(Clearwisdom.net)
Introduction
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Countless generations of predestined relationships with Falun Dafa
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Master's first visit to Guan County
(1)Â Divine deeds
(2) Teaching the Fa and the exercises
(3) Visiting disciples' homes
(4) Going to Xiaocheng City
(5) Visiting Daming City
(6)Â Touring Lingyan Temple
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Master's second visit to Guan County
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Master preparing to visit Guan County a third time
Introduction
Master has gone to Guan County of Shandong Province twice, in November 1992 and May 1993. There, Master imparted the fundamental Law of the cosmos to the land of Guan Prefecture [Guan County was once called Guan Prefecture, or Guanzhou]. Many Dafa disciples from different regions came to Guanzhou to share their cultivation experiences during those days when Master widely spread the Fa. After July 20, 1999, Guanzhou became a place where the evil escalated its persecution of Dafa practitioners.
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Countless generations of predestined relationships with Falun Dafa
Guan County is located at the west side of the West Shandong Plateau, between Yanzhou and Jizhou, and it is a gateway to Shandong Province. During the time of Emperors Yao and Shun, it belonged to Jizhou [which was Ji Prefecture then]. During the Zhou Dynasty it was Jin Guan Shi City and Huang City. During the Spring-Autumn Period it was called Guan Shi City, belonging to the Nation of Jin. During the Han Dynasty it was called Qingyuan County. During the Tang Dynasty it was renamed to Qingquan County. During the Song Dynasty and Jin Dynasty it belonged to Daming Fu ["Fu" was an administrative region]. During the Yuan Dynasty it was under Dongchang Lu ["Lu" was an administrative region].
In the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty, Guan County was promoted to the status of Guanzhou [Prefecture]. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties it belonged to Dongchang Fu. Now it is under the administration of Liaocheng City.
To the east, the Majia River separates Guan County from Dongchang Fu. To the west it is across the Wei River from the neighboring Guantao County in Hebei Province. In the south it is next to Shen County. In the north, its neighbor is Linqing City. Guan County is about forty kilometers from east to west, and about fifty kilometers from north to south, and 1,152 square kilometers in size. Its population is about 700,000.
Although there are no high mountains in Guan County, since ancient times many rivers flow across the land. The Hongyan River, Sha River, Yellow River, Qing River, Zhaowang River, Majia River, and Gutun River cross it. There are also many natural springs, for instance the Qingyuan, Qiaogu (also called Qiaonu), and Yanshan. This land is rich and fertile, covered with dense forest and beautiful flowers.
The sages Confucius and Mencius gave lectures here. Confucius' disciple Ranzi was buried here because he loved this land.
Guan County has a tradition of well-educated citizens. Men were good at farming while women were adept at spinning and weaving. The local people valued filial piety and loyalty, and many became government officials that served the country faithfully.
Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong and Song Dynasty Emperor Yang Yanzhao personally led troops and fought battles there. In this land, Mu Guiying of the Song Dynasty broke the enemy's battle formation, and the remains of the military camps from that time can still be found. The people have the tradition of worshiping Buddhas and gods, so there were many pious religious believers. Buddhist and Taoist temples and monasteries of different sizes can be found everywhere in the county. There are over forty well-known ones: Jici Temple, Qianfo Temple, Guobao Temple, Jubao Temple, and Taiping Temple in the east of the city; Yuanzhao Temple, Sanqing Monastery, Baita Temple, Baifo Temple, Yuantong Temple, Shifo Temple, Guanyin Temple in the south of the city; Fosheng Temple, Wanshan Temple, Dinghui Temple, Wanshou Temple, Jingang Temple, Bixia Monastery in the north of the city; and a Tang Dynasty temple building complex, consisting of 82 temples and 72 wells, in the west of the city. Within the county capital are Luzu Monastery, Ciji Temple, Cihui Nunnery, Guanyin Temple, Ziwei Monastery, Kaili Temple, Chongming Temple, etc. With the passage of time, people increasingly believed in gods and Buddhas and passed on the tradition of being courteous, respectful, and tolerant to each other. Genuine Buddhist and Taoist cultivators abounded. Many beings have, since long ago, come to the land of Guan County, waiting for the spread of Dafa.
Natural and man-made disasters have been occurring since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The traditions of being courteous to each other and of worshiping Buddhas and cultivating in Taoism have gradually faded. Temples and monasteries were also damaged or destroyed. To protect their families, people made martial arts a general practice. Illiteracy went up. Is that a big hindrance to people attaining the Fa? What could be done to help the people here? In this regard, we have to mention one person, Wu Xun, who was a beggar, born in Wu Village, Liulin Town, Guan County in 1883. He established schools with the money he obtained through begging.
On May 12, 1993, in the north-side dining room of the Guanzhou Hotel (which was called the county guest house at that time), twenty to thirty people had lunch together with Master. Before lunch, the practitioners heard Master saying, "Coming to Guan County is a homecoming for me." A practitioner asked, "Isn't Changchun Master's hometown?" Master replied, "I was in Guan County in one of my previous lives." The practitioners did not continue this line of questions and Master did not explain further. Later we heard from practitioners from Changchun City that Master's previous life in Guan County was as a beggar. Master has said in "True Cultivation" (in Essential for Further Advancement), "Did you know that in order to save you the Buddha once begged for food among everyday people?" Master has not mentioned any connection to Wu Xun, but we can feel that to save us Master has suffered numerous, unimaginable hardships. We should cherish even more this rare cultivation opportunity and Master's benevolent salvation.
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Master's first visit to Guan County
(1) Divine deeds
Between spring and summer of 1992, Guan County held its first gathering for some former Guan County residents who worked outside the county but came back to visit their hometown. One of them was Han Yu'an, who worked for the China Qigong Scientific Research Association. Many senior officials who met Han asked him about ways to keep fit, how to find good qigong masters, etc. Han recommended and introduced Master Li Hongzhi and his Falun Gong to them. Over ten kinds of qigong exercises were practiced in Guan County at that time, but after many years of practice, people found that these exercises' effectiveness for curing illnesses and keeping fit was not ideal. Hearing Han's recommendation, they prepared to invite Master Li to come to Guan County. The sponsors were Zhang Huaixuan (former chief editor of the county historical journal), An Wenbin, and Liu Xiqi (a physical education teacher working for the county's sports commission). Later the county's Deputy Party Secretary Shi Yongchao and Deputy County Head Qi Yufen also endorsed the invitation. In the end, the county's Civil Administration Bureau Directors Zhang Ruting and Wang Xiufeng and a department leader Zhu Yuchun (who was also a coordinator for a certain qigong exercise), the County Qigong Association Director Wang, and the county's Retired Cadres' Bureau Director Zhou Zhenda jointly sent out the invitation in the names of the different government branches.
Master was very busy then and could not come to Guan County on such short notice. So some started to ask Han Yu'an when Master could come to hold a class. Finally, on October 25 or 26 of 1992, Han called back and said that Master would hold a class in Beijing on October 30. On October 29, Lao Rui (alias) and Mei Rong went to Beijing. That night, Lao Rui dreamed that a Buddha had come down from heaven. With Han's help, Lao Rui and Mei Rong went to Beijing Dafa practitioner Ms. Liu's home, where they met Master. There were many people in Liu's home at that time. Master was very happy to see Lao Rui. Master adjusted his body and personally put a Falun badge on him. Master also pressed Lao Rui's third eye with his thumb, asking, "Is it rotating or not?" Lao Rui, who was influenced heavily at that time by the communist culture, said, "No." Master smiled and then pressed that area again but with a little more pressure. Lao Rui felt a sudden dizziness and then said, "It is rotating." Master smiled. Lao Rui also told Master his dream about Buddha. Master told him that he would understand later.
On October 30, between 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Falun Gong class began in the Army's Second Artillery Auditorium. When the class ended on November 5, Lao Rui sincerely asked Master to come to Guan County to hold a class as soon as he could. Han Yu'an also joined in the plea. Although Master was very busy, he said that he would try to come to Guan County soon.
At midnight on November 12, Lao Rui and Lao Dai (alias) went to the Handan City Train Station. At about 5:00 a.m., Master and three others who accompanied Master got off the train at Handan, and then got into Lao Rui's car. They traveled along Jinan-Handan Road and entered Guan County. This road has been there since the latter part of the Tang Dynasty. At about 7:00 a.m., Master and those who accompanied him got out of the vehicle at the northern side of the bridge in the middle section of Hongqi Road. At that corner, there was a snack booth, where Master had his first meal in Guan County; Master ordered youtiao (a kind of fried, leavened dough stick) and soy milk. During the meal, Lao Rui asked Master to stay at his house and Master accepted the invitation. After breakfast, Master and those who came with him then went to the Retired Cadres' Activity Center to meet the relevant government officials and discuss the class. Those who attended included individuals from the Police Department, the Civil Administration Bureau, the Retired Cadres' Bureau, the Sports Commission, the Qigong Association, some qigong coordination centers, etc. During the meeting, Master adjusted the bodies of the attendees and others who were present. After 11:30 a.m., Lao Rui came to invite Master and those who came with him to go to lunch. Retired Cadres' Bureau Director Zhou Zhenda and Lao Dai escorted them. During the lunch, Master said that there would be many people coming to get their illnesses cured, which would create many inconveniences for Lao Rui's family, so Master would not stay in his home. Some people arranged for Master to stay inside the VIP building of the county Party Committee's guest house. Master said that it was too expensive, so he just stayed one night and then moved to an ordinary room on the second floor of the west-side building of the guest house. Master stayed there until the morning of November 23, when he left Guan County.
In the afternoon of November 12, the county Deputy Party Secretary Shi Yongchao and the County Deputy Head Qi Yufen informed the leaders of county government branches to go to the Retired Cadres' Activity Center to attend a meeting, so as to warmly welcome Master Li to Guan County to teach the Fa. To help people understand what Falun Gong is, Master decided to give a Falun Gong lecture in the Guan County Theater; Master would also emit Gong (energy) while giving the lecture. Then Master held a three-day activity to treat patients and answer questions in the activity center. Master ate dinner in the small dining room in the southwestern side of Guan County Hotel. The Civil Administration Bureau held the reception for Master. Those who accompanied Master were Director Zhang Ruting, Associate Director Wang Xiufeng, Resettlement Office Director Zhu Yuchun, and two policemen from the police department.
After 8:00 a.m. on November 13, Master gave a lecture in the theater. (Han Yu'an also attended the lecture.) In the afternoon, Master went to the Retired Cadres' Activity Center to treat patients and answer their questions. Master was very busy, and the activity lasted into the morning of November 16. In the afternoon, Master stopped going there in order to prepare for the evening class.
During the process of Master's treating illnesses, many extraordinary and miraculous things happened there. Through these miracles, people could gain a preliminary understanding of Dafa. There were many people who came to seek treatments. Only ten yuan was charged for each person whose illnesses were cured. For those who did not see obvious improvements at that time, they were not charged even a penny. Usually those who went to the activity center to seek treatments all had unusual illnesses that could not be cured with either Chinese or Western medicine. They just went there to try their luck. During those several days, many half-paralyzed patients arrived. For example, Zhao Yuxian, an employee of the county hospital, became paralyzed in an accident. Zhan had no feeling below his neck, and his family members had to feed him his meals. After several years, Zhao's family members were exhausted. But with Master's treatment, Zhao could eat by himself. The effectiveness was really amazing.
On the morning of November 14, the weather was a little cold; the wind blew from the north. By 8:00 a.m., many people had arrived at the Retired Cadres' Activity Center to seek treatments. One of them was a middle-aged lady who had multiple illnesses. She suffered from prolapse of the rectum. She had lain in bed for four years and could not take care of herself. It was extremely difficult even for her to sit or stand. She had to rely on her family for her daily needs. Many times her husband had to take days off from his work in order to take her to see doctors. During the longest stretch, he took almost one year off. He took her to many famous hospitals including Liaocheng Specialized Hospital, The First Shandong Provincial Hospital, The Second Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Shandong Labor Re-Education Hospital, The Eighty-Eighth Hospital, the Ninetieth Hospital, and Beijing Union Medical College Hospital. However, these treatments did not work. Her condition actually got worse. She often lost consciousness and was as thin as a skeleton. She is about 1.6 meters [about 5.3 ft] tall, and her body weight dropped from the original 55 kg to 32 kg [121 lbs to 71 lbs]. She lived amidst pain and struggled on the verge of death every day.
This lady waited until after 10:00 a.m. for her turn. At the west- side entrance, Master saw her and asked her where she had illnesses. Master asked her to close her eyes and slightly bent her upper body. Master waved his right hand and patted her from her head to her feet; the sound of the patting was quite loud. In about two minutes, this lady's face was covered with beads of sweat and her face started to become rosy. Master asked her to open her eyes and tell him what she saw. She said that it was all dark in front of her eyes. Master then asked her to close her eyes and open them again. She then saw numerous spectacular scenes in other dimensions. She saw Master's law body. She suddenly understood everything: Master came to save people. Master asked her to ride a bicycle, though she had not ridden a bicycle for four years. She immediately got on the bicycle as Master had asked. Master asked her to ride a little faster. Ms. Liu said that the faster she rode, the better she felt. She then rode the bicycle around the flower bed in the yard, filled with child-like delight. Many bystanders in the yard clapped their hands for her and shouted to encourage her. Many of them knew her, and they all felt it was so miraculous! Master said something more to her, but she forgot what Master had said. Later she rode the bicycle home. After she went back home, she started to do housework that she had not done for a long time. While doing the housework, she thought, "Master has cured my illnesses, but what can I do for Master?" On the early morning of November 15, she took out her bicycle, which had not been used for four years, and prepared to go to the hotel to see Master and be a staff member, which was counted, in her mind, as her doing something for Master. When she examined the tires, they were all flat. Her husband quickly found a pump and inflated the tires. She then rode it to the hotel to see Master.
The bicycle worked very well during the whole day of November 15. She rode it round trip and had no problems. But on the morning of November 16, she found the front tire was flat again. Her husband quickly took out the pump, trying to inflate the tire. He tried for quite a while and could not get air into the tire. He pulled out the valve and found that there was no rubber tube attached to it at all! They then examined the rear tire and found the same thing. The couple was shocked by how she could have made it to the hotel the previous day.
Many miracles had happened during the three days when patients were treated. There were many examples of severe heart diseases, cancer, problems with blood vessels in the brain, high blood pressure and others cured instantly. We will not give all the examples in this regard.
(2) Teaching the Fa and the exercises
The first Falun Dafa Class in Guan County was held at 7:00 p.m. on November 16, 1992 at the Guancheng Town Conference Room, which no longer exists. Because there were so many attendees, the next day the class was moved to the Guan County Wine Factory's conference hall, which is now a storehouse. A practitioner drove Master to the conference hall by car the night of November 17, 1992. But after the class, Master walked back to the county hotel alone. Master walked back and forth to the conference hall every day and refused to use any practitioner's car again.
Every morning Master got up early, walked along Hongqi Street and then headed east at the first crossroads. The Guan County Wine Factory is about 400 meters from the hotel. There was a barber shop along the eastern corner of the road, which has become the Haoduomei Salon. Master once had his hair cut there.
Practitioners got up earlier and respectfully awaited Master's arrival. Master shook practitioners' hands and everyone felt very happy. Since Master had begun giving Falun Gong lectures not too long ago, practitioners still did not know what cultivation practice was or how to greet Master with the heshi gesture. The practitioners only thought Master was a powerful Qigong master with great energy, and they felt a close relationship with Master. Some practitioners also thought that shaking hands with Master would help to increase their gong, assumptions that seem naive now. But Master, smiling compassionately, shook hands with every practitioner waiting at the entrance. Sometimes Master chatted briefly with practitioners and then entered the conference room.
Master held the first and second sessions of the Falun Gong lectures in Changchun City in May 1992, and the third one in Beijing. The fourth was at the Taiyuan City Kuangji Factory Hotel on October 14, 1992. Lao Rui participated in the third one in Beijing. The fourth city where Master held a Falun Gong class was in Guan County, the sixth session, a great honor for Guan County but something that the practitioners there did not know at the time.
Master emitted strong energy, and many attendees felt it. Master said that the conference room walls were luminous the night of November 19, 1992. When teaching the exercises, Master asked practitioners not to move their hands more than 20 centimeters away from their bodies in order to find the energy mechanism. Later on, whenever practitioners reminded themselves of the sight of Master personally teaching the exercises, every practitioner was still moved to tears. We can never repay Master for his immense compassion, but need to firmly follow the cultivation paths Master has arranged for us. We should do our best to do the three things.
I remember one day before the class, Master said that the Fa is for human beings, and certain practitioners' Futi (animal possession) that are hidden deeply in the human body got into the classroom. He said that animal spirits should reincarnate into human beings before starting the practice, and thus any animal spirit should leave the classroom immediately. Master paused and said that any animal spirit that did not leave would be eliminated!
As soon as Master finished his words, five or six practitioners felt ill and wanted to vomit, but could not vomit anything. They went to the entrance of the conference hall and stood there, where the animal possession left right away. When they returned, everything was fine with them, and they listened to the lecture normally with no problems.
During that period, every qigong master was promoting how to keep fit. Master taught the lectures that bring people to high levels. Some practitioners did not know what it meant to be at a high level. I remember someone asking Master whether he could achieve as high a level as Laozi and Bodhidharma. According to some practitioners' memories, Master pointed at the conference hall roof and said that they were there, listening to the Fa. A practitioner asked Master how high he could go. Master answered that if the level of Tathagata does exist, that is not the upper limit.
Every practitioner had different inborn qualities and reactions in the class. One practitioner came to attend the class on the fourth lecture day. When she saw that other people were sitting, conjoining their hands and closing their eyes, she followed suit. Shortly after, her third eye was opened and saw that there were mountains, rivers, and pavilions on Master's lecture table; and she eventually saw Master was a great Buddha. Later on, this same practitioner attended a Falun Gong experience-sharing meeting in Kaifeng City and saw many Falun of various sizes all over the conference hall.
This Guan County Falun Gong session had originally been scheduled for a ten-day period, but the organizers thought it was too long and changed it to seven days. Master emitted such strong energy, and some practitioners slept during Master's lecture. They did not quite understand Master's teaching. They gradually realized Master's greatness and compassion through Fa-study later on.
Many practitioners attending the classes said they were quite familiar with Master. One practitioner told Master when he accompanied Master back to the hotel that he dreamed several days before the class that someone was helping him. Master told him the reason.
Master also said in the class, "I have been taking care of you for three years already. You are so fortunate to attend the class. There must be a lot of virtue accumulated from your forefathers. Even your relatives who have passed away will benefit from your practice."
After the afternoon class on November 22 concluded, it was well past dinner time, and Master still had the evening lecture at 7:00 p.m. Nevertheless, Master still had photographs taken with some practitioners under the light of the setting sun.
Master gave us much during the lecture, but we only paid 40 yuan in tuition. Those who only attended the class after it began paid 20 yuan. Master also gave out some free tickets to practitioners. On the last day, November 22, 1992, Master personally presented each student with a graduation certificate. Master himself wrote the words on the certificate. Master also answered practitioners' questions. Some practitioner implored Master to have another session. Master agreed. At the closing ceremony, Master personally presented practitioners with the "Falun Gong Practice Site in Guan County" banner.
(To be continued)
