Connect myself with the Fa and become a true Dafa practitioner
My name is xxx and I am a practitioner of Falun Dafa in Beijing, China. I started cultivation in May of 1997, and after that, I gradually came to understand the true meaning of life. Dafa has given me a second life; otherwise I don?t know how far I would have strayed from the truth. Many practitioners have given up all they have, and even their lives, to protect Dafa. I am deeply moved and I respect their deeds very much. Below are some of my personal experiences and feelings. On July 20, 1999 I found out that many innocent Dafa practitioners had been put into prison. The next morning I went to the Office of Petition at Zhongnanhai. The police at a nearby street stopped me. After I told them that I was a Falun Gong practitioner and I wanted to appeal to the government, I was pushed onto a bus (between 10 and 20 practitioners were already on the bus) and driven to a stadium. Everybody was released at 8:00 PM. About 5:00AM on July 22nd, when I was handing out materials about the Falun Gong situation, local police brought me to the local police station. There I told them: That Falun Dafa not only brings better health to the practitioners, but also (more importantly) teaches people how to be a person with high moral standards, how to find their true selves and how to become Buddhas, Taos and Gods. That Master Li Hongzhi and all Falun Gong practitioners are good people, they would never get involved in politics and would never be against the government. They are good for the country, society, people and bad for nothing. Falun Gong has no formality of organization, does not keep any money or goods, and has no positions for officials. That e Falun Dafa research society was not an illegal organization, and the saying ?getting rid of the Falun Dafa research society? is wrong since there has been no organization since 1996. On the morning of July 23rd, some people from my workplace came and told me that I could be released if I would turn in a written guarantee not to practice anymore. I did not write the guarantee. At 2:00 PM, they wanted me to guarantee that I would obey the ?six rules of the public safety department?, I still would not do it. At 4:00 PM people from my workplace escorted me away from the stadium. I was detained for more than 35 hours. (a lot longer than 24 hours) On the morning of July 26, the manager from my workplace and three policemen wanted me to turn in my guarantee not to practice Falun Gong again. I refused with determination. After that they ?educated? me every morning and wanted me to ?raise my understanding, transform, disclose and criticize?. They forced me to read the newspaper (I refused to), watch the videotapes (with materials attacking Dafa) to ?brainwash me? and attend meetings that ?disclosed and criticized? Dafa. I still tried to let them know my understandings of Dafa. The day after the Chinese government sent out the arrest order for Master Li, I told the security officer (who ?educated? me) that the arrest order should be withdrawn. He wanted me to put down that statement in writing but I did not dare to do that. I was afraid of writing that down, let alone going out to appeal. After being ?educated? for half a month, I thought that it was not right for me to keep doing this, since it not only stopped me and my manager from doing our work, but also kept me in this tribulation for a long time. I went to talk to my manager and told him that I was determined to practice Falun gong,. ? I understood that this was his job to ?educate? me, but we could not convince each other, so I would not have any hard feelings, even if I was punished or fired from my job?. Realizing that I was so determined, he could only tell me to read the newspapers. Since I was also interested in news about Falun Gong, I agreed to read them but read them from Dafa?s point of view. I know that Master Li went through countless pains in order to save us, but he never asked for any reward. His way of speaking, his kindness and all his deeds, and the principles he taught us can always guide me through physical pains and mental disturbances. The reports on the TV are all huge slanders and false accusations against him, as well as distortions of Dafa. I realized that these are tribulations for the disciples but they fall on the Master. My colleagues started to accuse Master Li of ?hurting me?, I replied immediately by saying ? This has nothing to do with Master Li, you can accuse me, but don?t accuse my Master, he saved me.?. On October 27th, CCTV news played an article from The People?s Daily with the title ?Falun Gong is an evil religion?. As a Falun Gong practitioner, my wife and I decided to appeal to the government. The next day I got in a taxi with my wife with an appealing letter. I was afraid and asked the taxi driver to find a drop-off booth to mail the letter first. The driver said: ?don?t worry, there are drop-off booths at Tiananmen.? There were already many Dafa practitioners in Tiananmen when we got there. We walked to Tiananmen and mailed the letter. After I did that, I realized that I was the same as Saint Peter (who I used to laugh at), who would not recognize his own Master, Jesus. I gained a deeper understanding of Master Li?s words ?In the face of trials, one's true nature is revealed? and ?One needs to genuinely cultivate oneself through experiencing reality in order to steel oneself?. I still didn?t dare to go to the south gate of The People?s Meeting Palace to appeal, instead, we decided to walk around for a while in Tiananmen Square and leave. About 10 AM the police asked us if we knew about Falun Gong, we replied yes and were sent to the police station in Tiananmen. I came to understand that we should have gone to appeal. By noontime we were sent to a stadium in the suburbs. In the afternoon, I was slapped on the face several times by the police because I was leading a reciting of Master Li?s scripture. My nose was bleeding (I used to suffer from chronic nose inflammation). My mind was not clear at that time and I said ?thanks? to the police. On the evening of October 28th I was sent to another police station. There I told the police ?Falun Dafa is not an evil religion, I still want to practice.? But I did not dare to mention that I carried a letter of appeal, and I was too afraid to require them to withdraw the arrest order for Master Li and release all the practitioners. In the face of trials, I failed to be truthful, and I failed to be a genuine cultivator. In fact, I think that was because of my attachment for protecting myself, and I think I will know how to protect Dafa in my future trials. On October 29 the police searched my home. I was sent to prison on the following day. On the 30th, the judge gave me a detaining order for 15 days for ?disturbing public order?. Since I did not disturb the public and since appealing is the right given by the basic laws to all citizens, I did not admit to the charge. After awhile the judge told me that they changed the charge to criminal detention. Although I did not admit the charge, I still accepted whatever they wanted to do to me. In my mind, they hadn?t really understood us, and what I was doing was to show them our great compassion and forbearance. They would learn that Falun Dafa is the true Fa that benefits people and society. In prison I found myself afraid of the officials in charge (they beat me). I realized that I should treat everyone the same way, and I got rid of this unexpected attachment. On October 31st, I was released and taken away by people from my workplace. The policeman told me ?You benefited from Falun Gong, so you can practice at your home. If you appeal again, we will detain you.? I was surprised to be released that fast, but I thought I still have a long way to go. Master Li said in ? lecture in Sydney?: ?If you want to return to where you came from, you must have the following two factors. One is suffering. The other is enlightenment.? I think that if one reads the book and learns the Fa at home, of course he can raise his enlightenment quality, but it is also very important to go through pains and to suffer through tribulations. Especially at a time like this, when Dafa and Master are accused and slandered. As a practitioner I should connect myself with the Fa, and think about the situation from the standpoint of the Fa, then find out what should I do (the tiny bit) to help protect the Dafa and The Master. Dafa created everything in the universe including our lives. I think as a practitioner one should stand out and speak a word of honesty for the Dafa. ?Starting to safeguard the Great Law for oneself is forever the responsibility of the disciples of the Great Law likewise, because it belongs to sentient beings of the universe, among whom you are included.?. Every big event where the Master and the Dafa were accused or harmed, the practitioners living in the common people?s society should come out to protect Dafa, and those events are good opportunities for practitioners to give of themselves. On the other hand, I think protecting Dafa should take normal ways like providing true information to the related government agencies or leaders, using only the compassionate side to talk with them. Let them know the truth: Dafa benefits people?s mind and body, benefiting the society. In such a complicated environment, I think one should also keep a clear mind about interference coming from inside the practitioners. For example, the issue of so called ?international law lecture? and ?Meeting with Hong Kong news reporters on Nov. 4th, etc. I think the Dafa materials should be passed around through normal ways, otherwise one should be very careful about them. One should regard the Fa as the Master and resist the circulation of fake Dafa materials starting from oneself ---- because cultivation is extremely serious, one should be responsible to himself, to the society, to Dafa and to all the Dafa practitioners. Above are my personal feelings and understandings, please point out the wrong points and we can improve together. A practitioner from Beijing, November 28th, 1999 |