(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997. I grew up in a poor family who subsisted at the lowest level of society. I turned 45 this year. Because of the way I grew up, I was too shy to talk in public, as I feared being ridiculed. So I had become an introvert. In a society where people commonly cheat, scheme to harm others, fight for fame and profit, and are jealous, stress had a detrimental effect on my health. I suffered chronic stomach pain, osteophytosis, insomnia, migraines, chronic inflammation of the shoulder joint and other illnesses.
I had a difficult time believing in religion. This changed when my aunt, who lives quite far away, introduced me to Falun Dafa. Metaphorically speaking, it was just like rain after a long drought. With her help and guidance, I diligently studied the Fa and learned the five sets of exercises, and within less than six months I noticed a big change in myself. The illnesses that had tortured me for years were bothering me less and less. I not only became healthy and strong, but also changed my outlook on life. I understood that all my suffering was caused by karma that had accumulated from previous lives. I was quite clear that I had to let go of my attachments to fame, gain, and sentiment, and I realized that the real purpose of life is to return to one's original true self. Once I understood the reasoning of the Fa, I became healthy and happy. Others who had known me said, "It seems like you've become a different person."
I feel very fortunate, because I've become a practitioner of Falun Dafa, a practice that one may not come across in thousands of years. I now always feel warm in my heart, and I can barely suppress my joy and excitement. I can't remember a time when people have had an opportunity to benefit from such a good thing. But it's different, today. Teacher's Dafa and the compassionate Buddha's light shines everywhere, regardless of social classes, rich or poor, and upper or lower class. No human words can express my gratitude to Teacher for his compassion and saving me. The only way I can come close to repaying Teacher is to melt into the Fa and be diligent in my cultivation.
Once I practiced Falun Dafa, I saw its magnificence and supernatural powers, and ever since, I've been telling everyone around me about the greatness of the practice. There are quite a few people who learned about this practice from me, including my husband, and over time, the number kept growing. For this reason, I became an assistant, and turned our home into a practice site. This allowed people to meet at a convenient place, practice the exercises and study the Fa. We helped each other, and those who were not well educated learned to read and understand the book Zhuan Falun. They all felt the truly supernatural power of Falun Dafa. I belief that our compassionate Teacher opened up the wisdom of practitioners so they could cultivate and practice together, share experiences, and elevate themselves. Fellow practitioners improved and quickly raised their moral character. At our practice site, we helped and cared for one another and treated each other respectfully. The whole atmosphere was very cordial. Days of happiness could be remembered for a long time.
In July 1999, the infamous persecution of Falun Gong was launched against us. It was due to former dictator Jiang's jealousy. He fabricated stories to keep the persecution alive. We were unable to reason with those who followed Jiang's steps closely, and they were broadcasting misleading propaganda against Falun Dafa and our most righteous and benevolent Teacher. During that time, our hearts felt extremely heavy, and we felt as if a mountain was pressing down on us. When none of us knew how to react or what to do, Teacher's new article "Towards Consummation" (June 17, 2000) was published. Fellow practitioners and I diligently studied the new lecture over and over again. After exchanging thoughts based on the Fa we began letting go of attachments, and therefore we were able to begin explaining the truth of Falun Dafa to non-practitioners. We hoped that we could save more and more sentient beings.
I was arrested by police while passing out truth-clarifying materials and detained in the local detention center. I met many local practitioners in that place. Most of them were arrested while appealing for their right to practice Falun Gong, granted under the Chinese Constitution. We were in prison for the same reason--validating the Fa, telling the truth and hoping to save sentient beings. Even though we didn't know each other, it was just like meeting long lost relatives, because our hearts strove to achieve the same goal. There were no barriers between us. Our hearts were bleeding because Dafa was wronged, and we encouraged and consoled one another. We persisted in reciting the Fa and doing the exercises.
The guards tried to stop us from practicing Falun Gong, but I just ignored them. They kicked and punched me, shocked me with an electric baton and cruelly tortured me, but regardless of how I suffered I remained firm in my faith in Dafa.
There was a criminal inmate called Jiemei (fictitious name). She was in prison because she killed her lover. She rarely stopped crying and when she did stop she behaved like a crazy person. The prison ward was full of practitioners, and there were only a few non-practitioners. We treated non-practitioner inmates according to what we had learned from practicing Falun Dafa: Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. We told them that returning to one's original, true self is the real purpose of life. Gradually, Falun Dafa's principles made an impact on Jiemei, and she began smiling again. Later, she joined us reciting Teacher's lectures, and she even wanted to learn the exercises. When a guard found out that she was also practicing Falun Dafa, she was taken for interrogation, "Jiemei, you now are committing another crime. You're a committed killer and now you are practicing Falun Gong. You will never be released, ever." Jiemei answered, "The principles of Falun Gong are Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance. They teach people to be good and kind. They don't allow killing. Had I learned this practice, I wouldn't have killed him." Jiemei's response made the guard speechless. She was no longer monitored, and was released after 8-months of detention.
Jiemei told us, "Had I not become a practitioner, I would have become insane while in prison." She is now a firm and diligent practitioner. She clarifies the truth and encourages people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Because of her efforts, thirty-eight people quit the CCP during one period alone.
Throughout these years, the CCP minions did not give us a day of peace. Police and CCP minions broke into our homes and demanded that we pay fines, attend brainwashing sessions, or be taken to brainwashing centers. Since my husband and I both are firm practitioners, we became homeless to avoid being persecuted. We had to leave our home and children. In 2002, we didn't return home for the lunar year family gathering. Our two children knew that Falun Dafa was good, and they benefited from their parents practicing Falun Gong. They have not been sick during the entire nine years of our practicing Falun Gong. They have been good children. They did not complain and were concerned for the safety of their parents. They were waiting patiently for our return.
In the spring of 2003, the CCP minions were conducting a mass arrest. My home was searched without a search warrant, all Dafa materials and books were confiscated, and my husband was arrested. I wasn't at home at the time. When I returned home, they came to arrest me too. I came to understand that practitioners, as one body, hadn't raised our levels high enough; therefore, the evil took advantage of our loopholes, causing some damage to the Fa-ratification. While being held in the Public Security Bureau, I felt awful about this situation, so I kept sending forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate those evil elements and Communist spirits that controlled the police. Also, I clarified the truth to the police about Dafa and how I benefited from it. They seemed as if they understood some of what I said. Therefore, they didn't harm me. I knew then that Teacher was protecting me.
My husband told me after he came back home that after the CCP minions took him to the police station, several guards took turns interrogating him about the source of truth-clarifying materials, and tried to force him to write the three statements. He was brutally beaten when he refused to cooperate. But he maintained strong righteous thoughts, reciting over and over again Teacher's "Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions" (May 29, 2002, from Hong Yin, Volume II)." When the guards beat him, he felt only numb and warm and did not feel any pain, but those who beat him felt pain. They couldn't even raise their arms. Therefore, they became scared and stopped beating him." We realized that our Teacher was protecting him and suffered for him.
Afterward, I was taken to the local brainwashing center. There were over twenty practitioners already detained there, and I thought that this was a perfect opportunity for our levels to be raised. Once my fellow practitioners calmed down, we were able to study and recite the Fa and judge ourselves with the standards of the Fa. We discovered many attachments, and we realized that our actions had not been based on the Fa, which allowed the evil to take advantage of our loopholes. Through exchanging thoughts, we concluded that as long as we abided by Teacher's words, and did the three things well, we would be protected. We all said that we must learn from this lesson and use this opportunity to correct all our wrong actions and establish a good cultivation environment in this area. A few days before the brainwashing class ended, we were asked to write the so-called guarantee statements to renounce cultivation. However, we all wrote statements reaffirming our solid faith in Falun Dafa, and how we all benefited from practicing Falun Gong.
After the head of the 610 Office read our statements, he was so angry that his mouth fumed. He said that this class shouldn't have been held. They blamed each other for their failures to brainwash us, but they also blamed me for being the leader of the group. Therefore I was put in the detention center for another month. It was just like Teacher said,
"Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good." ("To the Chicago Fa Conference," June 25, 2007)
Since then, the cultivation environment in our area has changed a great deal, and has now become more relaxed. We have group practice and Fa study daily, and the number of new practitioners is continually increasing. Fellow practitioners share experiences during Fa study. We look within ourselves whenever there are problems, do the three things as Teacher requires, and collectively raise our levels.
I truly believe that as long as we have strong and solid faith in Teacher and Falun Dafa, our cultivation and our paths will broaden and become safer.
I am not a well-educated person. Therefore, please kindly point out if I deviated from the Fa.
October 18, 2007