(Clearwisdom.net) Not long ago I read the article, "Casting Off Severe Depression, a New Practitioner's Life Is Now Filled with Positivity and Significance" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2009/9/19/110957.html). This article describes a young man in the UK who had severe depression, and recovered after he practiced Falun Dafa for only two months.
Farewell to Depression
The article mentioned that Christopher suffered from severe depression before he practiced Falun Gong. He locked himself inside his home and spent most of his time in bed. He had little contact with the outside world and had no interest in doing anything. He was also dealing with obsessive compulsive symptoms, as he checked his door over and over again to make sure it was locked, and he checked and rechecked that things were in their appropriate places... He had been this way for three years.
Christopher's depression was so severe that he tried several times to commit suicide, and his family members had difficulty handling his situation. Then one day Christopher learned of Falun Gong and the persecution in China. He subsequently started to practice Falun Gong.
The article said, "After he went to the practice site three or four times, he felt very different. The positivity and happiness that had been missing from his life returned, he gave up smoking and drinking, and all the symptoms of his depression and his obsessive compulsive behaviors disappeared. Without even realizing it, he became a positive, cheerful person."
In early 1999 the World Health Organization of the United Nations reported that depression ranked second among the three major illnesses that have threatened the health of mankind in the 21st century, with the most severe being cancer and the third being AIDS.
Depression is often called "the cold of the soul." The main symptoms of depression include uncontrollable feelings of sorrow or dejectedness, a negative mindset, loss of interest or fondness in things, decreasing physical activity, obvious loss of or gain in body weight, sleeplessness or excessive sleep, feeling lethargic and a loss of vitality, feeling guilty or helpless, hopelessness, and having thoughts of hurting oneself or committing suicide.
According to statistics from expert reports, there are now about 340 million people who suffer from depression worldwide. Statistics also indicate that 10-20 million people have the tendency to commit suicide, and among these, 45-47% suffer from obvious depression. In the United States there are 19 million people with some degree of depression, which accounts for 9% of the total population. About 20% of the population, over their lifespan, will show a tendency towards depression in certain periods of their lives. Per the report, patients of depression ususally require long-term treatment with both medication and talk therapy. These individuals also experience a high rate of relapse, about 50%. So one can see that such rapid and significant improvement is unusual.
After practicing Falun Gong, Christopher feels that his life is now filled with positivity, happiness, and significance. He said, "I love to practice Falun Gong; I love to come to the city to participate in its activities. All this makes me feel amazing, and I am filled with positive energy. I have a different life than before."
Cultivation Makes People Healthy and Persecution Deprives People of Good Health
The miracles related to people's practicing Falun Gong are not only reflected in a patient of severe depression who has recovered in such a short time. According to what was reported by Taiwan's Minsheng Daily on December 28, 2002, a study of Falun Gong practitioners has revealed that Falun Gong is indeed beneficial to peoples' health. In this study, the individuals were asked to recall the number of times that they had sought medical treatment in the past year. It was found that these individuals, before they practiced Falun Gong, visited doctors about twelve times in a year, which was similar to that of the general public. But after they practiced Falun Gong, the average number was much lower.
Dr. Hu Yu-Whuei, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Taiwan University, published an research report on December 28, 2002. This report revealed that practicing Falun Gong was effective in helping people to rid themselves of bad living habits. For example, 81% of smokers stopped smoking, and 77% of those who drank alcohol stopped drinking. It was also helpful in improving their emotional stability. This scientific study targeted more than 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Taiwan, through sampling. Such studies have shown that cultivating Falun Gong has also played a very noticeable role in improving social morality.
Dr. Hu's study also showed that practicing Falun Gong was very helpful in improving peoples' emotions. Seventy-eight percent of those who practice Falun Gong indicated that they were satisfied with their health, while only 24% were satisfied with their health before they practiced Falun Gong. This study demonstrated that Falun Gong is very effective in curing illnesses and lead to improvement in both body and mind.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has told many lies about Falun Gong, such as, "Falun Gong does not let people take medicine." The fact is that what Falun Gong has told people is the principle of cultivation, which is that people can have their body purified through cultivation and paying attention to their virtue. There are so many people who have cultivated for several years, or over ten years without taking any medicine, yet they still enjoy good health and happiness. Falun Gong, through its extraordinary principles, has given people good health that cannot be obtained even through injections, medicine, or medical operations. What Falun Gong has solved the fundamental problem for people.
Through practicing Falun Gong, cultivators have broken free from illness and obtained health. However, the CCP has, during its persecution of Falun Gong, used violence to force people into giving up their faith, and deprived people of their health and even their lives. During the past ten years, numerous Falun Gong practitioners, because of their refusing to give up their belief, have been sent to forced labor camps and prisons where they were injured, disabled, and even killed during torture.
Human Rights Watch stated, "Falun Gong members are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, and there is no excuse for the human rights violations they have endured. The charge that Falun Gong threatens the stability of China does not hold up. Its claim that belief in Falun Gong is a public health menace is equally bogus. The danger to health comes from the treatment its practitioners receive at the hands of the police and prison officials." (from http://faluninfo.net/article/523/?cid=83)
The facts have shown that Falun Gong has not only been extremely effective in curing illness and helping people keep fit, but also bringing happiness and good fortune to the country and society. Falun Gong also brings a new way of thinking to people and allows people to ponder and search for the significance and meaning of life.
September 15, 2009