(Minghui.org) I was released from a forced labor camp in the spring of 2007. Even though I had been detained in labor camps twice, I did not renounce my faith.
After I returned home, instead of being happy, I felt sad and dejected because my wife had divorced me. I was 48 years old, and thus faced difficulties of finding a job.
My daughter had gone to another city to attend university. While I was detained, my wife repeatedly threatened me with divorce, and either blamed or ignored me. By the time I was released, she had stopped talking to me. I was very depressed. The other practitioners pointed out that even my facial expression was bitter.
Truly Realizing the Meaning of the Teachings
I started to go to a small Fa study group. Every day, I read two or three Lectures in Zhuan Falun. I kept looking for work, but after going to several interviews I was not hired. This went on for two months.
A practitioner whom I had known for more than 10 years said, “The work Falun Dafa practitioners do is arranged by Master. It's not that you should look for a job, instead the job will find you.” I suddenly understood and stopped being anxious. I calmly studied the Fa and did the exercises.
For the next five months I stopped worrying about finding a job. Instead I focused on studying the Fa. Every day, I read two or three Lectures in Zhuan Falun. One day, my father suddenly said, “If it's too hard to find a job, you may work for our company. Let me ask my boss.” When the boss heard that I had some mechanical expertise, he hired me. I knew this was arranged by Master.
Even though I intensively studied the Fa for five months, I always felt that I was reading the teachings on the surface. I never seemed to be able to understand the deeper meanings, and I had trouble remembering what I read. When I practiced the exercises my mind wandered. I don’t know where the thoughts I had came from.
I knew that some practitioners who had been imprisoned or otherwise persecuted experienced this situation, because while imprisoned they were not able to study the Fa.
Although I was sent to forced labor camps twice, I still managed to memorize some of the poems in Hong Yin, Hong Yin Vol. II, Essentials for Further Advancement, and also part of the first Lecture of Zhuan Falun. However, I did not persist and I was not able to systematically study the Fa.
At one practitioner's suggestion, I started memorizing Zhuan Falun in 2008. My progress was very slow at first. I was interfered with by various thoughts, and I could only memorize one or two pages every day. I kept thinking, "This is too slow! It's more efficient to read three lectures a day." Also, "This is a waste of time, and when I get to the end, I always forget what I've memorized!"
After persisting and being encouraged by fellow practitioners, I finally felt the effects of memorizing the Fa. When I sent righteous thoughts, I had less interference, and the bad thoughts in my mind began to decrease. After eight months, I finished memorizing Zhuan Falun. I was very happy, but then I thought about a local practitioner who had begun to memorize the Fa before 1999, and has now memorized the Fa hundreds of times. How far I was from others! I decided to memorize Zhuan Falun for a second time, and it took me about six months.
I am currently memorizing Zhuan Falun for the 16th time. I both read and memorize. Now when I read, it is from my heart. I can calm down and completely get rid of the interference of not focusing when I study the Fa. I truly realize the countless layers of meanings of the Fa, and how great and compassionate Master is.
In the process of reciting Hong Yin, I realized how precious sentient beings are, the responsibility we Dafa disciples have, the sacredness of our vows, and Master's immense compassion by repeatedly reminding us of our vows in the teachings.
Clarifying the Truth
After I began to memorize the Fa in 2008, I began to increase my time spent in clarifying the truth about Dafa, and I distributed Dafa informational materials. In order to make the information more widely available, we began to post informational stickers in public places. If they were posted in corridors, many people read them and they stayed up for a long time.
At the beginning I only put a few stickers in corridors. The content was “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, The World Needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” and so on. Later, when practitioners and I talked about how to do this more effectively, I chose some truth clarification phrases I found on the Minghui website, which I felt would inspire people. For example, “The Constitution stipulates that citizens have freedom of belief and Falun Dafa is legal in China. It is legal to practice Falun Dafa in China. It is the CCP that instructs the judiciary to break the law.” and other phrases. The red, blue and gold characters on our stickers looked very bright and dazzling in the corridors.
While posting stickers, we encountered a problem. There was always a layer of dust on the pipes, electrical boxes, windows, and walls. Because of the dust, the stickers did not adhere well and the stickers soon dropped off. The solution was to wipe the spot, then place the sticker firmly, after which I smoothed and pressed it down. Many of these stickers could not be torn off. When I posted the second round of stickers, I found that some stickers had been there for two years, and were still in good condition.
After I became proficient, I could post about a hundred stickers every day. I had to walk for several hours, and I knew it would have been impossible without Master’s protection and help. In the summer I sweat a lot and in the winter, I had to wear heavy clothes. But my heart was filled with joy.
Every night when I read Master's teachings, I often had a new understanding.
Because my job is flexible, I usually work only half a day, and my afternoons are free. So, four to five afternoons each week I put up truth-clarification stickers. I know that Master is helping me because the corridors are always empty when I enter the buildings. In the calm and quiet, I remember the sacredness of what I'm doing. My cultivation state has greatly improved.
Righteous Thoughts Eliminate Interference
I've also encountered some dangerous situations. I went to a university campus in the spring of 2011 with a package of stickers. I started on the fifth floor of one building and had just finished posting a sticker on a meter box. A tall man rushed out of the stairway and grabbed my collar screaming, "What are you posting? Come to the police station with me!"
I was so shocked that suddenly scenes from the labor camp flashed before my eyes! My body dropped to the ground and froze. My body was like a rock. He could not pull me up, so he kicked my crotch a few times. I lay on my side in great pain. Next, he tried to grab my bag and demanded to know what was inside. I pushed the bag beneath me and pried his hand off. He tried to grab it again, and I pried his hand off again. This was repeated several times. I could tell he was tired but he still clutched my collar.
I asked him to listen to me. He refused but still held me down. I said, "Do you think what you're doing is good for you?" He said, "Don't threaten me!" At this time, my righteous thoughts surfaced and I said loudly, "You should not abuse innocent people this way!"
As soon as I said this, his grip on my collar loosened, and he took a few deep breaths. Just then, his daughter called him from downstairs, and he left. I got up and walked behind him. The situation had been like a brewing storm, but it became calm in the blink of an eye.
As we went downstairs and were about to walk out the door, I suddenly thought of saying something to him. I said, "I wish you good luck." It seemed that he didn't hear me. So I loudly said, "Good luck!" He seemed to be a little moved, and softly said, "Don't come here again."
I recalled Master’s teaching,
“If upon encountering trying circumstances your thinking can be truly righteous, then, when faced with the evil's persecution and when faced with interference, just one sentence of yours fortified with steadfast righteous thoughts can instantly make the evil disintegrate (applause), and it will make those who are being used by the evil turn and flee, it will make the evil's persecution of you dissolve, and it will make the evil's interfering with you disappear without a trace. One thought born of righteous faith is all it takes. And whoever can hold firm that righteous thought and go the distance will become a magnificent god forged by Dafa. (Long applause)” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference, " Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. VII)
The Power of Righteous Thoughts
I could not calm down while sending righteous thoughts before 2009. I just focused on the word "eliminate." I was never able to go deeper. I often read Minghui articles about sending righteous thoughts. I also thought that I should send righteous thoughts for a longer time and change my situation.
The other practitioners agreed that we needed to do something to reduce the evil factors in our area. So, before we studied the Fa we sent righteous thoughts for two hours. In the beginning, it was difficult. Everyone had a sore wrist, a sore back, and painful legs, but we all persevered. After a month, my hands did not hurt, and my back and legs felt much better. As I continued to memorize the Fa and clarify the truth, I felt the power of sending righteous thoughts. I felt enveloped in a field of pure energy.
In a neighborhood not far from us, there are 10 elderly practitioners who study the Fa as a group every day. One day, when they were studying the Fa, the police came and took them to a detention center. Local practitioners cooperated to rescue them and we started by sending righteous thoughts. As soon as I left work, I sent righteous thoughts to the local 610 Office, the Domestic Security Division, and the police station for two hours every afternoon to eliminate the evil that controlled them. The other practitioners also sent righteous thoughts. However, after 15 days, the practitioners were still not released.
We discussed this and shared our thoughts. We decided to stop focusing on when they would be released, but instead on just sending righteous thoughts. We continued cooperating with their family members to rescue them. After I sent righteous thoughts for about 20 days, I felt a kind of fatigue, but practicing the exercises made me feel better.
After about 30 days, while I was meditating I suddenly had the thought: they will be back. When I asked the next day, I was told that all the elderly practitioners had been released. Everyone agreed that we really experienced the power of righteous thoughts and the importance of cooperating.
Memorizing the Fa Completely Changed My Cultivation State
I began memorizing the Fa in 2008. That completely changed the state of my cultivation and got rid of the interference I encountered when studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, and sending righteous thoughts. I became more focused while doing my everyday work and had fewer and fewer ordinary thoughts. Those years after I was released from the labor camp were the turning point for my cultivation, and it was the beginning of my genuine practice.
Master cherished and protected me throughout my years in the forced labor camp. I am deeply grateful for His infinite grace. Everything we have is given by Master.
Thank you, Master, and fellow practitioners!
