(Minghui.org)

Learning Dafa

When I was young, I bought many books, hoping to find the real purpose of life, but failed. I also had a number of health problems. Working for the government, I lived an extravagant life, often drinking and gambling. I was completely lost in the world and wasted my youth.

However, when I calmed down sometimes, I asked myself whether I wanted to spend the whole life this way. One day, I was standing at a river bank, waiting for my son to get off from school. All of sudden, a thought flashed in my mind: I am so unhealthy, and had run into so many disasters, yet I am still alive. There must be a reason. The heavens created me, so I must be of some use. I must have been waiting for something big.

A few months later, I learned Falun Dafa. As soon as I started to read Zhuan Falun, I knew it was what I had been looking for.

In that period, I spent all my free hours reading, enjoying the peace and happiness in every moment. Starting on the first day of my cultivation, I quit gambling, drinking, playing mahjong, and other time-wasting activities. I worked diligently, serving people, and refused to take any bribes. I told people that I wanted to be a good person, because I cultivate in Falun Dafa.

Two weeks after I started learning Dafa, my wife said me out of the blue, “Don't go to work today. We need to talk. You must decide what you want–Falun Gong or me.”

I stayed calm at the time. “How can I trade anything for the Fa?” I said to myself. “Even if I lose everything, I will still cultivate.” I said to her calmly, “Why don't you read the book Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa to get some basic idea of what Falun Gong is? We can talk after I get off work.”

As soon as I got home that night, my wife happily said to me, “Where do you guys do your exercises? I'll join you tomorrow.” She spent the whole day and finished the book.

That night, I had a dream: standing on a meter-wide transparent column made of diamond, I was flying towards the heavens, higher and higher. Looking back, the human world seemed like a dark mud pit, dirty and smelly. The higher I flew, the clearer my mind was, and more wonderful I felt. I stopped at a sacred, pure land, where lights and pure objects were floating in the sky. Later, I realized that my main consciousness went to a different dimension.

Persecution Begins

After the persecution of Falun Dafa started in 1999, my wife did not have many tribulations, because she studied the Fa very well. She went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa. Police didn't try to drag her into a police van. Instead, they pushed her away and asked her to leave. Later, the authorities started a brainwashing center in our area. Nobody wanted to end up there, but she asked to attend the brainwashing class. She said to me: “if I am there, the persecution at the center will fail.”

At the center, a policeman tried to “transform” my wife, or coerce her to renounce her belief in Dafa. While talking, he suddenly had a change of heart and almost said “Falun Dafa is good” out loud. “How did you make me come around?” he asked my wife. She replied, “I didn't say anything. You were the only one talking.” She believed that with Master's protection, the strong energy field generated by practitioners' righteous thoughts can rectify all evils.

A few days later, the brainwashing center was shut down. Since then, no brainwashing activity has ever been held in our area.

I, myself, however was persecuted several times, because I didn't study the Fa well. Sometimes I was diligent, but sometimes I was not. Although I did many things to validate the Fa and save people, I didn't have pure, solid belief in Master and the Fa, and I failed to deny the old forces' arrangements. I was arrested several times and sent to labor camp for five years. I also lost my job.

Clarifying the Truth to Police and 610 Office

I was last arrested in 2007. In the detention center, I tried to tell the criminals what Falun Gong really is. The policemen didn't allow me to at the beginning, but after a while, one policeman really witnessed how great Falun Gong practitioners are. He took me to every detention cell to talk to the criminals. He said to me, “those are bad people. You go ahead and educate them.”

When other practitioners in the area learned of my arrest, they started to send forth righteous thoughts for me. During that period, we heard loud thundering for thirty minutes above the detention center every morning—that was the time fellow practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts.

I talked to everybody I met in the detention center about Dafa and the persecution. There was a policeman who took pleasure in torturing people. Everybody hated him. One day, I said to myself, “even such a person deserves a chance of being saved.” So, I asked him for pen and paper. Surprised, he ran into the office and shouted, “Quickly, quickly! Falun Gong wants to write something.” A few days later, I gave him a letter detailing the persecution and asked him to share it with his colleagues.

A few officers from the city police department told me to sign paperwork for the labor camp. I tore it up. Later, they tried again. They read the document in front of me and said, “We don't need your signature anymore. You will go to the labor camp this time. This has been already decided by the city department. We don't need any reasons. You will stay there for two years.” They then tried to take a photo of me for the paperwork.

I was sad. Two years. That would be a big waste of time for cultivating and saving people. So, I shouted, “Master, help me! Master, help me! The evil persecution is not allowed. I do not acknowledge their arrangement.” The first time, I felt that my voice did not break through the evil barrier. So, I shouted again with the same words. This time, I had a clear feeling that I was connected to Master.

At that moment, everything changed. The evil field disappeared. They didn't try to take a photo of me. They calmly said, “go back to your room.” Stepping out the office, another policeman smiled and told me, “Your wife is here. According to the rules, she can't see you today, but the chief of the center arranged the visit. You can have dinner with her later. Have a good talk with her.”

At dinner, my wife, another practitioner, and I read Master's then-new article, “Fa Teaching at the U.S. Capital.” Afterwards, the fellow practitioner said, “no matter how hard it is for us, we should prioritize saving other people.”

The next day, a Sunday, my wife and two other practitioners went to the city police department and met the head of the local 610 Office. My wife later told me, “During the meeting, all I had in my mind was one sentence from Master's lecture:”

“On the surface, we’re seeking support for Dafa from the world’s people. This is the thinking of the worldly human side, manifest in this human place. Yet it’s reversed on the other side. Whoever supports Dafa or advocates for Dafa is establishing for himself his being’s existence in the future and is laying a foundation for obtaining the Fa in the future.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference” in Guiding the Voyage)

Shortly after their meeting, the head of the 610 Office talked to all the relevant department for me. Later, he drove to the detention center, helped to fill out the paperwork, and took me home.

Many fellow practitioners were surprised. The head of the 610 Office was on the top of our local list of perpetrators. His attitude and behavior were truly amazing. In fact, if our thoughts are aligned with the Fa, then we will have power, and miracles will happen. I was told that the head of the 610 Office has not been involved in the persecution since then.

Studying the Fa, Solidly Cultivating, and Saving People

After these tribulations, I saw my problem—I didn't study the Fa well, and I treated the persecution with human notions. When I was afraid of the persecution, my belief in Master and Fa were shaken. All I had in mind was how to face the persecution. I added a lot of burdens for myself. When I thought of the persecution, my heart was not calm. How can I read the Fa calmly? Without solid Fa-study as the foundation, how I can break through the old forces' arrangements?

After leaving the detention center, I opened a small store. My life and cultivation returned to normal. I calmly studied the Fa and clarified the truth. Big changes happened to me. Gradually, I was able to understand the Fa from the Fa. Before, I just knew that Dafa is good, but there was always some barrier between me and Dafa. Now, I read the Fa every day, whenever I have time. When I am in the store, I take every oppurtunity to tell people what Falun Dafa really is. Gradually, I feel that I developed a solid foundation, and my heart is filled with the Fa. Meanwhile, with a calm heart, I can increasingly feel Master's protection and arrangements.

One day, a policeman came to my store. After being arrested several times, I had negative feelings towards police. “Shall I clarify the truth to him? Shall I save him?” I asked myself. Then, I thought of Master's words: “I will save the spies, too.” (Fa Teaching at the 2009 Greater New York International Fa Conference).

The wisdom came with my righteous thoughts. I started to talk to him: “Do we even have laws in China?” He asked, “What's the matter?” I told him my experiences of being persecuted, how Dafa practitioners are innocent, and how Jiang Zemin used propaganda to slander Falun Gong. After I was done, he sighed, “The laws in our country are terrible.”

Another time, two police officers came to my store. I convinced them to quit the Communist Party. The next day, seven policemen showed up. I was a little afraid until I saw that two of them were the ones who had quit the Party—they took their coworkers here and asked me to tell them about Dafa. I talked to them and helped all of them to quit the Party. Just like that, I gradually got rid of my negative opinions towards police.

Reading the Fa intensively and saving people constantly, I assimilate with the Fa constantly. My mind gets clearer and clearer. I came to the understanding that all the arrangements by the evil target practitioners' attachments and fears, just like Master said in Zhuan Falun: “The more you fear it, the sicker you will look.” If we purify ourselves with the Fa, and completely put our mind on Master's requirement of Fa-rectification and saving people, and if we are not moved by the evil's arrangements, the evil will not be able to do anything to us. The evil looks rampant, but they are actually nothing in front of Master and Dafa.

Breaking Through the Persecution

Five practitioners from our area were arrested in 2008, when they were on the way to pass out pamphlets about the persecution in a different town. One of them escaped the police van, so we all learned what happened right away.

We had just studied Master's “Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference.” At our discussion on how to rescue fellow practitioners, I said, “This time, we should not do what we used to do. Let's treat this incident as a good thing. They were on the way to save people in that town. Let's all go there and save people there. Dafa disciples are not in danger, because our fellow practitioners are being watched by Master. The evil's arrangement is in vain. Our fellow practitioners are just in a different place, saving different people. The ones who are really in danger are people in that town, and the police who are being used by the evil forces. They are the ones who really need to be rescued.”

Master allowed one of the practitioners see the manifestation in another dimension: when those five practitioners were loading the car, Master's fashen and other divine beings were eliminating the evil for them. Before they took off, the sentient beings in the other town were already cheering—Dafa disciples are coming to save them. They were kneeling with both hands outstretched, waiting to receive the truth.

Since we had better understandings of the Fa and strong righteous thoughts, we collaborated with one another very well. We went to that town every day and sent forth righteous thoughts in front of the police department and the detention center. A few practitioners went to talk to the police, seeking the release of those five practitioners. On the fifth day, they were all released, and their car was returned to them.

Due to our efforts, the 610 Office agents in that town also changed their attitudes. Before, they often harassed practitioners and took them to brainwashing centers. After that, they stopped the harassment. When some people reported to them on practitioners' activities, they usually said, “Go away. If they want to practice Falun Gong, then let them. It's not your business.”

We all know that in other dimensions, every thought of ours can be seen clearly. Master wants to save all beings. When our compassionate wish of saving people aligns with Master's arrangement, the beings in other dimensions can see it, and the rescue can go smoothly.

Later, the rescued practitioners said that when they sent forth righteous thoughts in the detention center, they felt peaceful and sensed no obstacles or burdens. They knew it was due to the practitioners' rescue effort outside. They encouraged one another to let go of attachments and started to look inward for faults that might have led to this tribulation.

After this incident, we came to a better understanding of how to deny the old forces' arrangements.

In fact, Master has arranged everything, and everything is under Master's control. We should not be moved, no matter what the old forces do. If we just do what we need to do during Fa-rectification, and completely ignore the old forces' arrangements, they cannot do anything to us.

Happily Walking on the Path Arranged by Master

During cultivation, all of our human notions will surface, and sometimes we will have bad thoughts. This is all normal, as long as we can differentiate them from our true selves, repel the bad thoughts, and not get moved by them. We purify ourselves and improve our levels every time if we can defeat the bad thoughts and and break through the interference from them.

I clarify the truth to everybody who comes to my store. As long as I walk on the path arranged by Master, nothing can interfere with me. We were even able to talk to policemen and convince them to quit the Party easily. Master arranged another opportunity for us, and we opened a second store in Beijing.

We were told to be careful, because Beijing is the center of the evil. But when we face people from all over the country, how can we ignore them and not tell them the truth? They may only have one chance to hear us. Wouldn't it be a sin if we miss the chance? We clarify the truth to everybody, including customers, passersby, security guards, and even mall managers.

One day, three people came to my store in Beijing. I started to talk about Dafa. One of them said, “Stop talking. I'm a 610 Officer.” I was not moved and continued talking. He said to me, “Actually, we won't take any action unless you have group activities.” The lady who came with him gave me a thumbs-up. I often talk to government officials, and made friends with them.

One day, an 81-year old woman wanted to learn Dafa after I talked to her. I gave her a copy of Zhuan Falun. The next day, she came back and thanked me. Two weeks later, she came again, telling me that she had read the book a dozen times, her celestial eye was opened, and now she wants to learn the exercises.

Once, I talked to a young man. My wife later said to me, “When you were talking, that young man wasn't listening, but the turtle in his house was listening carefully. The turtle was very happy. I saw a Taoist in that turtle. He had been waiting for a long time to learn the truth.” Another time, I talked to a few Christians. They said, “Are you Jesus?” I said, “No. I am a Falun Dafa disciple.”

Master said, “every person in the entire world was at one point part of my family...” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”) So, they must be part of our family, too. How can we see our family members fall into hell because of the the evil lies, and not save them? Not to mention, they are also representatives of sentient beings from other cosmic bodies.

I came to the understanding that as Dafa disciples, our journey is arranged by Master only. What we do will be smooth if all we have in mind are Master and the Fa, and if everything we do is purely for saving people. The old forces' arrangements do not necessarily relate to us. Master did not arrange the persecution for us. In contrast, Master completely rejects the old forces' arrangements. If we acknowledge the old forces' arrangements, even if it is just a slight flash of thoughts, wouldn't it mean that we are not pure? Isn't it equivalent to following the evil forces? If our mind is clear, and we are not moved by their arrangements, then we will see that all their arrangements are actually illusions.

With this understanding, I happily walk on the path arranged by Master these years, and I get happier and happier.

One day, I walked along a busy street on a sharply cold winter night. The howling wind blasted my face with ice pellets. Looking at the crowds, I smiled. “None of them know the purpose of their lives. They pursue things and struggle every day. But I, and other practitioners, have already found out where we are from and where we are going. We cultivate and walk on the way home every day. We are watched over by Master at every moment, and we save people every day. How happy are we?” At that moment, my heart was full of happiness and appreciation.

A Higher Understanding

Through the following experiences, I have reached a higher understanding of “fundamentally rejecting the old forces' arrangements.” (“Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”)

There is one practitioner in Beijing who does not do well in anything. Many fellow practitioners dislike him. His behaviors have hurt many people who tried to help him. Among fellow practitioners, all we heard about him were bad comments. Practitioners also warned one another not to contact him. He treated his parents (both practitioners) badly. His mother died. His wife (also a practitioner) had a big fight with him, and she was arrested. His son (also a practitioner) stopped talking to him. His business failed again and again. It seemed that his path had reached a dead end.

One day, he broke through all of the difficulties and finally sat down with us. We read the Fa and shared our thoughts in depth. We came to the understanding that all the chaos he had encountered stemmed from the old forces' arrangements, as they were not arranged by Master. The old forces have arranged everything for everyone in this world. If we cannot walk on the path arranged by Master with a pure heart, we will be moved by the illusions made by the old forces, and we will walk on the path arranged by the old forces.

If we cannot see through this, and if we cannot treat what had happened to this fellow practitioner correctly with the Fa, then we would also be trapped in the old forces' arrangements. We would have barriers and conflicts among practitioners. Our situation will also became chaotic. If we repel him or even attack him, what is the difference between us and the old forces, who try to protect themselves by eliminating the beings they look down on? Isn't what the old forces do to eliminate beings layer by layer?

During the sharing, we had a better understanding of Master's words:

“...all of the chaotic world’s unrighted wrongs and karmic relationships are settled with benevolent solutions.” (“Foretelling the Fa’s Rectification of the Human World” in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

We realized that no matter how chaotic a person's life is, and no matter how he behaves, all we need to do is to save him.

We will truly help Master to rectify the Fa if and only if we can see through the old forces' arrangements and not get trapped in them when we think of an issue.

That practitioner came to an understanding of what the old forces' arrangements are and how to reject them. On the second day, his father told him on the phone that his situation had improved. A few days later, his late mother said to him in a dream, “Since you learned how to reject the old forces' arrangements, I also get out of their control. Now, I can help you to do something.” His son also started to talk to him. Finally, the prison called him and said, “Your wife is sick. Can you take her home?”

It is so true that when our heart change, our surroundings will change.

During that period, we studied the Fa and shared understandings every day until midnight. With Master's help, we have better understandings of how to reject the old forces' arrangements. Our hearts are full of happiness, and every cell in our body is filled with the Fa.

Master said in “Rectifying the Colossal Firmament” (Hong Yin Vol. II):

“How much longer can the evil run rampant?Every being’s volition is fully revealed.Who could be outside this calamity?I look with a smile at the gods being foolish.”

Reading this poem again, I had such an understanding: if we can completely reject the old forces' arrangements, step out of the old universe, and stay with Master during the Fa-rectification period, the tribulations and persecution will have nothing to do with us. Wouldn't we be outside this calamity?

In fact, these years many practitioners have treated the persecution with human notions, been deceived by the old forces' illusions for too long, and therefore wasted a lot of time for cultivating and saving people.

I know that I have many shortcomings in cultivation and understanding of the Fa. These are my current understandings. Please correct me if there is anything wrong.