when we found out about this method to publicly reach out to the people around us. We used our own money to make many copies and distributed them. Our understanding was limited to appealing for justice for Dafa and Master. As we stumbled to move forward, Master published “The Heart Itself Is Clear” (Hong Yin Vol. II) to guide us. From then on, other lectures were handed down to us one after another. We felt that Master was with us during the mad persecution, constantly enlightening us and making us understand that the purpose of telling people about the persecution is to validate Dafa, expose the evil nature of the CCP, and save sentient beings.
Several of us formed one body. One practitioner would regularly go to the city to pick up new materials, then we would go out and distribute them. That practitioner was once detained and persecuted. We lost our source of materials and were very worried. So we decided to write brief messages on banners and truth-clarification articles with our limited education, and we posted or distributed them.
We wrote, “Hello, kind friends. Please remember 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, Falun Dafa is good.' Don’t believe Jiang Zemin’s lies that slander Falun Dafa. The self-immolation incident was staged. Don’t oppose Falun Dafa and don’t participate in the persecution, as doing so will harm both you and your family. Dafa’s Master is here to teach the Fa to save people. Believing that Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good will protect you when disaster strikes, and you will be safe and blessed. Please find out the truth about Falun Dafa. You have been waiting for thousands of years for this opportunity to be saved.”
After reading the materials or our homemade banners and short articles, many people thanked us, saying, “We would not have realized who is good and who is bad if you didn’t tell us.” We asked them to thank Dafa’s Master.
When the fellow practitioner was released, we were able to get materials again. But we did not have enough, so I would go to the print shop and make 300-500 copies at a time. Even though I was quite poor, I did not mind spending the money to help save people.
Despite Being Unable to Return Home, I Continued to Spread the Fa
Another practitioner gave me Master’s lecture “Hurry Up and Speak” (Hong Yin Vol. II). I later obtained the newer lecture “Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World’s People” (The Essentials of Diligent Progress III). From studying these, I realized how urgent it was to save people. Practitioners in China should step forward despite the danger and clarify the truth to people. Master has told us to save people this way, so we must strive to do that:
“… bringing it to every field and valley, mountain and hill, not omitting a single area where there are people.” (“Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World’s People,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III).
I went to the markets in different towns and villages near and far, talking to people face to face and distributing truth-clarification materials. There were very few buses in the rural areas and, most times, I had to walk dozens of miles back and forth. But when I thought of Master asking us to “Seize the moment to rescue and save—hurry up and speak” (“Hurry Up and Speak,” Hong Yin Vol. II), I didn’t feel tired and never wavered in the freezing temperatures of winter or the extreme heat of summer.
In April 2003, I was reported to the authorities, and a dozen police officers from the neighboring town came in three vehicles to arrest me. I wasn’t home at the time, but they still ransacked my place. They took my copy of Zhuan Falun and other Dafa books, fliers I’d written, and amulets. When I returned home, my husband said, “They told you to report to the police station and said they would return to arrest you.”
I thought, “Dafa disciples are on a mission to save people, so I can’t be arrested. I’m not supposed to be in prison.” I asked Master to help protect me and, before dawn, I took some clothes and went to the home of a relative.
I moved to a different relative’s home every month. I would first explain the truth about the evil nature of the CCP to them, then say why I had to leave my home. They were all sympathetic and supported me. I helped my relatives do farm work during the day and on days it rained, I wrote truth-clarifying phrases on cardboard, so that people could put them in their pockets without messing up the paper. I wrote with my heart, making sure I wrote neatly. When I handed them to people, I asked them to show it to their friends and family.
I also went to the surrounding towns where my relatives lived to put up hand-made banners and clarify the truth. In the evenings, I sent forth righteous thoughts, studied the Fa, and did the exercises. I stayed with four relatives for half a year in total, and I reached out to people in 11 towns. In our vast mountainous area, there were no practitioners in many places, so it was urgent that the villagers get correct information and understand the truth.
I decided to go home one day after dark. My husband told me that, while I was gone, the police came seven times to arrest me, and said they would come again. The danger was still there. What should I do? I asked Master for help and sent righteous thoughts more vigorously to clear away the evil beings and factors that manipulated those people who persecute Dafa practitioners.
I continued to study the Fa, do the exercises, send righteous thoughts, and write fliers during the day. When I had enough fliers to distribute, I would go stay with my relatives for a few days and pass them out. I would then return home to write more.
After a while, I was able to get materials from other practitioners again. I was very happy and asked my husband to make 300 copies each time. I took sufficient materials to my relatives and stayed for a few days, then came back to get more.
Two seniors lived next door. The police told them to call whenever they saw me at home. They would get a few hundred yuan if they did. It was still very dangerous, and I couldn’t stay at home for long. But this did not stop me from clarifying the truth and saving people for one moment. I went home in the dark and left before dawn with the materials on my back. I did this for two years, and the police came 13 times looking for me. Under Master’s protection, they were never able to arrest me, and they never noticed what I was doing.
As time went on, I realized that Dafa disciples should be upright and not sneak around like this for long periods of time. So I asked Master to help me while I continued to send righteous thoughts to break through the old forces’ persecution. With Master’s blessing, I finally broke through and returned home.
Clarifying the Truth for 20 Years
As the Fa-rectification continued to advance, helping people quit the CCP and its youth organizations became part of our efforts. The materials we distributed also became richer in type and content. There were books and CDs of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, Shen Yun performance VCDs, amulets, and all kinds of beautifully-made fliers and booklets. During the day, I walked as far as I could to distribute them in other villages and towns. At night, I distributed them around my town. I also went to a distant relative’s home for a few days to distribute them. I even delivered them to the town governments, village committees, and police stations. I especially hoped that those officials and police who participated in the persecution would understand the truth, stop committing crimes, and treat Dafa disciples kindly.
I was illegally detained for 14 days in 2012. On the day of my release, I went to my relative’s house to pick up the materials I’d stored there and distributed them the next day.
When clarifying the truth and asking people to quit the CCP, I talked about the beauty of Dafa, the staged self-immolation incident, and the nature of the CCP’s previous political movements. I told people that heaven will eliminate the CCP and one could only stay safe by withdrawing from it. I explained that I was sincerely thinking of their own good, and hoped they could cherish their lives and have a bright future.
I said those words with a compassionate heart, and I was truly thinking of others, so many people accepted the truth, and some were really touched. People repeatedly thanked me, and some insisted on buying me things or offered me money to express their gratitude, while some wanted to help cover my travel expenses. I still remember that two years ago, a gentleman said to me, “I have been looking for this [Falun Dafa] for 10 years.”
I have been arrested several times. Each time, I was released after clarifying the truth to the authorities with compassion.
Persevering Through a Very Difficult Family Situation
From the end of 2021 into early 2022, I encountered great tribulations in my family. At that time, the CCP carried out the so-called “Zero-Out Campaign.” Seven police officers came to my home to harass me. I wasn’t home at the time, but they took the copy of Zhuan Falun that was on the table and said they would return.
The next afternoon, those officers hid behind my sons and pushed them to try to convince me to give up my belief. I have four sons and nine grandchildren. Some of my grandchildren are civil servants, some are in college, and some are preparing for college entrance exams. Government officials and the police threatened my sons and daughters-in-law, saying that if I didn’t sign the “transformation” document to agree that I would stop practicing Falun Dafa, the future of my grandchildren would be affected. My eldest son’s son is a civil servant, which is a very difficult position for rural people to get. They threatened him, saying that his son would lose that job and be sent back to work as a farmer. It looked as if the futures of my grandchildren were in the hands of the CCP and tied to me.
My four sons, along with two daughters-in-law, broke into my home and forced me to take out everything related to Dafa and wanted to destroy it. Without letting me explain, my eldest son slapped my face several times, pulled my ears, and cursed me. He said, “You study Dafa and have talked to people for 20-some years. What have you gained? You’re close to 80, yet you go out in the rain and heat. What seniors are like you? Who listens to you and believes you these days?” He then ordered his brothers to search for Dafa books and items and get rid of them.
My sons forbade me from going out to clarify the truth. Every time my eldest son came over, he slapped me very hard, leaving blood on my face, and he hit my legs with sticks, bruising my legs and knees. The police once called him in to see a supposed video recording of me walking outside at night. He was so furious that he beat me really badly. Another time, he heard that I went to make copies of materials and pulled my ear so hard that it began to detach and bleed profusely. He even threatened to bury me alive.
One of my sons and daughters-in-law once pushed me down to grab a book from me, fracturing my femoral head. My leg was swollen, and the pain was so unbearable that I couldn’t stand up.
No matter how great the family tribulations were, they were not as serious as Dafa disciples helping Master to save people. When my sons came and ransacked my home, I couldn’t stop them from destroying the Dafa books and materials. I was very sad. Fortunately, more than 1,000 copies that I’d brought home the previous day, including fliers, amulets, USB flash drives, and QR code cards for breaking through the Internet firewall, were intact. I distributed all these precious materials over several nights in a row.
The great harm caused by family sentimentality did not stop me. Saving sentient beings is the top priority. For a period of time while my sons were watching me closely, I was not able to get in contact with other practitioners and did not have any materials. So, once again, I wrote truth-clarification phrases on cards and distributed them whenever I had the opportunity. While visiting relatives with my husband, I stayed there for a few days and took the opportunity to go talk to people at the markets. During that year, I distributed more than 1,000 truth-clarification cards.
Studying the Fa Well Is Fundamental
A weak, thin, and very ordinary rural old woman like me was able to withstand severe persecution by the government and violent tribulations within my family. It was only possible by studying Master’s Fa well. With the Fa in my heart, I’m full of righteous thoughts and confidence. Every time I go out, I recite Lunyu and Master’s Fa and feel joyful along the way. I am honored to be a Dafa practitioner and assist Master.
With the Fa rooted within me, ordinary and distracting thoughts naturally fade away. No matter how much time is left, I simply don’t think about it. I’m focused on spreading the truth of Dafa to the thousands of households at every corner in every town. I hope that more people can be saved. Year after year, day after day, from morning to night, I never slack off. I don’t have any regrets, and I don’t have any complaints.
From the decision I made when the persecution started on July 20, 1999, through more than 20 years of continuing to cultivate amidst so many big and small tribulations, I was only able to move forward because of Master’s protection and Dafa’s guidance. I truly understand why Master repeatedly tells us to study the Fa more and study the Fa well.
In April and May of 2021, I saw Udumbara flowers on the bamboo branches holding up my cucumber vines. I also saw them on the cowpeas I planted.
I’m so grateful for Master’s compassionate protection and encouragement all along the way. Thank you, Master!
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
