By a practitioner in Mainland China

(Clearwisdom.net) I am a teacher. I have come to have a proper understanding of Falun Gong through several years of experience and by going through several stages to achieve such an understanding.

Before July 20, 1999 I had never heard of Falun Gong. On July 20, 1999, the school authorities suddenly called the teachers (mainly the Party members) who had been on summer break, to return to school for a meeting. During the meeting, the school Party secretary made public the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) decision that "Falun Gong is a [slanderous words omitted], and Party members are not permitted to practice."

I had never heard of Falun Gong, so I didn't pay much attention and thought the CCP was simply repeating its history of cracking down on some movement again. I wasn't sure who the victims would be this time. When I went into the street the next day I noticed slogans everywhere slandering Falun Gong, as if the Cultural Revolution had reappeared. It had been quite a few years since we had seen this kind of propaganda. When I went back home and asked what Falun Gong was all about, a relative working in the government told me that it was a type of qigong, and that it had spread fairly quickly across the country, having been embraced by tens of millions of people in just a few short years since its introduction.

Then, after more than a year's various attacks on Falun Gong in the newspapers, radio broadcasts and television, I became somewhat puzzled. Is Falun Gong so bad? Besides the old men and old women who practiced it, as portrayed on TV, it also had many intellectuals and even highly accomplished professors as practitioners. At that time many people had a similar understanding, just as I, and thought that the intellectuals were mostly looking to seek tranquility for their thoughts, and to find release for their dissatisfaction. The rapid dissemination of this practice also indicated that the CCP had really lost its great popular appeal over the years.

A Chinese idiom says, "Three people become a tiger," which means that as one thing is said so many times, you have no way to not believe it. I saw all the news about the 2001 Tiananmen Self-immolation Incident on CCTV and felt something was wrong, but wasn't sure what it was. In 2001, my school organized the teachers and students to sign a statement against Falun Gong. In workplaces and in the newspapers, everybody was talking about the tragedy of Chen Guo and Liu Siying [two young self-immolators in the staged Tiananmen Self-immolation Incident]. By that time I had developed the thought of never trying to practice Falun Gong. I too, out of ignorance, really knowing nothing of Falun Gong, just like most of us trying to comply, signed my name on the long signature collection sheet. The school requested everyone to hand over to the teachers in charge any Falun Gong flyers they had received, and then the teacher in charge would hand them over to the school.

Soon after the signatures were collected, some students handed in a few flyers. After reading the flyers I felt that they made some sense, particularly the one refuting the "Million Signature" collection campaign on campus. The CCP forced millions of students to sign the paper to slander Dafa.

I once passed on that same flyer to my officemates to read. All of us felt that the Party's collecting signatures on school campuses was like something out of the Cultural Revolution. In the meantime we also felt that Falun Gong was quite strong, as we saw the flyers were everywhere. I once saw "Falun Dafa Is Great" and "Falun Dafa Is the Righteous Way" posters on the electric poles near the school entrance. By then, due to my own dissatisfaction with the CCP, my attitude of wanting to support Falun Gong mainly reflected my satisfaction in seeing someone able to resist the CCP. It was really enjoyable. I felt it was indeed needed for someone to restrain those lawless CCP officials.

In the second half of 2002, it was fairly accidental that a one of my friends told me the truth about Falun Gong. She first gave me some booklets to read that included an explanation of the principle of karmic retribution. I really enjoyed reading the booklets. Even in the past I felt that if one did a wrong thing or bad thing, one would have a restless conscience. My friend told me that this was a Falun Gong booklet. I was surprised and reminded her that Falun Gong was labeled as an undesirable organization, and one would become obsessed if learning it, and hence one should not read their books. My friend took great patience to explain many things to me: that Falun Gong teaches one to be kind; that the self-immolation was staged by the CCP; that Falun Gong is an ancient cultivation practice from the Buddha School. She explained her understanding of Falun Gong's relationship to Buddhism, and that it is a higher science. I felt that what my friend was saying was very logical and very reasonable.

Because we were friends, she talked with me about three times. I was curious and said, "Could you let me read Zhuan Falun? Such good things you've talked about are all in your Teacher's book, so I'd like to have a look."

My friend gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun. I began to read it, and continue to read it today. When I read it for the first time I stayed up very late. My family members asked what I was reading. I told them I was reading some banned book! I told my husband that it was Zhuan Falun. He said, "You should be careful and not let others know." During my first reading, because of curiosity and very strong notions I always made judgments. After that my friend gave me Master's new lecture from March 2002 (probably "Touring North America to Teach the Fa").

After completing the first reading of Zhuan Falun, I felt that Falun Gong wasn't at all like what's described by the state-controlled media. The book talks about mind/character cultivation and also how one absolutely cannot kill a life. Moreover, it requires a genuine practitioner to be a good person according to the standards of Falun Dafa; that's the real practice. Other than that I wasn't very clear about it. I felt that it was very good, though somehow I didn't fully understand it. Later, I anxiously asked my friend how one could become a practitioner. She taught me the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Later, when I read the book for the second time, I understood that the practice requires one to cultivate one's character, and to cultivate one's mind in all aspects of daily life. It is most important to do things according to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." The physical exercises are supplemental to the overall cultivation practice.

After reading Zhuan Falun through for the second time, I felt that I indeed should be a good person, and only then could my mind be tranquil. I was also thinking from my heart that I wanted to follow "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." However, I felt that it was rather irritating to read the three characters for "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." I realized that I had a resistance toward those three words, due to the influence of the negative media propaganda. But deep down I understood that "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" was truly right. I diligently repelled my bad thoughts and strove to follow the three words. Initially I felt it was quite irritating to read "Falun Dafa is Great." Now, today when I say, "Falun Dafa is Good" it comes deep from my heart, from my life's origin. Falun Dafa is Good and it is really good! Moreover, when I think of these concepts, I sometimes burst into tears, because now I realize Master's mercy and greatness!

After two years of cultivation I have come to understand the true purpose of living, and how important it is to improve human morality by following the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Take myself as an example: two years ago I thought my supervisor was unfair toward me and I had conflicts with him. I was not diligent at work at all and safeguarded my personal interests very carefully. I became quite unhappy at work and easily lost my temper. Of course, my supervisor did not like me and would not treat me very well. It is not difficult to imagine what kind of relationship we had.

The stress at work also impacted my relationship with family members. For a period of time I always blamed them and complained to them, creating a very tense atmosphere at home. I felt sorry each time after I lost control of my temper. I suffered great mental torture and it was a painful experience. Many times I even tried to convince myself to turn into a completely bad person, as I thought that a bad person would not feel sorry about the effects of his own bad temper. However, the kind-hearted thoughts in my mind would not let me. Master rescued me from that pain.

Since I started studying the Fa I have tried to be a good person and do everything according to "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." Sometimes I do not do very well, but I do my best. In the past two years I have taken personal interests lightly and keep reminding myself not to compete for personal benefits and fame. I put forth my best efforts to improve my relationship with the people around me and do my work diligently. Of course I have not done everything perfectly and occasionally bad thoughts crop up in my mind, but I try to get rid of them as soon as I realize them and do my best according to Master's teachings.

Last year many people told me that I looked healthier and younger while everyone else is aging. I learned from the Fa that Falun Gong not only gives people good health, but it also teaches people to cultivate to a higher level. My understanding is that we need to keep improving our moral standard.

In the past two years my health improved dramatically. I used to suffer from heart and stomach diseases caused by my anger, and lots of dark spots grew on my face. I felt exhausted after a day of work even when I was in my twenties. In the past two years I did not take any medicine, yet I felt stronger and my face developed a healthier, more youthful aspect. Because I learned the importance of Forbearance, I kept reminding myself to think more of others and to let go of my attachments to recognition, status and personal benefits. I learned that life could be so beautiful after obtaining the Fa.

I would like to tell people from my own personal experience that everyone should read the book, Zhuan Falun. Everyone who has been deceived by the CCP's propaganda has a right to learn the truth. What is wrong with "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" anyway? Why can't Jiang Zemin, who initiated the persecution, let people be good? Why insist that they be criminals? Jiang made up lies out of his personal madness, slandered Falun Gong and instigated widespread public hatred for Falun Gong. Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, many Falun Gong practitioners have been illegally arrested and sent to labor camps and brainwashing classes. I have heard that the "transformation" standard was that a practitioner was considered "transformed" when he dared to curse others, curse Master and beat others. There was an old saying in China, "A one-day Master is a life-long father." Falun Dafa's Master teaches people to be good, not hit back when attacked, not talk back when insulted, and to be tolerant of others. By contrast, our government forces good people to curse their own parents! Isn't it clear who is righteous, and who is evil?

In addition, I want to share another episode. When I had just started to practice, my friend always went out to distribute flyers. I didn't understand why she wanted to go out and I asked her to take me along as well. She said that it was very dangerous and many Dafa practitioners were arrested and sentenced because they distributed truth-clarification materials, and that even quite a number of practitioners had been tortured to death. Because I hadn't witnessed much of the actual persecution, I didn't know what fear was at the beginning. I went with her several times but it was not clear to me why we needed to hand out flyers to other people.

Fellow practitioners told me to study Master's Fa taught after 1999, and that it would soon become clear to me. I thoroughly read through these lectures and realized that Master wanted us to clarify the facts: to clarify how Dafa was being treated unjustly and slandered, and to explain the truth to the innocent people who were deceived by the false news and lies. The other purpose of truth clarification is to warn people to not learn from the evildoers and to not do evil things and hence harm others and themselves as well. In fact, people have the right to know the truth of what is happening. Because moral standards have decreased throughout the entire society, everyone is a victim of the persecution of Falun Gong.

In order to sustain the persecution, Jiang's regime will not let people know the truth, since once people know what is truly going on they will not support the persecution any longer. The majority of the people are kind-hearted, and the evildoers are most frightened of exposure. So, the news of the persecution is blocked and Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to speak out. All that people can see and hear about Falun Gong comes from the government-controlled media. Under such circumstances, Dafa disciples have no alternative but to risk their own lives, and without regrets and without complaints, tell people the facts.

Later on I learned how to break through the CCP's Internet firewall and I saw the real world outside China. To date, there are Falun Gong practitioners in over 60 countries around the world, and there are more and more places where people are starting to practice Falun Dafa. By mid-February 2004, Falun Dafa's main text, Zhuan Falun, had been translated into 25 languages and is published all around the world. The introductory book, Falun Gong, has been translated into 30 languages. Work is in progress to translate the books into many other languages.

Jiang and his followers who persecute Dafa are being sued in the United States, Belgium, Spain, Korea, Taiwan, Germany and other countries, charged with "Crimes of Genocide," "Crimes of Torture" and "Crimes against humanity," among others. Furthermore, the CCP says that Falun Gong is "violating the Chinese Constitution," which is in fact just the opposite of what is true. In a short period of four years, according to reports coming out of China, more than 1,000 people have been confirmed to have been tortured to death. Among those victims who died were senior citizens older than 70 and young children and teens. There are professors, specialists, officials and rural women (Falun Dafa has practitioners from all walks of life). More than 100,000 people have been sentenced and sent to labor camps. Many more were forced to leave home to avoid further persecution!

I now understand why we must clarify the truth! Although I sometimes have fear (because some practitioners who I know of were arrested for distributing flyers), I still want to continue doing it without backsliding. As a person who cultivates "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance," I can't let it go when innocent people's minds are poisoned by lies. Many ordinary people cannot understand this; hence, a lot of Dafa disciples were reported to the police by these people who didn't know the truth. This proves how deeply people's minds have been brainwashed and poisoned! On the other hand, it is clear how frightened Jiang is, to not let people know the truth. He is petrified with fear! Since his lies are so easy to point out, he doesn't hesitate to initiate all possible efforts to prevent Dafa disciples from clarifying the truth.

It is extremely difficult for Dafa disciples to clarify the truth. Fellow practitioners have used their own, hard-earned money saved from their daily living expenses to prepare truth-clarification materials. The friend I mentioned above has already spent 10 to 20 thousand yuan on making truth-clarification materials. She lives only on a small salary, and really had to scrimp and save to set aside money to clarify the truth. Sometimes when I saw this I couldn't hold back my tears. My tears were not for our own hardships, but were for those people who could not understand the truth and who continue to help the evildoers commit crimes against Dafa.

After experiencing so much, I truly know what Falun Dafa is. Because I know how precious Dafa is, I must listen to Master and walk persistently along the cultivation path. I need to cherish my good fortune in this great period of time and hurry up to do what a Dafa disciple should do! On the path of clarifying the truth and offering human beings salvation, I truly want to do well!

February 9, 2005

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/2/10/95245.html