(Clearwisdom.net) I am a Dafa disciple from Henan Province. I am 58 years old. In my 40s, I suffered from many different health problems such as liver cirrhosis, hypertension, and heart disease. I went to various hospitals for treatment, big and small ones, but all to no avail. In order to heal the diseases, in the 80's when people were fond of practicing all kinds of qigong, I did too, but got very few results. In 1996, I had the fortune to learn Dafa. On July 20, 1999, Jiang and his followers launched their persecution of Dafa practitioners. Due to the fact that I did not have a solid foundation studying the Fa, I was still full of conventional human thoughts and was afraid of the evil forces. After I was detained in a brainwashing class, under the high pressure there I unwillingly signed my name on their paper [a statement renouncing Falun Dafa].
After my release I went home and started to work in a hotel, where I had the opportunity to meet with people from all over the country. The owner of the hotel and all my colleagues know that I practice Falun Gong. I realize that I must present the magnificence of Dafa to all the people around me. Master requests us to be good people on all occasions. Therefore, I go to work early and come home late. I also accept the unpleasant and hard jobs and I never take advantage of the hotel financially. From the bottom of their hearts, the hotel staff all agree that Falun Gong is good, and that all Falun Gong practitioners are good people. When appropriate occasions arise, I also tell the people around me the truth of Jiang's persecution against Falun Gong. But what I have done is still insufficient. At the beginning of 2003, a fellow practitioner gave me a copy of "Minghui Weekly." After reading it earnestly, I suddenly understood that I still remained at the point of personal cultivation and that I had failed to truly melt into the current of truth-clarification. I felt unable and didn't dare to go out and tell people the truth of Dafa, to validate the Fa and offer salvation to sentient beings. I only concentrated on my personal consummation. Master says, "So a Dafa disciple's responsibilities aren't for the sake of personal Consummation, but to save sentient beings while validating the Fa." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)
Based on Master's request, "Clarify the truth thoroughly, eliminate the evil with righteous thoughts, save all beings, and safeguard the Fa with determination" ("Dafa is Indestructible," Essential for Further Advancement II), now, no matter where I am, whether with my neighbors, the leaders of my workplace, colleagues, as well as customers at the hotel, I treat all of them as having predestined relationships with Dafa. I see them all as people to whom I should offer salvation - especially the hotel customers. Whenever there is a chance, I clarify the truth to them. If I do not have the opportunity to talk in depth, I will leave them some hints, so that when the next chance comes up, they will be able to know more. The hotel customers come from different parts of the country. Some are regular customers who come once a month and some are new customers. Some come by themselves and some in groups. Depending on the situation, I use different methods for clarifying the truth. Since I work at the registration desk, I have little opportunity to go inside the guest rooms.
Because the hotel is short of employees, I voluntarily offer to help my colleagues change the beds for customers in order to create opportunities to clarify the truth. Usually, the customers will offer me cigarettes as an invitation to talk; I will directly tell them that I do not smoke because I practice Falun Gong. By doing it this way, I can immediately get directly to the major subject. On hearing that, many hotel guests are able to understand. But there are some who are either afraid to hear or do not want to hear the truth. No matter what, I always leave them with the impression that "Falun Gong is good." When there are many guests at the same time, I will leave a copy of a truth-clarification brochure in their rooms. Some customers read while walking. Thus, I have a chance to clarify the truth to people almost every day.
There are plenty of chances to clarify the truth to our regular customers. For instance, a hotel guest from Xi'an did not want to listen to me at all the first time; on the contrary, he totally took the opposite standpoint. I remained calm in my mind and always smiled at him, waiting for the right opportunity. When he stayed at the hotel the second time, I took tea to him and started talking with him about family matters with a big smile. At the same time, I gave him a truth-clarifying brochure. He still refused to read it and continuously held on to his original conventional thoughts. But I did not give up. Each time he came to the hotel, I would explain the truth to him. I can't remember how many times I talked to him. Because of that, we gradually became very familiar with each other. One day, he came back to the hotel really late. He told me, "Li, I like you being on duty because you always have hot tea for me." After numerous interactions, he indeed saw that we Dafa practitioners truly discipline ourselves according to "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." He personally experienced the beauty of Dafa. I did not know that he was a university graduate, but I always used the wisdom that Master gave me to explain things. When I noticed that he was interested in the law, I spoke from this aspect. I told him that the Chinese Constitution stipulated that every citizen has the freedom of religious belief, speech, of forming associations, freedom of the press, etc. As a matter of fact, I told him, Jiang is the one who is violating the law. These words had an impact on him. One day, he told me that he had been in Henan Province for a long time, but had made very little progress with the job he was working on. He felt upset. I told him, "Your biggest progress is understanding that 'Falun Dafa is good'," and he smiled.
A businessman from Dancheng County in Henan Province had been a regular customer for decades. He is from a family with a Christian background. We frequently discussed Falun Gong. He learned how to sit in the lotus position at home (both legs crossed, one on top of the other), and when he was on business trips, he would sit with his legs crossed in his room. He even asked his roommates to do the same. Once he told me that he had high blood pressure and was drinking a kind of herbal tea. I told him to repeat to himself, "Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." I told him to try it and see what would happen. A few days later, he felt very good. From then on, he kept saying these words every day. Sometimes when he was working in the factory, even if there were many people around, he would still say, "Falun Dafa is good."
A businessman from Guangshui Mosquito-repellent Incense Factory in Hubei Province once fell down and ruptured his liver. Although he had surgery, from that point on he was extremely weak physically. One day, he stayed in our hotel during a business trip. When I was changing bedsheets for him, I learned about his poor health. Therefore, I told him to say, "Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." I told him that without even spending any money, he might be able to have his condition cured. He started to say those words just to try and see if it worked. A few months later, he came to our hotel again. I went to change the bedsheets for him. As soon as I entered his room, he happily asked me, "Uncle [an informal yet respectful term in China, to address someone who is older], how do I look now?" He told me that after last time, he started to say those words every day. "Now, I have no problems eating and sleeping, and I have become very healthy." Before I could say anything, he told me that he also told several others to say "Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." I told him that he was doing a great deed!
A businessman from Jiyuan City has a predestined relationship with Falun Dafa. When talking about Falun Gong, he told me that his wife also practiced Falun Gong. He said that he also wanted to practice but did not have the book. I gave him a copy of Zhuan Falun and he was very happy. Sometimes he even took it with him on business trips. Recently, he came again and I asked him if he had his book with him. He replied no. He also said that it was too difficult to study and that it was easier just to be a good person. Besides, he had to drink alcohol during business relations, which is against the teachings of Falun Gong. I said, "Jia [the guest's name], you have made your business your priority. One's life will be gone in an instant. It is cultivation that is still the most important!" After talking with him for a while, he changed his mind. He asked me if I had any Falun Gong booklets. I gave him Master's "1996 First Lecture in the U.S." and "Beijing International Experience Sharing Conference" (translator's note: not official translation). The next day he told me, "Now I understand. I need to take these two books home. My wife needs to read them too!"
One day, a customer came from Siping City, Jilin Province. When he registered, I saw that he was from Jilin. I thought that I must explain the truth to him. I found a chance to go talk with him. I asked him if he was from Jilin and I told him that he was from the same place as Master Li. My Master was from Gongzhuling City. He said that Siping and Gongzhuling were very close to each other. I directly talked about the magnificence of Falun Gong and told him the truth of the "self-immolation" on Tiananmen Square. He really understood what I said; however, he also said not to oppose the country. By then, some other matters came up which I had to deal with, so I could not continue. After I was finished, while sending forth righteous thoughts, I carried hot water to his room. I told him, "You are from the same place as my Master, so I want to talk with you some more." He was very excited. I said that Jiang mixed up right and wrong. I told him that if human beings don't have morality, the whole human social moral standard will slide down. Isn't it dangerous for humans if things will continue in this way? He kept nodding his head in agreement while listening to what I was saying.
I continued, telling him that in our modern society, many people truly only regard money as the most important thing. Take two businessmen from Guangshui, Hubei Province for example. At the beginning when I told them the truth of Dafa, they did not want to listen at all. Money was the only thing that was important to them and nothing else. I told myself that when talking with young people, I needed to have patience. I should wait for the right chance to present itself. Once, they mentioned Falun Gong on their own initiative in the commons area. One of them asked how to practice the exercises. I showed them the full lotus position. They were surprised to see that. Very naturally, I started to tell them about the events that happened in Tianjin, and the entire process of the Zhongnanhai appeal. I also told them how Jiang violated the law, and the ridiculous points of the "Six Prohibitions" announced by the Bureau of Civil Administration, Ministry of Public Security. I told them why the law, "Banning Cults," passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress did not mention anything about Falun Gong at all. After they heard what I told them, they kept nodding their heads to express their agreement. Afterwards, whenever they stayed at the hotel, as soon as they entered the door, they would say to me, "Excellent person!"
There was a small barbershop attached to the hotel. The owners of the shop were a young married couple from Xinxiang, which is close to the Yellow River. Because of our frequent contacts, they knew that Falun Gong practitioners were good people. Sometimes, when they fought with each other, I would use Dafa's teachings to tell them such things as how people should be compassionate to each other. I told them to frequently recite, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." Now, they seldom fight anymore. They also taught their family members to repeat, "Falun Gong is good; Truthfulness- Compassion-Forbearance is good."
Ding, who works in one of the stores nearby, used to practice Buddhism. When I first told him about Falun Gong, he ignored me. He did not take the book, Zhuan Falun, when I offered it to him. However, after constant contact, every time I saw him, I would clarify the truth to him. After a while, every time he saw me, he would ask for new Dafa materials. He also wanted to watch the truth-clarification DVDs. In addition, he has even read Zhuan Falun. Now, if he sees me, he always says, "Falun Dafa is great."
The couple who runs a nearby bakery is from Zhejiang Province. They both are stubborn, and are focused on making money. Each time I told them the truth of Falun Gong and the persecution, I would send forth righteous thoughts. Now, they not only read Dafa brochures, but also say, "Falun Dafa is great."
Once, the hotel's upper management department notified us that they were preparing to change the contractor. Ten people came to the meeting, including the department's general manager, some from the administrative office, and the finance department. I thought that if I could clarify the truth here, it would be wonderful! As I thought this, the general manger started to talk about Falun Gong. This kind of opportunity was hard to come by! I seized the chance to talk about the magnificence of Dafa, and the truth about the staged Tiananmen self-immolation incident. They all knew that I used to have all kinds of illnesses, but that now I was healthy. I have not needed any medicine for nine years. Several managers and the accountant asked some questions about issues that were unclear to them. My replies were satisfactory to them. The general manager said, "You were very quiet before, and your face was pale. Now, you like to talk, and you look healthy too."
Several dozen families live in my neighborhood. They all know that I practice Falun Gong, and they also know that I show respect to my parents at home. I am a good worker in my workplace. Whenever neighbors need help, I am willing and ready to help. They always tell me, "You are an excellent person!" Therefore, when I clarify the truth to them, they all can accept the truth. The posters on the wall in the hallways saying, "Falun Dafa is great" are currently still up because nobody takes them off. Some of my neighbors have read Zhuan Falun. When I tell them the truth and tell them to say, "Falun Dafa is good," they are all glad to accept it. Some elderly neighbors can't read, so they have their family members read the truth-clarification materials to them.
When friends from my hometown and relatives come to my home and have dinner with us, I always clarify the truth to them, and tell them to say, "Falun Dafa is good." They are very happy to hear that. My elder sister and her family live in the countryside. I went to celebrate Chinese New Year with her family. After all the Dafa materials were given out, I told her family the truth about Falun Dafa. The entire family listened earnestly.
Earlier this year, the city's 610 Office organized a theatrical troupe which came to nearby villages to perform some programs that attacked Dafa. When I heard that, I knew that I had to stop the evil from poisoning the sentient beings. When I found out where they would go next, I took some Dafa truth-clarification materials and went to one village a day, leaving truth-clarifying materials in every household in order to let ordinary people know the beauty of Dafa and that persecuting Dafa was illegal.
Through truth-clarification and Fa-rectification, I also discovered many attachments of my own. I have removed some of them, while some of them I only realized after a long time. Some attachments were very strong. I must treasure this final period of Fa-rectification and strictly discipline myself according to what Master teaches: "Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy." ("Rationality," Essential for Further Advancement II). I must walk each step well.
Written on January 02, 2005.
