(clearwisdom.net)

I'm a practitioner from Switzerland. Today I work as an accountant. Previously, I studied economics and worked in different fields.

Even at a very young age, I remember very clearly asking my mom, "What are we doing here on the earth?" Well that was not an easy question! After some time of reflection, she found a way to answer: "You will learn later in high school when you study philosophy. Philosophy explains it." Hearing this, I could only wait.

Quite a few years later, I attended my first philosophy class. I had a lot of expectations and my ears were wide open. But quickly I had a strange feeling: even as a lot of words flew out of the teacher's mouth, the language was complicated and it was difficult for me to understand what he really meant. In the end I had to admit that even if the subject was interesting, philosophy could not help me to understand what life was all about, or at least it could not help to guide me in the way I should live my life.

Following this experience I was quite lost and decided to try to find some answers myself. I read a lot of books from different cultures. At the same time, having found no better way, I also began to take some drugs, but of course, I also knew this was not a right path, that I was only cheating myself and that it was dangerous for my health.

I looked into various things such as psychology, yoga and capoeira (a Brazilian martial art). Each had something to offer, but none of them answered my questions at a fundamental level.

It was at that time that I saw Falun Gong practitioners outside in the park practicing the exercises. There were information boards displayed and I started to read them, when suddenly one of them was blown down by the wind. A practitioner came over to put it up and we started a discussion. He said I could participate if I wanted to and that was what I did. I looked at them practicing, tried to imitate them, and during a break listened when they read Zhuan Falun. The section they read was, "The Issue of Treating Illness." I was impressed about how everything was so clearly explained and said to myself, "Wow, you have to remember what you just heard so as not to make mistakes later that could harm yourself."

After the exercises, a practitioner loaned me a Falun Dafa introductory book. I could not wait to get home and start reading it. I was very excited. That evening, even though I had to go to work the next day, I read the whole book during the night. It was just incredible. I was amazed that so much was disclosed, and in such a simple way. There were explanations for so many things I never understood before. There were also a few parts in the book that I could not understand or found strange at the time, but I told myself, "This book is so deep. I will just leave it at that, maybe I will understand later." I also started to practice the exercises and could feel their power.

Once I had finished it the same practitioner loaned me Zhuan Falun, and it was even more impressive. I had read so many books from different people, so many things, but here, everything I was looking for was clearly pointed out in one book. I almost could not believe it. One or two weeks later at the practice site, the practitioner asked me if I had finished the book. I said, "I am on the second lecture" (the book Zhuan Falun is divided into nine lectures). He told me that it is was better not to take too long when one reads it the first time. What I did not want to tell him was that it was already my second time through it! I knew this was not a good way to start my cultivation of "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance," the guiding principle of Falun Dafa, but I felt that this book was precious and I was afraid I would have to give it back before I was able to buy one myself!

Now, four years later, when I think about that experience it makes me smile. The teachings of Falun Dafa have become even more precious to me, and each day something new comes up. I think that the further one goes along this path, the more he will be able to discover. Of course cultivation is sometimes not easy, but at the same time it is easy because you know why you are doing it and learn how to act well. Moreover, everything depends on oneself. You can go as far as you wish.

In conclusion, I would say that Falun Dafa is the gift I had given up hope of finding, even in my dreams, and yet one day I suddenly found it, and it was real! I also found out that the further one goes, the more there is to discover about oneself, about life and the universe. It is truly a wonderful experience.