My Experience During the Earthquake

I was in Shuangliu Town, Chengdu City when the earthquake struck in Sichuan Province on May 12. I had just talked to and helped a friend quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations, and she had invited me to her home. When we arrived at her residential building, we heard the rumble of the earthquake all around us.

My friend was scared and tried to run. I grabbed her and said, "Don't run that way! The alley is too long, you can't make it. Follow me quickly and say, 'Falun Dafa is good' and ask for help from the Teacher of Falun Dafa. Only my Teacher can save us from this imminent danger. Follow me and say it, and we will be all right."

I stayed very calm. I have Dafa in my heart and I firmly believe that Teacher protects me when I am in danger, and I had no doubt that I would be fine. At the same time, I looked after my friend, who had just quit the CCP. I told her to come with me and she would be safe. I said, "Let's go to an open area." I remembered there was a big garden nearby. Holding her hand, we ran to the garden. The ground was shaking violently, and it was like we were walking on a swaying bridge. When we reached the garden, there were many people there. I knew it was time to save them. I told the people around me not to be scared, to say "Falun Dafa is good," and we would be protected. Soon, several people began to say "Falun Dafa is good" with me.

I then thought about my friends and relatives. Though most of them had already quit the CCP, would they know to say "Falun Dafa is good" at this moment? I tried to call them on my cellphone, but there was no signal. Not knowing how to reach them, I became anxious, and my heart started to beat rapidly. Then I heard Teacher's voice,

"...good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought..." (Lecture Four, from Zhuan Falun)

"...just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)

I immediately realized how dangerous my attachment was! I am a Dafa disciple. Why was I at such a loss? A disciple's one thought will bring about different results. In the presence of the big disaster, it is time to show a Dafa disciple's mighty virtue, and it is also a test to see how well we cultivate. Teacher and the Fa are with us, and I will follow our Teacher's arrangement. As a Dafa disciple, I should always think about how to save sentient beings, and never forget my responsibilities, following Teacher's Fa in all kinds of situations. Especially in cases of life and death, saving people is our top priority. The old forces are destroying lives and are competing with us, and I must do my best.

I walked toward my residential area. On the way, I clarified the truth to people and kept sending forth righteous thoughts, eliminating all the evil elements persecuting sentient beings, asking Teacher for strength and protection.

Outside of my residential area is a big lawn, and many people were gathering there. I saw my grandson's classmate and his family. I quickly walked to them and told the mother, "You should sincerely say 'Falun Dafa is good,' and you will be protected." She gave me a light smile and walked away, totally ignoring me. I felt very awkward and uncomfortable, and thought, "I came to talk with you before I even found my own family. Why do you have such an attitude?" I did not want to talk any more, and felt disappointed with these people.

But soon, I rectified on my thoughts. I must save people, as this is the top priority at this moment. I cannot let any human attachments affect me. Just then, my daughter drove over and stopped her car next to me. She had brought a box of bottled water. I asked my grandson to give one to his classmate. Hopefully I will have a chance to clarify the truth to the classmate's family next time.

My city was not at the center of the earthquake, but the damage was still heavy. Many people suffered various losses. Some people's homes were damaged, some were hit by things that fell from their roofs, and some even died jumping from buildings to escape. In my home, no one was hurt and no property was lost. Our entertainment center is just 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) thick, with a glass frame and a round-shaped clock hanging up there. The set up seemed elegant but fragile. After the earthquake, it was totally fine and hadn't even moved a little. A glass tea cup fell to the floor from a table, but it was not broken. Three buildings in my residential area cracked, but the building my home is in was unaffected.

During the disaster, the practitioners were very calm, not flustered or scared. Every practitioner was thinking of how to save people. During the earthquake, many people witnessed the miracle of Dafa. After the earthquake, practitioners began working harder then ever to clarify the truth to save people, and more and more people have quit the CCP.