(Clearwisdom.net) All Dafa practitioners have unforgettable experiences. I would like to share mine. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Reading Zhuan Falun Twice Completely Changed Me
My name is Jin Fu, and I am 46 years old, a practitioner from Jilin Province. Prior to beginning Fa study I had heart disease. In July 1996 I was told I might live perhaps for another five years. I also had a dislocated right shoulder and was unable to use my right arm. Doctors said I would have muscular dystrophy a few years down the road. I also suffered from arthritis and other conditions. Meniere's syndrome was an additional ailment I suffered from. Whenever it recurred I couldn't sleep or eat, looked ghostly pale, and became thin. The illness made me faint frequently and lose consciousness. After I woke up from a coma I was usually weak for more than a week. Three or more days after recovery the same happened again. Doctors couldn't find a cure. Usually the local district nurse would hook me up to an IV drip at home. Every wall in all the rooms of my home had nails protruding, to hang bottles from. Sometimes I fell asleep while being IV'ed. I was often scared to find my blood had entered the IV tube when I awoke.
My husband frequently went out of town on business, and when he returned I often got mad at him, probably due to my poor health. But he always called the family nearby to ask them to check on me. He also called me once a day to make sure I was fine. I didn't want to make my family worry so much and often contemplated committing suicide.
A military doctor once told me, "Falun Gong might solve your health problems. They don't charge any fees. You should give it a try!" I came into Dafa with the purpose of curing my illnesses. After I read Zhuan Falun once, my realm was raised. I became more tolerant of others, and miraculously, the arthritis and the chronic pharyngitis disappeared.
Following the second reading of the book, I let go of my desire to reputation and money and got rid of my bad temper. I was able to raise my right arm and easily fall asleep any time I wanted. I ate very little in the past, but after I finished the book the second time my appetite improved significantly and my heart disease disappeared. The tumor in my stomach was also gone, and I was able to walk faster. I was no longer afraid of cold, eating fruit, drinking cold water or eating hard food. My headaches disappeared. I became happy all the time and I looked healthy, having become a completely different person after reading Zhuan Falun the second time.
My managers asked me how I cured my illnesses. I told them it was all because of Falun Gong.
My husband became an advocate of Falun Gong, "It is amazing. Falun Gong not only cured my wife's health problems but also changed her bad temper. In the past she only treated her own mother well. Now she is nice to my mother, too. She takes care of everything in my family during the holiday seasons!"
My husband came home drunk once and wanted to get angry with me. He came in the house without taking off his shoes on purpose and stood there and waited for me to complain. I helped him to bed and took off his shoes. He said, "Don't take off my shoes. I might need to go out and vomit." I told him nicely, "Don't worry. I know you don't feel well. If you need to vomit, you can do it in the house." I brought a container next to the bed and then used warm towels to wipe his face, and helped him wash his feet. Once I had taken off his shoes and clothes and covered him with a blanket I left the room. It was impossible for me to do all this in the past, before I started practicing Falun Gong. When I returned, I found that he was better and was trying to put on his clothes. I asked him why he was trying to get dressed and his reply surprised me, "I will go out and get some grapes for you and the child." He brought back grapes and his eyes were red. He asked me, "Guess what I did when I went out?" I said, "Buy grapes?" He said, "I wanted to see somebody. Do you know who?" "I know. My Master." He asked, "Why?" "Because my Master can solve any problems." He looked at me for a while and said, "I went downstairs and looked at the sky and shouted, 'Master Li, you are so powerful! You have made my wife become such a great person!'"
Validating Dafa with Righteous Thoughts
I know what a Dafa practitioner's mission is in the Fa-rectification period - no matter where we go, we should always protect the Fa, validate the Fa and save sentient beings.
The day I was sent to the forced labor camp, a "watchdog" prisoner who monitored us had me go to the office. When I got there I found many people taking medicine. Another "watchdog" handed me some pills, but I refused. Several people came up and forced me to take them. I spit them out. The guard asked why I refused to take them, "I am not sick. Why are you forcing me to take poison?" The guard dismissed me after he called the doctor. Just as I walked out of the office I heard the head of the watchdogs curse Dafa. I turned around and asked her, "What is your name? Who allows you to curse Dafa? You are committing a crime, do you know?" No one said anything anymore.
The next morning, the political head heard that I refused to take medicine. She had me meet with her and asked me why I didn't take the medicine. I told her, "Cultivating Dafa helps raise one's character as well as improve one's health. Even your prison doctors proved that I am not ill! Forcing a healthy person to take medicines is wrong. Prisons are supposed to rehabilitate bad people. Why are you inciting people to curse others? Those who do that are the bad ones. Who gave them the right to curse others? What are you changing the people here into?"
The political head was quite angry when she heard what I said. She called that head of the watchdogs in and asked, "Did you curse her?" "Yes." "When did I allow you to curse others? Go back and write a self-criticizing statement (Editor's note: a common punishment doled out by communist authorities). We will add one more month to your term!"
She then turned to me and smiled, "There are still many areas that need improvement. I would like to hear more feedback from people like you. I appreciate it. I like to have conversations with you. I hope you will let me know when you see areas that are unsatisfactory and need improvement. Guard, you can take her back."
With the benevolence Dafa gives me, I made the watchdogs feel Dafa's dignity and power. Since then, no one ever again cursed Dafa in front of me. I said "Dafa is good" at every opportunity that came my way. Whenever they forced me to write something, I always wrote about the truth of the persecution. Eventually they no longer forced me to talk or write. It was time for me to go home. As we reached the gate of the camp, an official stopped the police car and said to me, "Jin Fu, remember, my name is xx. If the local police don't treat you well, let me know." I was so happy for her to have chosen the right position for herself.
After I returned home, no matter in interactions with the family environment or society, people who do not know the truth are welcome to ask me questions, but I do not allow them to defame Master and Dafa, no matter what the excuse. I feel this is being responsible to them. Of course, I have to be strict with myself to follow the requirements of Dafa to become a better and better person.
An imprisoned woman practitioner's nephew believed the CCP propaganda. Although he knows Dafa practitioners are good, he still monitored practitioners around him and reported them to the boss. Even the boss became annoyed. When I told him the truth about Dafa and the persecution he refused to listen. One morning he seemed to go insane. He said his aunt couldn't get out of the prison, and his uncle worried too much and passed away. He pointed at me and started cursing Dafa. I stopped him immediately, "You better stop right now. Have you not seen me living and working normally? There are two model employees here, and they are Dafa practitioners. If practitioners are not good, why would they be designated model employees? We are good because Dafa teaches us to be good! Why don't you look at practitioners around you? Why do you believe the lies on TV? The CCP police arrested your aunt. The CCP prison is holding your aunt. The CCP regime disturbed your aunt's family's life. Why don't you ask them for justice?" He felt ashamed and left. I heard that he no longer did anything bad afterwards.
I was hired at a new company. The company president, my boss, is the local government's Party secretary. I heard that he had compelled many local practitioners to give up cultivation. Master arranged this job for me, making it my environment to assist Master in Fa-rectification and save sentient beings. I must start with conducting myself as a good person - caring about the workers and being patient with them.
My boss tried to get more information about me from the workers. It turned out that everyone said good things about me. The workers also told their friends and neighbors, "Falun Gong is not like what is described on television. The Falun Gong [person] in my factory is so good. She respects the workers. She is capable and talented and saved the factory from going bankrupt. People now all want to work for our factory."
In the past, many local people turned Dafa materials in to the local government when they received them. Now, when they receive Dafa truth materials they read them and share with others.
Workers often return the Falun Gong materials to me after they read them, saying, "Keep these in a safe place. Don't let the bad people know you put them there."
I have tried to find an opportunity to talk to the boss about Falun Gong. One time he seemed to be unhappy and asked me, "Why are you enduring such hardships, yet are so determined to practice Falun Gong?" Although I didn't know his intention, I felt I should make use of the opportunity, so I told him what Falun Gong is, and why I believe in it. I also told him that Master gives Dafa practitioners the good health that we are so grateful for.
Six months later he asked me with a grave expression, "What do you usually do after work?" I answered calmly and cheerfully, "After dinner, I usually study the Fa, practice the exercises and send righteous thoughts. Then I go out to talk to people about Falun Gong and the persecution, or distribute materials that talk about these things."
He was shocked. He assumed I wouldn't have the courage to answer him directly. My righteous thoughts immediately disintegrated the bad substances in his body. He smiled and left, and never again asked me anything like that. In April a Dafa-defaming banner showed up in my area, but it was taken away. Prior to the Olympics, two similar banners showed up again. I was thinking, "Is it because I am not righteous enough? Why is this happening? I have to have the will to rectify my area. Then Master will be able to help me." Following group Fa-study I called my boss on my cell phone and left him a message, "I felt sad seeing the Dafa-defaming banner showing up in your area. You know I am good. My Master teaches me to be good. I don't allow people to say bad things about the person who teaches me to be a better person. Just like you treated me well, I would not let anyone say anything bad about you. That is why, tonight at 9:00 p.m. I will destroy the banners." My boss has shown great respect for Dafa ever since.
Eliminating the Need to Validate Oneself
No matter what kind of people, what kind of professions they are in, no matter what kind of questions they ask, as long as I want to clarify the truth to them, I am usually able to exhort anyone to withdraw from the CCP. Many times, they shed tears as they listen to me.
Once, at a market, a local district director asked me whether I still practice Falun Gong. I took the opportunity to clarify the truth about Dafa and the persecution to her and the people around me. More and more people gathered around us to listen. The director was not able to walk out. After the people heard what I said, they started questioning what the director was trying to do. That director said, "Forget it. I will never ask again." A reporter became very excited and said, "Your story is so moving. Do you want to write about it? I can publish it for you." I merely thought the reporter was a righteous person. I thought I completely clarified the truth to people. I often tell the fellow practitioners who are afraid of sharing their persecution experience to tell my story. Later, I found that my throat became hoarse whenever I clarified the truth, and at times, I almost lost my voice. After that, I was approached by the local police and the district Party secretary to take me to a brainwashing center. I suddenly realized that I needed to look inward. I first of all negated the persecution. It is not a matter of how fast or slow that I eliminate my attachments. I follow the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The evil is not worthy of testing me.
Through Fa-study, I realized that I should attain the righteous enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. I usually always wanted to show my boss my accomplishments at work, and that it was "me" who did something, instead of having the mentality of manifesting the wonderfulness of Dafa. I tried so hard to do well with everything to validate that "I" am good. I always put "me" in front of everything. I didn't put validating Dafa, saving sentient beings and Fa-rectification at the first position. With this attachment to self, I worried about my own benefits. Clarifying the truth is for minimizing and eliminating the persecution. When fellow practitioners raised any difficult issues, I usually tried to find good examples I had done. When there were different opinions, I always attempted to explain "my" enlightenment. Now with a better understanding of Fa principles, I clearly see my attachment to self. I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the selfishness and human notions of validating "self," and Master helped rectify my basis of truth clarification. I was then able to melt into the Fa-rectification again with a pure heart of saving sentient beings, and the evil around me disappeared.
Validating Dafa and Letting Go of the Attachment to Money
As Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners, our job should be based on validating Dafa and saving sentient beings. Therefore, Master and the guardian gods brought many predestined people to me. The more people I helped quit the CCP, the more customers came to me. More customers meant more money the factory earned and the more salary the workers earned.
My xinxing and the attitude at work made my boss and the customers very pleased with me. Within three years, my salary increased repeatedly, from 800 yuan per month, to 1200 yuan, to 1500 yuan, and to 1800 yuan. With my salary increasing, my attachment to money became stronger. One day, my boss said to me, "You do excellent work, and the feedback from our customers is very good. You are contributing the most to the factory. You should get the highest salary. At the end of the year, I will try to compensate you."
I was very happy to hear it and didn't look inward at this state of happiness. I thought I deserved to be paid more and was looking forward to getting more bonus at the end of the year. But I didn't get more money at the December payday and my boss didn't say anything. I still hadn't looked inward at my attachment. Instead, I thought the end of the year might be the Chinese New Year in February. While I was stuck in this attachment, an older technician stimulated it more. She said to me, "Work harder and sell more. You all benefit because of me." Her words triggered the demon of jealousy. "Her salary was the highest among us. I am the one who sells the products and ones who buy the products are all my friends. You all benefit because of me. If I didn't work hard to sell and my friends didn't come to buy, you would get nothing." I then went to the designers to repeat her words to sow discord. I felt ill and realized that this was not something a practitioner should do. But I still felt I should get what I deserved and even the designer said so. The next day was the last day before the Chinese New Year holiday and we had a celebration. At the end of the party, my boss still didn't mention the bonus. He just expressed he would keep his words.
That night I kept thinking that he shouldn't deceive a practitioner. I couldn't eat anything and even dreamed about it. Then I heard the news that my boss lost his new car. I thought he deserved it. The thought karma kept recurring, "If he doesn't give me the bonus I deserve, I will manage to get it anyway." My main consciousness knew it wasn't right but I couldn't get rid of the attachment to money. I couldn't concentrate in group Fa study and didn't know what I was reading. Even while sending righteous thoughts, my mind was still on money. During the Fa experience-sharing, I was sitting on the floor and was resentful and shed tears when I described the situation. The fellow practitioners laughed at me, saying I was like a child. I didn't remember what the fellow practitioners said. My attachment made me unable to see the principle of the Fa and to regard myself as a practitioner.
Before the end of the New Year Holiday, a government purchase order came. The price of our products was very flexible, from 20,000 to 40,000 yuan. I sold it at the price of 54,000 yuan, which no other sale's person had reached before. I gave 10,000 yuan to the customer as his commission and handed in 34,000 yuan to the factory. I then put the 10,000 yuan into my own pocket, which made me feel very uneasy. I realized it was my true self who felt bad because what I did discredited Dafa. Once my main consciousness became clear, I remembered that I was a Dafa practitioner and I should hold myself to higher standards that Master taught in Zhuan Falun. I also understood the words,
"To tell you the truth, the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments." (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun, 2000 Translation Version)
I couldn't wait any longer to eliminate the attachment to money. I knew I must safeguard and validate Dafa and repair the damage to Dafa. I became much clearer when sharing with the fellow practitioners again.
On the second day back at work after the holiday, I went to my boss's office. I calmly took out the 10,000 yuan in cash from my pocket, and I told him what I had gone through. Just like sharing with the fellow practitioner, I told him about my whole attachment and what paragraph of Master's teaching made me change. I also told my boss that I wanted to be a practitioner with dignity to validate Dafa and also to be able to live a normal life. I told him, "My Master said, 'If something is yours, you will not lose it. If something is not yours, you will not have it even if you fight for it.' (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun) This 10,000 yuan I got was not earned in the right way. If I keep doing this, I might earn a car or a house in a year. However, I can't exchange these things with my De (virtue). Today I return it to you. I was wrong because I didn't take advantage of the chance to eliminate my attachment, but was instead driven by the attachment to do a wrong thing. I apologize to you."
My boss listened to me carefully. After I finished, he said with smile, "You should also thank me. I am the one who provided you the opportunity to ascend your realm." In late March, my boss gave me the bonus of 10,000 yuan. At the same time, he announced he would increase my base salary to 1800 yuan per month and give me 5ale's commission, which made my average monthly income over 10,000 yuan.
"Good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought" and "The effect of righteous thoughts"
I have been cultivating Dafa for ten years. The two principles that affect me the most are ""Good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought" and "The effect of righteous thoughts." Here I share a few.
When the persecution of Dafa started, slogans slandering Dafa could be seen everywhere. The practitioners who stood up for Dafa have tried to remove them. There was a blackboard with such words hanging along the street for a long time. It faced a police station across the street. At that time, Master hadn't yet taught us to send righteous thoughts. One night, on the way there, I said to Master in my mind, "Master, please help your disciple. Can you help to turn off the street lights?" When I arrived there, the three street lights near the blackboard were off. I stood at the front of the blackboard and was just going to wipe it. There was a person about 200 or 300 meters away on my left approaching me. I thought, "No matter who he is, don't let him come any closer." Just when I had that thought, the person stopped moving while still in a walking posture. At that time I felt puzzled. But since he stopped moving, I started to wipe the words off the board. After I finished, I saw that man was still in the same position. I didn't know if I should help him but just thought, "You haven't moved, but I will leave now." I got on my bicycle and returned home.
On October 1, 2001, the police arrested me and took me to the local police station. They tried to force me to betray other practitioners, but I refused to cooperate with them. I was tied to a heating pipe, with two policemen taking turns beating me. However, I didn't feel any pain at all. I knew Master handled the pain for me. I thought, "No. Master has suffered half of my karma during the personal cultivation period before July 20, 1999. Now, the evil took advantage of my loophole. I cannot let Master suffer for me any more." A few seconds later, the policeman who beat me could not move either of his arms. His arms hung down. He couldn't raise his arms or make a fist. His upper body was stiff like a board. He left the room and was gone for a long time and returned with hot water and bread as an apology to me. He said he had just followed his supervisor's order. I told him he should respect my Master and the practitioners, and should no longer get involved in the persecution; otherwise, there would be more severe consequences. He agreed. Soon he was transferred to another place.
The practitioners who were arrested at that time all suffered a specific beating by the detention guard. The guard would chop our necks with his palm to injure the muscle. On the second day in the detention center, some practitioners were unable to raise their heads. They had to hold their heads to see things or to move around. The injury lasted more than two and a half months. I didn't immediately show the symptom of such an injury, but one week later, in the morning, I was unable to raise my head from the pillow when I tried to get up. I tried twice and failed. I realized it was caused by the beating I received from the guard. However, I knew such a false appearance couldn't have any effect on a practitioner. I told my head without any hesitation, "You are part of my body. Let me get up." Immediately I got up and felt normal.
In the detention center, we wanted everyone to know that Dafa is good. Somehow, it was arranged for us to take turns cleaning the hallway, which made us able to communicate with each cell. Once, a criminal detainee returned the book Hong Yin to me through a hole in the cell door, and was observed. A guard came up and made me hand it over. I held the guard's arm and somehow made him follow me to an empty room at the end of the hallway. I handed the book to him. He said, "What is it?" I answered, "Nothing important." He looked at it upside down and didn't know what it was. He returned it to me and said, "Although it is not important, it is not allowed here. Pay attention next time." Then he left.
In the run up to the Beijing Olympic Games, the evil CCP started another disturbance. They posted propaganda everywhere in attempts to further turn public opinion against Falun Gong. Our study group decided to take action. After Fa study, we decided to get rid of as much of the propaganda as possible. In one area built on a hillside, we saw a wall covered in propaganda and walked very fast toward it. Since there were no street lights and we were not familiar with the area, my left foot slipped on the edge of the pavement and I fell to the road about 30 cm below (about a one foot drop). At that moment, I felt my whole body aching. My feet were twisted in an abnormal position, but my mind was very clear, "No matter what, I will not acknowledge the persecution. I will be OK." One practitioner saw me sitting there and said to the other, "She doesn't look good. Let us go alone." I immediately stood up and said, "Who said I'm not OK?" Upon speaking these words, I heard the sound of the bone moving in my left leg. At that moment my left leg stepped onto the road, my leg felt normal and the pain disappeared.
Master said, "Good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought." (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun) Different thoughts can bring different results. I have manifested the wonder of Dafa many times. I also realize we must cultivate solidly step by step otherwise when facing tribulations. We can't pass it with human thoughts. The mighty Fa creates the mighty beings so they can pass through the dramatic calamity nobly.
October 16, 2008