(Minghui.org) I'm 54 years old and I live in the countryside. This is the story of how practicing Falun Gong changed my life.
My Father
I was very young when my mother passed away. My father had always been very irresponsible. In 1977, he was sent to a labor camp for a criminal offense. I was thirteen years old.
My three younger sisters and I were sent to live with our grandparents. My grandfather was the only means of financial support in the household. I felt a deep sense of responsibility and wanted to help. So, I stopped going to school and went to work in the fields with my grandfather.
After nine years of hard work, I established myself and was able to get married. My three younger sisters had also grown up, and two of them got married. The year that my wife gave birth to our daughter, my father returned.
The following year my father married a woman twelve years his junior. On my little sister's wedding day, my father and new stepmother disappeared; they were simply nowhere to be found. They returned the day after the wedding.
Although I was able to forgive my father for not attending my grandfather's funeral and my two other sisters' weddings while he was imprisoned, I could not forgive him for missing my little sister's wedding. This was the last straw added to all the hatred I already harbored towards my father and his new wife. After that incident, I stopped communicating with them and completely cut them out of my family.
My father was dominated by his new wife. He helped pay for her daughter's tuition, wedding, and financed her business. However, he did not spend a penny on his children from his first marriage. All of this constantly resurfaced in my thoughts, and my resentment grew. I cannot describe the hatred I had towards my father. My father and stepmother resented me just as much. We would take detours to avoid seeing each other even though we lived in the same village.
Introduced to Falun Gong
After years of hard work, I was physically exhausted and I was taking multiple medications for my various health problems. I was only in my thirties.
My aunt visited me in the summer of 1998. She noticed that I was simmering a pot of Chinese herbal medicine on the stove and she brought up Falun Gong. She told me about the practice and how it helped her regain her health. I had never heard of Falun Gong before, so I only politely listened.
My aunt shared, “I now believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, but I can't explain Falun Gong to you in just a few words. I have a copy of this precious book, Zhuan Falun. Why don't you borrow it? I won't force it on you if you don't feel this practice is for you after reading the book.”
What she said made sense. I knew she was illiterate, so I was surprised to see that she owned a book and referred to it as “precious.” I agreed to borrow Zhuan Falun.
My aunt brought me a copy the next day. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. The excitement I felt was indescribable. After I finished Zhuan Falun for the first time, my worldview completely changed. I understood why we got sick and how to become healthy again. I also understood why we are here. I realized how and why our relationships with others are the way they are, and that we should live our lives in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I found the local exercise site and started doing the exercises and cultivating. I regained my health in less than three months. I felt energetic and my xinxing elevated.
Life After Cultivation
Before I began practicing Falun Gong, even though I was not a person who looked for trouble, I would definitely seek revenge if others took advantage of me. After I began practicing, I let go of my attachment to “self” and was no longer easily offended. I also stopped many bad habits such as smoking, gambling, and drinking alcohol.
As a small business owner, I am fair and honest. Those around me have witnessed how Falun Gong has helped me change for the better.
I've been able to completely forgive my father and stepmother. I now treat them with kindness and, in return, they are nice to me. They both know how amazing Falun Gong is, and my stepmother has started to read Zhuan Falun.
