Episodes in My Cultivation

By Li Hui, a Falun Dafa Practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

One day in April 1998, one of my relatives introduced Falun Gong to me and showed me the book Zhuan Falun. I glanced at a few lines and didn't pay much attention to it. However, my husband told me that same evening that while on the bus, he had heard two people talk about how amazing Falun Gong is. They said that reading Zhuan Falun was a must, and that it could turn you into a good and healthy person if you followed what the book said. My husband and I decided to get a copy of the book.

I began to read the book when I had time and found it indispensable. I used to think that I was already very good, but I began to realize how much I could improve. The book also told us to look inside our own hearts, not to fight for fame and fortune, but to cultivate a compassionate and tolerant heart. As I continued to read, my mind became clearer and clearer. I made up my mind to cultivate myself according to the requirements in the book, and decided to hold on to this faith no matter how much hardship and loss I might have to endure for it. I began to look for a practice group.

Two days before my 48^th birthday, I found a practice group and learned the first four exercises. That same evening, I went to watch the video of Teacher's lecture. I didn't know why, but I had the feeling that I had met Teacher somewhere before. His voice sounded very familiar, like someone in my family. After watching five lectures, it finally dawned on me where I had heard his voice before.

It was during a certain year in the late stages of the Cultural Revolution, when I was treated unfairly, forced to leave school and go do farm work. Such misery of living overwhelmed me as a sixteen-year-old, and I wanted to die. One day in a snowstorm, I was wronged for no apparent reason. I decide to pour out my grievances at my mother's tomb and then commit suicide. I threw myself at her tomb and cried my head off. Gradually, I became frozen and numb, and my mind lost clarity. Just then, I heard a young man's voice, "Poor girl, what grievance do you have?" I felt that my shoulders were propped up, supported by someone. The voice said, "Stand up." Although I was completely frozen and numb, to my own surprise I stood up. He said, "Go home, girl. Don't cry anymore. You are still young. Good fortune is waiting for you ahead! Keep on living." He also told me, "Follow this road and go home." I did what he told me to, numbly walking, falling down, getting up and walking again. It wasn't until I got home that I began to regret not having lifted my eyes to see the man who saved me. It was this voice that I heard in Teacher's lectures!

I studied the Fa [law and principles], did the exercises, followed "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" in everything I did, looked for reasons inside my own heart when facing conflicts, didn't fight for self-interest, didn't argue with anyone and didn't do anything bad. I later learned the fifth exercise and didn't skip studying or doing the exercises. I recited "On Buddha Law" and "True Cultivation" on my way to morning exercises. I felt that happiness filled my life and realized how valuable life is. Tests came one after another on my path of cultivation. As Teacher said in his lectures, tests for your Xinxing [moral character; mind nature] wouldn't count if they didn't touch you deeply. When I was sad, I would think about what Teacher said, "When it's difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it's impossible to do, you can do it." (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Nine) Sometimes, I endured injustice with tears. Sometimes, I forgot to look inside myself and instead argued with people. I would then hear a voice by my ears when I was in bed at night, telling me to cultivate myself, pass tests, and endure hardship with a clear mind. My ears were very warm at that time. I knew it must be Teacher who was reminding me. I remembered his words and found it easier to pass the following tests.

The nationwide persecution of Falun Gong began after July 20, 1999. We practitioners were confused: How could such a good cultivation practice be banned? A lot of us went to appeal for Falun Dafa and to clarify the truth from the bottom of our hearts -- Falun Dafa is a righteous practice. I began my journey of validating the Fa, and have been to Beijing several times to appeal, been arrested, detained and sent back and jailed in my hometown. I held fast to my belief despite one torture after another. The inmates I met in jail sincerely admire us Dafa practitioners.

On my journey of validating the Fa, I deeply realized how important it is for us to follow Teacher's instruction to read the books and study the Fa more often. "If every one of you can understand the Fa from the depths of your mind, that will truly be the manifestation of the Fa whose power knows no boundary--the reappearance of the mighty Buddha Fa in the human world!" (Essentials for Further Advancement, "Cautionary Advice") Cultivation is a most serious matter. We should clearheadedly do what a Fa-rectification period Dafa disciple ought to do, never let down our Teacher's compassionate salvation and treasure Dafa practitioners' historic mission.

November 6, 2002

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