CULTIVATION STORIES

I have practiced Falun Dafa since 1995. I want to share with you what Falun Dafa has given me. I shall give a short account of my life before I started to practice Falun Dafa.

I was a very sick person. I had poor health since I was born. Nobody really knew what was wrong with me. I was just weak, had no resistance to diseases, could faint any time, and was susceptible to all kinds of illnesses. My parents carried me to many doctors. They never found the cause of my weak and sick physical body. They recommended strong tablets, change of environment, varying my diet, and so on. At one time my life was hanging by a thread, and the doctors could not help me. In desperation, my father, who had faith in God, promised to donate his whole month’s salary to the church if I would recover. I survived that time, and my father kept his promise to the church.

I survived the crisis, and periodically felt better, but no significant change occurred. I could not go many days without treatment. So I tried throughout my whole life to take great care of my body through physical training, strong tablets, and many visits to the doctors. Despite all these efforts and the fact that I never smoked or drank alcohol, I suffered from neuro-muscular problems at the age of 26. My body twitched and I could not control my movements. The doctors suspected epilepsy. I was told it was incurable. There was something wrong with my brain. I was told that I had to take medication for the rest of my life.

The next shocking message came at the age of 36. I had lung cancer. I was treated with radiation therapy, but instead of becoming better, the cancer spread throughout my whole body. Then I was treated with chemotherapy. I got progressively worse, and didn’t know what to do. The doctors could only give me painkillers. I nearly gave up, but still I struggled to survive.

Since medical doctors did not give me much hope, I started to look for alternative healing methods. For several years, I tried all sorts of physical and spiritual treatments as well as Qigong. I paid an enormous sum of money in my unsuccessful endeavor to become healthy. When one symptom disappeared, a few others appeared. It never ended. So my search continued.

In 1995 I was introduced to Falun Dafa through an acquaintance. Shortly after starting to practice Falun Dafa, my physical body became purified. Today, at the age of 49, I am free from all illnesses. I do not need any tablets, treatment, or ordinary physical exercise. My body feels fantastic, and it is healthy. It is like a miracle.

The feeling of having a body free from illness is difficult to describe unless you have experienced it yourself. Yet getting a healthy body is just one beneficial effect of practicing Falun Dafa. That is the very first thing a Falun Dafa practitioner experiences. In the book Zhuan Falun, Master Li Hongzhi said, "I do not talk about healing illnesses here, nor will we heal illnesses. However, as a genuine cultivator you cannot practice cultivation with an ill body. I shall purify your body. Purification of the body will be done only for those who come to genuinely study the practice and the Fa (Buddha Law). We emphasize one point: if you cannot give up the attachment or concern for illness, we cannot do anything and will be unable to help you?Why can this be done for a practitioner, then? It is because a practitioner is most precious, and he or she wants to practice cultivation. Therefore, developing this thought is most precious... When a person’s Buddha nature comes out, the enlightened beings are able to help him."

I understand that an orthodox Fa provides salvation unconditionally to people who want to genuinely cultivate.

Apart from the fact that my physical body is free from diseases, I know the reason why I am here on earth as a human being. Falun Dafa has given me a new life with a clear and conscious mind, the ability to differentiate between right and wrong, and the possibility of cultivating my Xinxing (mind-nature). I would like to assimilate to the nature of the universe, Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfu1ness-Compassion-Forbearance); become enlightened; return to my original, true self; and attain perfection.

(Adapted from Ms. Savic's presentation at the 1999 Paris Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)

Before I was exposed to Falun Gong, I wasn’t interested in cultivation. I never thought about it. I simply viewed cultivation as practicing vegetarianism, worshipping Buddha (as in Buddhism), and chanting scriptures. Perhaps it also required abandoning one’s family to become a monk or nun. When I was introduced to Falun Dafa, it totally changed my view of cultivation. Dafa has no religious rituals, taboos, or commandments. It is so flexible that you can adapt it to your own timetable. Dafa cultivation depends completely upon one’s heart and mind.

I learned Falun Dafa in September 1996. A practitioner told me that Falun Gong was different from other Qigong. It is a higher level of cultivation practice and focuses on cultivation of one’s mind. When I took the book China Falun Gong (Revised Version) home and read it carefully, I found it really unique. It brought out some concepts that I had never heard of before. It made a great impact on my way of thinking. Then I read through Zhuan Falun. I realized that I found a priceless treasure. Each time I read through the book I saw something new and understood more.

Dafa helped me to shake off the most terrible disease. This made me treasure it greatly. My story started in 1995 when I was operated on for prostatic hypertrophy. After the operation, my doctor told me that I had been diagnosed with prostatic cancer and must have another operation. I completely broke down on hearing this. I was so devastated; I felt that the next day could be my last. I refused another operation. I tried to find alternative ways to cure my illness and hoped for a miracle to appear. I looked everywhere for everything possible to save my life including herbal medicine and folk prescriptions. I lived in agony and took herbal concoctions. My family felt very sad. I often asked myself, "When will I be free from this agony? Can my life go on like this?"

After I learned Falun Dafa, I understood my suffering. In Zhuan Falun, Teacher points out to us, "In order to cure illness or eliminate tribulations and karma, these people must practice cultivation and return to their original, true selves." "It is because there is such a principle in the universe: Ordinary human affairs, according to the Buddha School, all have predestined relationships. Birth, old age, illness, and death exist as such for ordinary people." I understood that everyday people live under the principles of ordinary human society, and Qigong treatments or medical treatments can only repress illnesses, but the karma is still there. The root cause of one’s being ill is karma. I also understood that the fundamental solution for removing illness is to eliminate karma. Therefore, a practitioner must conduct himself/herself according to the principles of the universe. It took a load off my mind. Since then I completely put down the attachment of curing my illness and let go of the thought that I had the illness. I decided to follow the higher principles and practice only Falun Gong and genuinely live a life of cultivation.

In a few short months’ time I experienced a tremendous change in my health. My complexion changed from sallow to a ruddy color. All my symptoms disappeared. I became more energetic. For the first time I truly enjoyed good health. My family is happy for me. My wife who did not at first believe in Dafa changed her opinion and began to learn it. She told everyone around her that Dafa is good. During the three-year cultivation practice I never thought about my illness, went to a doctor, or took medicine. In Apri1 1998, during a regular health check-up required by my company, my prostate examination was normal. It has truly strengthened my confidence and resolve in my cultivation practice of Dafa. I know it was the power of Dafa and Teacher’s great virtue that made such a strong impact on me.

One day in January 1997, I was helping my mother to the bathroom for a shower. Just as I was bending down, I lost my balance and fractured my backbone with a frightening snap. I was not able to stand up. My wife and mother were stupefied. I immediately realized that I was a practitioner and I shouldn’t be afraid of anything. I tried to get up from the ground and told them, "I am fine. Don’t worry." Then an amazing thing happened. For a few days, I didn’t feel any pain during the daytime, and I could go to work as usual. But during the night my back pain was unbearable. I had to endure the excruciating pain throughout the night. It was hard for me to turn over in bed. It was even harder for me to get out of bed. I had to keep this to myself in order not to disturb my family. That was a terribly painful experience. I knew it was my own tribulation caused by my karma. So I had to overcome it all by myself. And I knew that if I wanted to overcome it, I would make it. I was fully conscious of what was going on and how I should conduct myself. I continued to practice and study Dafa and extended my practice time whenever possible during that period. I became even more diligent in practicing cultivation. Two weeks later my pain diminished substantially. Three weeks later my pain was totally gone. My back was straightened. My chronic back pain has also disappeared.

(Adapted from Ms. Lin’s presentation at the 1999 Taiwan Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)

Dear President Zemin Jiang,

Dear Premier Rongji Zhu,

Dear other concerned leaders,

I was an officer of the People’s Supreme Court of Jiangxi Province, and a former Communist Party [abbreviated as the Party hereafter] member. I worked in the area of law and regulation for 16 years. I have never opposed the Party or the government, and I am always honest and appreciative of the Party and the government. I never thought that I would be considered to be an enemy of the government and arrested because I practiced Falun Dafa. With the attitude of being responsible to the Party, the government, the people, and to history, I hereby report to you my current situation and the truth of my experiences. I hope that you can make an objective analysis and a thorough judgment based on the facts.

In 1997, I developed an incurable disease, acute leukemia. I had little ability to produce blood. During emergency treatment, I was infected with hepatitis B and C, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Five major hospitals in Shanghai and Jiangxi Province gave me emergency treatment, and doctors held group consultations many times. On two occasions, a doctor from the Chinese Academy of Medical Science held group consultations for me. Finally, all the experts concluded that there was no medicine that could cure my leukemia. They thought that I had only one-to-three months to live. In February 1998, when the predicted deadline was approaching, the doctors suggested to my family to make funeral arrangements.

At the last minute, I received the precious book Zhuan Falun. I read the book and started to cultivate myself according to the directions. Then a miracle happened. My life was prolonged, and I surpassed the life expectancy given to me by the doctors. One month later, I started to practice the exercises in the hospital bed. Not long after I started the practice I gradually stopped the chemotherapy, blood transfusions, medications, and all other treatments. After chemotherapy, the leukemia cells in my blood increased from 30% to 65%. The medicine and the treatment were ineffective. The cancer cells continuously increased throughout the treatment. I lost 18 kilograms and could not eat regular food (only liquids). I was too weak to go to the bathroom, and too weak to turn over in bed by myself. I had pain all over my body. After I practiced in the hospital for more than two months, my body gradually recovered. At my insistence, the hospital reluctantly agreed to release me. They strongly suggested that I return to the hospital for a treatment one month later. I firmly cultivated and practiced Falun Dafa after leaving the hospital. I never went back to the hospital for chemotherapy, blood transfusions, or other treatments.

However, the newspaper (Nanchang Evening) claimed that my first five hospitalizations happened during or after my practice of Falun Dafa. They disregarded the fact that I did not know Falun Dafa at that time, and that, after practicing Falun Dafa, I never went back to the hospital for treatment. The newspaper fabricated a lie to deceive people, using my picture in the report. The picture caption in the report stated, "Qingyun Hu, in his bed, said to the reporter that: ‘I stayed in the hospital six times in the past two years. It is science and the country that have given me a second life.’"

During hospitalization, my medical expenses were as high as RMB?20,000. However, even with that amount of money spent, my health did not improve. Instead, the cancer cells increased from 30% at the beginning of the treatment to 65% after the treatment. My body completely lost its immunity to disease. I almost died in the hospital several times. The medical scientists and doctors could neither save nor prolong my life. However, a miracle happened after my practicing Falun Dafa. This is a fact that nobody can deny. Many professors and doctors from the Hematology Department in Shanghai Medical Science Institute, the Hematology Department of Shanghai Rui-Jing Hospital [a very famous hospital in China], and from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical University were very familiar with my case.

After I practiced Falun Dafa I always kept in mind what Master Li Hongzhi taught, "There is a criterion, however, that the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your mind goes wrong a little bit your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over." I truly understood that cultivation is a serious matter, so I persisted in reading the book, cultivating my heart, and practicing the exercises daily. My life was prolonged, and I was released from the pain of illness. The heavy financial burden and the mental pressures on my family were also relieved.

In August 1999 the Nanchang television stations and newspapers broadcast the news that I was once again "sent" to the hospital. A reporter interviewed one of the senior doctors from the Hematology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital in Jiangxi Medical University. He never met me and did not know anything about my treatment history. This doctor said in the interview, "Hu Qingyun left the hospital after his leukemia was cured by our department. Falun Gong had nothing to do with it." Some time after that I asked this doctor why he lied. He said that anyone would say the same thing in this "big climate." He asked me not to take it too seriously.

The truth is that on July 21, 1999, the police detained me, using the allegation of "disturbing the social order." While I was being arrested, I stated that I was once a leukemia patient and according to what doctors said, I was "a patient with a fatal illness," lacking any immunity and resistance to disease. As a practitioner with a prolonged life, I could not stop practicing the exercises. My life would be in danger once I stopped practicing. I thus asked the police to cease their forceful behavior. A policeman who was in charge at that time said, "You can’t threaten us using this [leukemia]." They put me into jail and I stayed with criminals. Every leukemia patient and family understands that a leukemia patient does not have any immunity to disease. So a patient should not risk catching even a minor cold or his life would be in danger.

In jail I was not allowed to practice or read the books of Falun Dafa. Every day, I had to drink cold water, wash with cold water, and take a cold shower. In a few days, I began to bleed from my mouth and nose, and I developed blood spots all over my body. I lost consciousness twice in the jail. I asked my inmates not to report this, and I endured it by myself. I had already been near death several times, so I did not mind facing death again. I insisted on enduring it for 20 days. On August 9, 1999, I lost consciousness again. The people in my cell were afraid of bearing the responsibility so they reported my situation to the officers in charge of the detention station and the police department. The police sent me to the Hematology Department in the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical University to receive "emergency treatment." After the examination, the doctors said I had very low blood pressure, the leukemia was really severe, and I had better take some treatment as soon as possible.

I understood deeply that, before practicing Falun Dafa, I had suffered severely from this fatal illness and struggled with pain. Several times I almost died in the hospital. I knew that the medical doctors would not be able to save me. Whether I would live or not was not important to me. What was important was that I had practiced Falun Dafa, and I truly understood the purpose of being a human being. Since the medicine did not help me, I refused all the proposed treatments. No more shots, no more pills, and not a single drop of a blood transfusion. I rested in the hospital for 15 days and then left.

After being released from jail on August 9, 1999, I resumed the practice and book reading. Even though the hospital diagnosed me with leukemia and my condition was again very severe, my life continued and my health gradually recovered.

However, the television stations, newspapers, and the people with ulterior motives disregarded the facts and made up a story to deceive the public. I was released from jail. I did not take any shots or pills and did not receive any transfusions. Instead, I persisted in practicing and reading the books. I have stayed alive for more than seven months, from the time I was released from jail to the present. My health continues to improve. Why doesn’t our news media dare to report the miraculous and superior effects of Falun Dafa?

The purpose of this letter is to ask you to investigate the truth of the persecution I faced. As a person who "died" several times, and was sentenced by the hospitals to death, I can now let go of anything. I am not interested in politics, and I will never do anything against the Party or the government. Neither do I want to be used by politics to defame Falun Gong, nor used to attack the Chinese government. I sincerely wish that you could meet the genuine practitioners (instead of non-practitioners or fake practitioners), to see what they are thinking and doing. I wish this from the bottom of my heart.

(Adapted from Mr. Hu’s letter to the top official of the Chinese Government in February 2000.)