(Minghui.org) I was 18 in 2004 when I began to practice Falun Gong. At that time, I had a good relationship with two classmates, who also happened to practice Falun Gong. They always told me about the communist government's persecution campaign and sometimes gave me pamphlets to read.
I did not accept their gestures at the beginning and even threatened to report them. But I later read the pamphlets and learned that Falun Gong could help me return to my true self. When I asked them to teach me the practice, they readily agreed.
My classmates brought me an MP3 player with recordings of Master Li’s lecture series. Every day, I used all of my spare time between classes to listen to the Fa teachings.
I could not understand the meaning at first. Although I felt that Master spoke very well, I could not remember a thing afterward. The second time, I thought I could understand some things. My whole body felt comfortable, as if every cell was full of energy. After the third time, I felt the Fa entering my heart, and I was uplifted to a higher realm of awareness. I felt this was what I was looking for in life.
My body soon experienced miraculous changes. My fingers used to suffer from badly cracked skin that bled during winter. I saw many doctors and tried various medications, but did not find any relief. After listening to the Fa, my fingers stopped bleeding in late Fall. I felt excited and also gained confidence in cultivation practice. Now, my condition is completely healed.
My family members learned that I was practicing Falun Gong a half year later. Having been deceived by the Communist Party's propaganda, they began to chastise me. Even our neighbors looked down upon me, and my mother burned two of my Dafa books. She even knelt down before me and threatened to drink poison if I did not give up Falun Gong.
I did not give up and persisted in studying the teachings at school. When vacation started, I read the books under my bed covers with help from the light of my cell phone. Later, I realized I should study the Fa in a more dignified way.
When my family saw that I was still reading Falun Gong books, they were upset. But as they checked the book's contents and saw that I was firmly resolute, they gave up.
I began to work upon graduation from college in 2009 and lived in an apartment offered by my work unit. I told my roommate about Falun Gong and the persecution, and he said he would not interfere with my practice.
I got married in 2011. Initially, my wife tried to prevent me from studying the Fa. I told her, “We can discuss anything except this. I won’t stop my cultivation on account of our being married!” She sensed my firm spiritual belief, and her family members also understood Falun Gong, so she relented.
Unfortunately, she still took exception to my practicing the exercises and sending righteous thoughts at home. So, I was resigned to doing the exercises at the work unit apartment or at home after my wife left. I told her I still practiced the exercises, because I wanted to be honest.
Studying the Fa made me realize that practicing the exercises was very important. I then approached my wife about doing the exercises during the early morning. She was not against it this time, but just asked me not to bother her while sleeping. Later on, she also accepted that I was actively telling people about the persecution.
When I first started practicing, I loved to tell others about Falun Gong. I educated my friends and relatives about the persecution and helped them withdraw from the CCP and its youth organizations. Later, I began to hand out pamphlets in public.
I placed the pamphlets on chairs and cars around campus. After I began working, I would leave them at houses on the way to work. I also distributed information about the persecution to nearby villages and residential buildings. I kept up with studying the Fa and reading articles on Minghui.org. But I eventually realized that I also needed to tell the truth to people face-to-face.
I started talking to my neighbors in 2013. It took a lot of courage in the beginning. Now, I go out every weekend with a dignified attitude to talk to people about misconceptions regarding Falun Gong.
I greeted them warmly, introduced myself, offered them materials, and simply told them what Falun Gong was all about and why they should consider withdrawing from the CCP.
I even offered to give them an alias if they had any privacy concerns. I would never force anyone to withdraw from the CCP, but I truly believed that they would make an informed choice once they read the materials. Of course, I needed to study the Fa well and have righteous thoughts to make sure my efforts were effective.
Minghui.org started publishing articles about bringing charges against Jiang Zemin, the former head of the CCP, in June of 2015. I read them every day and thought I also needed to file a criminal complaint. But I was afraid of using my real name and mailing out a copy of my identification card. I thought it was unsafe to do that, but I also knew that the repressive climate in China had already lessened. So, I realized there was nothing to fear.
I mailed out my complaint on July 4, 2015, but it was blocked at the mail processing center in Beijing. I did not feel depressed and thought that no matter what, whoever read my mail would benefit. I followed up by filing a criminal complaint against Jiang on the website of the Supreme People's Procuratorate six days later. This time, it was accepted!
I also helped many rural practitioners file their criminal complaints against Jiang and register them on Minghui. As I read the many touching letters, I felt I was reliving their experiences. I treasured that sacred feeling.
I am a younger Falun Gong practitioner and want to encourage other young practitioners that there are no shortcuts in cultivation. Young practitioners need to cultivate solidly and diligently.
Some practitioners became less diligent with their cultivation after growing up. Some have said that they practice Falun Gong, but they do not study the Fa, do the exercises, or help clarify the facts. How can this count as cultivating?
That is, we all need to shoulder the responsibility of doing the three things well.
I want to tell all young practitioners: You need to cultivate diligently to catch up. Don’t let Teacher down!