(Minghui.org) Another World Falun Dafa Day is here and this year marked the 33rd anniversary since Falun Dafa was introduced to the public. While celebrating this grand occasion, I cannot help but remember the peaceful days I spent at Tianjin University before the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started.
Learning About Falun Dafa
I was taking my usual run one sunny but chilly morning in March 1997. I noticed several teachers and staff members were doing some slow moving exercises in front of the Science and Technology Museum next to the English Bridge. Curious, some people stopped to watch, including me.
A retired teacher kindly explained that they were practicing Falun Dafa. He said it was simple to learn and included doing five sets of exercises and following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He said that practicing Falun Dafa helped improve one’s mind and body.
I thought, "Falun Dafa is great, but I have so much coursework." So I told him that I would continue running. But every day, I stopped and watched.
When I later began practicing, I realized that Master Li was helping me. Even though I hadn’t started practicing, my severe migraine headache disappeared when I thought about practicing Falun Dafa. My temperament improved and my mind was calmer. I felt like a different person. This intrigued me because doctors could not help with these migraine headaches.
So I decided to try practicing Falun Dafa, and I joined the morning practice in front of the Science and Technology Museum. I also read Falun Dafa’s main book, Zhuan Falun, every day.
The number of practitioners increased dramatically, from 10 people to several dozen, and from about 100 to three or four hundred. Young people began practicing and many undergraduate and graduate students like me came to the practice site. The open area in front of the Science and Technology Museum couldn’t accommodate us, and some people had to do the exercises next to the trail.
The number of people who practiced other qigongs remained the same—there were only about five or six people. Impressed by how many people practiced Falun Dafa, some of them decided to join us.
So that more people could participate in the group practice, we added another session in the evening. The volunteer assistants purchased a cassette player with their own money and brought it to the practice site every day. They also carried bags of Zhuan Falun, audio lectures, and other materials about Falun Dafa in case new practitioners needed them.
Seeing the increased number of practitioners, the assistants decided to add additional group practice sites to avoid blocking traffic. They suggested practitioners establish group practice sites near their homes. This would also help more people get to know about Falun Dafa.
One new practice site was located at Liulitain near a wooded area. Most of us were students, and a PhD student carried a cassette player for the exercise music every day. When the leaves fell in the fall or when it snowed in the winter, we cleaned up the area in advance.
There were group practice sessions in the morning and evening. Because I lived near Qilitai, I attended the evening practice there. We usually removed our coats when we did the exercises, but we felt very warm.
One day it was very cold, but we still did the exercises. My hands were numb and they didn’t warm up for a long time after I returned to the dorm. But my heart was warm and the other students felt the same.
I was unable to attend Master’s lecture series in person. The first lecture series took place on January 17, 1994. Master’s schedule was already very busy. Because the practice was very popular, there were repeated invitations from Tianjin, and Master gave another lecture series here on March 14, 1994. I did not begin attending school until summer 1994.
Nonetheless, I was fortunate in getting to know Dafa and join the group practice. We also occasionally went out and told people about Falun Dafa.
Improving Ourselves
Doing the exercises outdoors helps people know about Dafa and many people joined us. Doing the exercises and reading the teachings also changed us, and we became more energetic and kind.
Falun Dafa focuses on xinxing improvement, so it’s important to read and follow the teachings. The assistants organized group study and a PhD student at Qilitai contacted the dorm administration so that we could use an activity room for group practice. We read or memorized Hong Yin and Essentials for Further Advancement. We didn’t just memorize the teachings—we also put them into practice.
We knew that Dafa is precious and cherished this opportunity. My legs were stiff and it was difficult for me to sit with both legs crossed in the lotus position. Another practitioner encouraged me and showed me how to do it. I tried and it worked. Sometimes I reminded myself that Master said, “When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
We also read Zhuan Falun together, and I always sat with both legs crossed. We all read attentively. During group discussions, we talked about how we looked within when we encountered conflicts, whether we were considerate of others, and how we could do better as practitioners. Our discussions were very beneficial.
We also watched videos of Master’s lectures every weekend. A graduate student in Liulitai bought a television and a video player. We cleaned the room in advance and borrowed some benches from nearby dorms. We all felt very fortunate that we were able to watch the video lectures.
Practitioners also helped each other, both in our cultivation and in daily life. When some practitioners heard my family had financial difficulties, they helped me and encouraged me to focus on coursework as well as practice. Everything would be fine, they said. Their words always made me feel warm.
To help me tell more people about Dafa in my hometown, some fellow practitioners bought me a video player. I’ve moved several times since then, but I still have that video cassette player. It always reminds me of how I started to practice Dafa.
Over 20 years passed and we lost contact with each other. But I still remember those days very well. No matter where we are, let us cherish the opportunity and walk our cultivation path well.
(Selected submission in celebration of 2025 World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)
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