(Clearwisdom.net)
In April 2004, I encountered the Fa. The scene from that moment still leaps before my eyes.
In 1999, my wife visited one of her relatives who said, "There are lots of Falun Gong practitioners here. I will take you to see them." My wife was curious, so she agreed. That day, my wife encountered the Fa. Gradually, she experienced miracles. She saw Teacher's fashen, Falun's rotation, and listened to Dafa music coming from the universe. After taking up the practice of Falun Gong in 1996, she experienced dramatic changes to her body and mind. I remained suspicious of these changes, however, because I was poisoned so deeply by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) propaganda and atheism.
After my wife had been cultivating for several months, the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong nationwide after July 20, 1999. The CCP's lies spread all over the world. Their slander deluded people, myself included. At the beginning, I was opposed to my wife practicing Falun Gong and having contact with other practitioners. However, I was not successful at preventing her from cultivating. She secretly went to Beijing by train and began appealing for justice for Falun Gong. She was illegally arrested and was sent to a detention center for half a year. Later, the political protection department officer extorted ten thousand yuan before releasing my wife. This persecution made me understand Dafa.
When my wife was arrested, the persecution was very severe. Many of our relatives ruined Dafa books due to their fear of their homes being searched. But I thought: "I should protect those books. Maybe some day in the future I will do research on why so many people insist on practicing Falun Gong." I sealed the Dafa books in a plastic bag and put them in storage. Maybe my thought to protect Dafa books reserved an opportunity for me to practice Falun Gong.
My wife's tribulation as a result of being persecuted brought terrible suffering to my family. I was very depressed and was consumed with thoughts of how much we were struggling. One time, I was hit by a jeep while walking down the road because I had not been paying attention. My rib was hurt and permanently damaged. When I breathed it was very painful on the left side of my chest. Sometimes, I could not catch my breath and had to have an injection. I smoked heavily every day and my throat was quite irritated; the car accident only made it worse. After my wife was released, our life was very difficult. I suffered from gall bladder problems and unbearable pain in my lower back; I could not even get up. I also suffered from excruciating stomach pain. When I slept, I did not dream. A diagnosis indicated this extreme pain was due to a spinal dislocation, which was putting pressure on a nerve. Although my suffering did not allow me to die, it caused me, a 30-year-old man, to endure a terribly painful existence. I went to all kinds of hospitals throughout these several years. I was not cured until I practiced Falun Gong.
One day, my wife brought a truth clarification VCD to me, about the Tiananmen self-immolation. When I watched it, I suddenly understood that the Tiananmen self-immolation was really false. The CCP is really evil, killing people and fabricating lies to deceive people. Knowing all they had done, it seemed likely that the CCP would not hesitate to do any unimaginable horror in the future. From that day, I realized the evil nature of the CCP. In the meantime, I understand Dafa and my wife; however, I did not want to practice Falun Gong yet.
My cousin's illness was at one time very severe. He had blood in his stool and the hospital thought he might have had intestinal cancer. My wife and I visited him while he was in the hospital and undergoing an operation. Our families were very upset. After the operation, he was diagnosed with an intestinal abscess. Even though it was not cancer, his 100 kilogram plus body was significantly impacted. I was shocked. I compared my health to his and asked myself: For what do people survive? Money cannot buy health. I looked at my wife: she is the healthiest one, I thought, and possesses not only a healthy body but also fortitude of spirit and a peaceful heart. Suddenly, I wanted to study and practice Falun Gong.
I clearly remember that when I returned home on the 1st of April 2004, I began to study Zhuan Falun. My thoughts were ripe with curiosity and the desire to be cured. The bad attachments I had gradually vanished during my cultivation due to Teacher's help. I went on to the seventh lecture without stopping. I did not yet respect Fa and Teacher at that point, however, even though my wife asked me to do so. I still held a cigarette in one hand and the book in the other. When I looked at smoking as a problem, the book said,
"Don't we practitioners want to purify our bodies? We should constantly purify our bodies and constantly progress toward high levels. Yet you still put that in your body, so aren't you going the opposite way from us? Furthermore, it is also a strong desire.
"I advise everyone that if you truly want to practice cultivation you should quit smoking from now on, and it is guaranteed that you can quit. In the field of this class, no one thinks of smoking a cigarette. If you want to quit, it is guaranteed that you can do it. When you smoke a cigarette again, it will not taste right." (Zhuan Falun)
After reading this paragraph, I whole-heartedly wanted to quit smoking. At this moment, Dafa's power was displayed to me. When my craving for tobacco started, I smoked once and I felt sick and did not feel the desire as before. Finally, I quit smoking. One week later, I quit smoking completely. I had tried to quit before, but I could not. But this time, it was not hard. I finally understood that this Fa is not ordinary. The great Fa is extraordinary.
From then on, I changed my perception towards Dafa. I voluntarily studied and practiced Falun Gong on my own and with my wife. I studied the Fa whenever I had a free moment, and I improved significantly. I gradually understand the real goal of life--to return to one's original and true self. My xinxing gradually improved. From every aspect, I did not fight with others anymore. As Teacher said, "your outlook will be guaranteed to change." (Zhuan Falun). My business became successful. In the meantime, I got rid of all kinds of attachments. My health changed a lot. After only one month, any illnesses or any pain I had suffered had all vanished. I know our compassionate and venerable Teacher helped me overcome the tribulations by enduring so much for me. Our practitioners can never repay Teacher.
Those miracles happened to me, and my relatives and my friends were eyewitnesses to these events. Later, my mother, sister, brother-in-law, and younger sister also encountered Dafa.
This is only my humble sharing. It is negligible compared to other practitioners' sharing, and yet I hope I share the brightest radiance that Dafa brings to me. At the same time, it would be hard to put into words our respect for our great benevolent Teacher.
June 21, 2006