(Clearwisdom.net) I was fortunate enough to join two classes taught directly by the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Honghzhi, in Jinan, China in June 1994, and in Guangzhou, also in 1994. Each time I think of Teacher's countenance and smile, tears well up in my eyes and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. The only way for me to return Teacher's compassion and salvation is to be diligent in my cultivation practice!
On the morning of June 11, 1994, Teacher started the first of the nine-day Falun Gong classes in Zhenzhou, Henan Province. In the evening, Teacher repeated the class. He had all the students feel a Falun rotating in their palms and cleansed every student's body. Teacher also cured the illness of every student's family member unconditionally.
My first impression of Teacher was that he was very compassionate and kind. As each day passed, I felt more and more that Teacher was the very one that I had been looking for and that I must follow Teacher until the end of my life. At the time, I was very much under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) atheism. Even though I didn't have a good understanding of Teacher's Fa lectures, I felt in my heart that I had made the right decision to follow Teacher.
The venue for the classes in Zhenzhou was quite shabby. It was very hot, and there was not even a fan for Teacher. Yet Teacher did not look displeased at all and he did not take any break during the two-hour lecture. After the class, Teacher told the students to leave first because it was very hot, but all the students stood up, quietly looked at Teacher and waited for Teacher to leave first. When Teacher came down from the stage, the students backed off to create a path for him. When Teacher passed me by I felt very secure. Teacher did not leave the place. Instead, he went up the staircase so that all the students could see him when they exited the place. When Teacher finally exited, the students were very calm. No one went up to him. Instead, we stood quietly on the sidewalk to watch him leave. After a long time, I finally realized that Teacher had started treating us as his disciples as early as the class started. Teacher thinks about us all the time and tries to meet our expectations all the time. Teacher does not think of himself. This is how I interpreted his speeches and actions during the classes, but I'm sure there must be more that I didn't understand.
At the end of December 1994, I attended Teacher's final class in Guangzhou. I arrived in Guangzhou on the day of the first class, but there were no tickets left. In the evening, those who did not have any tickets were standing in line at the square, waiting for any possibility of getting into the class. We heard that Teacher allowed those without tickets to get into the stadium. However, the Guangzhou Qigong Association objected due to the lack of profit. Teacher checked on us before the class started. We were very excited, but we remained orderly in the line. In the end, we went into a neighboring hall to watch the broadcast.
On a Sunday afternoon Teacher decided to give three classes to help us save expenses on accommodations and food. Teacher gave one class in the morning and two classes in the afternoon. During the recess, Teacher paid us a surprise visit. We were very surprised when someone shouted, "Here comes Teacher!" We all stood up and gathered around Teacher, quietly looking at him. Only a young student asked Teacher a few questions. After Teacher left, a staff member from the qigong association returned and gave us an explanation on the arrangements for those without tickets. Actually, no explanation was needed. We all knew that Teacher felt sorry that he could not let us in, and that he knew we all wanted to see him.
The CCP began spreading lies about Teacher and Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. Those who have met Teacher in person know the real truth. Teacher always thinks about other people. Teacher is always selfless.
The tickets were 50 yuan for the first time and 25 yuan after that. Teacher repeatedly negotiated with the publisher to lower the price of Zhuan Falun. A friend of mine told me that he paid 300 yuan for a class with a qigong master in Xi'an, but he learned nothing at all and only saw people rolling around the floor. There are a lot of famous books nowadays that will cost at least 50 yuan, but the CCP does not accuse these authors "collecting profits."
When I ran into big tests or something that bothered me before 1999, I would look at Teacher's photo or think of Teacher's countenance or smile. Then tears would come down my face. Nothing could bother me when I have such a wonderful Teacher. I have had a lot of trials and errors, but I have managed to prevail over them because of Teacher's encouragement.
When the CCP started to suppress Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, the Chinesse media kept broadcasting hate propaganda against Falun Gong and Teacher. I didn't believe any of it. I believe that Teacher is the most righteous and Falun Gong is the most righteous. Falun Gong is a righteous cultivation practice that will never come again.
I once succumbed to fear and took a detour, but Teacher did not give up on me. With help from fellow practitioners, I overcame the shadow of imprisonment and started doing the Three Things again. After I started practicing Falun Gong again, I felt that I had let Teacher down. Teacher saved me from hell, purified my soul, and gave me the honor of being a Falun Gong practitioner in the Fa-rectification period, but I wasn't able to do the Three Things that Teacher has required of me. I feel ashamed of myself whenever I think of it!
I decided to write this article to encourage myself to become more diligent in doing the Three Things in the final stage of saving sentient beings, so as to save more people and return home with Teacher.