(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Gong in 2012. Even though I obtained the Fa very recently, I feel that Teacher has been right by my side taking care of me on the path of cultivation, helping me strive forward vigorously at all times. After only one year of cultivation in Dafa, my body has gone through a tremendous transformation, and my xinxing has also elevated. Taking this opportunity on World Falun Dafa day, I would like to report to Teacher and share with fellow practitioners some of my cultivation experiences.
1. Lucky to Have Obtained the Fa, Wish I Could Have Done It Earlier
I was a chairman of a workers' association in a factory. In ordinary people's eyes, I earned a great deal of fame by my connection with the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I received many rewards at both the municipal and provincial level. I played an important role in our factory. I was also elected as a representative to participate in the Party Congress. I saw those things as honors and felt very proud. My family members were also proud and spoke very highly of me.
My mother-in-law began to practice Falun Gong in 1995. After that, she became very healthy and kind to others. She held herself to the standards of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, and she changed from being selfish to selfless. When the CCP began to persecute Falun Gong in 1999, like other ordinary people, I believed the lies shown on TV and asked her not to practice anymore, or to practice secretly at home if she still wanted to. I was afraid I would be affected because she practiced Falun Gong. Even though she had clarified the facts to me, I didn't want to listen to her. All I had on my mind was my fame, future, job, etc.
Gradually my health deteriorated. Because I fought for fame and self-interest at work and played mind games, it damaged me mentally and physically. I developed serious neurasthenia, nervous headaches, cervical spine bone hyperplasia, and chronic gastroenteritis. Even though I took injections, medication, was hospitalized, and had massage therapy, nothing helped. Instead, I got worse. Every day, I had a headache, shoulder ache, stomach ache, insomnia; I didn't feel good anywhere. I was also depressed, had a poor complexion, and developed a bad temper. When my mother-in-law saw me, she said, "So, if nothing else has helped, why don't you practice Falun Gong?"
I realized that I couldn't be healed by other means, so I decided to give it a try. I borrowed a copy of Zhuan Falun from her. She was very excited, since before that, she had been clarifying the facts to me for many years, and I refused to listen. Just when she thought I was beyond hope, I accepted a copy of Zhuan Falun from her.
I finished reading Zhuan Falun all at once. I began to read it the afternoon that I got it. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I finished reading it at midnight. Then, I couldn't sleep. I thought that even though I had read so many books in my life, nothing could compare to this one. I was thoroughly shocked and very excited. Teacher told us in Zhuan Falun:
"… one’s life is not for being human. It is meant to return to one’s original, true self."
I was thinking about this sentence and finally came to understand the purpose and meaning of one's life. This was what I was looking for.
I regretted not listening to my mother-in-law before. I had one thought: "I will follow Teacher to cultivate Dafa!" I began to practice Falun Gong and became a Dafa disciple. Teacher said in “Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference:”
"With human beings... when a being can obtain the Fa today in history, it's no ordinary thing--he's so fortunate!"
This is how I truly felt.
I felt very fortunate to obtain this universal Dafa at the end of the Fa-rectification period and become a Dafa disciple. I must treasure this opportunity. I read Zhuan Falun over and over again. Since I was retired, other than eating and sleeping, I read either Zhuan Falun or Teacher's new lectures. I stopped shopping at the malls and traveling. When reading Teacher's Fa, I felt that the more I read it, the more I wanted to read it, and I became much clearer.
2. Treasuring the Opportunity, Dafa Displays Its Miraculousness
Through Fa-study, I have come to understand some Fa principles. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:
"If you come to learn the practice and this Dafa with various pursuits, you will not learn anything."
"To the great enlightened people, living as a human being is not the purpose, and one’s life is not meant for being human—it is meant for you to return to your origin."
I know that Teacher is here to save us. The thought I originally had to have my illness healed was wrong. I should get rid of that, as well as all my other attachments, and follow the course of nature and Teacher's arrangements.
Through my cultivation, I came to understand that the foundation of our cultivation is to believe in Teacher and Dafa. I must be strict with myself in my thoughts and actions, try to have my every thought and action be on the Fa, and use Dafa to rectify what I think and do. I threw away the medications that I had taken for many years and abandoned the Buddha statues that I had been worshiping at temples. I also threw away all my books and tapes that had evil CCP elements. I truly believe in Teacher. When I was doing the five exercises and enduring the pain in my legs, I thought to myself that cultivation means suffering, and suffering in the sitting meditation eliminates karma. Therefore, I must not let up in doing the sitting meditation. I do the exercises every morning and twice each day. I don't think about anything else, only studying the Fa and doing the exercises. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:
"In cultivation practice one needs to eliminate karma, and that is painful. How can one increase gong comfortably? How can one otherwise remove one’s attachments?"
After I had cultivated for a month, Teacher cleaned up my body. I appeared to have skin allergies. My legs got red and swollen and hurt and itched. When I scratched them, the skin broke and oozed. But since I am a practitioner, I knew it was not an illness. Teacher was helping me eliminate my karma. I should not be afraid, nor treat it as an illness. When I was suffering a great deal, I began to recite in my heart what Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:
"When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible."
A few days later, the swelling went down, my skin began to peel, and everything returned to normal. After a month, all my illnesses disappeared, I became optimistic, and my complexion became rosy. I truly experienced the feeling of being illness-free. I was shocked once again by how extraordinary and miraculous Dafa is; it made me firmly believe in Teacher and Dafa. I have not had any doubts since. I know this is bestowed upon me by Teacher and Dafa. I hereby thank Teacher and Dafa!
3. Witnessing the Wonderfulness of Dafa, My Entire Family Began Dafa Cultivation
After cultivating Dafa for over a year, my body has gone through tremendous transformations, and my xinxing has elevated. There are more than 20 of us in my family. Every time we had a family get-together, I'd take the opportunity to clarify the facts to them about the miracles and wonder I experienced in Dafa. After they saw that I had changed completely for the better, they were all very impressed, and agreed to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations and believed in the wonderfulness of Dafa.
After that, I began to recommend Zhuan Falun to them, and talked to them about how I began to practice Falun Gong. My husband, son, and daughter-in-law all got copies of Zhuan Falun and began their Dafa cultivation. Family members from three generations have now become practitioners. My son and his wife are both in their 30s. I didn't think they could endure the hardship, as in the current Chinese society, their generation only knows how to enjoy life, is afraid of enduring hardship, and doesn't want to sacrifice anything. However, through practicing Falun Dafa, they changed. Before that, if my son was in a car accident, he would try everything to get compensation from the other party. When he was driving, he would never yield to others, because he was very short-tempered. After he began to practice Falun Gong, if there was an accident, he would think about what Teacher mentioned in Zhuan Falun and get out to check the other person's car first, without concern for his own car. After he learned the principle of "loss and gain," he didn't fight for profit anymore.
Now both my son and daughter-in-law get up at 5 a.m. every day to do the exercises. They then go to work. As soon as they come back from work and finish dinner, they study the Fa. They feel very fulfilled. They also clarify the facts to their friends and help them quit the CCP. Some of their friends also asked them for copies of Zhuan Falun. This made me see that only by practicing Falun Dafa can one be changed, and be truly rectified fundamentally. My husband smoked and drank for more than 20 years; there was no way he could quit. But after he began to read Zhuan Falun, he quit both for good.
In our family we now hold ourselves to the requirements of the Fa. We encourage each other and improve together. We understand that our family obtained the Fa rather late, so we should cultivate even more diligently. We also know that it was Teacher's benevolent compassion that allowed us to obtain the Fa.
As a new practitioner, I know that Teacher has been using every opportunity to have me improve and catch up with others quickly. As a new practitioner, only by believing in Teacher and Dafa, studying the Fa more, studying the Fa well, treating the Fa as teacher, striving forward vigorously, and doing the three things well, can I keep up with the Fa-rectification process.
I sincerely appreciate benevolent and compassionate Teacher and my fellow practitioners!