(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa at the end of 1994. Prior to that, I had been tormented by all sorts of illnesses for more than twenty years. I had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia, congenital arrhythmia, and various stomach problems. Shortly after becoming a Dafa disciple and holding myself to the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, all of these problems vanished. Additionally, I also became much more spirited and light-hearted.
I have witnessed countless wonders while practicing Dafa, and I would like to share a few stories.
1. Refusing to Renounce Dafa
I was illegally and unjustly detained at the Tianjin City Dagang Bangqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp in 2002. Because we lacked a deeper understanding of the Fa, more than twenty practitioners from our team complied with our captors and renounced the practice on paper, as we had been coerced to do. We thus chose the wrong path.
Ms. Chen (an alias) was an exception. Instead, she wrote: “Falun Dafa is wonderful! Falun Dafa is righteous! Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance are good!”
Regardless of how harshly the guards treated her, Ms. Chen never succumbed. In the eyes of myself and those around me, Ms. Chen was acting in an extreme manner.
One day, my team of detainees was assigned to select beans on the platform. I saw that the beans in front of Ms. Chen were big, bright and clean. She hardly needed to do any work to select them. In contrast, the other beans like mine were small, dirty and fairly dark.
“How could beans coming from the same bag be so different in quality,” I wondered, baffled by what I had observed. Over the next few days, I discovered this was a pattern: Ms. Chen consistently received beans of vastly superior quality.
Another practitioner who did quality control also noticed this phenomenon. Out of curiosity, she asked who had done such a great job since the beans looked pristine. The team leader told her that it was Ms. Chen's work. Finally, I realized that it was benevolent Master using the beans to enlighten us all. Ms. Chen's persistence was righteous, and she was being rewarded. The rest of us had rejected what was right in favor of our human attachments and fear.
2. Turning the Tide through Righteous Thoughts
Ms. Liu (also an alias) and I were illegally detained in 2006. I remembered what Master had once said:
“No matter what the situation, do not cooperate with the evil’s demands, orders, or what it instigates. If everyone does this the environment won’t be this way.” (“Dafa Disciples’ Righteous Thoughts are Powerful” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
When the guards were forcing me to renounce Dafa, I thought introspectively and found that I had not been treating the guards with kindness. Thus, I vowed to rectify this and quietly began to recite Master's poem:
“Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth, ushering in springRighteous thoughts can save the people in this world”(“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos” in Hong Yin Vol. II)
Inspired by Master's words, I used my kindness to clarify the truth of the persecution to none other than the guards. I also persuaded everyone in the room to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and any affiliated organizations. Later that day, I asked for Master's help to transfer me to a different cell. That same evening, I was moved, allowing me to clarify the truth to a whole new group of guards and detainees.
One day, I decided to go on hunger strike to protest the persecution. A week later, a group of guards brought several people to force-feed me. I refused to cooperate and asked Master to empower me with the strength to continue resisting.
When the guards realized I would not cooperate, they took me to a hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor did one test after another on me. All the results showed that I was in normal health. Evidently, a miracle had been bestowed upon me as a reward for my dedication to what I knew was right!
The doctor made a few remarks to the guards: “Her health condition is poor. It is dangerous to continue to force-feed her. If one of you insists on doing it, you must sign this document to take responsibility.”
The guards were so afraid that none of them agreed to sign. They asked my family and colleagues. None of them agreed. The doctor refused to allow force-feeding without a signature, so in the end, they had to take me back to the detention center. Three days later, I was released from detention and returned home with my righteous thoughts intact.
3. The True Meaning of Introspection
Sometimes, I would find myself arguing with other practitioners. I thought very highly of myself, resented and complained about others' opinions, and would feel wronged if something did not go my way. Sometimes, I would even think about cutting off relations with them entirely. I was losing sight of Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
I began a notebook where I would write down all of my complaints and problems. One day, I wanted to write something, but my notebook was missing. Logically, I decided to use a different notebook.
It was time for a miracle. As soon as I opened up the notebook, one passage caught my eye. It was some of my notes on a Minghui piece. It read, “Though it appeared on the surface that the other party was totally wrong, I still considered that the true reason might boil down to my own xinxing issue. Master has told us that nothing is accidental.
“As a cultivator, we should not look at the meaning of things on the surface. If there is a conflict, it must be related to our own xinxing. Only through introspection and cultivating oneself can the problem be fully resolved. All conflicts involving practitioners have a deeper meaning behind them. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
I read the passage over and over. I suddenly understood that Master was reminding me to look inward. I immediately eliminated any attachments pertaining to my ego, validating my self-image, my competitive mentality, any negative feelings, and my tendency to complain about others while refusing to hear any criticisms in return. I felt very ashamed of my actions, but also deeply grateful that Master had helped me become a better Dafa disciple.
