(Minghui.org) I was born into an ordinary family in a rural village. My father was suppressed by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) during the Cultural Revolution when he was young. So, he put all his hopes in his children, especially me. I studied day and night, at school and at home. I hoped to exceed my father’s expectations. I often knelt down and prayed to Heaven to help me get into a top university.
Although I had excellent grades, the long hours of intense study took a toll on my health. At the age of 14 I fell seriously ill. I was dizzy, lost my appetite, and experienced severe insomnia. I could no longer focus enough to learn anything. I was very worried and my father was even more anxious than I. He asked me to rest so I could get better. However, I could not sleep and my stomach would bloat after eating nutritious foods to improve my health. I hurt so much during menstruation that my mother massaged my abdomen to reduce the pain.
We went for Western medical examinations, but the doctors could not find the cause of my illness. We resorted to Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion, but they did not help. My father once spent 100 yuan to buy a single Traditional Chinese Medicine pill but it did not help. He later got in touch with an expert in the provincial capital, who claimed that he could cure this disease. My father and I traveled all night to consult the expert and spent 2,000 yuan to buy a pack of Chinese medicine. After returning home, we divided it into small packets according to the expert’s instructions. I took the medicine faithfully, on time, every day, fearing that the wrong time would affect the treatment. Two weeks passed but I did not get better. Our hopes for a cure were dashed again.
After a number of Western and Chinese treatments, we began to try unconventional remedies—even witch doctors--and consequently brought ourselves more disappointments and financial loss. Some people suggested that I should become a Buddhist nun. After inquiring further, we were asked to pay 6,000 yuan first. We realized that they were shams who tried to take advantage of my family.
I could no longer go to school because of my condition. I wept all day and my father was worried and smoked cigarettes night after night. Seeing young people my age attending school, while I struggled physically and mentally, I lost my temper and blamed my father for his high expectations for me. I thought the only thing left for me to do was to end this bitter life. I stopped eating. I even tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticides. I almost suffered a mental collapse.
Four painful years passed and I turned 18 years old. Everyone in the village felt sorry for me because I was so sick. I stayed home and could not go to school. One day in August 1998, the village security leader told my father that Falun Dafa practitioners from the city were coming to teach the exercises for free. He suggested I attend the classes. My father thought we had nothing to lose so I decided to give it a try.
In the past, someone told me that I should practice Buddhism. When I attended the first class I saw the picture of Falun Dafa’s founder, who looked so benevolent and peaceful, I thought: “Isn’t Master Li a Buddha? Falun Dafa is the true Way of Buddhism!”
I joined the others and listened to Master’s nine lectures on tape. Master explained in simple terms why people get sick, the source of diseases, the relationship between diseases and people’s morality, and so on. This was something I’d never heard before. I knew that the class was a turning point in my life and that I would get well!
After the lectures, I practiced the exercises and studied the Fa every day. My appetite increased, I slept better, and my menstruation became normal. My mother happily cooked for me every day. She encouraged me to read the Fa and do the exercises. As my health improved I became more active. After my dramatic recovery, my mother also started practicing Falun Dafa, and she recovered from periarthritis and rhinitis.
Falun Dafa saved me during the darkest time of my life and gave me wisdom to face the future calmly. My father wanted me to go back to school after I recovered. Unlike the 14-year-old me, I no longer pursued my studies aggressively, but let nature take its course. Master said, “…a cultivator should follow the course of nature.” (Lecture 7, Zhuan Falun)
I learned that I should do my best without being attached to the results. I should stay humble in the good times and remain positive in the bad times. I decided to be guided by this wisdom for the rest of my life.
Time flies so quickly. Twenty-three years have passed since I began practicing Falun Dafa. I am now a mother of two daughters. I have studied the Fa with my children since they were born. With Master’s blessings, my family lives a happy and healthy life. I also grow in my cultivation by gradually improving my relationship with my husband and children, and by considering the needs of others. I follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
I pay more attention to my daughters’ moral character than their grades in school. Getting admitted to a renowned university may give them a nice living, but good moral standards will enable them to live long and fulfilling lives.
I would like to express my gratitude to Master for his merciful salvation of granting me a new life. Even though I’m thousands of miles away, I wish to take this opportunity to send my thoughts and thanks to Master. I sincerely hope that more people can know the preciousness of Falun Dafa and remember that, “Falun Dafa is good.”