Memories of the Inaugural Zhuan Falun Book Publication Ceremony

The inaugural Zhuan Falun book publication ceremony was planned for January 4th, 1995. Many Falun Gong practitioners at my practice group publicized the event to others. Every practitioner was anxious for the day to come and hoped to obtain a ticket to the ceremony. The contact person for our practice site had only a dozen tickets for over 100 practitioners. It was suggested that we give the tickets to those practitioners who had not yet met with Teacher Li - the founder of Falun Dafa, therefore I did not expect to get a ticket.

The day finally came. The ceremony was being held in the auditorium of the National Public Security College. I did not have a ticket, but I decided to go even if I had to stand outside the hall. I started out early for the Public Security College riding my bike. Tears would not stop rolling down my cheeks; thousands of thoughts and feelings came to mind as I rode. Teacher's image suddenly appeared in my mind. His benevolent smiling face seemed to be right in front of me. I recalled things from the lectures Teacher gave in Jinan City, half a year before. Teachers’ voice and smiling face; the Fa -Principles taught in Falun Gong- of high virtue he taught; the cool breezes Teacher manifested to cool us down in the hot sports hall; how Teacher dispelled some dark rain clouds and posed for pictures with us, and how Teacher rotated a huge Falun on the stage at the end of the last lecture. The students did not want to leave and clapped their hands continuously.

I was totally immersed in the happiness of my memories. I don’t know how I dodged the traffic while riding my bike. It felt like only a minute had passed before I arrived at the Public Security College. It was still over 20 minutes away from the start of the ceremony. I had just reached the practitioner at the service gate when a young man in his twenties rushed toward me. Out of breath, he asked if Teacher's car had arrived yet. Other practitioners told him Teacher was already inside teaching some foreign students. The young man said to himself, "It is too bad that I cannot see Teacher. I was afraid that I might be late and rushed here from Yungang (dozens of miles away) right after work." Another practitioner told him, "Don’t worry! I will go and figure something out." The practitioner walked away and the young man followed him.

I stood there watching other practitioners going into the hall in groups of two or three. They were smiling and looked so happy. I envied them, thinking how great it would be if I had a ticket too. I decided I would stand there until the ceremony was over. It was just a couple of minutes before the ceremony was to start and just a few people were left outside. At that moment, a female practitioner came up to me and said, "Do you have a ticket? I have a spare ticket that you can take. Get in there quickly." I was so excited that I forgot to thank her before rushing into the auditorium. I found my seat in the front rows on the first floor. I had just sat down when loud applause launched the ceremony of Zhuan Falun’s inaugural publication.

There was a group of people sitting on the stage. The host introduced them as the persons in charge of the National Qigong Association, some government officials and a foreign friend. Everyone was paying close attention to the stage. Next, our great Teacher appeared on the stage to thunderous applause. Teacher smiled kindly and greeted everyone. He taught us the profound meanings of the Fa. He reminded us to pay attention to xinxing in our practice. Teacher let everyone feel the rotating Falun to reassure us. Teacher told us kindly that even if we couldn’t feel the Falun rotating, we should be able to feel the heat in our palms. He told us about the Greatness of Dafa and His expectation that those who obtain the Fa, seize the opportunity and cultivate until the end. A government official expressed praise and approval of Falun Gong. At the end, Teacher gave a copy of the book to the foreign friend. The applause lasted a long time.

At that moment, a ladder to heaven, represented by Zhuan Falun, was given to the world's people by Teacher. Full of karma, and lost for a long time, we finally found the way home. How lucky we are! How did we get this unprecedented opportunity? It is Teacher’s great compassion and the Buddha’s infinite grace.

When a college professor recollected her experience at the ceremony she was very excited when recalling Teacher’s compassion. She couldn’t feel the Falun rotating in her palms when she was at the Zhuan Falun ceremony. She panicked, doubting her predestined relationship with the Buddha Fa. She couldn’t feel any heat in her palms and got even more nervous. She was losing hope. She left the ceremony, bringing home the book, Zhuan Falun. When she opened the book at home, she was shocked to see many golden shiny Faluns rotating. She couldn’t believe her eyes, initially. As she calmed down and read the book over and over again, on every page there were golden shiny Faluns. She looked at Teacher’s photo and cried, "Dear great compassionate Teacher, you again show me the truth in order to offer me salvation. No matter how big a tribulation comes along, I will let go of my human notions and cultivate until the end."

It’s been 11 years since the ceremony. We are riding on Teacher’s Fa boat and are climbing up the heavenly ladder to return home. Teacher doesn’t leave us for a second; he supports us while we climb up, corrects us when we go astray and encourages us when we stop progressing. When we fall off the ladder due to our notions, Teacher doesn’t give up on any practitioner and only helps us to get back onto the ladder. Teacher has shouldered too much in helping us reach our goal and in offering us salvation.

During this life, on this tiny earth, at the focus of the cosmos, we have met our great Teacher. We must follow Teacher closely and assimilate to the Fa in order to keep up with the progress of Fa rectification. We must succeed in our divine missions and not disappoint our great Teacher.