By a Falun Dafa Practitioner in Changsha City, Hunan Province

(Clearwisdom.net) After hearing news of "The First Written Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference of Falun Dafa Disciples in Mainland China," I felt that I had not truly attended a Falun Dafa disciples' cultivation experience-sharing conference. Now comes the opportunity to share cultivation experiences with Dafa disciples around the world. I could not let this opportunity pass by.

I obtained the Fa in 1997 when my neighbor lent a copy of Zhuan Falun to my mother. After reading the book my mother said, "This book tells how to be a better person. If I had read this book before, I would not have argued with your grandma."

At that point, my mother started to practice, though I did not. On July 20, 1999, the beginning of the vicious persecution, I chose to avoid the situation. Later, my mother went to Beijing for a peaceful appeal at Tiananmen Square. Because my mother and I worked at the same workplace, I was fired. After this heavy blow, I thought, "Now I have time to read the book! This was something I had been waiting a very long time for--it was just that my human side was not clear." I remember one day in August 2000, when I was reading Zhuan Falun, one sentence in particular really struck me, "...the people living among ordinary human beings aren't here to be human. They're here to return to their original, true selves." These Fa principles reached deep inside me. It was not until that moment that I clearly understood. I will practice cultivation in Falun Dafa! It was not easy for me to obtain the Fa.

I studied the Minghui/Clearwisdom editorial article "Serious Teachings" many times, and tears ran down in my face. In my heart, I was calling out, "One day I will also go to Tiananmen Square to peacefully appeal for Dafa."

After studying, "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America" (Guiding the Voyage) twice, I clearly and firmly told teacher in my heart that I would go to Tiananmen Square.

In December 2000, I went to Tiananmen Square. Together with fellow practitioners, we displayed banners reading, "Falun Dafa is Good," "Falun Dafa is the Righteous Way," "Stop Persecuting Falun Gong," and "Restore Our Teacher's Reputation; Restore Falun Dafa's Reputation."

While holding the banners, which we had made by affixing words to white scarves, I walked across Tiananmen Square towards the Goldwater Bridge, telling passersby that Falun Dafa is good and that they should read the book. Within several steps, a plainclothes policeman grabbed me and covered my mouth with his hand. Later, a practitioner asked me, "When the police covered your mouth, your face was deformed. Was it painful?" I later realized that he grabbed me very hard, though I did not feel it. It is hard to describe that transient moment. A Fa-rectification Dafa disciple was realizing a prehistoric vow, solemnly and sacredly!

The self-immolation incident on January 23, 2001 was among the most severe incidents defaming Dafa, and it aggravated the persecution. Around January 23 of that year, all the practitioners that the "610 Office" knew of were arrested. This was around the time of the Spring Festival. My mother was arrested and my grandma was seriously ill. The surrounding holiday atmosphere made this even gloomier. It was winter, and a chilly wind was blowing, as if the air was frozen. One day, I was thinking about this mess as I walked. Finally, I became very determined, "No matter what, I will definitely continue to cultivate!" Immediately I felt relieved. When I looked up, I saw a light green Falun spinning fast in the sky.

In August 2002, because of evil interference, our truth-clarifying materials site was damaged, my mother was arrested, and I was forced to leave home. During that time, I thought more and more about how to break through the old forces' arrangements, and I became more and more worried. Unwittingly, I was trapped in that attachment. Finally, in mid-November, as I distributed truth-clarification materials in a residential building, a local security personnel noticed me and reported me. I was sent to a detention center.

At the detention center, another Dafa practitioner and I opposed our forced labor and the detention center director yelled at us furiously, "This is autocracy! Chain them to the door and we will see how strong they are!"

With that, we were transferred to another cell, which claimed to accommodate the elderly and the weak (they were also chained to the door). Although we were bound by all four limbs to a wooden board smaller than a twin size bed, we were clear-minded, and had more time to study Teacher's articles, which were recited by practitioners who had been illegally detained there previously. Among them was the article, "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A." It read,

"When a cultivator's mind departs from the Fa, the evil will find its way in."

I had no choice but to study the Fa, recite the Fa, and send forth righteous thoughts. Very soon, more than 50 days had passed. An inmate who was detained in the same cell as me was worried that I would be sent to a forced labor camp. I smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. It is the same everywhere. If we feel pressure, it is actually created by ourselves." I was released the following day.

After returning home, I studied Teacher's article on November 30, 2002,

"I didn't tell you that before because I didn't want you to form an attachment--'What's my connection to the old forces?' None of you should think about that." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")

After that, I understood that before I was arrested I had paid too much attention to how I could break through the old forces' arrangements, and this even became an attachment. With that attachment, I was unable to read Teacher's article, and I was arrested several days beforehand. Weren't the old forces taking chances? This is a lesson. Through Fa-study, I unwittingly let go of that attachment, and walked out from the aggravated tribulations arranged by the old forces. Teacher said,

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts."

("Drive Out Interference" from Essentials for Further Advancement II).

Unconditionally, I calmed down and studied the Fa. It was impossible to calm down when seeking something during Fa-study. We cannot even have the thought of "seeking something during Fa-study," just purely Fa-study!

Teacher said,

"Study the Fa and obtain the Fa,
Share in learning and share in cultivating,
Following [the Fa] in everything,
Compliance is cultivation."

("Solid Cultivation" from Hongyin)

After understanding what to do, we need to be strict with ourselves and achieve the result. It is true that sometimes we feel we are in a difficult situation. But no matter how hard it is, this is the path we must take. "Studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts, and clarifying the truth" are things that Dafa disciples have to do well during Fa-rectification. Right now, there is only one word in my mind: determination.

When writing this experience-sharing article, I felt myself become more and more clear-headed.

Submitted for the "The First Written Cultivation Experience-Sharing Conference of Falun Dafa Disciples in Mainland China"

October 14, 2004

Posting date: 11/12/2004
Original article date: 11/11/2004
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/10/25/87350.html

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