(Minghui.org) I used to be a staunch religious believer, hoping it would bring me greater health and a pathway to heaven in the next life. I believed in the Bible and went to church every day, praying and confessing for 16 years. Looking back however, there were few changes in my life, and many illnesses still, too.
I often fought with my husband, what with physical and mental stress combined with a bad temper. He was also exhausted and thought about divorce.
Becoming a Practitioner
The turning point came one day in 1997. After my husband visited his aunt, he returned with a copy of Zhuan Falun. He read it through and was very impressed. He then recommended the book to me: “You should practice Falun Gong. It teaches how to become a better person by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The book also talks about where illness comes from and how to be healthy.” I followed his suggestion and began reading the book.
In Lecture 3 of Zhuan Falun, Master Li wrote:
“By the Dharma-ending time, the universe has gone through very big changes. Even religious places of worship are no longer good. Those with supernormal abilities (including monks) have also discovered this situation. At present, I am the only person in the world teaching a righteous way in public. I have done something unprecedented. I have furthermore opened this door so widely in the Dharma-ending time. In fact, this opportunity does not come along in one thousand years or ten thousand years. But whether one can be saved—in other words, whether one can practice cultivation—still depends upon oneself. What I am telling you is a principle of the enormous universe.”
I was touched by these words and decided to practice Falun Gong. Soon afterward, the rheumatic diseases that bothered me for many years disappeared. I was suddenly happy and delighted about life again.
A Miracle
Back in 2007, I had been working a tiring and dangerous job for several days straight. All my coworkers had already asked the manager for other job assignments one after another, and soon I was the only one remaining.
At this point I had forgotten that I was a practitioner. Upset and in agony with sore wrists, I too requested a change in my job. The manager did not say much and just told me to carry some sheets of metal with the others.
While working the new assignment, I tripped over a steel pipe and fell. My wrists slammed into the ground. The right wrist was badly injured and it began to swell. A medical examination revealed bone fractures on both sides of my right wrist. The doctor recommended a cast but it was very expensive. My company did not offer medical insurance, so everything had to be paid out of pocket. Considering myself a practitioner, I decided to stay at home to recover instead of bothering my workplace for the medical expenses.
Over the next several days, both of my arms and hands began to swell, and it was very painful. I could not sleep for three days and felt miserable. Lying in bed and thinking it over, I remembered Master's words:
“We have said that good or evil comes from a person’s spontaneous thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Zhuan Falun, Lecture Four)
I knew I was in the wrong. My thoughts about the job assignment were not righteous, and it was this loophole that caused the problem. In order to improve the situation, I began to study and recite the Fa more every day.
Because my arms were bruised all over, and coupled with a fever I was dealing with, I soaked my arms in cold water several times a day. My relatives and friends were worried about me, and they told me to take medicine. My older sister even brought some Chinese medicine often used to treat such injuries. I told them my understandings of the situation, and that illness was caused by karmic debts.
I didn't take the medicine. Instead, I just studied the Fa every day and asked Master for help. The injury soon disappeared and many people who heard about the miracle, including my family, were pleased and praised Falun Gong.
After the Persecution Commenced
The communist regime banned Falun Gong in July 1999 and began to persecute practitioners with tremendous intensity. I wavered and did not know what to do. My uncle pressured me and asked me to quit practicing. In order to humiliate me, he also said many sarcastic things, but I knew what Master taught was for us to become better people. But why was this practice being defamed and wrongly mistreated? I could not understand it.
One day during the sitting meditation, I was in a deep tranquility and could feel that my body was gigantic. I knew Master was encouraging me in this way, so I decided to continue the practice.
Several people from my church even came to me and repeated lies that the media had propagated. I told them the communist regime had fabricated stories to slander Falun Gong.
Attempting to persuade me to quit, they visited a total of 14 times. My sister also criticized me, saying that I introduced her to religion and that I would go to hell for no longer practicing my religious faith. I tried to explain to her why I had begun practicing Falun Gong, but it was very difficult. The entire nation of China was by then engulfed in a sea of deceptive propaganda designed to turn public opinion against Falun Gong – the peaceful spiritual practice that had brought such great benefits to my life.
What We Have All Been Waiting For
After practicing for some more time I came to understand even more thoroughly that Falun Gong is a pure land. Master saved us compassionately and we need to clarify the truth to people. Therefore, I joined the efforts with other practitioners to tell more people what Falun Gong is all about, and why one has to quit the Chinese Communist Party, as well as its affiliated organizations, for a good future.
By sharing my experience, I sincerely hope more people can come to cherish the opportunity and not miss out on learning Falun Gong. This opportunity is unprecedented and it is what we have been waiting for.
