(Clearwisdom.net) Greetings to Benevolent Great Master! Greetings to Fellow Practitioners!
My name is Li Lian (alias). After I read articles during the first and second Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Falun Dafa Practitioners in China, I was moved and greatly benefited. This time, I would like to report my cultivation experiences to Master and also share them with fellow practitioners to show my thankfulness for Master's protection, compassion and benevolence.
1. Fortunate to Obtain the Fa and Have a New Life
In the fall of 1995, all of a sudden, I became very sick. I felt as if a huge rock had been tied to my chest with a rope. I had a hard time breathing or drinking water. There was an oxygen bottle right next to my bed so that I could get oxygen at any time. I was suffering miserably. Even after visiting all the big hospitals, experts, and doctors of both Eastern and Western medicine, nobody could tell what was wrong.
At last, I was hospitalized in the most reputable hospital for forty-nine days. They worked on me every day and used all kinds of medicines. Nothing helped. In the end, they extended into my trachea and lung an instrument with a knife, forceps, scissors and light bulbs. They took out seven pieces of samples of my lung and did some tests. Then the resulting diagnosis was nicknamed "the King of Cancer." It was a very rare and incurable disease, so they sent me home. Afterwards, we also went to four other very famous Chinese Medicine doctors. Nobody could help. After being rejected by other well known hospitals, I had to go home. At that time, my life was ending. I couldn't eat or drink. I was struggling. My husband often cried. Friends and relatives were sad. One day in July of 1997, my husband told me of a book that somebody gave him, Zhuan Falun. It looked like a great book. He wanted to read it to me. I was very excited and was anxious to listen to it. From that day on, my husband read it to me all day, every day. The more I listened, the more I liked it. Without even noticing, all my symptoms improved. The "rock" on my chest was not that heavy anymore. The "rope" was not that tight anymore. When I was listening to the Fa, I forgot about all of my feelings of discomfort.
On the fourth day, I was able to sit up to study the Fa and listen to the Fa. I wanted to eat when I saw food. I was able to drink a bowl of porridge (I hadn't eaten any solid food for two years). After that, I started eating regularly and was able to take care of myself. I got rid of the oxygen bottle. I had a vision of silver strips going up spirally by the side of my body. But when I wanted to see it clearly, I couldn't see it any more. I saw it twice and realized that Master was purifying my body.
I wanted to learn how to practice the exercises. My husband invited some practitioners to teach me. They saw that I had a severe disease. They were afraid of causing damage to Dafa, so they didn't teach me. Later, another practitioner came and taught me. After four to five days, I was able to practice all five exercises. In half a month, I started going to the group exercise site and started practicing. A month later, I sent my maid home because I was able to do housework by myself. After I obtained the Fa, I was strict with myself and took the Fa as my teacher. I remember that once the husband of my maid had called and cursed at me. I didn't get upset at all. Later, my husband's friend came to visit me and looked at me, "Where is the patient on the bed?" I said, "Here I am." He said he thought that I was my sister. I had a new hair style with a red sweater on. I looked very healthy and in high spirits. He couldn't believe it. I told him, "I practice Falun Gong. It gave me a new life."
2. Practicing Diligently and Spreading the Fa
After suffering from the disease for two years, I was able to recover completely after I obtained Dafa. My story was amazing news in my area. My husband's friend was very stubborn and thought qigong to be superstition. But he witnessed my changes and didn't even hesitate to ask his wife to start practicing Falun Gong. My coworkers, friends and relatives and neighbors all saw the miracle that had happened with me and they too started cultivating. In the meantime, I used my own experiences to spread the Fa and many people started practicing Dafa. It was exactly like what Teacher said,
"Those who really have a predestined relationship and can enlighten will come one after another." ("Enlightenment" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
I became very strict with myself after I obtained the Fa. I studied the Fa and cultivated my xinxing. When I faced conflicts, I always looked inward first. I felt I made rapid improvements. Master's hints and miracles were very obvious.
One day, I was doing the second exercise. All of a sudden, it started raining very hard. Other practitioners all went under the trees to avoid the rain. I didn't move. When my husband came to get me, I was done practicing. I didn't have a single drop of rain on me. People on site all witnessed the miracle of Dafa. This way, my husband also entered into cultivation in November of 1997. After he obtained the Fa, no matter where he went, going to parties, weddings or funerals, going on business trips, he never forgot to spread the Fa. He helped many people take up Dafa cultivation practice. As Teacher put it,
"Dafa is being spread far and wide. Those who hear about it are looking for it. Those who have obtained it are delighted with it. The number of cultivators is increasing daily and becoming countless." ("Seeking Discipleship with Teacher" in Essentials for Further Advancement)
The first time I went to the group exercise site, I was able to do the second exercise for forty minutes. Every time I was able to finish it with the music. I started sitting in the double lotus position (both legs crossed) at the very beginning. After six months, I was able to sit in the double lotus position for two hours. When I study the Fa, I sit in the double lotus position as well. One morning, I studied the Fa and sat in the double lotus position for four hours. When I was done, my legs were numb for awhile, but I was fine right away.
Every morning, I went to the group exercise site to practice. During the weekends, I went out to spread the Fa. At night, I helped organize a group study of the Fa. Once when I came home from the group exercise site, I saw colorful Falun everywhere in the room. It was amazing (most of the time, I can't see anything special). I was so excited and was so thankful for Master's encouragement. I have personally seen this kind of scene twice.
In November of 1998, I was experiencing sickness karma. I had a high fever, wasn't able to sleep for a month and couldn't stop coughing. After twenty days, I was very exhausted. I begged Master to let me sleep for ten minutes. Immediately, I stopped coughing and fell right asleep. I had a dream: I heard somebody outside yell, "Hurry up and run!" I went out and ran with them. As I was running, I said, "Master, please don't leave me behind." I felt Master was just in front of me. I was running almost to the end of the sky and could almost reach the golden stars, but then I woke up. I realized that on the path back to my origin, I can't stop taking steps forward. At that time, under the pressure from relatives, my husband asked me, "Do you think you can endure this?" I said, "Yes, I can. This is not an illness. This is karma-elimination. I won't go to the hospital. Don't even think about it." Just like that, I was able to go through it. I remember somebody suggesting a remedy: Eat alcohol pickled grapes and drink alcohol. I said, "First of all, as a cultivator, I don't drink alcohol. Second, a remedy is also considered a medicine. This is karma-elimination. If I use medicine, it's not the right way." So after over twenty days, I went back to the group exercise site to practice.
Right after the Chinese New Year in 1999, my husband passed away suddenly. Right before that, my mother passed away as well. It was devastating for me as two close family members had left me. If I weren't practicing Dafa, I wouldn't have made it through to today.
My friends and relatives all asked me not to practice anymore. They said, "Your husband has died. Why do you still practice?" I said, "This is my own business and has nothing to do with him. I will continue to practice until the end." My thought shocked everybody. They all left and nobody visited me for over a month. I realized: I will cultivate until the end. Loneliness is a test for me!
In July of 1999, Jiang's regime started the persecution. One day in August, four to five police officers from the police department came to my house. I asked them to sit in my living room and said, "Why have you come here? There is nothing wrong with me practicing Falun Gong." So I started talking about my cultivation experience. "I had cancer. No medicine could cure me. I went to all experts. Nobody could fix it. When I was hopeless, Dafa gave me a new life. I didn't have to take a single tablet. It was Dafa that saved my life!" Under Master's strengthening, I talked for forty minutes. They started behaving moderately. From their facial expressions, I could tell that they already knew that the media was lying and they knew about the truth of Dafa.
Right then, one police officer said, "Let's talk about your husband." He took out a camcorder as he was talking. I said, "If you are going to tape record me, I am not allowing you to do it." They said, "The tape is for evidence about your husband. It will not be altered." I said, "That is not true. The tapes of Master's lectures were edited. They turned right and wrong upside down. They slander Master and Dafa. After you are done tape-recording me, you will go back and edit the tape to frame me and slander Dafa. I would never be able to clear my name after that. It would be a huge karma." They saw that I was firm and said, "Fine. We are not going to tape record you. How about having something in writing?" I said, "It depends on whether it's something I want to say. First of all, my husband's death has nothing to do with Dafa. Secondly, he was a government official. He was always doing righteous things. Thirdly, his death was purely a medical accident. Did you know that an operation to fix a rectal infection can cause death? It was because the doctor took a phone call during the operation and didn't sterilize and change his gloves again afterwards and continued with the operation. The next evening, my husband had fever due to the infection. It turned into blood poisoning that caused his death. If I weren't a practitioner, I would have sued them. A living person died by going through a small operation. It wasn't like how some people described that he died because of practicing Dafa. They just wanted to slander Dafa."
By then, these police were all shocked. By listening to me telling them that Falun Dafa is good, they all understood the truth and left in good spirits. They didn't persecute me because my pure thoughts from Dafa eliminated the evil factors behind them and saved them as well.
I practice Dafa and have never changed my mind. I always have Dafa in my mind. In the past, I was afraid of staying home by myself. When my husband went on business trips, I had to ask somebody to stay with me. After obtaining the Fa, however, I became independent. I'm not afraid of anything. This has established a good foundation for me to validate Dafa and save sentient beings.
3. Eliminating Human Notions and Letting Go of the Thought of Life and Death
The "April 25" incident in 1999 seemed to be the beginning of the Fa-rectification period. I went to Zhongnanhai (Chinese Communist Party Regime compound) to validate Dafa. I wondered why the government would be against such a good practice. I wanted to share my own experiences with them, especially my amazing changes. On my way home, I clarified the truth to people that I met along the way and I was able to save many predestined people.
In July of 1999, Jiang's regime started slandering and persecuting Falun Gong. On July 22, I went to the provincial government office with fellow practitioners to validate Dafa.
In December of 1999, I went to Beijing to validate the Fa. I wanted to reclaim justice for Dafa and Master. I was finally able to shout at Tiananmen Square, "Falun Dafa is great!" It was from the bottom of my heart and it shook the whole universe. I was taken back by the local police from Tiananmen Police Station. Then they sent me to the local detention center.
After I was released, the directors from the local police station and the street office had a conversation with me. They asked me why I went to Beijing. I then spread the Fa to them. I told them about my experiences of how Dafa saved my life from terminal cancer. I said, "All those advanced hospitals said that I would soon be dead. I practiced Dafa and was able to get back to my normal life. What would you say about this Falun Gong?" The director from the local office said, "I almost started practicing at some point. Now that I hear your story, I totally understand." I spread the Fa successfully to him.
Early June in 2000, there was a picture exhibition that slandered Dafa in one of our city's museums. I went there to validate Dafa and came back safely with Master's protection.
In December of 2000, I went to Beijing for the second time to validate the Fa. I was taken to the Tiananmen Police Station and then transferred to Tangshan Prison. Because I didn't report my name, a police officer and a plain clothed one took me to a big room upstairs. I was alone. They started torturing me - beating, kicking, and cursing. They used wooden sticks to beat me. They used hooks to pull my hair. They used everything they could use that was in the room. From 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., they took turns beating me. At 8 p.m., the plainclothes officer used a thick iron hook to beat my head, temples and forehead. I used my hands to protect myself. My hands were swollen right away. My face was disfigured. My head was swollen. I passed out.
The wicked police officer came to me and asked, "Why did you come to Beijing?" I thought to myself that I came to validate the Fa. My mind started clearing up a bit. He then asked, "We beat you like this. Do you hate us?" I said, "No." I knew that because I was a Dafa practitioner, I needed to protect Dafa's dignity and prove the wonderfulness of Dafa. He then asked why I didn't hate them. I said, "My Master teaches us 'not fighting back when punched or insulted'. Master asks us to be better and better people. You can't beat Dafa practitioners anymore. You know how much virtue you are giving us!" Under his request, I showed them how to practice some of the exercises, despite the physical pain I was in from the beating. I also told them my story of how Dafa saved my life. He was shocked, "We beat you like this and yet you still share this with us?" How could he understand that if it weren't for Master's endurance for me, my head would have been destroyed by their fierce beating? Later they let me call my family. They found my address by monitoring my call, so I was sent back to the local detention center.
At the detention center, the cell head asked me what kind of disease I had. I said I had no disease. It was all because they beat me brutally. I started telling them my story and how I was beaten at Tangshan Prison. After half an hour of discussion, the cell head started to cry. The nurse was full of tears too. Many other inmates cried. After that, I started spreading the Fa in the detention center. The cell head started practicing Falun Gong. The young inmates all recited Hong Yin. The nurse also promised me that she would practice with me when I was out. Whenever it was time to study the Fa, the monitor always watched the door for us.
4. Saving Sentient Beings to Fulfill Our Vows
Master said,
"Dafa disciples are magnificent because you are here at the same time as the period of Master's Fa-rectification and are able to safeguard and uphold Dafa. If what you do is no longer worthy of a Dafa disciple, think about it, if under the greatest mercy since the beginning of Heaven and Earth and under Buddha's infinite grace you still can't do well, how could there be another chance? Cultivation and Fa-rectification are serious. Whether you are able to treasure this period of time is, in fact, a matter of whether you can be responsible to yourselves. This period of time will not last long, but it can forge the mighty virtue of magnificent Enlightened Beings, Buddhas, Daos, and Gods of different levels, and even Lords of different levels. It can also destroy overnight a cultivator who has reached a really high level but who has become less strict with himself. Disciples, be diligent! Everything that's the most magnificent and the most wonderful is developed in the process of your validating Dafa. Your vows will become testaments of your future." ("Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
In order to assist Master in Fa-rectification and save sentient beings, I overcame the hindrance of not liking to talk to others and was able to clarify the truth to sentient beings.
Right before the Chinese New Year in 2001, I was monitored by the local police after I was released. I wasn't able to clarify the truth and spread the Fa like other fellow practitioners. I usually wrote down friends' addresses right away when I met them. Then I went to their homes to visit them. Once when I was visiting a friend, the police officer was waiting right outside for me. That was how I clarified the truth until early 2003 when the police officer was transferred away.
While distributing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and persuading people to withdraw from the CCP and its organizations, I never slacked off. I often took the opportunities of shopping, and taking baths at the public bathhouse to clarify the truth to people. Once I met somebody whom I knew. He was a government official with a high salary. He owns his own factory as well. I encouraged him to withdraw from the CCP and gave him a copy of the Nine Commentaries. He didn't want to listen or read the booklet. He had greatly benefited from the evil party and was deeply poisoned. Afterwards, I looked within. First of all, I had an impatient heart. Secondly, I wasn't benevolent enough. Thirdly, I didn't eliminate the evil factors behind him. So whenever I saw him from the window, I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil factors behind him. Later I went to visit him again. As I was walking over, I was sending forth righteous thoughts. When I met him, I said, "I didn't get to finish what I was talking about." So he asked me to continue. I told him about the essence of the evil party and the spirit possession. "When you vowed in front of the red flag, you were marked by the beast of the evil specters. Only withdrawing from the CCP will help you protect yourself." He said his "happy life" was given by the party. He couldn't be against the party. I told him that it wasn't given by the party. It was because of his own virtue. "Your money was exchanged for your virtue. You would get whatever you deserved no matter who was in power. If you didn't have virtue, you couldn't even get food if you begged for it. Now withdrawing from the CCP can help you avoid a disaster in the future. Why not ask for peace?" He was very surprised, "Of course, I want to have peace." I then said that only withdrawing from the CCP could have him saved. He said, "Okay."
Let me share several cases of clarifying the truth. I went to a shopping mall to buy shoes. I found that the salesperson had given me one hundred yuan extra for change. When I was returning it to her, I spread the Fa to her in front of other customers. I told her that Master teaches us to be good people. We don't give up our integrity for profit. "Falun Dafa is good." I talked for almost twenty minutes. She nodded and smiled.
Another time, I went to buy sausages and returned the excessive change they gave me. The process went through three people and the people saved were more than three. I told the owner and customers that Falun Dafa is good and that the self-immolation incident in Tiananmen was a hoax. I also told them briefly about my own experiences. One woman told her husband to start practicing Falun Gong. Her son also understood the truth. I was very happy for them.
When I was at a wedding, I met an officer responsible for persecuting Dafa practitioners in the city police department. I told my story of how Dafa saved my life, how I went to Beijing to validate Dafa and was beaten. I asked him not to slander Dafa and asked him to treat practitioners well so that he would have a good future. I talked to him for over twenty minutes without any fear. I just wanted to tell him that Falun Dafa is good. It had a very good effect.
I have deeply realized that as long as we follow the Fa, there is nothing that we can't do or we can't accomplish. When we aren't successful, it is usually because of our human notions. As long as we maintain righteous thoughts of saving sentient beings, our benevolence has an effect and Master will strengthen us. Teacher said,
"When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
"Master has the power to turn back the tide"
("The Master-Disciple Bond" in Hong Yin II, Translation Version A)
Now that the Fa-rectification period is nearing completion, I need to be more diligent and steadfast in cultivation and do the three things well. I should eliminate the attachment to fear, let go of all human notions, walk well on the Fa-rectification path, and follow Master to reach consummation.
At last, Heshi to Revered Master! Heshi to fellow practitioners around the world!
(Note: the author of this article is one of the many people who greatly benefited from practicing Dafa. Her case is documented in the "Two Hundred Typical Patients Among Falun Gong Practitioners Nationwide")