(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, practitioners!
I am 71 years old and I worked in a slaughterhouse for 23 years before my retirement. I contracted Brucellosis (an infectious disease caused by Brucella bacteria in animals and humans) at my job. The bones all over my body hurt, and my finger joints were severely deformed. I had recurring fevers and often felt fatigued. I could not walk long distances, let alone do physical labor. Insomnia also bothered me and my temper got worse day by day. I fought with everyone in the family, from my husband, daughter and son, to cousins and other relatives.
On July 10, 1999, a relative sought shelter at my home after he killed a person by accident. That same day, I was charged with harboring criminals and thrown into prison to await trial. I was angered by what happened to me and refused to eat or drink.
Ten days later, on July 20, the Chinese Communist Party launched its persecution of Falun Dafa. Many practitioners were arrested and sent to the prison. Upon learning of my situation, they comforted me and I was touched by their kindness. I became interested in Falun Dafa and followed them to recite the Fa. With my eyes closed, I could see colorful Falun rotating and it was very beautiful. Every day, I asked practitioners to help me memorize Hong Yin. By the time I was released eight months later, I had been able to recite many poems from Hong Yin. It rekindled my hope in life, and I also felt much more energetic physically. I knew it was a blessing from Falun Dafa.
After getting out of prison, I started to look around, hoping to find fellow practitioners. While looking for practitioners, I also told people about Falun Dafa. I explained that one should not blindly believe in hate propaganda from the news media, as practitioners had been wronged. At that time, I did not know much about the practice, but I made sure to tell everyone I met that Falun Dafa is good.
With Master's help, a practitioner settled down near me. She helped me to study the Fa and do the exercises. Since I didn't have much formal education, this practitioner pointed at the characters one by one and asked me to read with her. As time went by, I was also able to read the Fa, which made me very happy. Seeing me reading all the Falun Dafa books, over 40 of them, my friends and relatives were very impressed.
Because I had killed so many animals in the past, rows and rows of animals came to interfere with me once I began to do the exercises. They included chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and pigs. It was just like what Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“If you practice qigong and achieve the Tao, what about those unpaid debts you owe others? They will not allow it, so they will not let you practice qigong.”
I sincerely apologized to the animals and asked Master for help. The animals then stopped coming. When I felt physical discomfort, I did not know whether it was sickness karma or interference. Nonetheless, I was determined to endure it if it was karma or to eliminate it if it was interference. I knew that as a Dafa disciple, I would remain steadfast and nothing could block me. I also asked Master for help and my discomfort usually went away.
Through studying the Fa, I learned that only doing exercises was not enough and I must also improve xinxing. Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“One’s gong level is as high as one’s xinxing level, and this is an absolute truth.”
So in 2004, I decided to be a genuine practitioner by disciplining myself with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
In the past, I was like a dictator in my family, and neither my husband nor children dared to challenge me. But suddenly, everything changed and my husband would go crazy whenever I studied the Fa or did the exercises. He swore at me, as well as my 90-year-old parents. From the Fa teachings, I knew it was caused by my karma and my husband was helping me eliminate it. Instead of getting upset, I should thank him. In Zhuan Falun Master said,
“...as a practitioner one should not fight back when being punched or insulted, but should conduct oneself with a high standard.”
I tried my best not to argue back and bit my lip hard.
Having witnessed how Falun Dafa is so good, I decided to tell others about it so that they could benefit as well. Seeing me go out every day talking about this, my husband was worried and often followed me. But the practice made me agile and quick, and my husband could not keep up with me. By the time he came downstairs, I would have already disappeared.
I brought Falun Dafa materials with me wherever I went. Once I went to another city for a wedding and I took two big bags. One of them was pamphlets, and another one had calendars as well as Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. Right after getting on the train, I began to talk with people and distribute materials. Three military officers I talked with were convinced, and they agreed to separate themselves from the Communist Party organizations for a better future.
These officers said that another officer's child had a strange illness and no doctor could cure it. I took out some materials and asked them to pass them on to the concerned family. By quitting the Communist Party organizations along with reciting the phrases of “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” one would be blessed, I explained. These officers nodded and said they would do this.
Right at that moment, a railway police officer arrived and saw the materials on the table. He asked several times where they came from, but no one answered. I asked Master for help. The officer then left and the passengers immediately put them away in their pockets. I was very happy that they had made the right choice.
After arriving at the destination I began to hand out materials. Looking up in the sky, I saw a large, shining ball of light that gave off all kinds of colors. The snow white ground turned greenish. It was so beautiful! I stood there watching it for half an hour and did not want to leave. Later I talked with another practitioner about this, and she said it was encouragement from Master. I was very thankful for that.
Another time I went out on a windy evening in late autumn. I rode a bike heading to the countryside. When passing a cornfield, I was frightened by the corn stalks shaking violently in the dark because of the strong wind. When I passed under a bridge, the gust coming out of the tunnel was loud and terrifying. I was scared and headed back.
After a while, I realized that I was wrong. After all, I am a Dafa disciple who came here to save people. Master was always next to me and it was fear that blocked me. So I went back and continued my trip while asking Master for help. I hoped that nobody would stop me, and no dogs would bark. It went that way after I entered the village, and there was no sound as I delivered materials to one family after another. On the way back, the bike was very fast, as if someone was pushing me from behind. I knew Master was helping me again and there were many examples like this.
When going to distribute materials at farmer's markets in other villages, I often hitched a ride on the back of tractors. Each way was about 10 or 20 miles, and it was very cold in the winter since the tractor only had a canvas top in the back. My teeth were clenched and I huddled myself in the cold. When it was too freezing to withstand, I would recite Master's poem in Hong Yin Volume II:
“Having forged an adamantine willFree of attachment to living or dyingHe walks the path of Fa-rectificationconfident and poised”
No matter how hard it was, I never gave up. What I went through was nothing compared to the tremendous suffering that Master had endured for us. I must do my best to assist Master with the Fa-rectification in order to help reduce the burden for Master.
I also went to the cities to deliver materials. In the beginning, I put pamphlets in the hallways. One day I fell before finishing the materials I had. After standing up, I thought about why this happened. In fact, distributing materials like this may cause lots of it to end up being thrown away. A better way would be talking to people face to face, which can not only guarantee the materials being taken but also allow me to help people quit the communist organizations.
After that episode, I focused on talking with people about how the Communist Party persecutes Chinese people including Falun Dafa practitioners so that they would renounce their membership of the Party organizations. After that, I would give out some Falun Dafa materials. This worked well and other practitioners also joined me in doing so. I also helped many practitioners who dared not to do it themselves at first.
August 1 is Army Day in China, and it was a very hot day that year. Thinking there were many Communist Party members in the military, I asked Master for help so that I could tell more people about Falun Dafa and save them. Later on that day, I was able to help quite a few people to renounce their memberships.
I often came to understand that time is very limited. Master was worried about us, and we need to do our best both in cultivation and saving people, and cannot let Master down. So I went out clarifying the truth every day, rain or shine. If something happened and I could not go out, I would find another way to do extra to make up for it. In addition, I did exercises in the morning and studied the Fa in the evening, so that all of the three things were covered.
One time I visited a residential area and talked with a group of people. They did not want to accept materials and threw some bad words at me. After that, an old man came out and said to me, “If no one wants these materials, all of them can come to me.” He then turned to the crowd and continued, “How come people like you still do not understand? I have read many materials of this kind and they make lots of sense. I followed the suggestion and often recite 'Falun Dafa is good' and 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good'. My lumbar disc herniation was healed even before I noticed it. Can you imagine this?”
After hearing these words, everyone in the crowd came to me for materials and asked me to help them quit the Communist Party organizations.
There were also some road construction workers from Hebei Province. They liked the materials a lot and often asked me for more. Two months later, they said they would leave this place soon. They hoped that I could provide some information so that they could start to learn the exercises. Another practitioner and I worked together and put all the information on a USB flash drive to give to the workers. They were very excited and thankful.
There are many people who want to be saved these days. Thinking of their happiness after learning about Falun Dafa, I am motivated and want to do better. To me, nothing can stop me from saving people.
I was also arrested and detained in a police station several times. But each time, I explained to people what Falun Dafa is and I made it out safely. I also kept studying the Fa and looking within.
In China, officials often arrested or harassed practitioners on holidays or politically sensitive dates. I do not acknowledge this, since such an arrangement should be stopped. Master saved me and I must do my best so that I can live up to Master's and sentient beings' expectations and not disappoint myself.