By Rongxin, a Falun Gong practitioner in Shandong Province

[From the First Written Experience-sharing Conference for Practitioners from China]

(Clearwisdom.net) From 2001 to 2002, two fellow Falun Gong practitioners and I clarified the truth about Falun Gong in the form of distributing materials containing important facts about Falun Gong, putting up truth-clarification posters, and hanging truth-clarification banners in the streets. Since 2003, I started to clarify the truth to people face to face, with the encouragement of a fellow practitioner. For over three years since 2001, I have been clarifying the truth about Falun Gong each and every evening, rain or shine, winter or summer, holidays or weekends.

I need to look after one of my grandsons, sometimes two. During my busiest period of time, I took care of two babies, both under the age of three, as well as my elderly father-in-law in his 80's. Moreover, my mother, who is in her 80's, became ill during that period of time and was taken to a hospital. My mother lives in a farming village far away from my city of residence. As the eldest daughter in the family, I went visiting her every several days in the hospital and stayed by her bed looking after her. Four generations of my husband's family live under one roof, including my parents-in-law, my husband and I, my children and my grandchildren. With nine people in one household, I am carrying an extremely large load of household chores everyday. Each day I have to do a lot of housework and overcome an incredible level of difficulty in order to persist in studying the Fa, cultivating my xinxing (moral character), practicing the Falun Gong exercises, sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth about Falun Gong. Next I'll share with you stories of my truth-clarification efforts.

Since Jiang Zemin started to openly persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, my former company began monitoring all of my activities. [I've retired from this company nine years ago, but in China, retirees are still under the control of their former work units since they need to get pension and other benefits from them.] Hence, I decided I would start clarifying the truth to the head of my company, the General Manager. I said to myself, "I must not take the easy way out when it comes to clarifying the truth."

Teacher said,

"Wherever a problem occurs, that's where you need to clarify the facts." (From "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")

As soon as I entered the home of the General Manager, whom I hadn't seen for a few years, he started to look nervous and sheepish. "What brings you here? What can I do for you?" "Nothing in particular. I've just come to see how you are doing," I replied in a comfortable manner. He relaxed a little and said, "Have a seat." Before I even started to say anything else, his wife said, "You look terrific. You look even better than before you retired." I replied, "Nine years ago after I retired from the company I had multiple job offers from several other companies. I really appreciated that they valued my work and it gave me opportunities to utilize my professional skills and experiences. But the downside is that I overworked myself and damaged my health. In the end I suffered from a type of kidney disease. I had a swollen face and legs. I felt so frail and weak all the time that I couldn't even carry three heads of Chinese cabbage (bok choy) home by myself. After practicing Falun Gong for only two and half a months, I restored my health and could carry a sack of flour weighing 55 lbs by myself to the fourth floor." The General Manager said, "Our finance department told me that you haven't made any health insurance claim for the past six years since you started practicing Falun Gong." I added, "Do you remember that, before I practiced Falun Gong, I was admitted to the hospital and cost our company 17,000 yuan in medical expenses?" "Yes. Yes. I remember." Next, I shared with the couple the fact that Falun Gong is welcomed in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide, and China is the only country that persecutes Falun Gong and tries to justify and sustain the persecution with slanderous lies, such as the staged act of "Self-Immolation" on Tiananmen Square. Over 1,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death, more than 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners are incarcerated in prisons and forced labor camps, and even more are under house arrests or under watch around the clock. Falun Gong practitioners have lost their spiritual freedom in China although the Chinese Constitution warrants it. He was very moved by my sincerity when he learned that I was taking my valuable free time to visit him after having to baby sit my grandchildren during the day and helping to bathe my father-in-law in the evening. He said, "I am retiring soon. After I retire, I will be sure to learn Falun Gong from you." Finally, I advised him to make a wise choice and treat Falun Gong and practitioners with kindness. I told him that you would surely be blessed if you have a genuinely kind thought towards Falun Gong. He said repeatedly, "I understand. Thank you very much."

After I had clarified the truth to the General Manager, fellow Falun Gong practitioners and I paid visits to all the managers, assistant managers, mid-level team leaders, head of my department, my former colleagues, and any other employees that I could find, such as the receptionist, security guards, water boys, janitors, and even contract gardeners. Many of them said, "I have read Falun Gong's truth-clarification materials before, but I couldn't determine whether the information is true. Now that we have met, I have to say Falun Gong is truly remarkable." The head of my department said, "If you had started to practice earlier, you wouldn't have worn a long face at work everyday and you wouldn't have groaned about making only 585 yuan per month." (With my qualifications back then, I would have made over 2,000 yuan per month if I had worked in a public organization or school.) I replied, "After I retired from this company, I got another job that paid 50 yuan more every month. I now make over 600 yuan per month." He smiled wearily, feeling slightly sorry for me, but I don't feel sorry for myself or bad about my pay at all. A former colleague teased me, "Fortunately you now practice Falun Gong. You were left out twice when the company distributed large apartments to certain employees although you were entitled to it. If you weren't practicing Falun Gong now, I guarantee that your anger and frustration would lead you to another admission to the hospital." I smiled peacefully and said, "I have become a new person. What Falun Gong has given me is a lot more than 2,000 yuan per month and a large apartment!"

After several fellow practitioners working in my former company and I worked tirelessly together to clarify the truth to these folks, the Secretary of the Discipline Committee at my former company admitted his mistakes in shame. "Why don't you hate me? If only I had known better!" (He has now become seriously ill and has been admitted to the hospital.) We also visited those security personnel at my former company that cooperated with the police officers in abducting us. After we clarified the truth to them, they were overcome with guilt and shame, but they were also immensely touched by our kindness, forbearance, and our consideration for their best interest. Now the entire company applauds Falun Gong and gives it thumbs up. Falun Gong's truth-clarification materials have become very popular among the employees. Some of them request new truth-clarification materials on a regular basis.

After I finished clarifying the truth to my former company, I visited my schoolteachers and classmates from elementary school to college, and clarified the truth about Falun Gong to them. Teacher always gave me his help along the way. For example, I would accidentally run into an old classmate and obtain the contact information of some other old classmates. In another example, I once made an appointment with a classmate of mine back in the middle school that I hadn't seen for 43 years. It became very windy as soon as I got on the bicycle. I could hardly move an inch while riding against the strong wind. I saw many students riding bicycles to school struggling and fighting against the wind like me. Some had already gotten off their bicycles, walking the bicycles to school. I said to the wind while riding on the bicycle, "Wind, you are also a member of the universe. You are not supposed to create any obstacle to me. You are supposed to lend me a hand because I am on my way to offer Teacher's salvation to a human being." All of sudden I no longer felt any resistance from the wind. I flew through the streets, and astonished everyone on the streets. It only took me 20 minutes to ride over 10 miles in the strong wind. My classmate arrived late and he was astonished to see me arrive there on my bicycle in such conditions.

One night I visited an old high school classmate at her home. As soon as I left my home, it started to rain. When she opened the door, she immediately said, "We have just returned home." It turned out that she had the habit of accompanying her ill husband for a walk every evening to improve his health, but they had to cut the walk short that evening because of the rain. If it had not been for the rain, I would surely have missed them. In the next two hours, I clarified the truth about Falun Gong to her, and she understood and accepted the truth.

I once visited another old classmate at his home when a neighbor told me that he now lives with his son. When I hurried to his son's home, a neighbor told me his son had already moved. When I obtained the address and hurried to his new home, I saw a new building containing many apartment units. A passerby told me that this building belongs to several different organizations. I did not know the apartment number, so I had no choice but to try one doorbell at a time. After I tried many doorbells, a young man came and asked me who I was looking for. I told him the name of my classmate's son. The young man told me that they work in the same office and pointed me to an apartment. Thus I found my old classmate and clarified the truth to him.

Last winter I visited my old schoolteacher at his home. He could hardly recognize me when I entered the door. It had been about six to seven years since he visited me at the hospital. He exclaimed, "How could you have recovered so well?" I replied, "It's because I practice Falun Gong." After I shared some important facts about Falun Gong for two hours, his wife told me of their misery. His wife is only in her 60's, but all of her hair had turned gray and her face was full of wrinkles. She also looked very tired and sad. She said that not long ago her husband (my schoolteacher) had acute myocardial infarction and had almost died. She had to endure the excruciating pain of protrusion of the lumbar inter-vertebral discs in order to stay beside his sick bed. Their second son-in-law has been locked up in the detention center for half a year for financial fraud. Their two-year-old grandson is now living with them, but they have to hire a nanny to look after him.

After learning about the physical and spiritual health benefits I have experienced from practicing Falun Gong, she asked me eagerly, "May I learn Falun Gong from you?" "Of course," I replied. "Do you really mean it?" "Yes." I said, "You have to really mean it because I cannot give the sacred Falun Gong book to just anyone." She reassured me three times by saying, "I do wish to learn Falun Gong." On the following evening, I delivered a copy of Zhuan Falun and a Falun Gong exercise instruction VCD to their home. She smiled very happily and looked excited when I entered the door. Before I even took a seat, she exclaimed excitedly, "A miracle! A miracle has happened!" She told me that, after I left last night, her husband went to sleep without having to take his medication. She forgot to take her sleeping pill but she had a good night sleep. For half a year she had been embarrassed to leave her home because everyone knows that her son-in-law is in jail for a financial fraud, but today she was in such a good mood that she hummed a song on her way back from the supermarket. Each day she talked about her son-in-law at the dining table, but today she did not mention it even once.

When I visited them a month later, I was astonished by what I saw. I thought I must have knocked on the wrong door. Half of her gray hair turned dark brown, her face became smooth and radiant, and she gained some weight. She had just practiced Falun Gong for a month! She also told me that she stopped hiring the nanny starting December 23. Now that she became healthy and vibrant, she thoroughly cleaned the big apartment, including the curtains, by herself. My schoolteacher's illness has also stabilized. He was happily entertaining his grandson when I visited them. In addition, his son-in-law was released because of insufficient evidence. She told me that she had been studying one lecture of Zhuan Falun each day, practicing the Falun Gong exercises twice a day and also the sitting meditation for one hour a day. She feels her body has become very light and relaxed.

After the New Year, I paid them another visit. She told me that she had started to clarify the truth about Falun Gong since the New Year holidays. She even promoted Falun Gong to the manager of her organization when he visited their home. When her neighbors visited them and gave them New Year's greetings, she told each of them the facts about Falun Gong. Her daughters, son-in-laws and her relatives witnessed the wonder and beauty of Falun Gong in the changes in her. They read the truth-clarification materials at her home. I also taught her how to send forth righteous thoughts, and encouraged her to study Zhuan Falun more often if she has a lot of free time. I also gave her a copy of Teacher's lectures. She believes she is also a Falun Gong disciple in the Fa-rectification period.

Once a fellow Falun Gong practitioner and I visited the head of a factory owned by my former company. He looked disgruntled when he saw us. We let ourselves in with big smiles on our faces. He stood at the entrance area, having no intention to invite us to sit down. "If you don't have anything pressing, I have more important things to tend to," he said. We didn't address that. Instead, we took a seat in a modest and polite manner. Then he started to get angry, pacing back and forth. "I am the head of the factory. I am responsible for my employee's living. I only care about two things: the production technology of my factory and the sales. I don't care about anything else!" We watched him peacefully while sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evils in other dimensions that had been obstructing him from learning the truth about Falun Gong. He started to avoid eye contact, but his anger and impatience gradually subsided. Next the electricity blacked out every several minutes for five times in a row. He asked playfully if we cut down the electricity with our supernormal ability because this appears to be the only household suffering from a blackout. We smiled while sitting comfortably in the chairs, giving no sign of leaving. Seeming to have given up the fight, he leaned against the kitchen door.

I asked my fellow practitioner to continue sending forth righteous thoughts, and decided to begin. "We know you are very busy, so we won't take too much of your time. It'd be great if you could spare 30 minutes or even 10 minutes of your undivided attention. Let me start by asking you one thing: If we see you walk towards a sewage hole without a cover, would you expect us to give you a warning?" "Of course. Of course." He no longer looked fierce and started to pay good attention to me. We briefly described the truth about Falun Gong to him, knowing from his eyes that he was undergoing a great transformation at heart. He went from being confused about Falun Gong to being amazed by the facts about Falun Gong. Then he started to consider, accept and then finally admire Falun Gong. Then he felt sorry for what he had done, and thanked us for taking the time to explain to him the truth so patiently. He was deeply moved and walked us out for a long distance. This is another man that has accepted Teacher's salvation.

I have also clarified the truth in person to company managers, high-level intellectuals, laborers, farmers, housewives, elderly folks, students, contract laborers, vegetable vendors, storekeepers, and even soldiers. I have also visited relatives and friends that I hadn't seen for many years to clarify the truth. I have even clarified the truth to relatives' relatives, friends' friends and my old classmates' old classmates. I would grasp every opportunity to clarify the truth. After I "ran out of" friends, relatives, colleagues and old school friends, I accompanied fellow practitioners to clarify the truth to their friends, relatives, colleagues and old school friends. Some of them refused to hear about Falun Gong or accept any truth-clarification materials initially, but they were eventually moved by our sincerity and accepted the materials. They even thanked us repeatedly and walked us out for a long distance.

My old beat-up bicycle took me to nearly every street and alley in this city. I have traveled by bicycle to the most populous downtown, as well as shabby old buildings. I have met people that have accepted the truth, people that have started practicing Falun Gong, people that have started clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, and people that cursed us, kicked us out, laughed at us and mocked us. I have seen all kinds of people. But we never stopped or despaired. I am still continuing my cause today. I may be walking in the streets and alleys, sitting in a park or at a river bank, holding a baby in my arms while chatting with the mother, teasing a grandchild in front of their grandparents, helping a pregnant woman cross the street, helping a passerby carry heavy items, or speaking with a college student in English. I try to approach people in different ways and find an opportune moment to start talking about Falun Gong. I try to offer Teacher's salvation to everyone I meet. I also remind everyone to cherish the truth-clarification material and not to throw it away. I may be able to clarify the truth to five, three, two or only one person every evening. I am not attached to the number; I just try my best. When I clarify the truth about Falun Gong, I feel free, as if I was living in a free world.

Teacher said, "...everyone in the world was part of my family." (From "Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")

"We don't have to know each other to meet each other." This is what I said to a couple close to my age that I met last night. It is how I truly feel these days.

To clarify the truth well, a Falun Gong practitioner must study the Fa well. It is very difficult for me to study the Fa. Because I carry an extremely heavy load of housework and because I must look after my elderly father-in-law and my small grandchildren, I can only study the Fa at night. I usually go out and clarify the truth to people from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. Then I return home to study the Fa. I go to bed at 12:30 p.m. after I finish sending forth righteous thoughts. For the past few months, I stayed up every night correcting words in Falun Gong books until dawn, according to Teacher's instructions. Sometimes I completely skipped sleep to correct the words, studied the Fa and read cultivation experience sharing articles. Recently I stayed up each night writing my own experience sharing paper. At first, I tried to catch some sleep during the daytime, but I would still feel sleepy and have difficulty memorizing the Fa. I once slept seven hours after staying up all night. Then I felt sleepy when memorizing the Fa. I had difficulty keeping my eyes open, and even dropped Zhuan Falun from my hands. That's when I really woke up from my own notion. I stopped trying to catch up on my sleep after staying up at night, but I no longer feel sleepy. Teacher is leading us to Godhood. It's not the physical constraints but our stubborn human thoughts that are obstructing our path to Godhood. When I tried to memorize Zhuan Falun for the third time, I felt the serenity of my heart in the middle of the night. As I quietly memorized Zhuan Falun, I felt as if I was listening to Teacher giving a Fa lecture right in front of me.

The alarm clock went off. Another night has passed. The lamp illuminated Teacher's new article, "Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World's People," next to my cultivation experience sharing paper. My eyes were fixed on several lines in Teacher's new article:

"For this reason, all Dafa disciples, students both new and veteran, should get to work and begin comprehensively clarifying the truth. This is especially so for the Dafa disciples in Mainland China: each must come out and clarify the truth, bringing it to every field and valley, mountain and hill, not omitting a single area where there are people." (From "Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World's People")

I remember riveting moments from our truth-clarification efforts all over the city. I feel especially delighted to think of those fellow practitioners that had given up practicing Falun Gong or slacked off in their cultivation practice after July 20, 1999, but have overcome demonic tests and tribulations and are now striving forward in cultivation practice and truth-clarification.

Written on October 18, 2004

Posting date: 11/26/2004
Original article date: 11/25/2004
Category: Practitioners' Insights
Translated on 11/2/2004
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/10/29/87921.html

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