(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa is a high-level cultivation practice guided by the characteristics of the universe: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. In 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi first taught Falun Dafa publicly in the city of Changchun, and then continued to lecture throughout China.

Today, Falun Dafa is practiced and cherished by over 100 million people in over 100 countries and has received honors worldwide. The Falun Dafa books have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Qiqihar City is located on the beautiful Songnen Plain in Heilongjiang Province, which is the natural habitat of red-crowned cranes. Therefore, Qiqihar City is also called the Crane City. Mr. Li gave lectures on the Fa in Qiqihar on July 16-23, 1993. Many Falun Dafa practitioners had the honor of listening to Master Li lecture in person during this time.

Years have passed, but practitioners say they can never forget Master Li’s voice and compassionate smile as he introduced Falun Dafa and explained cultivation practice.

When Master Li first held the class, only 400 people attended. However, a year later nearly 2,000 people began practicing Dafa. The practice quickly spread to the surrounding cities due to its significant effect in healing illness and keeping fit. Because of its amazing power, Falun Dafa was, and continues to be practiced by people from all walks of life.

July 15, 2022 marked the 29th anniversary of Mr. Li’s visit to Qiqihar. Several practitioners have recalled their experiences of attending the classes in 1993, so that that more people can learn about Falun Dafa.

My Mother, Sister, and I Attended Mr. Li’s Class

“In July 1993, Master gave lectures in Qiqihar. He personally set up the Assistance Center and exercise site for practitioners there,” recalled Aili.

“My mother, sister, and I were fortunate to attend Master’s class in person. I was not in good health at that time. I suffered from hereditary coronary heart disease and dysmenorrhea. I was depressed because of my poor health. My sister had a head disease and always felt dizzy, but she was clear-headed during Master’s class. Our health improved significantly within a few days after we began practicing Falun Dafa. We became cheerful and optimistic. I was bathed in the happiness of finding the true meaning of life.

Electric Industry Cultural Palace in Qiqihar. Master Li taught the Fa here on July 16-23, 1993. 

“At the end of the last class, I was in tears because I didn’t want Master to leave. I wrote to Master, ‘Master, you are the closest person to me in my life. The Fa principles are the most precious and uplifting. Will you come again, Master?’”

“He Must Be a Great Person”

“I worked at the hotel where Mr. Li stayed in 1993. I was only twenty-three years old at that time,” said a former worker at the Wuyi Hotel. “During those days, several qigong masters came to Qiqihar to give classes, and many of them stayed at our hotel. The one who made the deepest impression on us and was most memorable was Mr. Li Hongzhi.

“When Mr. Li came to Qiqihar City, he stayed in Room 301 at the Wuyi Hotel. He wore a white shirt and always looked neat. He was always smiling, approachable, and equally pleasant to people of different ages and positions. The waiter had to open the room for the guests. Whenever he asked the waiter to open the door, he always said politely, ‘Excuse me, could you please open the door for me?’ We noticed that his students only sat down after he was seated. Many servers in the hotel saw the tall, compassionate, and dignified Master. They felt he was so kind and approachable that he must be a great person.

Original location of Wuyi Hotel in Qiqihar

“I was in poor health then and wanted Mr. Li to help with my illness. Mr. Li and others were discussing things when I approached him. When he saw that I was anxious, he said to his student beside him, ‘Go and help her.’ Seven or eight minutes later, I felt relaxed and relieved.

“The next day, I found his student who had cured my illness and asked her how much payment she wanted. She said there was no charge. To show my gratitude, I brought her some tomatoes and other fruits from my garden the next day. She said, ‘Please don’t mention it. We don’t accept money or gifts.’ After about eight days, Mr. Li and his group left the hotel.

“In 1996, I began to practice Falun Dafa and live according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I’d always suffered from migraine headaches and felt weak. All these ailments disappeared after I began practicing Dafa.”

Master Helped Many People

“Wuyi Hotel was very close to the Culture Palace and Longsha Park,” Chen recalled. “In the morning, Master often took a walk in Longsha Park. One day, he saw a lady carrying a twelve-year-old boy. Master asked her, ‘What’s wrong with him?’ She replied, ‘He is paralyzed.’ Master said, ‘Put him down.’ The lady said, ‘But he is paralyzed.’ Master told her again to put him down. Then Master moved him a little bit, and the boy stood up. Many people came over and were very surprised, ‘He is able to stand up!’ The lady was so excited and said, ‘This man is a supernatural being. I must thank him.’ When she was about to say thank you to Master, she saw that he had already walked away.

“There were many such stories during Mr. Li’s stay in Qiqihar. He helped a lot of people without so much as leaving his name.”

The front entrance and No. 2 Gate of Longsha Park

Paralyzed Girl Stood Up

Dawei said, “When Master gave lectures in Qiqihar, he always arrived at the lecture room about half an hour early. He answered questions, and corrected the students’ exercise movements.

“On the fourth day, a paralyzed girl in a wheelchair arrived. I heard that she was from a distant county. During the break, Master went over to her and treated her illness. She stood up that day, which amazed the people attending his class.

“During those eight days, many students’ bodies were purified. An elderly female, Mei, recovered but didn’t have a chance to express her gratitude, so she sent 200 yuan to Master, but Master sent the money back to her.”

Master Stressed the Importance of Reading the Teachings 

“I went to Master’s class with my friends. We found all the answers to the questions we had about life while we attended his lectures. We were filled with joy,” said Ming.

“Master always thought of others. At that time, the tapes of Master’s lectures had not yet been published. Many students wanted a copy of the lecture recordings, so Master asked a computer shop to produce some. That person wanted to charge considerably, and Master said seriously, ‘This won’t work. Our students can’t afford it.’ Only when the shop owner gave a reasonable price did Master agree to have the tapes made.

“Master was always kind to others. He always came and helped us when we moved tables and set up the lecture room.

“Master had to take a train to Beijing at ten o’clock on the night of July 23 to give a class there. A fellow student and I went to the station to see Master off. It was raining. Master smiled kindly at us and said, ‘It’s raining so hard. Why are you still here?’

“At that time, Falun Dafa’s books had not been published yet, but many students wanted to have a copy of the book. Master always took the books with him so students attending the classes could get them in time. This time, there were several large bags of books to be brought to Beijing, all of which were large canvas bags filled to the brim and very heavy.

“Master didn’t want us to go to the platform, but we insisted as we saw that those bags of books were so heavy. Master asked his students to buy platform tickets for us. At that time, nobody bought platform tickets to see off people, and nobody ever checked them. We wanted to buy them ourselves, but Master insisted that his students buy two platform tickets for us.

“After we got on the train, Master immediately asked his student about all the experience sharing articles the students wrote after the class, which was a thick stack of paper. The student told us that Master always stayed up all night after each class to carefully read each student’s experience sharing.

“Master talked with us again kindly for a while and said to us seriously, ‘You don’t quite understand what the Fa really is now, but in two more years, you will know how precious it is!’ And he repeatedly told us, ‘Do your best to study the Fa!’

“The train left, and we waved goodbye to Master with tears in our eyes. Master also kept waving to us until he was out of sight. The scene is still vivid after 29 years.”

The Great Buddha Smiled at Me

Fan recalled, “In July 1993, I was fortunate enough to attend Master’s class in Qiqihar. At that time, I was just curious about qigong and did not know what Falun Dafa was about.

“One day at noon, after pouring rain, the sky was as blue as if it had been washed with water. A white cloud in the shape of a lotus flower slowly drifted toward me, stopped not far from my window, and from behind the cloud floated out a crystal clear Buddha. He was transparent and smiling at me. I was not mentally prepared for this and was startled! I covered my eyes and thought, ‘Is this true?’ When I looked again, the Buddha was still smiling at me. I turned my face away and didn’t dare look, but then I turned around again and saw that the Buddha was still smiling. I didn’t know what to do, and I said in my heart, ‘Please disappear! I’m afraid.’ With this thought, the white clouds slowly moved to block the Buddha and drifted into the distance.

“After that, I realized that Master was encouraging me that way, helping me believe in the existence of Gods and Buddhas, and strengthening my confidence in practicing Dafa.”

We Found the True Way

Lei said, “At that time, most people who were interested in qigong had studied and practiced many other qigong schools, as well the teachings of Buddhism or Taoist teachings before they practiced Falun Dafa. I was one of them.

“Many qigong schools taught people to collect the qi (energy) of trees and flowers. We did not know what cultivation was and did not know how to cultivate our character. Even though we did the exercises diligently in all weather, we didn’t move up in cultivation because we didn’t know that cultivating our minds and removing attachments was the key.

“On July 13, 1993, I went to the city’s qigong association with a few friends to inquire if any qigong masters were coming to our city to give classes. We learned that the secretary of the Chinese Qigong Scientific Research Association would come to our city with a qigong master two days later. That qigong master was Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa. We also got a copy of the China Sports Newspaper, which had an introduction to Falun Dafa. At that time, six of us attended. After the secretary of the China Qigong Research Association gave a speech, he introduced Falun Dafa to all the participants and spoke highly of Falun Dafa.

“I had studied Buddhism for more than two years at that time. I had also learned several other qigongs, but my illnesses, such as cholecystitis, neurosis, and rheumatism, remained. However, all my illnesses disappeared within a few days after I practiced Falun Dafa. I asked Master questions about Buddhism, and Master’s explanations were very incisive and convincing.

“While practicing Falun Dafa, not only did we get rid of many illnesses and become healthy, but we also learned how to be selfless and stop contending for fame and personal interest. We found our true selves.

“We discovered that Falun Dafa was a true way to practice cultivation after attending Master’s class. We knew that we had finally found the true way we had been waiting for throughout our lives, and that we were on the true path of cultivation.”

Some Poems to Master

Great Master,You have suffered countless hardships,From the distant universe, you have gone down step by step,You have borne great karma for us,To save us deviated lives from the danger of imminent destruction.

Great Master,You have been so devoted to us, arranging the path of return for those who are lost, one by one,You have enlightened, protected and guided us day and night in our cultivation,You also had to endure countless troubles and disturbances caused by the evil old forces.

Great Master,You have shown great compassion,You have given all lives every opportunity to be saved,Your generous heart endures and tolerates the injustice and disrespect of the world towards you,

Great Master,I will always remember your tremendous grace,I will always remember it in my heart,All of us Dafa disciples in Qiqihar pay our respects to the great Master,

With this article, we want to tell the world about the greatness of our Master and the preciousness and miracle of Dafa.

Cultivation

Reading the Fa, your voice changes the sky and the earth,Listening to You, the clear breeze penetrates to the limitless,Looking up to You, the light of the heavens is free from all troubles,Asking You, we wanted to return to our true homes without hesitation,Falun Dafa, the truth of the universe.

Thinking about You, I can see through the mystery of the ages today,Following You, I have crossed the barriers of life,Thank you, how can I ever thank You for your great compassion?To sing for You, the new cosmos created by the Fa,Falun Dafa, the truth of the universe.

Conclusion: Master’s Hardships

Master charged a very low tuition fee when he gave the lectures, in order to not cause financial hardship to his students. New students were charged only forty-two yuan, and old students, or those who attended the class later, were charged only half price. Master had to share the tuition fees with the local qigong association according to the regulations. The qigong association only wanted to make money and thought that the amount they got from Master’s class was too little. They were very dissatisfied with the low fees Master charged. At the end of the class, the qigong association did not even send a car to send Master and his assistants off. Master underwent a lot of hardship to save money for his disciples.

Master’s compassion is infinite and boundless

I recall the unforgettable scenes, the happy times, and the precious memories of Master when he was in Qiqihar. I feel that a thousand words cannot describe Master’s greatness. Master’s compassion and wisdom, Master’s figure and smile, Master’s care and hard work will forever remain in this land of Qiqihar and in the hearts of Dafa disciples.

Falun Dafa practitioners in Qiqihar peacefully doing the exercises prior to July 20, 1999