My Cultivation Journey

(Minghui.org) I’m 82 years old and I was fortunate to find Falun Dafa in 1996. Looking back on my cultivation journey I am deeply grateful for Master’s protection and guidance.

Since I was a child I always wondered: “What is the purpose of life?” No one could answer my question.

I married and met my mother-in-law. My husband’s family had a tradition of practicing spiritual cultivation. My mother-in-law asked me to burn incense and bow in prayer, and told me stories about cultivation. Back then, I only knew to respect heaven and earth and refrain from doing bad things, but I didn’t understand the deeper principles of cultivation. Over the decades, I inevitably had struggles and conflicts in life and I gradually developed many illnesses—chronic enteritis, bronchitis, and cystitis. My back also became deformed. My husband developed heart disease and always carried emergency medication with him. We lived in constant suffering.

In 1996, my husband bought a tape recorder. I wondered why he spent money on something unnecessary when our financial situation was strained. The next day, our neighbor told us about a practice she was learning that was great for healing illnesses and improving health. I immediately went to her house and borrowed 14 tapes of Master’s lectures in Jinan. The tape recorder my husband bought now had a purpose, and our family listened to Master’s teachings. The more we listened, the more we were drawn to Falun Dafa—sometimes we even forgot about cooking.

Both my son and husband were heavy smokers for years. After they listened to Master’s teachings they found cigarettes disgusting and never smoked again. The smell of smoke made my son nauseous. I was amazed—how could this young Master know everything? He answered the questions that puzzled me since childhood. Our entire family began practicing Falun Dafa. My daughter-in-law’s illness, my husband’s illness, and my own ailments all disappeared without us realizing it. Over the past 28 years of cultivation, I haven’t taken a single pill or received a single injection.

We established a practice site at our home and played Master’s lecture videos on a loop every day. Anyone who wanted to come and watch was welcome. My husband rode his bicycle to tell his old friends about Falun Dafa, and they began practicing.

Master Protects Us

In July 1999, former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin launched the persecution of Falun Dafa. Our entire family, except for my husband, went to Beijing to speak up for Dafa and Master. My son, daughter-in-law, and I were arrested.

After we were brought back home I was detained at the township police station, while my son and daughter-in-law were held in a detention center. The police handcuffed me to a brick wall near the station’s entrance, which was close to the main entrance of the local government building. They moved me the next day and handcuffed me to an electric pole at the station’s gate. People passing by on the busy street stared at me out of curiosity. When my brother came to persuade me to give in, I said, “No.” He left without saying another word.

They later locked me in a freezing cold room inside the township government office. The walls and floor were covered in ice. There were no blankets, only a bare bed. I was detained there until a few days before the Chinese New Year holiday. When I was released and went home what greeted me was not warmth but my husband’s furious scolding. He accused me of leading the children astray, and said that their going to Beijing to appeal was my fault and it embarrassed him. He grabbed a wooden board over a 3-feet long and 2-inch wide and beat me. Holding onto one of my legs, he struck my lower back and thighs. My body ached, but my heart hurt even more. I thought to myself, “Why is he acting just like the persecutors? Instead of speaking up for Master and Dafa, he’s attacking me!”

I silently asked in my heart, “Master, what did I do wrong?” As soon as I had that thought the board snapped in half with a loud “crack.” My husband lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. I realized Master was protecting me.

After Chinese New Year the authorities arrested us again and demanded 2,000 yuan per person as a condition for release. When they started beating me I thought, “If they beat me to death, so be it. Master, I’m ready to go with you today.” The moment I had this thought they stopped hitting me.

The next morning I overheard the township chief talking in the next room, “That family has no money (referring to mine). Don’t release the others until they pay, but let her family leave.” Just like that, they released us. At the time I didn’t fully understand the power of righteous thoughts—I only knew that Master protected us.

Clarifying the Truth

In 2000, when my grandson was just one year old, my son and daughter-in-law were forced to leave home due to the persecution because they distributed truth clarification materials about Falun Dafa and the persecution. I took on the responsibility of raising my grandson.

One night, after I put him to bed, I saw that my husband had also fallen asleep. (He still tried to stop me from going out to clarify the truth.) I thought, “I should go out and post truth clarification stickers.” As soon as I stepped out of the house, I noticed that all the streetlights in the village were shining brightly. I thought, “Master, how can I do this with all these lights on?” At that moment, they turned off.

I quickly started posting truth clarification stickers. I still had some left, but I had been out for quite a while, and I was worried, “What if my grandson wakes up?” The moment I had this thought, all the streetlights turned back on. I immediately realized that Master was right there with me, watching over and protecting me. Master knew everything I was thinking.

My daughter-in-law went to the market one day and brought back a woman who was selling vegetables. When she saw me, she said, “I know this lady—she’s the one who tells people about Falun Dafa.” Hearing this, I felt very proud.

In the early years of the persecution the neighbors said that our family was “fooled” by Falun Dafa and that our children would never be able to get a good education. But Master arranged the best for us. More than twenty years have passed, and our children are blessed by Dafa and thrived. My granddaughter earned a Ph.D., and my grandson’s small business is successful. Our family is harmonious, free from worries, and we live a happy and fulfilling life.

Faced with these undeniable facts, the villagers who understand the truth now greet me with warm smiles. They see that our belief in Falun Dafa brought us better lives, and their attitudes toward us changed. I know Master is giving us an opportunity to validate the Fa. Master worked tirelessly to save all beings and throughout my cultivation journey I’ve been immensely grateful to compassionate and great Master.

Master, you have worked so hard! I will cultivate diligently and follow you home.