A 73 Year Old Practitioner Shares Her Cultivation Experiences

By A Falun Dafa Practitioner from Heilongjiang Province

(Clearwisdom.net) I am a 73-year-old housewife and have never had a day of schooling in my life. I have never written a letter before either. Since I started practicing Falun Dafa, Teacher has been guiding me on my cultivation path. Through continuously studying the Fa and cultivating myself, my xinxing has improved. I came to understand many truths of the universe, and I have gotten rid of many human desires and impurities. Gradually, I have reached the standard of a practitioner. I could not have gained all this without Teacher's suffering and help. I truly appreciate Teacher's benevolence and mercy for me. When I read the cultivation experience sharing stories written by fellow practitioners from Minghui Journal, I said to myself that it was good enough that I could read, let alone write articles. Later I thought, "I am not an ordinary person. Teacher led me to walk on the path to become a divine being, and asked me to let go of my human notions and improve myself in Fa cultivation. As long as I get rid of my attachments, I will be a deity. I will use my pen to write down my cultivation path for the past five years under the evil persecution." Unexpectedly, I was able to write an article. It was truly miraculous! It was Teacher who gave me the wisdom.

I have studied the Fa since 1996. Before that, I had many illnesses. After I started to study, Teacher purified my body. I was able to achieve the state of feeling light from having no illness. It was Teacher who saved me from a sea of suffering. I was an orphan, and I didn't have any siblings. I was wandering about, and nobody cared about me. At that time, I searched in vain for a place to cultivate. Finally, I found this cultivation way of both mind and body, and I finally found the Teacher I was looking for. Since then, I have been practicing Falun Gong wholeheartedly. When I read Teacher's lecture, it said, "Practicing Only One Cultivation Way." (Zhuan Falun) Before I started practicing Falun Gong, I had learned three other types of Qigong. Before, I worshipped Bodhisattva. After that, I burned all my Qigong books, and I sent Bodhisattva's statue to the temple. I didn't allow any other foreign messages to disturb me.

Before the Chinese Communist Government started persecuting Falun Gong, there were more and more people from our district practicing. They asked me to be the assistant and to lead others to study the Fa and do the exercises. At that time, I didn't agree. I thought that I was too old and uneducated. I was afraid that I couldn't do a good job. My fellow practitioners said to me that since I always wanted to do something for others this would be a good opportunity. From then on, I started leading everyone to study the Fa and practice the exercises. At that time, I had a wish: to be responsible for Dafa and fellow practitioners to the end.

Since there were many people practicing Falun Gong, out of his narrow mind, Jiang claimed he would eradicate it within three months. After the persecution started, dozens of Dafa practitioners from our area went to Beijing to validate the Fa. We called for justice. When our train arrived at Tangshan City, we couldn't go any further. We were stopped right there. We returned in tears. Our local police station asked us why we went to Beijing to make trouble. I told them, "We didn't want to make any trouble, but wanted to call for justice instead. Our Teacher taught us to follow 'Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance' and be good people, not to hit back when hit, not to curse when cursed at and to stay away from corruption, gambling, pornography, smoking and drinking. What crime do you think we have committed?" Later I was asked whether I would practice or not. I said yes.

People from Our Community Management Committee always watched me. Although they could control my body, they couldn't control my heart. I had many chances to meet with fellow practitioners to exchange ideas on how to step forward to validate the Fa. No matter how rampant the evil is, we are not afraid. As long as Teacher and the Fa are there, with righteous words and actions, we can do everything well.

Later, I wanted to go to Beijing to validate the Fa. My family watched me closely. People from our Community Management Committee took away my identity card. I talked to fellow practitioners about going to the Detention Center to validate the Fa, but the manager of our local Community Management Committee found out and he made a phone call to the Committee. Then local policemen came. They told me, "The detention center is not a good place. You will be beaten and cursed. Every day there are only two meals with only some corn meal buns. How come you want to go there to suffer?" I said that I wanted to go there in order to validate the Fa. I wasn't afraid, even if I were to die. How could I be afraid of suffering? The manager said to me, "If you have anything to say, just tell me." I replied, "Before I studied the Fa, I was always getting sick. After I started to practice Falun Gong, I no longer got sick. I have benefited from Dafa myself. Why can't I speak the truth about our Teacher? Our Teacher teaches us to be good people. It was Jiang who defamed Falun Gong." They all said that they knew that Falun Gong was good, and people who practiced Falun Gong were good people. However, they couldn't do anything about it since they had to listen to their supervisors. They added that if I really wanted to go there, they would send me there. I said that I wanted to go there tomorrow. He pointed out that the next day was Sunday. He asked me how about the day after Sunday. My daughter's boyfriend was a friend of a policeman from our local police station. The policeman told my daughter my situation, so my daughter, son and some other people made me go to my elder daughter's home to celebrate my birthday. There were over 30 people there. They were trying to persuade me by telling me that if I would only promise not to go to the Detention Center, we could all share our meal together. I said, "No matter whether you eat or not, I am determined to go to validate the Fa." At that, a young man came from another room and sat beside me. He asked me, "Is your Falun Gong from the Buddha school? I believe in Buddhism myself. How come you don't have compassion if you believe in Buddhism? Your youngest son has a very serious illness. He planned to go to Harbin City to have an operation. Your younger daughter had the flu for a few days. They had to cancel their plans to see their doctors because of you." After hearing that, I was confused and decided not to go to the detention center. So I didn't fulfill my goal of validating Dafa for the second time.

In June 2000, when Teacher published the article of "Towards Consummation," (from Essentials for Further Advancement), fellow practitioners from our group held a few discussions. We all thought that we should step out, and let go of our fame, self-interest and sentimentality. I decided to go to Beijing to validate the Fa. At that time, my husband had stomach cancer. I wondered how I could leave him alone at home. Later I thought of a way out. I talked him into going to the rehab center and staying there for one month. After I saw my husband off, I hurried to the bus station. However, there were no buses going to Mudanjiang City, and it was 8 o'clock. If my daughter found me, there would be no way for me to leave home. I wasn't sure what to do. I thought that it didn't matter which bus I took. As long as I got on a bus, it would do. That way my daughter would not be able to find me. So I got on the bus to Jixi City. The following day, I got on the express train from Mudanjiang City to Beijing. Fellow practitioners who got there first came to the train station to pick me up. The next day, we went to Tiananmen Square. Many fellow practitioners had come from other places. At 9 o'clock, Dafa practitioners unfurled banners at the same time. They shouted, "Falun Dafa is good!" Their voices were so loud and clear, and broke through the sky. After that, policemen and police vans arrived. The policemen dragged and pulled us by force. They kicked and beat us, pushed us into the cars, and then sent us to an empty house guarded by policemen. After a little while, some other practitioners were sent there as well. We applauded, as if seeing old friends that we hadn't seen for a long time. Without any feeling of fear, we indeed came there wholeheartedly to validate the Fa. In the afternoon, all the practitioners were sent to the Shijingshan Sports Center. There were many soldiers guarding us. The next day, all Dafa practitioners were reciting Lunyu, Hongyin, and other articles. It was truly powerful. This was the power of the Great Buddha Fa, and we were supported by Teacher to shake the evil. At night, Dafa practitioners were sent to their city's representative office in Beijing. My local Manager from our Community Management Committee and the Secretary of the Politics and Legal Committee picked me up. Even though they told us that they would send us home, when we got back, we were sent to jail. They put us in handcuffs and shackles. Every day, when they interrogated me, they asked, "Do you want to continue to practice Falun Gong or not?" I firmly said, "I will practice to the end." In jail, we weren't allowed to read the book, nor practice the exercises. We recited "Lunyu," Hongyin and other articles. Teacher said, "Did you know that in order to save you the Buddha once begged for food among everyday people? Today, I once again make the door wide open, and teach this Dafa to save you. I have never felt bitter for the numerous hardships I have suffered. Then what do you have that still can't be abandoned? Can you bring to heaven the things deep down inside that you cannot let go of?" (from "True Cultivation" in Essentials For Further Advancement) After I recited this article, I truly felt Teacher's immense benevolence and kindness. I was so touched that tears ran down my face. I couldn't express my appreciation to Teacher in words. Only by cultivating diligently and surely and fulfilling our wishes from prehistory, will I feel that I have not let down our great Teacher who has been painstakingly saving us.

In 2003, due to the old forces taking advantage of their omissions, 20 practitioners from our area were arrested. Fellow practitioners told me to escape, saying, "You are also on the blacklist." I told them that I would be ok. I sent forth righteous thoughts every hour to eliminate the evil from my own field, so that evil couldn't get close to me. Later, arrested practitioners who were at the detention center weren't allowed visitors, and other practitioners didn't dare go there or send food to them. At that time, I thought that I shouldn't hide at home. I should help the practitioners in detention to solve the problem. I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all evil. Their families and I went to the Detention Center twice. We also saved 550 yuan for them. I took my own money to buy clothes for them. Later they were sent to the Mudanjiang Jail. I went there four times, mainly to take them articles from Teacher and to help them to maintain righteous thoughts.

Teacher asked us to do the three things well; study the Fa, send forth righteous thoughts, and clarify the truth to save sentient beings, to fulfill the task that history has given us. Recently, some fellow practitioners came looking for me. They said that practitioners who were responsible for delivering materials couldn't go out since their families watched them closely. They asked me if I could take that responsibility and warned me of the risk involved. Two practitioners had already been persecuted and sentenced. I said I would. No matter how difficult it is, someone should do it. I solidified my righteous thoughts and actions, and got rid of my fear.

No matter what I do, I send forth righteous thoughts, and then there is no safety issue.

Today as an old lady who is now literate, I write this cultivation experience after five years of persecution. No ordinary person could do this. It is truly the manifestation of the sacred Buddha Law. It was due to Teacher's support that I could make it.

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