(Minghui.org) Changchun is not a prominent Chinese city. However it holds a special place in the hearts of Falun Dafa practitioners, because it is Master’s hometown and where Falun Dafa was introduced.
Although I missed my chance to attend the classes personally taught by Master, I am proud to be from northeast China. When Master was teaching the Fa in Australia, a practitioner from Northeast China asked a question. When Master recognized his accent and smilingly commented, “a Northeasterner,” I felt a deep sense of kinship!
After I began practicing Falun Dafa, I took a few memorable trips to Changchun which encouraged me to cultivate diligently. I would like to tell you about some of my experiences.
My Life Takes a Positive Turn Upon Finding Falun Dafa
My father passed away at the beginning of 1996, and my health was at its lowest point. Before I started practicing Falun Dafa, I was so weak I was hooked to an IV drip, and did not have the strength to speak. Because of severe oxygen insufficiency to my heart, my chest, back, left arm and fingers were numb, and my left shoulder drooped. Yet as soon as I started learning the third exercise, I could raise my arms. My body felt very comfortable, and even though I suffered from chronic insomnia, I slept very well that night!
As soon as I started reading the Fa, I found the answers to many complex questions. It was as if my lost soul finally found its way home. I felt reborn and my esteem for revered Master and Dafa grew. I regretted not learning about Falun Dafa earlier and envied practitioners who had the opportunity to attend classes personally taught by Master. When fellow practitioners invited me to attend a series of group Fa study sessions in Changchun, I leaped at the opportunity!
But just as I was about to leave, my period started. Before I began practicing Falun Dafa I suffered from uterine dysfunctional bleeding. At one point I almost died due to uncontrolled bleeding. While doctors managed to save my life, the incident left me physically weak and severely anemic. Each time I had my period, I lost a significant amount of blood and the bleeding could only be stopped by taking medicine. During each episode I was so weak I was unable to work or study. After practicing Falun Dafa, I rejoiced over my new life and healthy body. I even forgot about my diseases. Before, I relied entirely on medication to trigger my periods. This time although my period came spontaneously without the use of any medicine, the bleeding was still heavy. I started to feel nervous, worried about potential complications during my trip to Changchun and the embarrassment if I soiled my clothes and bedding. I thought, “If only my period ended tonight, so I could visit Changchun tomorrow.” That night, the bleeding stopped! I knew Master was encouraging me to go, so I happily went to Changchun.
After arriving in Changchun, I practiced the 5 sets of exercises with the other practitioners. When we did the second exercise, practitioners from Changchun held each position for ten minutes. Because I had only practiced for a few months, I usually held each position for just a few minutes. When I did the exercises with the others in Changchun I grit my teeth and persevered.
After I returned to our dormitory, I began suffering cold symptoms such as a runny nose and tears streamed from my eyes. I knew Master was cleansing my body, and this spurred me to continue practicing the exercises in the room by myself. After I did the fourth exercise, I closed my eyes and lay down to rest. Almost immediately, I felt my body float upwards, passing through each level and coming to a stop at the top of the building. I had a bit of fear, wondering where I would drift to next. With this thought, I immediately descended to the bed. My experience was exactly as Master talked about in Zhuan Falun. I knew Master was encouraging and strengthening my confidence in cultivation.
My cold symptoms disappeared that evening, and I accompanied the others when they went to read the Fa at Children’s Park. This was where Master first taught the Fa, and I had been yearning to visit the place. While my place of residence had yet to implement the concept of group Fa-study, this activity was already firmly established in Master’s hometown. On stepping inside, my first impression was the feeling of purity surrounding the place. Those who had arrived earlier warmly welcomed us to sit inside. There was a comfortable air of familiarity in the peaceful ambience. Some were silently reading the books on their own, while some talked to each other in hushed voices so as not to disturb the rest. I felt blessed to sit among them. When the group study session began, everyone solemnly sat in the full-lotus position. My inability to sit in that position was a source of embarrassment, so I tried my best to sit in the half-lotus position while studying the Fa with everyone.
After we returned from Changchun, we organized group Fa study sessions and shared what we had learnt so we could do better in our work, study and family life.
Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition Held in Changchun
In the spring of 1997, we received news that Changchun was organizing a painting and calligraphy exhibition to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction. When Changchun practitioners asked us to submit artworks, I composed a couplet, “At my most desperate I was reborn after obtaining the Fa. Blessed am I to meet Master within these three lifetimes.” I asked a fellow practitioner’s husband, a calligraphy teacher, to render it in calligraphy. Looking back, I feel my paltry contribution was inadequate to express my gratitude, nor was it sufficient to help spread the goodness of Dafa to people who attended the exhibition.
It was warm and raining lightly the day I visited the exhibition. We entered through a side entrance of the Nanling Gymnasium in Changchun. Visitors from other regions of China entered the hall through the main entrance. Everyone reminded each other to maintain a sense of decorum, to be considerate of others and not to stay in the venue too long, so others could also visit the exhibition.
On entering the exhibition hall, we were surprised to see the many professionally rendered portraits and banners praising Master, along with numerous exquisite art pieces. We were amazed to see the reverence and gratitude towards Master expressed in each work. Each piece detailed the artist’s indescribable joy and new lease on life after obtaining the Fa. To the accompaniment of beautiful background music, we lingered before each work, savoring the feeling of happiness invoked by each piece.
To commemorate our visit, we took a photo with a portrait of Master. In the picture, Master stood on top of a mountain, one arm raised and pointing to the distance. We put our palms together and sat or stood respectfully before this portrait. Although many practitioners took photos, the venue was quiet and orderly, and everyone waiting patiently for their turn.
Although we were reluctant to leave, many people were waiting for their turn to enter. Our experience shook us to the core. No other teacher in the world could say he was helping people recover their moral values, regain their physical and mental health, or explain the meaning of life!
The rumors spread by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) media in 1999, which accused Master of introducing Falun Dfa so that he could make money were so ridiculous! Master never asked practitioners for a penny. Among the blessings Master bestowed on us, which one could be bought with money? Many of us had our incurable aliments resolved after we began practicing Falun Dafa. People who had been deaf for many years regained the ability to hear. Those who were blind could see. Those who were paralyzed were able to walk. Those who suffered from cancer found themselves in remission. This is the magic of Dafa.
In 1997, nearly 10,000 people visited the one-week art exhibition held at the Nanling Gymnasium in Changchun. Unfortunately, many of the nearly 1,000 works are likely lost after years of persecution by the CCP. But I believe that unforgettable experience will remain in the hearts of those who had the chance to visit the exhibition.
Experience Sharing Conference in Changchun
Before the persecution began, we were able to meet publicly to read the teachings and do the exercises. Practitioners talked about their cultivation experiences at the end of each meeting.
A shop owner told us how she suffered from rheumatism after giving birth. No matter what treatment she underwent, she could not wear skirts in the summer. Falun Dafa cured her condition, and she was overcome with joy! A laborer used to suffer from severe liver disease, which left him with an emaciated body, sallow face and in a constant state of depression. After practicing Dafa, his disease was gone. He was upbeat and cheerful, and did any work he was assigned. His wife soon began practicing Falun Dafa.
A young male teacher also suffered from severe liver disease. Despite frequent hospitalizations and taking many traditional Chinese medicines, he saw no improvement in his condition. These setbacks left him depressed and hopeless about his future. After practicing Dafa, he regained his health and stamina. The quality of his teaching improved and he was well loved by his students. An elderly lady in her 60s suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis, which left her finger joints deformed. Having never attended school, she was completely illiterate, unable to recognize and read the numbers on clocks. After she began practicing her rheumatism was gone and her fingers became straight. Most amazingly, she could read Zhuan Falun. On her 80th birthday, her son, a school principal, proudly exclaimed, “My mother is amazing. She reads Zhuan Falun every day!”
Our days were filled with happiness. We encouraged and reminded each other how to do better and achieve the standards of a cultivator. Before I practiced Falun Dafa, I was stubborn and unreasonable. After I began cultivating, I learned to be tolerant of others. This change in mindset allowed me to repair my relationship with my mother-in-law. In the past, in order to avoid working on harder tasks, I would fight to get assigned lighter jobs. Now, I work on every task without complaint. In the past, I placed importance on material gains. I’ve now stopped fighting and competing. Such stories used to be shared daily among Dafa practitioners, inspiring everyone to cultivate to higher standards.
In the winter of 1997, we visited Changchun to participate in a large-scale experience sharing conference. As there were many attendees, the conference was held in a large theater. More than twelve practitioners shared their cultivation experiences at the event, and some were moved to tears as they spoke.
A teacher from a well-known middle school said she received many honorary certificates. At the peak of her career, she was diagnosed with end stage rectal cancer, which caused her to suffer both physically and mentally. Her career was at its peak, her child was young, so how could she die? She found the diagnosis hard to accept. After much thought, she realized the uselessness of the honors she earned in life, which she could not take with her after death. Yet in life, what was worth working towards, and to what final goal? Just as she was floundering, she encountered Falun Dafa. After reading Zhuan Falun, she realized the true meaning of life and her life’s goals.
When she described how she regained her health, she broke down in tears and the audience wept with her. After regaining her health, she resumed her teaching duties, performing better than ever as her popularity among her students soared. Whenever it was time for promotions, her colleagues would compete fiercely among each other. She, however, voluntarily withdrew her name time and again, despite being the most qualified candidate. Their leader was very moved, and even commended her in front of her colleagues, “If you all practiced Falun Dafa. There would be no in-fighting and your achievements would be outstanding!”
A young man who used to be a notorious gangster talked about his experiences. He smoked, drank, gambled and fought on a regular basis, engaging in a variety of socially unacceptable activities that gave his family and the authorities a headache. After he began practicing Falun Dafa, he got rid of his bad habits and learned how to cook, and eventually became a chef in a restaurant. A diligent and honest worker, he acquired goods for the restaurant fairly without cheating or stealing from others.
His upright attitude impressed his boss and the people around praised him for turning over a new leaf. His life had previously been filled with darkness. He inspired fear in others, and he was miserable. After practicing Dafa, his heart was filled with happiness, and he found his true calling in life.
Practitioners from all walks of life, including workers, farmers and soldiers, shared their unique and touching stories. These experiences and more prove the goodness of Falun Dafa and its practitioners. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Dafa and its practitioners is unfathomable. Why oppress this group of peaceful and kind people? Can such actions be considered rational? The persecution is an attack on human morality and kindness.
I hope more people can accept the truth, free themselves from delusion, and obtain a bright future.
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