(Minghui.org) I have practiced Falun Dafa for 17 years. I would like to share my experiences and thank Teacher for his immense grace.
The luckiest thing that ever happened to me was when I learned about Falun Dafa at the age of 47. Before that, I always wondered why I was here on earth, why I had so much bad luck in my life, what kind of person is a good person, and what I was living for. Many answers were available to me, but I knew none of them were true.
During the cultural revolution, as a poor farmer I was “re-educated”. I learned nothing valuable, but how to be ruthless and evil. When I started working, I learned how to be treacherous and hurtful. The more I struggled with others, the more angry and resentful I became. I got so tired and disappointed with my life, and blamed everything that happened to me on others. I also had a lot of ailments.
In the end, I turned to a Buddhist and learned Buddhist philosophy. I still could not figure out what made a person a good person and the purpose of life. I believed that those who hurt me were bad people and those who did not hurt me were good. This ideology changed on March 25, 1995.
That day, I saw the book Zhuan Falun at a coworker's house and borrowed it. My wife and son were not home. I washed my hands carefully, because I did not want to smudge the book. I sat on the couch and finished reading it. Without knowing it, I burst into tears and was sobbing. That day, I understood the truth about life and I decided to practice this truth of the universe.
The next day, I returned the book. Another coworker got me a copy of the book and Teacher's picture. I read the book for two more days and a miracle happened. A stream of energy was twirling in my lower abdomen. I lay down on the bed trying to feel it as it turned clockwise nine times and counter clockwise nine times. Teacher had given me a Falun, and I was very excited. I decided to learn the exercises the next day.
I left home before dawn, heading to a practice site. It was dark and I couldn't find it. A woman went past me. I figured she might be a practitioner and hence followed her. I was behind her the whole time. When I got to the site, she was telling others that she was stalked by a gang member. We all laughed after I explained myself.
As soon as I did the exercises, I felt energy moving in my body. I felt really warm when I did the second exercise (Falun Standing Stance) and I felt a Falun turning between my arms. I was so excited that I screamed. That night I went to a study group to listen to Teacher's lecture and learn the fifth exercise. From then on, I studied the teachings and did the exercises every day.
My xinxing elevated. At work, I carefully finished the work I was given and stopped complaining and being picky. At home, I respected and cared for my parents, I treated my wife and son kindly, and I got along with my neighbors. I became forgiving and helpful toward others. When I dumped my garbage, I picked up and dumped that of my neighbor's in passing. At a friend's wedding, while others threw candy wrappers and fruit peels on the ground, I picked them up and put them in a garbage can before I left.
As my xinxing improved, my ailments disappeared. My energy column grew fast. I could feel the energy on my head spiraling up. When I slept, I felt my body being light and floating. I could see different colors with my third eye, objects in other dimensions, and Falun spinning like a fan.
During that time, I really wanted to see Teacher in person. I envied those who had attended Teacher's lectures. Teacher was overseas at that time and I could not afford to travel. My wish was finally answered on July 26, 1998. I will never forget that day, the happiest day of my life, when I was able to listen to Teacher lecturing in person. During a break, I walked over to Teacher and stood by his side, trying to tell him what was on my mind. But I could not utter a word. I just smiled and stared at Teacher. Teacher's kind and compassionate image was branded into my mind. When Teacher finished lecturing and was leaving, everyone applauded hard. Teacher turned around and waved his arms. Tears rushed down my face.
Through me, many of my family members and friends became practitioners. Unfortunately, Jiang Zemin and his regime launched the unspeakably brutal persecution against Falun Gong. In order to let the authorities understand Falun Gong, I went to Beijing to appeal from July 23 to August 9, 1999. During that time, all hotels posted notices that they did not give Falun Gong practitioners any rooms. Other practitioners and I had to sleep in the underground tunnels or under the overpasses. We could not get anyone to listen to us during the day and had to go back to the tunnels or the overpasses to stay there at night, planning to appeal again the next day. The Appeals Office (Office of Letters and Calls) in Beijing took down its sign and stopped working. We wrote to the premier, using our real names and addresses. We did not know what the next step was. We did not have much money with us. To save money, we ate cold buns and pickles and drank the water that was used to water the lawns. Our tribulations had just began.
One night it was raining hard and a group of police officers came to arrest practitioners. Another practitioner and I escaped. We walked in the rain soaking wet not knowing where to go. In the end we were so tired that we fell asleep under a bridge. The sound of cars woke us up the next morning. Several homeless people were next to us begging for money. I told the practitioner that we looked like one of them and we both laughed.
We could not find anyone to appeal to and thus went home. The next day several practitioners and I went to an open space outdoors to do the exercises. Two days later the police arrested us. They interrogated us one by one. I told the police that I wanted to have a healthy body and be a good person. If he did not let me exercise and I got sick, he would have to pay for my medical expenses. He asked me to secretly exercise at home. I said, “I am not doing anything illegal, why do I have to exercise in secret?” He said, “If I say that you have committed a crime, then you did. Whose words count? Yours or the Chinese Communist Party's?” I said, “You are the person who is committing a crime. Where in the Constitution does it state that Falun Gong is not allowed?” He asked me, “Why can't you exercise at home?” I said, “The air is fresher outside in the morning.” He threatened, “Are you protesting and fighting against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?” I told him, “We merely exercise in an open space. Who are we protesting against?” The police officers quieted down and signaled for me to leave.
The persecution intensified. It brought tribulations to practitioners that were almost too heavy to bear. For me, in the beginning of the persecution, each tribulation felt like it was a year long. I was imprisoned and brainwashed. The harassment from the agents from the 610 Office was endless. In order to make you sign the Guarantee Statement, they did not give you a minute of peace. They went to my work place to harass my supervisors, making them very worried and annoyed by my existence. At home, they harassed my neighbors and caused trouble for my relatives. My relatives complained to me all the time. Eventually, I had to leave work and my home to avoid further persecution. I was destitute for ten years.
The CCP is the ultimate cult, trying to control everything, including the minds of the people. While I was being persecuted, I still clarified the facts of the persecution to my supervisors, neighbors, relatives, and friends. I persuaded them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Most of them knew me well and were able to accept what I said.
After I left home to avoid further persecution, the 610 Office forced my supervisor to fire me, trying to cut off my financial source. My supervisor promised them he would, but opened up a back door for me secretly. He said to the company, “He works hard and conscientiously. So he practices Falun Gong, that does not deserve a death sentence.” At the front door of the company, there was an announcement saying that if I did not return to work within three days, I would be removed from my job. Privately, the company did the paper work for my early retirement. In the end, they gave me a full retirement.
Officials of the 610 Office ordered someone to monitor my house. My neighbors warned me and tipped me off. One time, several agents came to my house. As soon as they got out of the car, several of my neighbors who sat outside their houses, surrounded them and told them, “Why don't you better use your time in catching the bad guys and leave the good guys alone.” The agents left and my neighbors told me that they never returned again.
Thirteen years have passed. Before July 20, 1999, over 90 people exercised at our practice site. Under this evil persecution, one of the practitioners was tortured to death, two were sentenced to more than ten years in prison, over 30 had been imprisoned once or many times, and over ten were forced to become destitute.
In this relentless persecution, those without a strong will quit and those who only wanted personal gains turned against Dafa. But for a true Dafa practitioner, the persecution is nothing. The CCP once boasted it would eliminate Falun Gong within three months. It's been 13 years and the practitioners are stronger, more confident, more steadfast, and more mature and Falun Gong has spread to more than 100 countries and areas around the world.
(From the Call for Submissions to Commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Falun Dafa's Introduction)