CULTIVATION STORIES
People with Liver and Digestive Diseases
Brandon Park, 25, is a computer network administrator in Fairfax, Virginia. He suddenly became severely ill in February 1999 and, as a result, had to give up his job. He was diagnosed with three "incurable" diseases--gastroparesis [paralysis of the stomach], globus sensation [feeling as if a lump in the throat], and aerophagia [excessive swallowing of air]. He had numerous agonizing symptoms, including severe acid reflux, regurgitation, nausea, major indigestion, weight loss (20-25 pounds), depression, insomnia, severe acne, chronic belching, lumpy feeling in the throat, and tremendous chest discomfort. These caused constant, terrible discomfort and pain for one year until he was led to Falun Dafa. He gradually changed his way of thinking, and his symptoms virtually disappeared two months after he read Zhuan Falun. Then he started to practice the exercises and became a practitioner of Falun Dafa.
I came to the United States about 10 years ago from South Korea. I would like to tell you about how I encountered Dafa.
I suddenly became severely ill in February 1999. I had to give up my job due to my condition. I saw four medical doctors, two acupuncturists, and one local Qigong master within one year. Each of them had an opinion about my illness, but none of their treatments were really helpful. On October 4, 1999, a doctor at Johns Hopkins University diagnosed me as having three "incurable" diseases: gastroparesis, globus sensation, and aerophagia. He said there was not much he could do for me.
From these diseases I suffered numerous agonizing symptoms, such as severe acid reflux, regurgitation, nausea, major indigestion, weight loss (20-25 pounds), depression, insomnia, severe acne, chronic belching, lumpy feeling in my throat, and tremendous chest discomfort. I had these symptoms for one year and suffered severe discomfort continuously, every day.
In November 1999, I received Qigong treatment for the first time. Although this Qigong treatment unexpectedly alleviated some of my symptoms, I continued to suffer great discomfort. I told people I felt OK, hoping to comfort them.
I felt hopeless, since nothing I had tried could control my symptoms effectively. I was only 24 years old. I thought I was just too young to suffer like that for the rest of my life. I spent countless nights crying. I wanted to get away from these continuous pains. Sometimes, I thought about suicide. I thought it might be the only way to escape.
A turning point came earlier this year. In January 2000, the local Qigong master who treated me asked me to find Falun Gong material on the Internet for him. He and I had a good relationship. I ordered the exercise instruction videotape and downloaded some Falun Dafa books for him. A few days later, he thanked me for finding the valuable material for him and recommended I read Falun Gong books. I thought this was going to be just another Qigong that I would never understand. However, things started to change when I began reading the book.
I started to understand the mysteries of life in February after reading Zhuan Falun. After the first chapter, I could not believe what I was reading. I felt it was just too good to be true. I gradually realized that Teacher Li was revealing the secret of secrets. I did not disagree with anything in the book, except for one part, where Teacher Li wrote, "I would say that the physical pains are the easiest thing to endure, as they can be overcome by biting the teeth tightly. When a conflict takes place between one another, the mind is the hardest thing to control." I thought that Teacher Li could say that because he did not know what it's like to suffer from my numerous symptoms. Of course, later I found out I was wrong. In fact, I could endure physical discomforts and pains relatively well. However, once when I was sick, someone said something that I didn't want to hear. I said something back to that person, and I was pretty mad about it for a long time. Now, I do not hold any anger toward anyone, and I look into myself to find my attachment if I become angry.
So, I was attracted to Dafa. I read the book diligently and tried to improve my Xinxing. At the same time, I saw a significant change in my body. During the first two months after I started to read the book, I vomited four times and had diarrhea for one week. One day I had a terrible headache, and another day I ached all over. I knew I was going through the purification process, although I was a bit confused. However, I did not panic. Actually, I smiled when I was going through the purification process and was thankful for these cleansing effects. I've felt some sensations exactly as described in the book numerous times. For example, once in a while I feel some indescribable energy flowing down from my head.
After reading the book for about two months and gradually following the guidelines in the book, virtually all of my symptoms disappeared. I had not yet started to learn the five exercises. I started to practice the exercises only after I was healed. Now, three months later, I can do the sitting meditation for a little more than one hour.
Although I have described a lot about how Falun Gong helped me physically, Falun Gong is not about healing and fitness. It's a powerful cultivation system based on the essential nature of the universe: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I always try to improve my mind-nature and to assimilate to the nature of the universe.
I treasure my experience. I treasure dearly the experiences of those horrible diseases and symptoms I had for one year. It was very much worth it, because I feel the suffering helped me to encounter and learn Dafa.
(Adapted from Mr
. Park's presentation at the 2000 Washington D.C. Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)
Fengying Mao, 40, was a surgical nurse in China. She suffered from chronic hepatitis C for 18 years before practicing Falun Dafa. In early 1996, she was found to have cirrhosis, a major cause of death from chronic hepatitis. Her doctor told her that her life expectancy was about one year. Fortunately, she found Falun Dafa in July 1996 and has been a practitioner ever since. After practicing Falun Dafa, all her symptoms went away, and all laboratory tests became normal. She was able to fly to Washington D.C. to join her husband and give birth to a healthy baby the following year.
My name is Fengying Mao. Before coming to Washington D.C. in October 1996, I was a surgical nurse in China. I have undergone great changes both mentally and physically since practicing Falun Dafa.
I contracted hepatitis in 1978 when I was a student. Since it was not cured, I suffered from it for 18 years. Doctors in the hospital where I was employed and several major hospitals in Beijing diagnosed my illness as chronic active hepatitis C. I was under medical treatment for a long time, but the hepatitis C was never under control. In 1996, I developed cirrhosis. The main symptom was constant pain in the liver and spleen. The pain became worse when I caught a cold, got tired, or was depressed. I also suffered from nausea, abdominal distention, poor appetite, insomnia, fatigue, and sensitivity to cold. I shivered in even mildly cold weather. These illnesses severely affected my daily life and work. I was hospitalized many times; the longest stay lasted six months. Although I received the best medical care and the symptoms were somewhat alleviated, my disease was never under control. In order to get rid of the pain completely, I tried many methods and alternative medicines, such as Qigong, incense burning, praying, fortune telling, Chinese herbal medicine, etc. I borrowed a lot of money to visit many famous doctors and specialists. I took medicines three times a day for more than 10 years. While the original disease was not cured, new diseases developed, including severe atrophic gastritis, pyelitis [a bacterial infection of the kidney], nephritis [kidney inflammation], and low blood pressure. My body was extremely weak and my legs were swollen and heavy. I had difficulty taking even a few steps. Walking upstairs was even worse. I could no longer pick myself up to go to work.
In 1996, I took sick leave and stayed at home. I knew that there was no hope for a cure. One day I asked my physician-in-charge, "How much time do you think I still have? I want to be prepared and make some arrangements." He knew he could no longer hide it from me. In a sympathetic tone, he told me, "I think one year won't be a problem." Upon hearing this, I collapsed. My life had been bitter and tiring, yet I had cherished it so much even in despair. I could not bear the thought that God brought me into this world only to take me away so soon. I was extremely sad and wept a lot. My temper also became bad. My husband was studying abroad at that time, and I had nobody with whom to share my feelings. I vented my spite upon my father, who was over 80 years old. At home, I often lost my temper and got angry with my child for no reason. Friends and relatives advised me to take it easy. But how could I take it easy while dying?
July 22, 1996 is the day I will never forget. From that day my life took on a new meaning. That morning, I ran into an old lady who used to live in my neighborhood. Seeing my poor health, she suggested that I try Falun Dafa. She also told me that she had been free from all diseases since taking up the practice. Although it seemed to be no more than a faint light in the dark, I wanted to give it a try.
At six o'clock the next morning, I went to the practice site with my nine-years old daughter, who also had liver disease. We learned the exercises and borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun. I opened the book at home, trying to find a way to heal my illnesses. What first caught my eye was Master Li's picture. He looked so kind and familiar. Driven by my intention to cure my illnesses, I began with the topics "The Issue of Treating Illness" and "Hospital Treatment and Qigong Treatment" in Lecture Seven. It helped me understand the source of illnesses, and the reason why mine were not cured. I thought the book was quite interesting and worth reading, so I started reading it from the beginning. There was a paragraph on page two that read, "I do not talk about healing illness here, nor will we heal illness. As a genuine practitioner, however, you cannot practice cultivation with an ill body. I will purify your body. Purifying the body will be done only for those who come to truly learn the practice and the Fa (Buddha Law). We emphasize one point: if you cannot relinquish the attachment or concern for illness, we cannot do anything and will be unable to help you." After reading it, a thought jumped into my mind: "I want to be a genuine cultivator." Right at that moment the pain in my liver was immediately alleviated. My mouth, which had been dry for a long time, became watery. Every word in the book attracted me. I couldn't stop reading the book, and it got me to forget my diseases. The more I read it, the more comfortable I felt. That day, I read a few lectures until one o'clock the next morning.
When I practiced the exercises the next day, my body felt light, and all the symptoms were gone. I felt like a breeze when I walked; I felt like I was being pushed when I rode my bicycle. And I didn't feel tired any more when I walked up the stairs. My daughter's illnesses disappeared as well.
One month after we started practicing Falun Dafa, my daughter and I had a physical examination. The result showed that all the abnormalities had become normal. Those illnesses that made us suffer for years disappeared in just two days after we cultivated Falun Dafa. What a miracle! I was very excited and bought dozens of Master Li's books, audiotapes, and videotapes. I took bus rides to visit my brothers and sisters hundreds of miles away and gave them the books as gifts. I told them about our personal experiences and helped them to start cultivating.
After we came to the United States, my husband noticed our changes and also became a cultivator. Not only were all my diseases cured, but in 1997, I also gave birth to a healthy and lovely baby boy. When the news reached my hometown, some of my relatives could not believe it, as they knew how sick I had been. Even now, they still think I adopted the boy.
Falun Dafa has not only healed my illness, but also has made me a person who cares more about others than myself. One day, less than a month after starting to practice Falun Dafa, in the waiting room of a train station I saw a girl about 15 years old lying unconscious on the ground. There were many people around her, but nobody was willing to help. I realized that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner, and I could not see a person dying without lending a hand. I walked over and pressed one of her acupuncture points, and she regained consciousness a while later. Since she looked like a beggar, I guessed she might not have the money to go home. She told me that she came from a remote village, and it would cost about RMB?0 to buy a train ticket return home. I was reluctant to give her the money as I only had RMB?0 with me. It would take my daughter and me one and half days to get back home. If I gave her the money, what would we do if we needed the money on the way? While I was hesitating, I felt my heart suddenly beating very rapidly. I started to question myself, "Are you a practitioner? A Falun Dafa practitioner should always consider others first. Have you accomplished this? Why are you so reluctant now?" My face blushed. It seemed like Master Li was looking at me. I should do my best to help people. I took out the money and said to the girl, "Here is some money. You can buy a ticket to go home." To my surprise, the girl replied, "I don't need money; I have a ticket." Her answer was really unexpected, and I was ashamed of myself. This incident has become a lesson for me, reminding me to always consider others first and care less about my own losses and gains.
(Adapted from Ms. Mao's presentation at the 1999 New York Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)
Sen Yang, Ph.D., 37, is an engineer in Chicago. He was found to have severe chronic viral hepatitis in 1982. Although he tried various treatments, the results of his laboratory tests showed abnormal liver function. Due to his poor liver function, his physical condition could not meet the demands of study and work. Since he started practicing Falun Dafa in July 1995, all the symptoms of hepatitis disappeared. His liver function tests also became normal.
In 1982, I was found having severe chronic viral hepatitis. The laboratory test showed that all my liver functions were abnormal. At that time, I was a university student. The situation shocked me and left me crestfallen. Due to the severe problem, I was kept in the university hospital and suspended my schooling for one year.
When I was in the hospital, I was given injections, medicine, and an intravenous drip every day. I had weekly blood checks. However, the laboratory tests of my liver function never returned to normal. Instead, they were getting worse. Naturally, I was in bad mood and always felt that I was just a patient. I learned several kinds of Qigong in succession for the treatment of my disease. However, none of them worked. After being released from the hospital, I was asked to visit a doctor regularly for blood tests in order to monitor my liver function. The results were never normal. One doctor told me directly, "There is no way to really cure your disease. You will have it for the rest of your life."
When I finished school, I learned some other Qigong practices. Some of those practitioners were even teaching methods for healing diseases. I myself still had a bad disease while I was taught to treat other people's ailments. Now, when I recall that, it seems so funny and ridiculous, but I did not understand the harm at that time. Later, I came to the United States, and my studies kept me very busy. My physical condition deteriorated. As the saying goes, "prolonged illness turns a patient into a doctor." Gradually, I learned how to tell from my symptoms the state of my liver function.
One day in July 1995, the most memorable day of my life, my parents-in-law brought me a book named Zhuan Falun (Revolving Law Wheel) and another book named China Falun Gong. That night I opened the book and started to read it. Right after I finished reading the preface, I felt an extremely strong shock both mentally and physically. I was not willing to take a break until I finished the whole book. Over the next few days, I read the book Zhuan Falun several times. Each time I finished reading it, I had a new understanding. Every sentence, each single word, went directly into my heart. I felt that I had finally found my home after being lost for quite a while. I then understood the purpose of life, and the reason why my Gong (cultivation energy) didn't increase even though I kept practicing Qigong. I also understood the fundamental reasons behind birth, aging, illness, death, and all kinds of other issues. One by one, I found the answers to all my unsolved puzzles from Zhuan Falun.
At that time, I was not able to do the five exercises very well. But when I read the book, I felt a warm current moving in my body, and this made me feel very comfortable. Sometimes, I even felt there was a huge hand grabbing something from my liver. This might sound unbelievable; however, about 10 days after I started reading Zhuan Falun, some extravasated blood spots appeared around my right rib area. The dark color was similar to that of a bruise, just as if my body had been hit very hard. At the same time, similar spots appeared on a corresponding area of my back. After a few days, all the extravasated blood spots were gone.
Twenty days later, I met a veteran practitioner in Atlanta and learned from him how to do the exercises. My physical condition changed very quickly during that early period. When walking, I felt my body was so light that I could almost float. I also felt very energetic. I didn't have my blood checked again until December 1998 when all the employees of the company had an annual physical check-up. Four of the 32 blood tests were for liver function. All of them were perfectly normal!
Master Li said, "The whole cultivation process is that of constantly eliminating human attachments." In my daily life, I am continuously tested by my reactions to various interests among ordinary people to see if I am cultivating firmly. The day before the annual physical check-up, I had a dream in which I saw that all my blood data was abnormal. The next morning, I felt very tired and had pain in my liver again. The symptoms I had before all came back. Fortunately, Dafa was there. It was easy to discover my attachment. So, I realized that I was still a little bit worried about my liver. I had to suffer a hardship in order to remove it. All human attachments should be removed. Fear is also an attachment. When I saw the good results of the physical examination, I was deeply grateful to Master Li.
(Adapted from Dr. Yang's presentation at the 1998 New York Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)
Jin Ye, 13, is a seventh grade student in Toronto. She came to North America from China with her parents in 1996. When she was six months old, it was discovered that her spleen and liver were severely enlarged and hardened. Doctors indicated that her case was rare. She could eat little, and was skinny and sick. She was much shorter than average for her age and was easily fatigued after just a short walk. Chinese and Western medicine became her daily meals. She was introduced to Falun Dafa when she was nine. Falun Dafa saved her from the "incurable" disease. Now she is a healthy middle-school student and a young, sincere practitioner of Falun Dafa.
I started to learn Falun Dafa when I was nine years old. Dafa has changed me greatly both in mind and body. Prior to practicing Dafa, I was an unfortunate child who faced a severe illness at birth, which required emergency treatment. When I was six months old, it was discovered that my spleen and liver were severely enlarged and hardened. Doctors indicated that my case was rare. Due to my illness, I could eat little. I was skinny and had a sick complexion. With my limp legs, I felt tired after walking only a short distance. I was much shorter than other children my age. My parents checked with many famous doctors and specialists around the country in search of a treatment for me. Chinese and Western medicine became my daily meals, and I could not live without them. Despite spending a lot of money, my condition worsened, and those specialists ran out of options. My parents were extremely worried about my illness. At this time, an elderly lady introduced us to Falun Dafa. Within the first two days after I learned and practiced it, all of my illnesses disappeared without a trace.
I remember when I was five years old, my mom took me to the zoo to see the monkeys. It was very funny to observe that some of their behaviors were like those of human beings. Mom told me that humans evolved from the monkeys centuries ago. I felt very strange about it. I lingered in front of Monkey Mountain and asked my mom "Since humans evolved from monkeys, why do monkeys have tails while humans don't? Why don't today's monkeys evolve into humans?" My mom could not answer. I grew up with those questions unanswered. After I learned Falun Dafa, I immediately understood all of those "WHYS." In the book Zhuan Falun, Master Li, using the simplest language, disclosed the mysteries of the universe, life, time, and space. He thoroughly explained the origin of mankind and the purpose of being human, which is returning to the true origin by assimilating to the nature of the universe: Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfu1ness-Compassion-Forbearance). Master Li also told us the true principle in Zhuan Falun, "As a human being, if you can follow this universe's nature of Zhen-Shan-Ren, you are a good person. A person who goes against this nature is genuinely a bad person." And "As a practitioner, if you assimilate yourself to this nature, you are one that has attained the Tao." I follow this criterion for my behavior. For example, my neighbors often discarded Safeway shopping carts next to our apartment's garbage dumpster after using them to bring groceries home. Many times, I just pushed those carts back to Safeway. One day, I went to Safeway to buy diapers for my little brother. The lady at the Safeway gave me an extra big bag of diapers as a gift. I thought that as a cultivator, I should not take this advantage, so I did not accept the diapers.
In the past, I indulged in watching television and playing a lot. Sometimes, I even forgot to eat. When I was playing, I forgot to go home. Sometimes, I even forgot to do my homework until I went to bed. My mom got very mad at me and often criticized me for this. I was spanked many times for it. I could not change myself. Since learning Dafa, I realized that a practitioner should be strict with herself. In Zhuan Falun, Master Li said, "You are a practitioner; then, you need to be a good person; gradually assimilate yourself to this universe's nature; quit those bad things with which you were obsessed." I am a student, and my first priority is to study well. I also felt I should help my mom with the housework. These things are within my cultivation. Now, I am not addicted to watching television, and I no longer indulge in playing. I finish my homework right after getting home from school. I then read the Fa (Buddha Law), practice Gong, and look after my little brother for my mom. My parents praised me on my changes.
All the things I have done were minute and not worth mentioning. However, I believe that cultivation must start from the little things. Master Li also said, "In fact, in the midst of cultivating, little by little, that's how you cultivate and ascend." Although I spend most of my free time learning Dafa and practicing the exercises, my schooling has not been affected at all. On the contrary, my scores were at the top of all my classes. My teachers praised me for being very good and smart.
(Adapted from Miss Ye's presentation at the 1999 New York Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference.)
Jeff Chen, 34, is a computer software engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina. He was diagnosed with hepatitis B in 1995. He had to reduce his work hours by more than half to rest at home. Neither Western nor Chinese medicine helped his condition. After he practiced Falun Dafa, however, his physical condition greatly improved, and he returned to work full time within two months. Falun Gong not only purified Jeff's body; it also purified his heart and soul. He found genuine happiness in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
I was diagnosed with hepatitis B in late 1995. The doctor treated me with interferon injections, the best modern medicine for this disease. During a three-month course of treatment, I lost nearly 20 pounds and a lot of hair. After the course of treatment was finished, I didn't feel any better. My parents-in-laws mailed me bags of Chinese medicine from China, but those did not help me either. I had a poor appetite and didn't sleep well. I felt very tired after walking just 200 yards. I didn't have the energy to cook or to drive for 10 minutes. I had to quit my job to rest at home for more than six months. Consequently, I became deeply depressed. I thought that I was dying, so I started looking into life insurance for my family's future. This physical condition lasted almost a year, until I started practicing Falun Dafa in October 1996.
From the very first day that I listened to Master Li's lecture, I felt very good. My appetite was great, and I felt energetic enough to drive on trips every day, some lasting an hour. Gradually, as I practiced the exercises and studied Zhuan Falun more, I felt a great improvement. In less than two months, I returned to work full time.
Almost four years have passed. I now feel great every day; my complexion is good, and I am eating and sleeping like every other healthy person. Furthermore, I rarely catch a cold now; before, I used to catch a cold about every three months.
Falun Dafa has also upgraded my soul. What most attracted me was that Falun Gong revealed a lot of profound principles about life, the universe, religions, cultivation, etc. It answered many questions that I had had for a long time, and also taught me to be a good person by assimilating to the nature of the universe: Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Previously, I did things completely according to my own interests, and I was seldom considerate of others. In the workplace, I always tried to work on the most interesting projects and always competed with colleagues for a better salary and promotion. I often got upset with my bosses and colleagues. Complaints and jealousy accompanied me all the time. Moreover, drifting with the declining social moral standard, I enthusiastically surfed pornographic web sites and even visited some really bad places. I never consciously realized how bad these things were. I was living the life of many other people around me. I felt pretty good about having a high degree from a top school and having advanced technological skills. All I had in mind was how to get a better job and how to make more money. I didn't realize how much my moral level had declined.
Falun Dafa teaches me that human beings need to assimilate to the nature of the universe. From the bottom of my heart, I now understand what's genuinely good and what's genuinely bad. It was Master Li and Falun Dafa that rescued me and changed me thoroughly.
Gradually, I've learned, no matter what I do, to consider others before myself. With Truthfu1ness-Compassion-Forbearance in my mind all the time, I now have no stress, frustrations, or conflicts at work. I returned nearly $10,000 to a former employer who overpaid me. I now no longer make personal long distance calls from my office. My life is just so peaceful and harmonious. At home, I still sometimes have disagreements with my wife, but now, instead of laying all the blame on her, I treat it as a chance to look inward to find my own shortcomings in order to try to improve myself.
I gradually learned to take material things lightly. I realized that good cars and a big house couldn't bring genuine happiness. It is a peaceful and harmonious mind that determines life's quality. Most importantly, knowing what we live for is the basis of one's life.
(Adapted from Mr. Chen's article written in 2000.)