An Octogenarian Plagued By Illness Regains Her Youth

(Minghui.org) I’m 80 years old and have been practicing Falun Dafa for 29 years. I would like to share some of my personal experiences in cultivation.

Having never gone to school, I’m illiterate. Since I was 10 years old, I worked in our community production unit doing manual labor, such as carrying water and loads of manure.

When I was 16, my father arranged a marriage for me. After my wedding the following year, I discovered that my father-in-law was a drinker and gambler, among many other destructive behaviors. He took no responsibility for his family. My mother-in-law tried to end her life several times out of despair.

My father-in-law often cursed me out when he was drunk and scolded me if the porridge I made was not to his liking. My husband’s family was poor, so I had to collect firewood or else we could not cook.

Due to years of hard labor and poor nutrition, I developed many chronic health issues at a young age. My back began to hurt so bad that I couldn’t stand up straight.

Becoming a Cultivator

In the spring of 1997, a woman in our village said to me: “Why don’t you try Falun Dafa? They’re doing it in the park, and it’s a good way to improve your health. Those who practice it don’t play cards, drink alcohol, or smoke anymore.”

“If they don’t play cards, then that’s not for me,” I responded. Since my father-in-law played cards, everyone in the family had to join in. So I missed my first opportunity to learn Dafa.

Later that fall, I went to visit my sister. As she was putting on her scarf, she said to me, “Let’s go practice Falun Dafa.” I followed along. At the practice site, I copied the other people doing the exercises. When I was doing the second exercise, the “Falun Standing Stance,” I felt energy flowing throughout my lower body. I felt quite comfortable.

In the past, my stomach would be bloated after eating a couple of buns. The day after I tried the Falun Dafa exercises, my stomach no longer bothered me. I thought: “This practice is powerful. I’m seeing results after doing it only once. I must keep doing it!” After that, I went to the practice site every day. By December, I’d recovered from all my ailments. My mind was clear, and I felt calm. I was overjoyed!

I didn’t know a single Chinese character when I joined a Fa study group. I just listened to the others read, and my heart brightened. The Fa teaches us not to get into fights or say mean things, because we lose virtue that way. I learned how to be a good person by following the teachings in Zhuan Falun.

At the time, there was a shortage of copies of Zhuan Falun in our area. I thought that if I had my own book to look at when everyone read, maybe I could learn how to read myself. My wish came true when a practitioner gave me a copy. I was then able to follow along as they read.

To break my attachment to playing cards, I went out to gather discarded coal fragments during the day. At home, I tried to read Zhuan Falun based on what I had memorized. I also asked others when I encountered characters I didn’t know.

We were grateful for Master Li Hongzhi’s teachings and wanted to introduce the practice to more people. So we hung banners that said, “Free Falun Dafa Workshop.” We visited nearby villages and markets, and many people in our area became Dafa practitioners and enjoyed the benefits of the practice.

In 1998, I said to my husband: “Cultivation is good for your health and saves money on medical bills. Isn’t that nice!” And just like that, my husband became a practitioner. Our home soon became a practice site, and there were 20 of us doing the exercises together.

A Sudden Change in Our Cultivation Environment

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started the official persecution of Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999. Some local practitioners wanted to appeal for justice in Beijing and asked me if I was going. I said, “Dafa is so good, yet they do not allow us to practice, I will go, too!” So six of us left for Beijing on the evening of the 21st.

The next morning^, another practitioner passed along a note with Master’s quote: “Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations.” (Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference) For us, that was tremendous encouragement. Even though we were strangers, our hearts were united in the same goal: To protect Dafa!

In Beijing, a group of soldiers surrounded us and, without an explanation, shoved us onto the back of an army truck. Many of us shouted out “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is the righteous Fa! We’re good people! We want our freedom!” We all read On Dafa together. A magical thing then happened: I was able to read it on my own!

The truck dropped us off at Fengtai Sports Stadium. Many practitioners from all over the country were already there. The stadium was full, and many soldiers kept watch. It was a hot day and, around three o’clock, auspicious, multicolored clouds began to appear. Some practitioners whose celestial eyes were open saw Master’s fashen (law bodies). We called out, “Master! Master!” He was giving us encouragement. This scene left a deep impression on me, and I’ll forever cherish it.

Later that afternoon, a county police chief in charge of the arrests picked us up and brought us home. He kept asking, “What were you doing there?” We replied, “Dafa is so good, yet we are not allowed to practice it. We want to be heard.” We were detained in our local police station for 15 days and then taken to a factory building.

A week later, we were taken back to the police station and interrogated. They asked me, “How did you get there? Who did you go with? How much money did you take with you?”

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, I answered, “I took the bus. I didn’t know anyone.” When a young policeman told me to curse Master Li, I said, “Master Li is such a good person. He teaches us to be good and cured our ailments without charging a penny. I won’t do that. Did you curse your teachers in school?” The officer laughed and left the room.

After another month passed, one of my brother’s former military comrades who had become a government official came to see me. “What are you doing here at your age?” he asked. “Go home.” Just like that, I was released.

Once home, I was harassed nonstop. Since I hosted a Fa study group and had gone to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa, I was to be closely monitored. Village women were enlisted to take turns standing outside my front door. I live close to the police station, so officers came to check on me every couple of days. They even took away my identification card.

On one occasion, I asked them, “Isn’t this enough already? I only wanted to be healthy. The police are supposed to catch bad people. You can ask around if I am a good person or a bad person. You attract a crowd every time you drive up here. You already took my identification card, what else are you here for?” When my righteous thoughts emerged, Master helped me out, and the police stopped coming to my home.

Telling Others About Falun Dafa

We know Dafa is good, yet former CCP leader Jiang Zemin gave the order to persecute practitioners. So many of us have suffered, and ordinary citizens have been deceived by the slanderous propaganda. We had to speak up and let people know the truth behind the persecution and help save them. But how could we do that?

A practitioner gave me a few Dafa pamphlets, but I was afraid to give them out. She said, “You can put them in bicycle baskets.” I tried that in our local market and gradually became bolder. I figured, “People leave advertisements everywhere, and Falun Dafa pamphlets are good for people, so why should I be afraid to give them out?” I decided to maintain righteous thoughts and began distributing them. Since then, I’ve given out many, many pamphlets at night.

I also partnered with another practitioner to go out during the day to speak to people about Falun Dafa face-to-face. At first, I was not comfortable speaking to men. So the other practitioner did the talking while I handed out pamphlets. But I knew I could not rely on her forever and needed to overcome my fear and become more independent.

Since 2006, I’ve been on a mission to let more people know that Dafa is good. The process of telling people the truth of the persecution is also a process of cultivation. I have gone out almost every day since and encountered all kinds of situations. Some people thank me, while some curse me. Some ask me for money, and some have reported me to the authorities. After 20 years of tempering my xinxing, I went from not knowing how to talk to strangers to responding with calmness no matter what happens. I sense Master’s presence, and he’s protected me in many dangerous situations.

Some people now recognize me when I go out. When I was at the market, an elderly man said, “I know your Falun Dafa is good! It teaches people to be a good.” He then told me about how two young women on bicycles accidentally hit him. He fell into a ditch, and his face and hands were scratched up. The women were shaking with fear, but he said to them, “Don’t be scared, I’ll bandage myself.” He then let them go.

I was once riding my bike down a hill when my brakes stopped working. I yelled, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” and made it to the bottom of the hill safely.

A man in his 60s accepted a Dafa desk calendar and an amulet from me. The next time he saw me, he told me that his electric tricycle had flipped over, but he got up without a scratch. He exclaimed, “That amulet is powerful. I know Dafa protected me!” He then asked for more materials.

After reading our Dafa pamphlets, some people come over to chat with us: “What you said is all true. The CCP will collapse soon.” I’ve replied, “Yes! These days, government officials are corrupt, many factories have closed down, and college graduates cannot find proper jobs. Heaven will eliminate the CCP!”

Two other practitioners and I went to a market in a neighboring town. Someone reported us, and we were taken to the police station. The police asked, “Why do you give out pamphlets there?” We replied, “We want to tell everyone how good Falun Dafa is so they can benefit, too.”

I told the officers I had many chronic ailments that were all cured after I started practicing Falun Dafa. “I am 78, but I’m in good health. My hearing and vision are good, and I ride my bicycle everywhere.” They looked me up and down and commented on my youthful looks.

The other practitioner said that she had breast cancer 20 years ago and had a mastectomy and hysterectomy. Then she began practicing Falun Dafa and is quite healthy now.

They had to agree that practicing Dafa did have its benefits. They said, “Practice at home if it does you good. We will not give you a hard time, and we’re not going to report you. You can call your family to come pick you up.”

The People in My Village Approve of Dafa

Because the police and government officials often harassed me, I was well known in my village. I live according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and strive to be a good person no matter where I am. And by cultivating, not only did I become healthy, but I also learned how to read. Gradually, the villagers changed their negative views and realized that Dafa is good.

Master gave me wisdom. Besides being able to read Falun Dafa’s teachings and Minghui Weekly, I can read other things as well. Both my memory and verbal ability have significantly improved. I wore reading glasses in my 40s. I’m 80 now and don’t need to wear glasses, even to do needlework. My children are doing well and support my cultivation.

My home is clean and tidy, and my vegetable garden is very productive. I give away all my extra cucumbers and pumpkins to my neighbors. The villagers often say, “Look at her—80 years old, and she carries five-gallon buckets of water to her garden.” Someone immediately chimed in, “She’s like that because she practices Dafa!”

At a neighbor’s wedding, our village secretary said to everyone, “Look at her! She insists on practicing Dafa, even when the police asked her to promise not to practice anymore. But she refused and kept on practicing! See how good she looks. Her children don’t have to worry about her.”

Everyone witnessed the changes in me and no longer believe the CCP’s slander. All of my relatives have renounced their memberships in any CCP affiliated organizations. The villagers know “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” And most of them have also quit the CCP organizations, including the ones who used to be assigned to watch me.

I’m grateful to Master for teaching us the Fa! Thank you, Master, for giving me the wisdom and health to truly cultivate. I will remember these teachings, spread the truth about Dafa, and help save more sentient beings.