(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am 75 years old and started to cultivate in Dafa in 1998. Before I took up cultivation, my blood pressure reached over 200 mm Hg. I also had heart disease. After I began to practice, all my diseases disappeared. When I was a kid, I only went to school for about two to three years, sporadically. However, under Master's guidance and strengthening, I am able to read Zhuan Falun now. When I first obtained the Fa, I didn't know what cultivation was about. I just felt that the Fa was very good, Master was great, and that I really wanted to cultivate in the Fa.
At that time, no matter where the Fa study or practice site was, how far I had to walk, or whatever the weather, I never missed even a day of Fa study or doing the exercises. During winter in Northeast China, it is usually very cold. It was still dark when we started doing the exercises. When the weather was extremely cold, only two or three practitioners would go to the practice site, and I was one of them. As I was doing the second (standing) exercise, my hands were so cold that I felt like I had been bitten by a cat. After the exercises, I felt very comfortable throughout my body.
When the persecution of Dafa began in 1999, some people gave up the practice because of fear. I stayed at home to practice. At that time, I didn't have an MP3 or cassette player, so I relied on my memory to recall the exercises. Because I didn't have a Fa study environment, studying the Fa by myself was very difficult because my education was very limited. There were words that I had to ask fellow practitioners for help on. But I continued studying the Fa by myself. The people from the street committee repeatedly came to my house to pressure me to give up the practice, but I didn't listen to them. Later, they stopping coming.
At that time, my understanding of the Fa, Fa rectification, and its meaning and goal was very superficial. After doing exercises at home for awhile, seeing that the persecution was becoming more intense and a lot of practitioners were being arrested or sentenced, and many assistants had stopped cultivating, I became fearful and lost my righteous thoughts. I saw this persecution as man persecuting man (as opposed to evil persecuting good). Gradually, I also stopped cultivating.
It was not until two or three years later that I took up cultivation again. Thinking back, I regret what I did, and given Master's compassionate salvation, I felt deeply sorry that I wasted so much precious time.
Upgrading My Xinxing and Solidly Cultivating Myself
During the days and nights I was not cultivating, my heart felt like floating lilies. Dafa had taken root in my heart. One day, a practitioner came to see me. After sharing, I enlightened that it's very difficult to obtain a righteous Fa. How could I so easily let go of such a rare opportunity that only comes in thousands of years? What a great pity! Such a great Master, such a great Fa, how could I stop practicing it? Master said: “Once you pass this village, this inn will no longer be available” (“Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Guangzhou” from Zhuan Falun Fajie). In Zhuan Falun, Master said: “not to lose it easily just because you have obtained it easily.” I should follow Master no matter what and cultivate well. If the evil Party doesn't allow me to practice, then I should practice at home. After that, I took up the practice again.
My husband passed away many years ago. I am a peasant, and don't receive a fixed income. In the past, I relied on farming and selling crops to make a living. However, after the government confiscated my land in order to build new houses, I was forced to move and live in an apartment building. Because of this, I also lost my income. Due to my limited education and old age, finding a job was impossible. In order to sustain myself, I had to pick up discarded items and sell them to live. I used to spend a lot of time picking over garbage, and it was very tiring. Even though that's the case, I have never stopped practicing the exercises or studying the Fa.
Master teaches us to be good people no matter where we are. I found out that even picking up trash can cultivate my heart. Ordinary people who pick up trash steal and take home everything they deem valuable. But I never did that. Because I have always done things according to the standard of Dafa, I sometimes end up gaining a lot. For example, some factory workers would shout to me, “Hey, take these recyclables and sell them.” Some of them even saved discarded things for me when I came by the next time.
One day, my neighbor downstairs was looking for an aide to help care for an elderly woman. The wages for such home health care workers is about 500 yuan per month, plus one meal per day. Because my neighbor only wanted to pay 300 yuan and did not provide a meal, no one wanted to take the job. I thought to myself, “If I do this work (as opposed to picking up trash), then I will have more time for Fa study and practice.” I decided to take the job.
After I started, I told the older person I cared for about the beauty of Dafa. I was very dedicated to my job and the person was well taken care of. I never compromised the quality of my service due to the low salary and benefits. I told myself that, because I was a Dafa disciple, I would use my action to validate Dafa. The senior lady and her family were very satisfied with my work.
One day, she asked me to buy some vegetables for her from the market. After I came back, I gave her the change. However, she forgot where she had put the change and couldn't find it, and said I hadn't given it to her. I didn't argue with her, and continued do my job as usual. Later, she found the money, and said, “I am sorry that I have wronged you.” I didn't get angry with her at all.
The older lady's family acknowledged the goodness of Dafa through my actions and work ethic. After I finished my jobs, I would stay in their house and study the Fa. They never objected. Later, the woman's daughter took her to live with her, and my job ended.
Always Keep in Mind to Save More Sentient Beings
After the Party started to persecute Dafa, many practitioners in my area went to Beijing to appeal. I thought to myself, “I cultivate in the Fa. Now Master and Dafa are being unjustly attacked. If I don't go to appeal for Dafa, am I still counted as a Dafa disciple?” I bought a train ticket and decided to go to Beijing with other practitioners. We waited for the train in the Shenyang Station until midnight. Then, a fellow practitioner who had gone to Beijing before us called and said Beijing was already “under siege.” They told us that we couldn't go to Beijing anymore. By the time we got home, it was already dawn.
Because I couldn't go to Beijing, I decided to validate the Fa in my hometown. At night, I went out to write “Falun Dafa is good” or “Master is innocent” on utility poles or walls using chalk. It was already morning by the time I got home. At that time, unlike today, I didn't have colorful truth-clarification materials. I only had very simple fliers, hand-written stickers, etc. I delivered them to people's doorsteps and posted them in visible places. I did what Master asked us. I think that doing what Master asks us to do is true cultivation.
Although I stopped cultivating Dafa for about two to three years, once I took it up again, I did the exercises and studied the Fa every day. Our Fa study site has changed from one place to another many times (due to different arrangements), but no matter how far away, I have never stopped going there to study the Fa because of distance. Once, the Fa study site was far away from my house. I had to go up and down a hill to get there. During winter, the road was very dark and slippery. My children were afraid I would fall or get lost, so they didn't want to let me go there. But I felt the energy field was very strong when I studied the Fa with the group. I could ask practitioners if I didn't know some words. Also, group Fa study is a form established by Master. I told my children that, with Master's protection, I would have no problem. Windy, snowy, or rainy, I have never been late for the group Fa study.
Master said Dafa disciples must study the Fa well. Thus, in addition to studying the Fa with the group, I also study the Fa at home by myself when I have more time. I study Master's lectures given in different places and Hong Yin. I also like to read Minghui Weekly or truth-clarification materials. When Hong Yin III first came out, I read it three times. When I didn't understand the words, I asked fellow practitioners in the group. My righteous thoughts become stronger the more I study the Fa. When I go out to clarify the facts and convince people to quit the evil Party, my heart is very pure and steady, and I don't have much fear. I also send forth a lot of righteous thoughts. I feel time is very limited, and I never have enough time.
Master said Dafa disciples must save sentient beings. After I study the Fa and send forth righteous thoughts at home or with the group in the morning, I go out to clarify the facts and convince people to quit the evil Party in the afternoon. While clarifying the truth, I've been faced with a lot of tests and tribulations, and my xinxing has also upgraded. I've encountered different kinds of people. Some of them were thankful to me after quitting the Party. Others didn't believe what I said and laughed at me. Some people cursed at me and were sarcastic. I wasn't moved at all. I felt pity for them.
Clarifying the facts to save sentient beings has become a natural part of my life for the past few years. It is an indispensable part of my daily life. I always try convince people that come into my life to quit the evil Party.
One day, I encountered a man in his 40s who looked like a cadre. I went up to clarify the facts to him. A few moments later, he said, “Take a closer look at who I am.” I suddenly saw that he was wearing a police uniform. I said, “No matter what you do, you first have to have a life in order to do your job. I don't care if you are a police officer. I don't want a penny from you. If you quit the evil Party now, you can keep your life when disaster strikes.” He agreed to quit and asked me to be more careful.
When I bought some groceries from the market, the owner delivered them to my house. I took this opportunity to clarify the facts to him. He agreed to quit Party. I also gave him some truth-clarification materials. He was very thankful. When other people came to my house to install gas pipes, fix the house, or collect trash, I also convinced them to quit. When I went to pay my phone bill, I convinced the cashier to quit the Party. I also clarified the facts to a group of tricyclists who make a living by transporting their guests to different places in the city. Most of them have already quit the Party. When they saw me on the street, they would say, “Falun Dafa is good!”
The hardest thing for me is that I don't know how to write a lot of Chinese words. I have convinced people to quit the evil Party who have different surnames, and I don't know how to write them. Oftentimes, I have to ask them. Sometimes they leave before I get their names. When this happens, I used words that sounds like their surnames and write them down. Then I go ask practitioners the correct writing.
One day, I went to take a bath in a bathhouse. As soon as I walked in, I saw a person putting on her clothes. I came up and started a conversation with her. I quickly convinced her to quit the Party. Because I forgot to bring a pen and a paper, I kept reciting her name (or I would forget it). When I entered the bathhouse, I met another elderly lady who took her grandchild to take a bath. I also managed to convince her to quit the evil Party. Because my memory was poor, I kept reciting these two people's names, and was only assured after I got home and wrote them down on a piece of paper.
I always believe Master will protect me. Every time before I go out to clarify the facts to people, I always do “heshi” in front of Master's photo and say, “Master, please give me protection and lead predestined sentient beings to me.” I also send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors that interfere with my saving sentient beings. This way, when I clarify the facts to people, I am never afraid.
One day I went to the market and tried to clarify the facts to a female shopkeeper. After just a few moments, she started to raise her voice and yelled at me like a crazy person: “You Falun Gong people have nothing to do after you eat! What's wrong with you?” Her voice was hard on the ears. I told her, “If you don't believe me, that's fine. But there's no need for you to yell at me. What I did was just for your own sake.” But she didn't stop, and a lot of people came over. They thought we were having a fight. Spectators thought the lady was unreasonable and said to her, “This old lady didn't do anything to harm you. Why are you so angry at her?” I didn't get angry with her, thinking, “If you don't want to be saved, then I will find someone who does want to be saved.”
I have forgotten how many people I've convinced to quit the evil Party. During the process, I have encountered people from different social levels, such as factory workers, farmers, teachers, cadres, students, police officers, businesspeople, etc. Compared to other practitioners and the standard set by Master, I am still behind. Sometimes when I get tired, I want to rest. Then my attachment to comfort surfaces. Immediately I recall what Master said—that the closer it gets, the more diligent we should be. At present, the old forces are fighting with us for sentient beings. We can't be lax.
The above is my cultivation experience. I want to report it to Master and share with my fellow practitioners. Please compassionately point out anything inadequate. Thank you!
Heshi
