(Minghui.org) The earthquake that occurred in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province in May 2008 came as quite a shock to me. But it spurred me into action, and I decided to start practicing Falun Dafa.
I downloaded many files from the Minghui website, including all of Master's [Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa] lectures, videos, and articles written by practitioners, including the history of the spread of Falun Dafa.
I sensed from what I read, that Dafa teaches people to be good, which is good for society. In my mind, it was unreasonable to ban Falun Dafa.
My wife and child went on a trip in eary August 2008. I used this as an opportunity to watch the exercise video several times, and follow along with the movements. Immediately after I put my hands over my head, I heard a loud sound. When I looked up, I saw nothing.
I was very surprised at first, but then I remembered that Master said,
“When one’s Buddha-nature emerges, it will shake ‘the world of ten directions.'” (Zhuan Falun)
I wondered if my Buddha-nature had come out.
Over the next two days, I was very eager to read Zhuan Falun , the main book of Falun Dafa, and practice the exercises. Three days later, I felt that my legs had become stronger, and I could take two stairs at a time.
It was exactly as Master said,
“In the past, you would be tired if you walked a few steps, but now it is very easy no matter how far you walk. You feel as if being pushed while riding a bike, and you are not tired when going upstairs—no matter how many floors there are.” (Zhuan Falun)
After my wife and child returned, I told them that I was practicing Falun Gong, and about the improvement in my health.
I wanted to be good to others, just as Master advised in his writings. I started doing some household chores and my wife smiled when she saw that.
My wife and child saw the changes in me after I began practicing. I had become a better person. So they did the exercises with me one evening. The loud sound happened again, and we all heard it! Once they heard that, they too decided to become practitioners.
I told my relatives how wonderful Falun Dafa was. More and more people started practicing Falun Dafa, including my younger sister, her daughter, and my 60-year-old mother. Because of me, about 50 other people have become practitioners.
I found it very difficult to sit in the full lotus position. At first, I couldn't even sit in the single-leg crossing position. I was determined, and after almost six months, I could sit in the full lotus.
I printed out what Master said about crossing the legs, pinned it to the wall, and read it whenever I meditated. It helped me to persevere, and I could finally sit for the entire hour.
Master said,
“Some people cannot bear it anymore after sitting a little longer. Once the legs are put down, one’s practice is in vain. Once the legs are in pain, one will do some warm-ups before resuming the sitting position. We find that this serves no use whatsoever. This is because we have seen that when the legs are painful, the black substance moves to the legs. The black substance is karma that can be eliminated through suffering; it can then be transformed into de.” (Zhuan Falun)
One day I read, “We begin cultivation practice as everyday people. The first step is this test, and everyone will run into it.” (Zhuan Falun)
This made me realize that I had to eliminate the attachment to lust. Whenever I felt lust, I meditated, and within seconds it disappeared. I passed the test of lust and this attachment was eliminated completely, but it took five years.
Master emphasized the importance of group Fa study, and asked practitioners to join a Fa study group.
At first, I didn't think that group Fa study was important. Actually, I thought it was a waste of time, because some practitioners read very slowly, and it sometimes took more than two hours to finish one lecture. If I was at home, I could read faster, and could read more of the Fa.
However, once I started attending a group Fa study, I found that several of my attachments had been eliminated. I developed enough patience to read word by word, sentence by sentence.
Sharing experiences after Fa study is also very important. Sometimes fellow practitioner's words would make me suddenly understand a question I had had for a long time.
My wife and I once went to a market to distribute Falun Dafatruth-clarifying flyers. Right after I put a flyer into the basket of a bicycle, a police officer came over and picked up the pamphlet.
But he simply stood behind me holding the pamphlet. I immediately sent forth righteous thoughts, and we quickly walked away. After we left the market, I realized that I was scared and my legs were shaking.
On another occasion we visited a fellow practitioner in a neighboring county. Along the way, we distributed a few hundred truth-clarifying pamphlets and video discs. When we saw any appropriate place, we stopped and put up something about Falun Dafa.
When we had finished distributing all the materials, I realized that I hadn't stepped on the gas peddle for a long time, yet the car simply kept on running, even up hills. Practitioners said it was Master encouraging us because we were saving people.
I think I am very lucky. I will try my best to do better the three things that Master asks practitioners to do.