The Fondest Memories

[PureInsight.org] To my benevolent and great Master, I am one of your disciples. I have been practicing Falun Dafa for more than three years. I can feel that you have always been taking care of me and are constantly guiding me. No words can ever describe my endless gratitude to you.

Master, the first time I saw you was at the California Institute of Technology in Los Angeles on February 20, 1999. At that time, I was still an ordinary person living in the maze who did not know that she had a home to return to and how to return to that home. I saw an ad that said that you would come to Los Angeles. I was curious and wanted to find out about Falun Gong. Before that, I had read Zhuan Falun and three other Dafa books. But because I had become too degenerated and covered with historically accumulated filth, I was not immediately awakened by your Fa and put away the Dafa books after reading them once. But the friend who recommended reading the books to me had said, "These are precious books that can change one's fate." For some reason, the friend's words left a deep impression on me, and I decided to go and see the author of these "precious books" in person and to learn more about Falun Gong.

When I arrived at the university, I followed the signs to the conference site. As I walked down the narrow path leading to the conference site, the morning sunlight was gentle and the scene was so peaceful. The water fountain, lotus pond, green trees and flowers together composed a very beautiful picture. "Such a wonderful campus, it is so picturesque," I told myself. A fellow practitioner whose celestial eyes are opened told me that on that day there were countless Falun spinning around the conference hall and on campus.

Master, all that is wonderful came with you!

When I arrived at the meeting hall, I was again surprised. Both the ground level and the upper level of the conference hall were filled with people, and I could not find an empty seat. I thought to myself, "Isn't qigong just a teaching of a set of movements? Why do they need a meeting like this?"

Since I couldn't find an empty seat, I walked up to the third row on the ground floor and sat on the floor. Master, you had already started your Fa lecture of the day. You looked in my direction the way that a loving mother would look at her child who is finally home. The one look that you gave me became deeply engraved in my mind and is something that I have never been able to forget. At that time, I just didn't know why.

Master, I must have been too degenerated or have left home too long ago. Why didn't I understand anything after listening to your Fa lecture that lasted nearly half an hour?

After your lecture, Dafa practitioners began to give their speeches. I could not understand what they said either. They said that they would follow Master home. What home? I was perplexed.

Master, at lunchtime, I walked outside with a group of people. I saw you walking at the front, and many Dafa practitioners were closely following you. They were so happy as if it was a festival. They surrounded you and they looked both excited and respectful, and you just smiled at everyone.

I couldn't help but walk toward you. The practitioner keeping the order told us not to follow, but I didn't hear her. Master, when you stepped onto the third step of a nearby stairway, someone you knew called out your name and you stopped to turn back and talk to that person. I was right underneath you on the second step of the stairway. I watched you talking to that person, and suddenly wanted to say, "Master Li, I am very happy to meet you." However, when you finished talking to that person, I could not say anything. For some reason, I hoped that you would say "Hello" or "Hi" to me like Americans usually do, but you did not say anything to me. Your eyes stopped on my forehead or the top of my head.

Master, at that moment, the depth of my being was shaken. Unexplainable joy and gratitude suddenly spread throughout my body.

Master, thank you! You awakened yet another life!

After I returned home, I excitedly told my daughter about attending the Fa conference and meeting Master Li Hongzhi. My daughter immediately read Zhuan Falun along with me. After reading Zhuan Falun, she was deeply convinced by what you said and studied the Fa like nothing else.

On the next day, we went to the city hall for the second day of the Fa conference. That day more people came. A side hall was used in addition to the main hall. (I heard that you visited practitioners in the side hall during lunchtime). We stood in the hallway of the main hall next to the wall.

At that time, I had not started genuine cultivation. The only part of your Fa lecture that I could understand and deeply appreciate was the part about law, people's hearts, and police. According to my understanding, you said that if people cannot control their hearts, even if lots of laws and police are used, the social atmosphere still would not improve. The key to solving social problems is to change peoples' hearts. Indeed! I whole-heartedly agreed! I could tell that you are completely righteous!

Maybe this was what touched the good part in the depth of my being.

I became convinced that I could practice this qigong.

I then listened to speeches of other Dafa practitioners. Although I did not entirely understand what they were saying, I saw their facial expressions of gratitude, and knew that they respected you with everything that they had.

After lunch, you came back to see practitioners. We surrounded you and everyone had many things to say to you. I had my camera with me. I held up the camera and took several photographs of you with all the practitioners. I also wanted to take a photograph of just you. But there were too many people surrounding you and I could not get close to you. Just as I was shifting the camera around, practitioners around you suddenly backed away and you turned toward me. I was so happy that I was able to take a photograph of you.

Master, that photograph of you became my most cherished possession. In that photograph, I could see all of your hopes for me and all your encouragements. Your benevolent smile on that photograph has already encouraged me throughout my cultivation. Every time I went through a tribulation, I would look at your photograph and say, "Master, I will be fine."

At the time, I was surprised by how practitioners around you suddenly backed away so I could take a photograph of you. I realized later that it was the result of your work in another dimension. You wanted me to see the supernatural aspect of Dafa and to encourage me on my path of cultivation. Master, thank you so much for doing all that for me!

At other practitioners' request, you did a set of hand gestures. It was a set of extremely fluid and beautiful movement. I looked on without blinking my eyes. Of course, I could not decipher its meaning. But somehow I felt it was calling me and also describing an incomparably wonderful place. It also talked about doing something. Maybe there was something more. But I could sense that its wonderfulness, benevolence and solemnity. Every time I looked at the photographs of the hand gestures, something in my heart stirred.

Master, to my great surprise, even though I was not yet a practitioner back then, I was able to join a group photograph of you and other practitioners from the area. The smile on my face was so brilliant.

Yes, I was so happy because I finally found the meaning of my life.

The next day I went to a practice site and began to learn the five sets of exercises.

Several days later, when some negative propaganda against Dafa appeared, my daughter asked me, "Mom, what do you think of Falun Gong?"

I said, "First, I'll practice only Falun Gong and no other qigong. Secondly, it's never wrong to be a good person." She burst into tears. I couldn't understand her reaction and asked her what she was crying. She said it was because she was so happy for me.

Now, I can completely understand why my daughter was so happy that she cried. I almost passed Dafa by. If I really did that, what a great shame it would be! The Fa is so hard to obtain! After I began cultivation, I understood the arduous efforts you have made in saving people.

From then on, I took the path of Falun Dafa cultivation and became a Fa-rectification period Dafa disciple. I feel extremely honored.

Master, for almost four years this disciple has followed you closely. Even though I have experienced tribulations one after another during Fa rectification, I feel so privileged to be a part of the greatest and most magnificent feat of the cosmos. I have followed you and walked through the tribulations with a firm heart. I have come a long way, and will continue walking down this path with you!

Every time I remember my experience of obtaining the Fa, happiness fills my heart, and I am ashamed of my stupidity and ignorance back then!

Master, at this season of renewal, your disciple thanks you for being a benevolent and great teacher!!!

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/2/1/20266.html