A Young Western Man Recalls How He Began to Practice Falun Gong

I am an Australian. I began to practice Falun Dafa when I was 16 years old, in early March 2005. I am the only practitioner in my family.

Before I started to practice Falun Dafa, I practised Buddhism. Before I practised Buddhism I was an atheist, although I had a genuine interest in martial arts training.

One day the urge to meditate appeared in my mind. I really wanted to meditate! I knew nothing of meditation, but I knew if I was to become better at martial arts, I should practice meditation. So,

Going back a bit to when I was very young, at night time beings in other dimensions haunted me. I could hear them talking to me and it was really aggravating. They also grabbed my body and poked me. I developed a very strong fear of the dark.

As I got older I wasn't bothered by those beings much more. However, during the time when I was practising Buddhism, I was once again interfered with, but this time much more than before.

I remember the most intense night in March 2005. I was lying in my bed. Something had control of my body. I was aware of myself and it, but I couldn't move my body; I could only think. I was very scared. In my mind I prayed to Buddha; 'Buddha, Buddha, please help me! I'm a good person, don't let this thing hurt me!'

All of a sudden that thing seemed to disappear, then I felt a really strong energy in my abdomen. It was so strong, it felt like this strong energy was swirling around and around in my abdomen. Then the energy flowed down my legs and up to the top of my chest. It enveloped my body. I felt very safe, very warm, and I felt I was levitating above my bed.

I didn't dare open my eyes. Eventually I fell asleep again. I was woken up again by some being who came to me wanting to take over my body. It couldn't get into my body. I resisted it with my thoughts thinking, "No! No!" My intention was just to resist it and I thought it absolutely couldn't get my body. Then, all of a sudden the strong energy in my abdomen came back and that being disappeared.

This same thing happened a few more times throughout the night. Each time that being came back it was significantly weaker.

By the time I heard the first birds chirping outside and a tram in the distance, I was so relieved! I was able to get out of my room.

That morning when I was eating breakfast, I felt that strong energy throughout my body. It was a very pleasant feeling. As I was preparing to go to school, I still felt the energy. I had a thought in my mind that I must tell my friend about it.

I met my friend at his university that evening after school and told him all about what happened. I then asked him, 'Do you think I'm crazy!?

He said he understood me and didn't think I was crazy. He explained to me about present day Buddhism and he also explained to me about Falun Dafa. This was the first I had ever heard of Falun Dafa. He told me that the place I felt all the energy in my body was called the 'Dan Tian'. He told me Master Li Hongzhi is on this earth today and is genuinely imparting a great practice, Falun Dafa. He also explained to me that Falun Dafa is a cultivation practice with exercises and meditation. I was really happy to hear that, because I for so long had desired to meditate but never could.

When I went home that evening, I downloaded the book Zhuan Falun. Seeing that everything is free to download from the internet also made me feel this was good. When I was reading Zhuan Falun I was so intrigued by it. Everything was so amazing! I felt there was no way to measure the depth of the teachings! I just couldn't stop reading it! I just wanted to read, read, read. My friend told me there was a practice site in a park every Sunday. I wanted to finish reading Zhuan Falun before Sunday morning. So, I eagerly read all of Zhuan Falun within those 3 days. During the time when I was reading, I felt really tired and wanted to sleep, but my desire to read more of Zhuan Falun was very strong, so I just kept reading.

Sunday morning came and I walked about 40 minutes from my house to the practice site. When I got there, the practitioners were already sitting in lotus position sending righteous thoughts. I stood aside quietly and patiently. When they finished, the assistant asked if I wanted to learn and I said I did. He took me to the side and taught me the exercises. Then he told me I should join the group for the sitting meditation. This was my first ever time to meditate. They started off with another round of sending forth righteous thoughts, and then went on to the meditation. I just sat in lotus position and imitated the assistant. For the whole hour, I maintained the lotus position. During the meditation, the pain was so intense my legs were shaking. I kept chanting in my mind Master's words, 'When it's difficult to endure you can endure it, when it seems impossible to do, you can do it.' I was really determined to meditate for the entire time. I opened my eyes every now and then to see if the assistant had finished meditating, but he kept meditating until the music stopped. Finally, the music stopped and I finished with a heshi.

At that time I didn't know I should study Zhuan Falun repeatedly. I just attended the exercise group every Sunday morning. On about the third week I saw a small Falun during my meditation. It wasn't colourful; it was clear. It made me pleased because I just watched it when I meditated and the time passed easily. This small Falun moved to the left and right of my vision. The next Sunday morning it moved around in more directions. And then the following week when I was meditating I saw about three Falun all moving together. As I practised more I saw heaps of Falun.

One day when I was sitting in my backyard not doing much, I saw lots of Falun before my eyes. I was really interested in them and as I observed them I saw the Taiji symbols spinning inside the Falun as well. They were all colourless. This inspired me to practice more.

One week a practitioner gave me a sheet of paper as he explained to me about how to send forth righteous thoughts. I couldn't understand.... But, on the sheet of paper, in small writing at the bottom, it made reference to the Clearwisdom.net website. I went to the website and read every article daily for I think only that week. I then first learned about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China. Then a few big questions popped up in my mind. What is Fa (Law and principles; the teachings of Falun Dafa.)? What is xinxing heart and mind character)? What is de (virtue)? What are the three things and how do I clarify the truth? Even though I had read Zhuan Falun once before, a lot of things didn't sink in.

By the time Sunday came I asked the assistant all my questions, and he lent me the book "Falun Gong." I read a bit of Lunyu, but stopped because I thought it was the same book as Zhuan Falun, as they both have Lunyu at the start. I told him later that I had already read it, and he told me to read it again. He said that when I finish reading it, I should read it again.

When I was reading Zhuan Falun again, I felt I was discovering more and more things. A lot of my previous questions were answered. I felt Zhuan Falun was so wonderful.

At night when I slept I dreamt that I saw lots of money on the ground. I picked it all up, as much as I could. When I woke up I suddenly felt so terrible! I felt I was so greedy and knew it was a xinxing test which I failed. I was very regretful! The next night I dreamt of lots of money everywhere again, but this time there was so much! However, I was very clear in my mind. I thought, "I'm a practitioner, none of this money is mine, I'm not touching any of it." I continued to have such dreams and woke up each time after I had walked past all the money without touching any of it. I realized the answer to a question I had a while ago which was how do I know if I fundamentally believe? How do I know my own heart? When I was in a dream, I could see if I could follow the Fa or not, thus I knew if I fundamentally understood and believed.

When I first started practising, some beings in other dimensions tried to scare me. But I'd always remember to call out for Master and then they couldn't get near me and disappeared.

As I studied Zhuan Falun more and more, my fear of the dark got weaker and weaker. I gave up listening to music that had lots of swearing in it. I also stopped swearing when I spoke, and I tried to be a better person in society. I am very pleased to be a Falun Dafa practitioner and be dignified in conducting myself according to Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

I want to conclude my sharing with one of Master's poems from Hongyin I (translation B):

Settle the Heart

Predestination is already established,
Fa is being cultivated,
Read the book more,
Consummation is near.

January 27, 1998