A New Practitioner Genuinely Caring for Sentient Beings

Ms. Xiao Feng, more than 40 years old, is a new practitioner from the countryside. She became a Falun Gong practitioner in 2004. Over the past five years, she has "clarified the facts" about Falun Gong and assisted Teacher in saving sentient beings with a pure heart, making her a "pure lotus flower" of Falun Dafa.

An Entire Family Attained the Fa

Ms. Xiao Feng shared that, before becoming a practitioner, "I suffered from many different illnesses and I can't remember a single day I wasn't in pain. I went to countless hospitals and spent 3,000 to 4,000 yuan on medical expenses annually. My husband is a labourer and didn't earn much money. Sadly, it didn't take much to make him angry and he beat me. My mother-in-law didn't think much of me and our two children were still attending school. As we owed over 10,000 yuan, we constantly worried.

"During September 2004, I visited Ms. Xiao Hong, who lived in the same village. I hoped she could help me chose the medicine that could help me. On my way I bumped into her. She said, 'If you want to ask me what medicine to take I would suggest that you just repeat sincerely "Falun Dafa is good, Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is good." I promise you will be fine.'

"I repeated the phrases for several days but did not experience any visible changes. The problem was that I did not take it seriously and just repeated them with no real intention. Later, Ms. Xiao gave me a flyer that explained what Falun Gong was. Only then did I really understand that Falun Gong was not anything like the media had broadcast. A few days later, she gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun. It took me six or seven days to read it. I learned that Teacher taught us how to be a good person and how to cultivate. What was said on television were lies intended to deceive people.

"One day I saw a large group of people. One of them said, 'Ms. Xiao Hong asked me to learn Falun Gong.' I cut in, 'Falun Gong is very good. I also am learning the exercises.' This was the very first time I admitted publicly that I practiced Falun Gong. Despite the brutal persecution, I said it without intention, selfishness, or distracting thoughts.

"When I first learned Falun Dafa I had an attachment of pursuit and wanted my diseases to be cured. One day when I was sending forth righteous thoughts I heard a voice from behind me say, 'As heavy as a mountain.' At the time I did not know what enlightenment was, but a fellow practitioner said that this was a hint that I should not pay too much attention to my illnesses. Instead, I should let go of this attachment and not look for a cure. So, I let it go. Alas, one day the illness recurred. I began to worry and bought some medicine for 50 yuan. I took it twice but didn't get better. I enlightened that I was a practitioner and thus should not follow everyday people's principles. I stopped taking medicine and my illnesses disappeared.

"My daughter suffered from migraines and could not find a cure. I said to her, 'Look, your mother's illnesses disappeared after learning Falun Gong. Why don't you practice Falun Gong with us?' My daughter agreed. After she read the second chapter in Zhuan Falun, she vomited for an entire day. I told her that Teacher was cleansing her body and not to worry. With my encouragement, she finished reading Zhuan Falun. Her migraines disappeared and her health improved. My son started to practice the exercises after that. He was busy with his studies, but still managed to read one lecture a day. He also did the five exercises with us.

"My husband saw the benefits of practicing Dafa and was very much moved. He thought that Falun Gong was really effective. In the summer of 2006 I asked him to read Zhuan Falun and he finished the nine lectures in one go.

"One day he injured his hand at work and took sick leave. He said to me, 'Maybe this gives me the opportunity to learn the exercises.' After that, our entire family studied the Fa and did the exercises together. Later, my father and my sister also learned the exercises.

"Prior to the Beijing Olympics, the township government officials arrested me and took me to a brainwashing centre. My husband demanded my release several times. He also cleared up the misconceptions about Falun Gong held by the government officials, the party secretary, and the head of the township. One day he went to the home of the party secretary to clarify the facts about Falun Gong to him. He refused to open to door, so my husband patiently waited outside for more than three hours. Then he called my son and asked him to knock at the door. When the secretary opened the door my son said, 'I am the son of Mr. So and So, please release my mother!' My husband took the opportunity to enter the house. The secretary said, 'You are here to threaten me. I will call the police.' My husband knew the secretary and how he would react, so he said, 'If you call the police you will have a bad conscience.' Then he cleared up misconceptions about Falun Gong and asked him to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. The secretary calmed down.

"One day my husband drove me and my sister to our hometown on his motorcycle. On a downhill turn, a truck came towards us. Instinctively he turned right. The truck passed us and the motorcycle came to a sudden stop. He looked and to his surprise he saw that the front wheel was only a few inches from the edge of a two to three-meter-deep trench. He was so scared that he could only utter a few words thanking Teacher for protecting us! Afterwards, he told everyone about it, and he explained that Falun Gong's Teacher protected us from certain death. Our family was surrounded by Teacher's boundless compassion and the Buddha's infinite grace.

"When having meals with friends, they asked him to drink a glass of wine. He said, 'I practice Falun Gong, so I no longer drink or smoke.'

"Since practicing Falun Dafa, great changes have occurred in our home, and everything is going smoothly. My health improved and I no longer take any medication. My husband is renovating properties and has a lot of work. My son decided to work with his father after graduation. My daughter works in other parts of the country and earns a decent salary. We have paid off all our debts."

Ms. Xiao Feng said with tears in her eyes, "I will certainly be a diligent cultivator and live up to our merciful Teacher's expectations."

Save Sentient Beings with Compassion

After Ms. Xiao Feng had practiced Falun Dafa for less than a month, Ms. Xiao Hong said to her, "It's not enough to just read the book, you also need to go out and clarify the facts about Falun Gong and help Teacher save sentient beings." Not long after that she sent Ms. Xiao Feng some truth-clarification materials. At the time her mind was very pure and was without fear. In the evening she went out with a big bag of truth-clarification materials and walked around her village for about four hours distributing all the materials.

Ms. Xiao Feng continued, "In 2005, my husband was renovating a house in the county and we moved there. I found a Fa study and practice site near my home. Studying the Fa and sharing cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners helped me understand many Fa principles. I understood the real meaning of life and practitioners' responsibilities and mission. I also learned that only by cultivating ourselves well can we be worthy of the title of 'Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioner.' Ever since, I have melted into the one body and clarified the facts about Falun Gong with these practitioners. Generally, I pair up with a fellow practitioner. Out in the countryside we can help twenty to thirty people withdraw from the CCP and its subordinate organizations daily. One day, 46 people did the three withdrawals (withdrawing from the CCP and its two youth organizations)! Many more people listened to the facts about Falun Gong."

Below are some of the experiences Ms. Xiao Feng has had clarifying the facts about Falun Gong.

A 70-year-old Grandpa Is Offered Salvation

"I went to a village to clarify the facts with fellow practitioner Gui Hua. We met a grandfather over 70 years old in one of the courtyards.

"I told him, 'We are Falun Gong practitioners here to tell you the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong. Have you heard of "withdrawing from the CCP to stay safe?"
"'Someone talked to me about it when I walked down the street,' he said. I asked him if he was a veteran party member and he said, 'Yes.'

"Then I talked about the CCP murdering 80 million people during its different political movements. He said, 'I believe that. During the "Four Clean-up Movement"(1) and the Cultural Revolution many people died unnatural deaths.' I said, 'Just think of 1989 when so many innocent university students were murdered at Tiananmen Square, and since 1999 Falun Gong practitioners have been brutally persecuted. Tens of thousands of practitioners have died either as a result of torture or after their organs were harvested. The wicked CCP has done so many bad things that heaven wants to eliminate it. Those who joined the CCP and/or its youth organizations will go down with the CCP, and only those who withdrew from it and its subordinate organizations will be safe. Grandpa, do you want to withdraw?' He gave a clear and firm reply, 'Yes, I quit.'

"One more life had been saved. I asked the Grandpa to remember what I told him. He said, 'Yes, I will repeat "Falun Dafa is good and Truth-Compassion-Forbearance are good!"'

"When we were about to leave, the grandpa rushed up to me and firmly shook my hands. He repeatedly said with tears in his eyes, 'Thank you! Thank you!' Then he grabbed Gui Hua's hands and said 'Thank you!' This is the gratitude a saved life offered to Teacher and Dafa."

"Why Did You Treat Me So Nicely?"

"One day when a fellow practitioner and I were clarifying the facts about Falun Gong, we bumped into a high school student. I asked him if he had joined the CCP, the Youth League, and/or the Young Pioneers. He said he had joined the Young Pioneers and the Youth League and was getting ready to join the CCP. I explained to him why the three withdrawals would keep him safe and introduced to him the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. I also talked to him about the natural disasters and man-made calamities, as well as the prophecies about the elimination of the CCP. When he learned the truth, he agreed to quit the CCP and all subordinate organizations. He even told us his real name.

"He asked, 'Why are you all such good people? Why do you treat me so nicely?' I said, 'We are Falun Gong practitioners. They are all good people. This is because our Teacher asked us to become a good person and an even better person, a person who reaches even higher realms. We treat you well because our Teacher wants to save all sentient beings, including you. To do that, we go out and clarify the facts about Falun Gong so that you can learn the truth and quit the CCP and its subordinate organizations.' He said that several of his schoolmates wanted to learn Falun Gong. I told him if they really wanted to learn the exercises, they could contact us."

"I Like That Name"

"One day, two of us went to a village to clear up misconceptions about Falun Gong in people's minds. We met a young man of about 30 years old. He wore fashionable clothes and was smoking a cigarette. I judged people solely on their appearance, so I did not talk to him.

"Some time later, just after a woman had quit the CCP, we met up with him again. He said he did not believe that there were Gods and Buddhas. I said to him with a smile, 'There are certainly Gods and Buddhas. Falun Dafa can certainly save you. It all depends on whether you believe it or not. If you believe, Dafa, Gods, and Buddha will protect you. If you do not even believe in the existence of Gods and Buddhas, how can they save you?'
"He just remained silent, so I asked him, 'Have you ever joined the CCP, the Youth League, or the Young Pioneers?' He shook his head and said, 'I have not.' Then I said, 'You must have worn the red scarf.' He said he did, so I told him, 'That represents the Young Pioneers. You must quit these organizations to stay safe and you need to hurry up!' He was silent for a while and still hesitated.

The woman who had just quit the CCP said, 'They just want you to be safe. Don't hesitate any longer. I have just quit the CCP.' So, he agreed. I said, 'I will gave you an alias, "Ping An" [Safe and Sound] because I wish you to be safe and sound!' He was very happy and said, 'I like that name.'"

Discovering the Gap Between Fellow Practitioners and Myself

When Ms. Xiao first went to the countryside to clarify the facts with three other practitioners, they met up with a young man. He claimed that he worked for the local police and told the practitioners to follow him. Her immediate reaction was to run away, but on second thought, she realized how selfish she was being, so, very quickly, she changed her attitude to be responsible to her fellow practitioners as well as to sentient beings. She sent forth righteous thoughts in her heart and asked Teacher to support them.
As she went on to relate: "The other practitioners were unmoved. They kept clarifying the facts to the man. Finally one of them said, 'We gave you these materials and CD so you can read or watch them when you have time. They would certainly be good for you.' He accepted the materials gratefully and promised to read and watch them. This encounter astonished me and made me realize that I still had a fear mentality, was selfish, and was still saddled with other bad human notions. At the same time I found that I was lagging behind my fellow practitioners."

Ms. Xiao talked about her enlightening to Fa truths when clarifying the facts about Falun Gong: "One thing is that we should not let human thoughts take control. One time we talked to four or five households and no one wanted to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I was a bit disappointed, so I looked within and found quite a few human notions I needed to let go of, such as seeking quantity and results, as well as being impetuous and judgmental about people and caring about other people's reactions. When people showed their enthusiasm, had a good attitude, and were willing to listen, I felt very happy and would become very talkative. When people did not want to listen to us or had a bad attitude, I didn't want to talk to them, not even one sentence. There were many other attachments, including a mentality of fear, remorsefulness, and competitiveness. They all came to the surface.

"There should be no barriers among practitioners. One day another practitioner and I went to a village. When talking about natural disasters, she criticized me in front of others. I thought that she should not talk about heaven wanting to eliminate the CCP because people would not accept it. Therefore, I held some resentment. I thought I had cooperated very well with all the other practitioners except for this one. That day we did not even persuade one villager to quit the CCP. One person even wanted to report us to the police. Luckily, another practitioner came to our rescue. I learned a lesson. Whenever there is a conflict or difference of opinion, we must first look within, complement each other, and harmonize ourselves again. Whenever there is a barrier, the evil forces will take advantage of it.

"We also must believe in Teacher and Dafa. Every time we went out to clarify the facts, I always felt that Teacher was beside me all the time. I asked Teacher to strengthen my righteous thoughts and open up my memory and wisdom so that we would be successful. Sometimes, I would sense all kinds of human attachments, such as fear, competitiveness, complacency, and a show-off mentality. I noticed them instantly, denied them, and rectified my thoughts."

Face the Persecution with Righteous Thoughts

Xiao Feng said that, prior to the Beijing Olympics, the CCP minions arrested and detained local practitioners. One day the head of the township government and the head of the police station broke into her home. He showed her a statement and said, "You sign here, promising you will renounce Falun Gong. If you want to practice at home just do it. We will not take you to the township." She said, "I will not sign that statement." Four of them dragged her into a car. When they stopped at a gas station they asked her again, "It is not too late for you to sign now. We can still take you back." She said she would not sign any statement. They eventually took her to the township government.

The township party secretary said, "It's still not too late to sign. If you verbally abuse your Teacher three times, we will send you back home." She said with some emotion, "Let me tell you, I will not sign any statement, nor will I betray our Teacher. Say no more about swearing at our Teacher. Teacher helped cleanse me and cured all my diseases. If I'm not grateful to him and try to return his kindness, am I still a human being? What if a doctor cured all your illnesses--instead of thanking the doctor, what if you swore at him? Would you still consider yourself a human being?" The party secretary turned away silently after hearing what she said.

Ms. Xiao continued: "A dozen or so practitioners were locked up in a big meeting room. There were no beds or bedding, so we had to lie down on the long bench. After I calmed down, I looked inward to find the reason why I was persecuted. I found that two to three months before the Beijing Olympics I had this fear mentality and often thought about what I could do if the evildoers came. I thought that I should say this or I should say that. It was my fear mentality that attracted the evildoers. It was I who begged them to come.
"At a brainwashing centre they forced us to watch video programs slandering Falun Dafa.
We continuously send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all evil forces and factors in other dimensions that controlled the evildoers. As a result, the video player broke down. No matter who came to the brainwashing centre--the leaders from the city, the county or the township officials--whenever they showed up we clarified the truth to them. The township party secretary was extremely vicious. He beat and swore at practitioners. He slapped my face and threatened to take me to a detention centre today and tomorrow to the forced labour camp. All human notions such as the fear mentality, competitiveness, and jealousy, as well as the attachment that I could not bear the way some of the practitioners behaved, came to the forefront. I kept reinforcing my righteous thoughts and tried to suppress these wrong thoughts. As I removed many attachments, my fear mentality weakened, and my righteous thoughts got stronger.

"One day when I was sleeping I heard the telephone ring. It sounded like my son on the other end, saying, 'Mother, it's alright. The great Dao has no form. There is no enclosure!' When I woke up, I enlightened that I was given the hint that it was time to leave the brainwashing centre. We decided to go on a hunger strike. We wanted to force our release and close the brainwashing centre.

"The next afternoon, five practitioners ate because they could not bear the intimidation any longer. On the third day only five practitioners remained on hunger strike. It was apparent that some of them were struggling. Some practitioners reminded us that once we decided to go on hunger strike, we must maintain our righteous thoughts and achieve our goal. Everything was arranged by Teacher. It was Teacher who was in charge. On the fifth day the brainwashing centre was closed. Ten practitioners returned home under the compassionate care of Teacher."

Ms. Xiao sighed with emotion as she recounted her shortcomings and the gaps that caused her to lag behind other practitioners during those days. It also helped her realize that cultivation was more serious than anything else in the human world. When practitioners truly believe in Teacher and Dafa and act in accordance with the Fa, the mighty virtue of Dafa will reveal itself and all interference and persecution will disappear. During such times, bad thoughts and attachments disclose the things that need to be rectified and eliminated. Only when we walk out of humanness can we really become divine beings. We should let go of the attachments to fame, gain, and sentiments and live by Truth-Compassion-Forbearance and do the three things (study the Fa [the teachings of Falun Dafa], send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and about the persecution to the world's people) more diligently, so that we can live up to Teacher's expectations.

Although Ms. Xiao attained the Fa only four years ago, she has put the responsibilities and mission of a Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioner as her priority. She is using her most truthful and most pure righteous field to harmonize her family and society and save sentient beings. May this sacred and pure lotus flower exist forever!