(Clearwisdom.net) I fit the description of this person mentioned by Master in Zhuan Falun:
"In particular, many of our practitioners who study one practice today and another tomorrow have already messed up their own bodies. Their cultivation is bound to fail."
"I would also like to add that there are many people in the community of cultivators who have always attempted to practice toward high levels. They have traveled everywhere and spent a lot of money. They have not found the well-known masters after having been all over the country. Being well-known does not necessarily mean that one really knows things well. In the end, these people have traveled back and forth, spending much money and effort for nothing." (Zhuan Falun)
Whenever I read this, tears come to my eyes.
My story
I am 69 years old this year and had been sick since birth. I had arthritis at age 19; heart disease at 25, and then pulmonary tuberculosis, lymphatic tuberculosis, hepatitis, pharyngitis, insomnia, neurasthenia and other health problems. I had gone to all local hospitals and taken many expensive medicines. Nothing helped. When I heard that exercise might help the body to recover from illness I started to practice Taiji in 1975, and Qigong in 1985. I spent a lot of money. Being unable to overcome common people's notions and desires, I attracted spirit possession.
To have a famous teacher and acquire a righteous Fa I converted to Buddhism in 1990. I read the scriptures, burned incense, and daily worshiped Buddha from morning to night. I went on pilgrimages to Jiuhua Mountain and Lingyin Temple as well as a famous mountain temple to worship Buddha. I met two lay Buddhists on the road who said that some monks were given 20 yuan and even complained it was too little. Hearing that, I thought all the local monks went for money. The monks at four large, famous mountains were all like that. It seemed hard to find a piece of pure land in the whole country. I was completely disappointed.
While I was confused, floundering and not able to decide what to do, I met a woman who said she had practiced Buddhism before, but now she and all her six family members practiced Falun Gong. I asked her, "How is Falun Gong?" She had not yet replied when instantly Master installed a Falun in me. It revolved very intensely. I shouted, "I have a Falun in my lower abdomen." She said, "You are fortunate." That same day before dinner I acquired a copy of Zhuan Falun at the exercise site. I read it all night without sleeping.
I was so excited to have this book. The broad and profound Fa intrigues me. The questions that puzzled me for many years are clearly explained. This is exactly what I had been looking for. I finally found it!
The second day, having not even learned all five sets of exercises, Master cleaned up my body. I had to look for restrooms all the way from the exercise site to home. I didn't feel sleepy, even after two sleepless days. I was almost hit by a motorcycle twice but there was no danger under Master's protection. I had menopause at age of 50. After cultivating for two years I have a period again. My physical appearance has achieved the state that Master mentioned, "Her face was without wrinkles, glowing with a fair and rosy complexion. She did not look like a person approaching seventy." (Zhuan Falun)
The wonder of studying the Fa
In the first year I was busy at work and had no time to study the Fa, being unaware that Fa study is a priority for cultivation. I didn't pay attention and wasted about half a year. In 1997 I studied Master's "Lecture in Sydney."
Master said,
"After reading the book for the first time, you find that it is teaching people the principles of how to be a good person. If you read it again, you will find that what it states are not the principles of ordinary people, but it is a book beyond ordinary human knowledge. If you can read it a third time, you will find that it is a book of heaven. If you continue to read it, you will love it so much that you simply cannot let it go of your hands. In China, there are people who are still reading it after reading it over a hundred times. They just cannot put it down as there is so much implied meaning in it. The more they read it, the more there is to read. The more they read it, the more they get out of it." ("Lecture in Sydney" 1996)
This paragraph woke me up and my mindset made a huge leap forward. I became aware of the importance of Fa study!
Since then I have read through Zhuan Falun many times, and recited it many times, which I began doing in 2006. My body reacted strongly after reciting the Fa, and I came to understand many more principles.
Fa study helped me get rid of many attachments; I overcame emotions and lust and felt truly reborn. I sincerely felt what
Master said, "The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
Speaking to the public about Falun Gong
To help more people learn about Falun Dafa, another practitioner and I bought a tape recorder and found an exercise site in a park. My family's environment is very good, so I also founded a study group at my home. Many people came to watch videos, but the group disbanded following July 20, 1999. Losing the study environment, some stopped practicing; a few experienced illness karma. When I persuaded them to continue the practice, all returned to the cultivation path.
Shortly after July 20, 1999 I reestablished a study group at my home, as group study is one of the cultivation forms that Master has left to us. We discuss with each other and improve together. We kept on studying and sending righteous thought up to the present.
Just like Master said,
"When it comes to those who genuinely do well, they truly don't dare to touch them. When it comes to those who oppose the old forces' arrangements and who have very strong righteous thoughts, they can't touch them." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")