(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998, and I’m now 67 years old. I had several illnesses, including hyperthyroidism, heart disease, a neurological disease, and vertigo. They disappeared after I began practicing.
I read Zhuan Falun every day, and had some amazing experiences. For example, the characters in the line I was reading would sparkle with colorful lights, and the colors kept changing. Sometimes the entire line had a red glow, then after a while, a green glow. The next time I studied the Fa every character turned into a small and spinning Falun. It was miraculous, and I was determined to cultivate diligently.
Losing My Job Due to the Persecution
I taught at a mining school kindergarten for 21 years and was rated a first-class preschool teacher. In July 1999, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Dafa I faced all kinds of pressure and financial persecution. The school’s CCP secretary repeatedly asked me to sign the “Five Statements” that I would stop practicing Dafa. I refused every time.
In 2003, the elementary section of our school was re-organized to be managed under the city government. The elementary school teachers were then categorized as “civil servants” and their salaries almost doubled. The kindergarten teachers were on track to become civil servants and everyone was looking forward to the changes. In June, the school CCP secretary brought a municipal document to the kindergarten office for the kindergarten principal to read, and then called me in to read it. The document stated that teachers were not allowed to practice Falun Dafa; otherwise, they would be transferred.
The CCP secretary asked me to state my position. I was very clear: I will never give up cultivation. I said, “Falun Dafa is a wonderful practice. It teaches people to be good and follow Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Before I practiced I was hospitalized every year. I became very healthy after I started practicing. In my work, I act according to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and I care for the children wholeheartedly. The principal and parents all acknowledge this.”
A few days later, the CCP secretary spoke to me privately, and demanded that I sign the statement to promise not to practice Dafa; otherwise I would not be admitted into the municipal civil servant system. Even with such a large personal interest at stake, I refused to give up my belief.
The secretary later called me in and said, “Your ex-husband came to me, asking me to help prevent you from being transferred out of the school. He and I were in the same production team in the countryside. Your life is difficult, and you still need to support your son. Out of consideration for my old acquaintance I’ve thought of a way: let your ex-husband sign the ‘Five Statements’ for you. Then you won’t have to sign it, and you won’t be transferred out of the school. That would solve a big problem. If others ask, just don’t tell them.”
I replied, “I cannot agree. We’ve been divorced for many years, and my faith is my personal choice. It’s useless for anyone else to sign it. No one can change my belief.”
I was transferred out of the school system. I lost the chance to become a civil servant but I have no regrets. My life was given by Master. It was Master who granted me health and taught me the meaning of life. Nothing can change my faith.
I was then assigned to the mining complex factory. It was meant to pressure me, as the work was very heavy and hard for a woman. I knew the old forces were manipulating people to do bad things. I realized that I cannot acknowledge this arrangement. I did nothing wrong, and I would not accept it. So I did not go to work. For eight months, I had no income. I knew I needed to stay strong and endure it.
My husband and I have been divorced for years. He never paid any child support, so the financial burden of raising our child fell on me. Life was very difficult. The CCP tried to crush me financially to force me to give up practicing, but I would never compromise. I sold steamed buns and dumplings to support my son who was in high school. It wasn’t easy. Since I had no fixed spot, I pushed the cart through the streets and alleys, calling out to sell the food. Rainy days were even harder. Sometimes I saw acquaintances and felt embarrassed. I was afraid of being laughed at.
I repeatedly went to the 610 Office to demand a proper arrangement. They sent me to the coal selection plant.
Validating Dafa at Work
The work at the coal selection plant was very difficult. My shift started at 6 a.m., and I was busy all day. The previous evening shift left many carloads of coal gangue, which we had to unload and separate. During the selection process, the workers often quarreled. I held myself to the standard of a cultivator, and tried to be as fair as possible by listening to everyone’s opinion. I often talked to them and helped them. When I clarified the truth to them, many agreed to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
People came to steal coal, and I had to drive them away. As soon as I drove one group away, another would come, and they cursed at me. Every day I ran back and forth under the sun and wind, covered in dust. It was bitter and exhausting.
In winter, heating was needed for the rooms. Each shift had to provide their own coal. I worked the morning shift, while the afternoon and night shifts were handled by two male coworkers whose health was poor. Remembering that I was a cultivator, I often prepared coal for their shifts as well. This increased my workload, and I had to prepare at least two carts of coal every day. Picking coal piece by piece from the stone piles was not easy. It was dirty and exhausting. Through my actions I once again validated Dafa and those two coworkers were moved. When I clarified the truth to them they both agreed to quit the CCP’s Youth League and the Young Pioneers.
Some people gave gifts to the director. I never did. As a cultivator, I knew I must follow the standards of Dafa and not the standards of ordinary people. The director thus often made things difficult for me. Someone once reported the director for embezzling money because she sold coal, collected the money, and kept the accounts herself. I sometimes cleaned her office and tended the stove, so I frequently saw her. She thought I reported her so she cursed at me every day.
I treated myself as a cultivator. My heart was calm and pure. No matter how she acted, I behaved as if nothing happened. I just worked as usual, greeted her with a smile, and talked to her normally. I never tried to explain anything to her, because it had nothing to do with me. As a cultivator, one must be kind to everyone. I just validated Dafa through my actions. In the end she quit the Youth League and Young Pioneers.
My Mother Received Blessings for Believing in Dafa
I have seven siblings. After my father passed away, I asked my mother to live with me. She was 78 then, in poor health, had heart disease, cerebral atrophy, and leg pain that left her unable to walk or care for herself. I hadn’t yet retired, so I hired a nanny to care for her. Because of her cerebral atrophy, she often cursed at people, and frightened the nanny.
After I retired, I read Dafa books to my mother every day and took good care of her. She often wet or soiled herself, and since I had no washing machine, I hand-washed everything, including her quilts and bedding. After two years, my mother’s health gradually improved. Her heart disease was gone, and she could talk and eat normally.
Although she remained in bed and was unable to care for herself, her mind was clear. I taught her to recite, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” which she recited often. When she suddenly became very ill and I sat with her and recited, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” The next day, a miracle occurred – she was able to eat rice porridge and her condition gradually improved. Since then, she was never again hospitalized. She received blessings from believing in Dafa.
I am very grateful for Master’s compassionate salvation! Thank you, Master!
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