(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in April 1998. During my 14 years of cultivation, through validating the Fa, saving sentient beings, removing attachments, and under the compassionate care of Master, I have become a Dafa disciple on the divine path – a Fa-rectification period Dafa disciple, the happiest being in the cosmos. Throughout all the trials and hardships, I have witnessed the grace of Dafa and the compassion of Master. I cannot express my profuse gratitude towards our Great Master with human language.
Cultivating in Dafa and Understanding the Real Meaning of Life
I was transferred to a different work unit in May 1997. One day, I heard that Ms. Li, Director of Finance, was a Falun Gong practitioner. It was fall. Since she and I were the only persons in our work unit who brought lunch from home, she asked me to come to her office to have lunch together. She practiced the Falun Gong exercises 1 through 4 after lunch. One day when I asked her if she had a picture of Master Li, she took out Zhuan Falun from her drawer and gave it to me. I opened the book and saw the picture. I instantly said to her: “I think I've seen him somewhere.” She asked: “Where did you see him?” I replied: “I don't know, but this friendly face looks so familiar.” She told me that I was predestined.
I borrowed Zhuan Falun and took it home. I helped my daughter with her school work after dinner and then started reading the book. During that time, I had caught a cold and coughed a lot. To avoid staining the book, I covered my mouth with a handkerchief. I felt this was a very good book. I finished the whole book in one day. I thought Falun Gong was very good, but decided to delay practicing until my daughter finished high school and started college.
I returned the book the following Monday and told her that, after reading Zhuan Falun, I understood the reason people got sick, and I would no longer take any medicine. She praised me, saying that I had a good enlightenment. I then asked her to get me a copy of Zhuan Falun. She told me that they were in short supply, but I might be able to get one at a bookstore.
I went to the biggest bookstore in town the next day. On the way there, I felt like I didn't have to pedal my bicycle, and it went very fast, as if it were pushed by somebody from behind (I later realized that my great heavenly circuit was already opened by Master before I began practicing cultivation). I did not find the book, but I started to practice the exercises with her without it. I could easily complete exercise #2 my very first time. In April 1998, Ms. Li got me the book. On the same night, I wrote a note to let my daughter know that I went to the group Fa study after dinner was prepared. The next morning, I went to the park for group exercises. I formally began practicing Dafa cultivation.
I studied and transcribed the Fa in my spare time. I have neatly transcribed Zhuan Falun, Essentials for Further Advancement, and Hong Yin. During that time, I realized the true meaning of life. I understood that the real meaning of being a human is to return to my true self. Every conflict has a cause and effect. I came to this human world for the Fa. All my worries disappeared, and all the gratitude and resentment was forgotten. I felt enriched, joyful, happy, and blessed in my daily work and life.
Miracles after Cultivation and Harmony in the Whole Family
I took a lot of medicines for several diseases, including tachycardia, hepatitis, cholecystitis, rheumatism, low back pain, insomnia, and others. Because of these problems, I could barely drag myself to work, take care of the children, and do household chores. My life was miserable.
My husband is a senior leader in my work unit. He is a dedicated, career-oriented person. He doesn't come home before midnight every day. To be able to practice exercises at the group site, I got up earlier to cook the food halfway before I left at 5:00 a.m. After the exercises, I trotted all the way home to finish the cooking and take care of my daughter before school. Some fellow practitioners curiously asked me if my husband would be opposed to my cultivation. I replied: “I still do the same amount of housework as I used to. How could he be opposed?”
I had a serious heart problem, and was admitted to the hospital often. My heart rate was more than 200/ beats per minute (well above the normal rate of 60-100/min). Under this circumstance, heart disease symptoms could easily develop, especially when I moved fast or got emotional, such as becoming angry, anxious, excited, crying, or laughing. After I practiced cultivation, this problem as well as others disappeared. I became energetic and no longer felt sick even when I rushed home to do the routine housework after the group Fa study and exercises. Some of my miraculous experiences are briefly illustrated below.
1. To avoid interrupting the group Fa study, I always arrived at the site before 6:00 p.m. I have never been late once. My schedule is very tight. Every day, I left the office at 4:30 p.m. and arrived home around 5:00 p.m. Within one hour, I prepared the dinner and cleaned myself up for the group Fa study. I clearly felt that the cooking time needed became shorter, and my bicycle did not jolt along the road to the Fa study site as much as usual when I rode to work on this same road. On one occasion, I was in a hurry to get to the group Fa study site on time. On the way there, I did not get off the bike at a section of road under construction because I saw this section was smoothly paved with pebbles. On my way home, I was surprised at what I saw. The road surface at this section was uneven and large stones were piled up all over. I had to get off the bike and push it through. It was so miraculous. It must have been Master who helped me get to the site on time because of my heart to obtain the Fa.
2. To be able to participate in the group Fa study, I do grocery shopping every Sunday and store all of the items in the refrigerator. When I carried the groceries upstairs, I did not feel any weight except in both my hands. I was very light. I was very moved, knowing that merciful Master has helped me and encouraged me because of my heart to return to my true self.
3. I used to have severe neurasthenia, and could be easily woken up and kept awake by even a slight noise. I could hardly get back to sleep at all if my husband snored during the night after drinking. After I started cultivation, I slept well and did not hear his snores anymore.
From Dafa cultivation, I realize what real happiness is. I have regained my health completely. My husband and my daughter no longer get sick. Our financial condition became better. The whole family has been jovial. My husband said to his friend: “This Falun Gong is really miraculous. Xiaoyun (my alias) became healthy after cultivation. My daughter and I no longer catch colds.” Indeed, one person cultivates and the whole family benefits.
I am 59 years old, but I look like I'm in my forties. Routinely, I send righteous thoughts at midnight and get up at 3:50 a.m. to practice the exercises every day. I have been energetic and never been sick, not even a minor flu, for the past ten plus years.
Never Following the Crowd, Always Keeping Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in Mind
My work unit reorganized in early 2000. I was assigned to take charge of the Logistics Department and Canteen within our group corporation. This is a lucrative position because it involves money and purchasing. The department provides all office supplies and daily necessities to more than 100 employees and the canteen provides lunch to more than 20 employees in the headquarters, purchasing everything, including food and daily goods. After I assumed the responsibilities, my colleagues commented that the money would not be short [because I am a Dafa practitioner]. My predecessor only provided one dish for lunch. I added an additional dish to the lunch meal, and also made sure to balance the nutrition in weekly dinner meals. Special foods were also provided for holidays in addition to the main courses: for example, rice dumpling at the Dragon Boat Festival and moon cakes at the Mid-autumn Festival. Everyone was happy with my arrangement.
Master said:
“We’d say that no matter how much the human moral standard changes, the nature of the universe, to be True, Good, and Endure, will never change. When some people say that you’re good, you might not really be good, and when some people say that you’re bad, you might not really be bad, because the standards for judging what’s good and bad are all perverted. Only those who conform to the universe’s nature are good people. This is the only standard for determining what is a good person and bad person, and it’s recognized by the universe. No matter how much society changes, no matter how much people’s moral standards slide, no matter how degenerate the world gets with each passing day, and no matter how badly people just think about money, the universe doesn’t change based on how mankind changes. A cultivator shouldn’t follow ordinary people’s standards.” (Zhuan Falun)
My supervisor trusts me because I am a Dafa practitioner. Thus, I must do this job well. In this materialistic society, I should follow the xinxing standards of Dafa. I would demonstrate the goodness of Falun Dafa with my actions.
This is easier to say than do. Since everything I purchased was daily products such as towels and soap bars, I would buy those I personally liked. Sometimes I was tempted by those things. But I am a cultivator, I had to remove this attachment of gaining an extra advantage.
In business, competition is very stiff. To lure new buyers or keep old customers, the merchants often offer us commissions or some other benefits. But I have always declined their offers. I told them that as a Falun Dafa practitioner, I follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I asked them just to offer me the lowest acceptable prices.
In 2001, our group corporation initiated a writing contest on the “Spirit of Enterprise”. My article on “Integrity, Honesty, Dedication, and Innovation” won the first prize. The plaque was hung on the wall of the meeting room. I knew this good result was attributable to my practicing Falun Gong and Master having opened my wisdom. A female leader in my work unit said to me : “Xiaoyun, you would be a paragon to me if you did not cultivate in Falun Gong.” I replied to her: “I am in such a good situation because I practice Falun Gong. If I did not, I may well have a bad attitude.” I have a very good reputation at my work place.
Compassion Emerges Seeing Sentient Beings and Returning to a Sacred Land after Letting Go of Human Emotion
I am very sentimental towards my husband, daughter, and friends. I have struggled with this kind of emotional attachment for the past 20 years of my marriage. Because I gave birth to a girl, my mother-in-law was very unhappy and always mean to me. Regardless of how hard I tried to treat her and my sister-in-law kindly, they did not appreciate me at all. Worse, they framed me up. Because of my strong bond to traditional culture, I never argued with them, but complained about them to my husband. When my husband didn't understand my feelings, I would be angry. My heart was unbalanced and it brought all kind of health problems. I even trembled whenever I thought of the past. I was low-spirited, absent-minded, and often made mistakes at work.
My mother-in-law was unhealthy and took medicine year round. I took good care of her every time she stayed in the hospital, despite my own health problems. When she was in the hospital in 1993, I prepared three meals for her every day, in addition to my work and taking care of my daughter. When I couldn't take it any longer, I even took a few days off to take care of her. To celebrate her 60th birthday, I took her to my home from the hospital, prepared ten plus dishes, and ordered a birthday cake. A few days after she was discharged from the hospital, she complained at my office that I hid the spare rib my father-in-law purchased. When I later was admitted to the hospital twice in three months, she neither visited me nor cooked food for me, but she had time to go to church every day. Because I lost my parents when I was very young, I treated my parents-in-law as my own parents. With so much giving for so many years, I was rewarded with nothing but being called a thief. Being resentful, I stopped going to her birthday celebrations. When I visited my father-in-law on his birthday on December 8, 1995, she made bitter remarks. I toasted my father-in-law at dinner and said in tears: “Dad, Happy birthday to you! You said that, even though you have three sons, you will live with us when you get older. Now we have a bigger house. You are welcome anytime (I did not mention my mother-in-law).”
My mother-in-law came to my house early the next morning. She wanted to take back the sewing machine. She said that she bought it with her own money, and she gave us 500 yuan that year when we were poor. She continued further: “You should have a room ready for me. I want to spend my old age here.” I was fed up and uncontrollably replied: “Is this not your son's home? You take back this and that. You are not embarrassed to live here when you are old?” She slapped me (I was 43 that year) two times. She then said to my husband that I hit her and asked him to take her to the hospital. I was so mad that I had another heart episode. My husband helped me to lie down in my daughter's bed and said: “Do not say anything. I'll give her whatever she wants and she'll leave soon.” While my husband was taking the sewing machine downstairs from the 7th floor, she came to me and said: “Thanks to God! Thanks to God!”
I completely gave up hope. My efforts of ten plus years were rewarded with two slaps. I had not contacted her since late 1997, even when she was sick. I didn't attend my father-in-law's birthday either.
In January 1999, my mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital again. My husband told me after dinner that evening that he was going to visit her. I planned to go with him, but he stopped me. After he left, I felt peaceful. I thought that I would gloat to see who would take care of her if I did not practice cultivation. As a practitioner now, I cannot be like her. But I was hesitant when I thought of the incidents in the past. At that moment, I thought of the Fa Master lectured and opened up Zhuan Falun. It was Page 140, on which Master said:
“Cultivation is something you do right in the thick of tribulations. They’ll test whether you can sever your emotions and desires, and they’ll see if you can take them lightly. If you’re attached to those things you won’t be able to finish your cultivation. Everything has its cause. Why can human beings be human? It’s exactly because humans have emotion. People just live for emotion. The affection among family members, the love between a man and woman, love for parents, feelings, friendships, doing things for friendship’s sake—no matter where you go you can’t get out of emotion. You want to do something, you don’t want to do something, you’re happy, you’re unhappy, you love something, you hate something—everything in society comes completely from emotion. If you don’t sever emotion, you won’t be able to cultivate. But if you do break out of emotion, nobody can affect you, and ordinary attachments won’t be able to sway you. What replaces it is compassion, which is more noble. Of course, it’s not easy to sever it all at once. Cultivation is a long process, it’s a gradual process to get rid of attachments. But you really have to be disciplined.”
Reading this, I was enlightened that people do not only have this life. People do not know what they have done during past incarnations. All the gratitude and resentment have their causes. They are karmic retributions. One should pay back the debts.
I visited her at the hospital after work the following day. When I called her “Mom”, my tears dropped down like beads falling from a broken string. That moment, I felt that all of my bitterness, resentment and grievances were gone. I asked her what she would like to eat. She said that she didn't have any vegetables for three days. Knowing that she likes raw vegetables with sauces, I said: “Mom, I'll make some veggies with sauces for you, alright?” She was very happy. I bought fresh vegetables and tofu at the market, in addition to those I already had at home. I took them to her the next day. A few days later when I visited her again with a watermelon, I was told by her roommate that she was discharged because she had an argument with a nurse. According to my husband, my mother-in-law said to her daughter: “Your sister-in-law practices Falun Gong. She is prettier and gained some weight back.” All of the grudges with my mother-in-law were finally resolved because of Dafa.
Clarifying “The Truth” After Persecution and Escorted Home by Master
On December 19, 2000, I took a leave from work to validate the goodness of Falun Dafa in Beijing. I was illegally arrested by the police. When asked what I was there for, I told the police: “After I practiced Falun Gong, all my diseases were gone and my morality was uplifted. I came to speak out for Falun Gong.” I was extorted 2000 yuan by the police department in exchange for my release. I also paid more than 3000 yuan for the expenses of a local policeman and the Chief of Security Section at my work unit who came to take me home.
In October 2002 before the wicked Chinese Communist Party's 16th National Congress, I was illegally arrested from home at 9:00 p.m. and sent to the local police station. They also took my Dafa books, radio and purse. I was sentenced to a forced labor camp for three years after being detained for 22 days in a detention center. The leaders at my work came to see me off in two cars. On the way there, the party secretary at my work unit, my department head, and a policeman rode with me in one car. It would take more than two hours to get there, long enough for me to clarify the truth, which I did not have a chance to do before. I started with my physical and spiritual improvement after cultivation, to the crimes the gang of Jiang Zemin committed persecuting Falun Gong, to the peaceful appeal on April 25, and to the staged “Tiananmen Square Immolation”. They all listened quietly. When we were near the camp, I stopped to send righteous thoughts to eliminate the evils that persecuted me. In the camp, I said to the doctor who performed my physical examination: “The Chinese Constitution states people have freedom of belief and freedom of speech. I am detained here and have lost my personal freedom. I have improved my moral character and do good deeds. I don't submit to the persecution because I did not break any laws.” Under Master's merciful protection, the camp refused to accept me.
I learned after my release, that in order to have a smooth 16th National Congress, the wicked party instigated people to commit crimes with benefits. They would increase the pay three levels if they could catch four persons. I went to the local police station to take back my purse. I told the local policeman that I did not hate him. I also advised him to stop persecuting Falun Gong and consider me as his last victim. It is a boundless virtue to protect Dafa disciples and a heinous sin to persecute them. He looked at me quietly and then said: “You can go home.” I have never been bothered since then.
The wicked CCP's 13 years of persecution against Falun Gong is a total failure, as in history those who persecuted true faiths have never succeeded. Falun Dafa has been widely spread to the whole world. The true awakening of life from the bottom of the heart cannot be suppressed and persecuted. Every diligent disciple has rationally thought about it, and, with our belief in Dafa, will finally emerge safely from this big catastrophe. In the meantime, we will grow firmer and more mature.