(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. I would like to share how this came about.
In 1967, when I was 19, I went to a state-run farm on the frontier as part of the so-called Down to the Countryside Movement (a policy Mao established that sent China’s urban youth to rural areas). At the time, I was full of hope and curiosity about life, and eager to learn from everything I encountered.
Soon after arriving, I learned to fish with a net and always shared what I caught with neighbors and coworkers. As a result, I developed good relationships with them, and they often invited me to their homes for a meal.
When I was 20, a female doctor was transferred to our workplace. She was kind, warm, and approachable. One morning, I caught a big fish and met her on my way back. She said, “Why don’t you give me the fish? I’ll cook it, and you can come over for lunch.” I happily handed it to her.
During lunch, we chatted while we ate. She said, “I have met many young people, but no one is as smart as you. Why don’t you study medicine with me?”
“My education level is low; I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.”
“I think you will do well. I have never misjudged anyone before. Let’s give it a try.”
She gave me a copy of Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine, a book about acupuncture, and a box of acupuncture needles.
That’s how I began teaching myself traditional Chinese medicine. When I was 24, I came across a book on qigong and began studying it as well.
When I was 27, I was transferred to another workplace, where I met an elderly gentleman surnamed Liu. I called him Grandpa Liu. Born during the Qing Dynasty, he was over 90. Because I often treated his family members, Grandpa Liu liked me a lot and treated me really well.
I admired Grandpa Liu’s vast knowledge. He could talk about everything, from ancient history to modern times, from astronomy to geography, and, especially interesting to me, he could predict the future, like Zhuge Liang. I was utterly in awe of him and asked if he would take me as his disciple.
Grandpa Liu said, “No, not yet. In the future, Shi Ba Zi (the three Chinese characters can be combined into the character for Li) will appear to teach the Great Law of the Universe, and you should become his disciple. You will surely succeed.”
He also gave me his precious ancient artifacts, traditional Chinese medicine books, and herbal formulas that he had preserved throughout his life.
When I turned 40, an itinerant Taoist priest came to our workplace. He claimed to be the head of a certain temple and said he could treat people’s illnesses and tell fortunes. People from all over the surrounding countryside came to him for readings, and everyone said his readings were incredibly accurate.
One day, I invited him to my home and asked, “Will you be my master?” He replied, “I’m afraid that won’t work. In a few years, the Holy King of Falun will come to teach the Great Law of the Universe, and you are destined to be his disciple. Your spiritual foundation is very deep. You will succeed.”
Two years later, I was transferred to a city, where I was accidentally injured on the job, leaving my right leg disabled. I had no choice but to earn a living by treating local residents from my home.
One day, an elderly neighbor brought her granddaughter to see me. She told me, “There’s a practice called Falun Dafa that has been spreading in this area. Yesterday, my sister brought me the book Zhuan Falun.”
As soon as I heard the words Zhuan Falun, I immediately thought of the two extraordinary people I had met before. I asked, “Auntie, could you please let me see the book?”
She quickly brought it over and presented it to me with both hands. I opened the book and saw that the author was Li Hongzhi. The Chinese character Li matched what Grandpa Liu had in mind when he said “Shi Ba Zi.”
I exclaimed, “I have found my master!”
I asked, “Could you ask your sister to help me get a copy of Zhuan Falun?”
The next day, her sister brought me the precious book along with Master’s exercise instruction tapes and copies of his recorded lectures. From that moment on, I was fortunate enough to embark on the path of Dafa cultivation.
I began studying traditional Chinese medicine, and later studied the books and prescriptions Grandpa Liu had given me. Traditional Chinese medicine is profound and difficult to master, but I truly enjoy studying it. The deeper I delved into it, the more meaningful I found it.
When I compared the books I had obtained with those published after the Cultural Revolution, the difference was striking. The experts and scholars who came after the Cultural Revolution were educated under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. They were steeped in Party culture, and many of the books they wrote reflected a strong pursuit of fame and profit, a spirit of contention, a desire to show off, and other negative human traits.
Coupled with the influence of Western culture, the literary works, television shows, and movies produced are filled with obscenities, violence, gambling, and have utterly destroyed our traditional Chinese culture. That is why I never read books published today.
After beginning my cultivation, and especially after reading this paragraph from Zhuan Falun,
“Zhang Guolao, one of the Eight Deities, rode backward on his donkey. Few people know why he rode backward on his donkey. He discovered that going forward is moving backward, so he rode the donkey the other way around.” (Lecture Three)
I came to understand that what appears to be moving forward can actually be moving backward. Therefore, I hardly watch TV; never go to movie theaters; do not use a cell phone; and never go to the hospital. I simply keep in mind the three things Master has asked us to do well, hold myself to strict standards, and strive to be a true cultivator.
I have persisted in studying and memorizing the Fa and practicing the exercises every day. In my spare time, I clarify the truth to people. Because I built a solid foundation in cultivation, I improved rapidly by studying the Fa and learned to follow its guidance whenever I encountered difficulties or conflicts. No matter how great the trials or difficulties I faced in my cultivation, I remained steadfast and overcame one trial after another.