(Minghui.org) Ten years ago I began to practice Falun Gong, and my life has never been the same. I am now 62 years old and in great health. Cultivating myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I am now a better mother.
But, most importantly, I am using every opportunity to tell people about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) relentless persecution of the practice that has transformed so many lives.
I used to suffer from several severe digestive problems, including an enlarged liver, inflammation of the gallbladder, and gastroptosis (abnormal downward displacement of the stomach). I also had rheumatic heart disease.
I had trouble eating and was skinny; my complexion was yellow. My wellbeing was dependent on my daily pills; without them I was in bad shape.
After I learned about Falun Gong in 2004, I diligently read the book Zhuan Falun and did the exercises. Although I had never been to school and could not read, I asked people to teach me, and I learned the book word by word. After I could read the book for its meaning, I followed the teachings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to become a better person.
My health problems disappeared after three months of practice, and I became a completely different person. I had a great appetite and a healthy complexion. When my neighbors asked me how I recovered, I proudly told them that it was Falun Gong.
Having gained a new life through Falun Gong, I made it a priority to tell people that the CCP was wrong to persecute it.
My family, however, wasn't always on board with me, as they worried about my safety. Initially, my three sons tried to stop me from printing out Falun Gong literature at home. But they changed their minds after I reminded them of the tremendous changes I experienced due to the practice.
Life was busy, but fulfilling as I made and distributed Falun Gong pamphlets every day to inform the public about the CCP's brutal treatment of the peaceful practitioners.
But that landed me in a labor camp four years ago, and my husband passed away during my one-year sentence.
Upon my release, my youngest son insisted that I live with his family. I soon grew restless, because I couldn't continue my efforts to expose the persecution there.
I returned to my own home seven days later.
My eldest son flew into a rage when he visited me while he was drunk one day. He was angered by all the Falun Gong literature that I had made. He threatened to destroy my computer, but I managed to stop him.
I reiterated that I was forever indebted to Falun Gong for curing me and that it was my responsibility to seek justice for the practice. The materials I made were more precious than my life and I was doing nothing wrong. He was touched and left quietly.
One of my daughters-in-law yelled at me on the phone after she had a fight with my son. I listened to her and tried to understand her point of view. She was so surprised by my reaction that she apologized profusely for her harsh words. She realized that practicing Falun Gong had truly changed me.
My sons and their families now all understand that Falun Gong is good and support my efforts to tell people about the CCP persecution of the practice.
After my sister had a heart operation, I was tasked with taking care of her. I realized that this was a golden opportunity to tell people I hadn't seen for years about the persecution and urge them to cut their ties with the CCP.
Many people came to visit my sister the day I arrived. Two tables were full during dinnertime. When they toasted me, I used the opportunity to share with them my amazing recovery, thanks to Falun Gong. I also told them that Falun Gong was being practiced around the world and explained why people should quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations so as to avoid guilt by association.
They listened carefully, and over 20 of them ended up withdrawing from the CCP on the spot. My sister learned the Falun Gong exercises that same day.
In addition to my family and friends, I also worked on strangers by making phone calls to them to talk about Falun Gong. (Fellow practitioners and I had gathered the phone numbers through publicly available information.)
I once talked to someone on the phone who told me that he worked in the police department and would trace my call. I replied that not many people were still loyal to the CCP and that he should quit the Party to ensure a better future for himself. He eventually agreed and thanked me.
Another time, I went to a gazebo to make calls. Right after I began to talk, a young man in his 30s sat down next to me, a bottle of liquor in his hand. He gestured for me to continue, but I was afraid to talk about Falun Gong with someone else around.
I hesitated, and the person on the line asked me impatiently to continue. I thought of leaving, but realized that I could not afford to lose this opportunity to expose the persecution to the person on the line. So I finished the call with the young man near me.
I felt happy for the young man, too, because he didn't report me to the police.