(Minghui.org) I liked martial arts from the time I was young. I also practiced different kinds of qigong. Nevertheless, I could not understand the meaning of life. I had a wish to practice in a school of cultivation and sincerely respected Buddha.
By coincidence, I visited a family that practiced Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) and saw Master Li Hongzhi's portrait on the wall. When I was told he was the master of Falun Gong, I asked, “When can you teach me?” They said, “There is a practice site in your community.”
I looked for a Falun Gong practice site after returning home. I bought Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong, on June 20, 1996 at a book stall. That’s when I started practicing Falun Gong.
Former Life as a Bully
I am the youngest of six siblings. My father worked in the courts, and my brother was a police officer. I was spoiled. As a result, I had a bad temper, and everyone else in the family gave in to me.
I practiced martial arts and wrestling from the time I was young. I often fought with my classmates in elementary school and picked on them. My teacher did not dare to punish me due to my family background. Therefore, I was a leader in my class from primary school to high school.
I was recruited to be in charge of a security department in a local large state-owned plant after I graduated from high school. There were 28 veterans in my department. I told them to practice hitting sand bags and trained them to get ready to fight. There were 36 rules in the plant, and the director told me that the fines collected from breaking the rules would belong to my department to spend.
Four workers once intended to arrive late to express their displeasure with my policies and challenge me. They started to hit me. I retaliated and beat all of them. I felt I was superior to all of them.
One day, a new employee went to the cafeteria to eat lunch before the bell rang. When I told him to get back to work, he refused to comply. I got angry and hit him with a wooden baton until his back was bruised and the baton broke. An onlooker scolded me, “You are so cruel. How can you beat him like that?” I didn’t care.
Turning Toward Kindness
After I started practicing Falun Dafa, however, I set strict requirements for myself. I now follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my daily life.
My health also improved tremendously. I had severe rhinitis, and my nose was always stuffed up. I had to breathe through my mouth and often had a hard time breathing at night. I could not smell, either. One day, yellow fluid dripped from my nose while I read Zhuan Falun at work. After that, I could breathe through my nose and smell things. My arthritis, heart disease, and cholecystitis all disappeared.
I realized that I used to be foolish and ignorant. Sometimes I used foul language at home and at work. When others pointed it out, I admitted it and made sure to not do it again. In time, I improved.
Once, upper-level supervisors came to visit the plant. Motorcycles were not allowed in the plant, but one employee ignored the rule and rode on the property anyway. When I advised him to obey the rule, he threatened me to knock my teeth out if I dared to get in his way again. I did not say anything as he continued to curse. Four or five people in the security department came over and surrounded him, all set to beat him up. I could see that he was frightened. I stopped them and said, “Let him go.”
He later apologized to me. I told him that I was a Falun Gong practitioner, and that it did not bother me.
Master Li said:
“So what’s ‘great endurance’? To be a practitioner you should, for starters, be able to ‘not hit back when attacked, not talk back when insulted.’ You have to endure. If you don’t, what are you calling yourself a practitioner for? Some people have said, "This endurance thing is hard to do. I’ve got a bad temper." If you have a bad temper then just change it. Practitioners have to endure.” (The Ninth Talk in Zhuan Falun)
I also had an opportunity to apologize to the person I beat so badly that his back was bruised. He was touched and stunned that I would befriend him.
How Dafa Changed Me and Others
I was in charge of setting up the duty schedule during the Chinese New Year. One employee misunderstood me and cursed me in the main entrance of the plant at the lunch break. Many people were passing by and witnessed it. I was calm and said, “Come in and let's talk about it.” He did not move and just kept cursing me. I said, “Leave here if you don't come in. We can talk after work resumes in the afternoon.” Others advised him to go, and he left. As soon as work resumed in the afternoon, he came to offer his apology with two bags of tea and said he had misunderstood me.
Later, people at the plant learned that I practiced Falun Dafa. They said Dafa had to be outstanding to change me like that. Along with my understanding of the Dafa principles, I set higher requirements for myself with regard to morality and behavior.
A friend of mine was the head of the domestic security division of the police department at the time. He saw how my health and character had improved and became aware of the persecution of Falun Dafa by the communist government. He said sincerely, “I see how miraculous Falun Gong is from you. You used to look fierce and belligerent. Now you look kind and compassionate. You are kind to everyone, too.” He was later transferred to another department and did not get involved in the persecution. He even tried his best to protect practitioners in secret.
I appreciate Master's compassionate salvation. I have changed from bullying others to striving to be a good man. The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance helped me rid of my ill thoughts and bad behavior.
