(Minghui.org) I am 77 years old and have been practicing Falun Dafa for 22 years. Cultivation is hard but I feel very blessed because Master has given me a lot. Through practicing Dafa, I was given a new lease on life on several occasions and understand the true purpose of life.
Given a New Lease On Life
I was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 1995. I was told that I had only three to six months to live. I was reduced to skin and bones and waiting for death. Soon after I developed esophageal cancer as well. I could only ingest food in liquid form. I took a dozen types of medication daily.
A relative contacted me and suggested I read the book Zhuan Falun. He said I would understand everything about life and say goodbye to medication after reading it. Once I got hold of the book, I began to read it eagerly. The book explained where we come from and how to return to one's origin through cultivation. My relative taught me the five exercises, after which I then formally started to practice Falun Dafa.
A miracle happened after I became a practitioner. My body stopped hurting and I felt better day by day. I was always in a good mood and optimistic. My colleagues said I looked healthier. In less than a week, I was completely cured! Two months later I returned to work. Everyone was astonished to see someone who was certain to die come back to work.
Going Through Sickness Karma
In 2005 I developed symptoms of rectal cancer and experienced unbearable pain. Unfazed, I started to send righteous thoughts for several hours. When I was tired, I laid down and slept for three hours. When I woke up, the pain subsided and the swelling went down, too. I had completely recovered because I did not treat it as illness.
In 2006, I was stricken with a cough, lung congestion, and cold sweats. These were symptoms of tuberculosis. I went out as usual to distribute information on Falun Dafa. In the past I would not feel tired after climbing three flights of stairs. Now I was soaked through in sweat after climbing one flight of stairs. I was determined not to let my condition stop me from saving sentient beings. I persevered in clarifying the truth about Dafa.
Master said：
“In such cases there are only two choices: You either go to the hospital and thus give up on trying to overcome the test, or you completely let go of everything, behave like an upstanding and noble Dafa disciple who has no resentment or attachments, and leave it to Master to arrange whether you stay or go. When you are able to do that, you are a god.” (Teaching the Fa in the city of Los Angeles)
To make things worse, I felt something hard in my abdomen. Every time I moved, coughed, or laughed, my body would hurt. I reaffirmed my faith in Master and Dafa and did not treat this as illness. I went to visit my daughter as planned. I picked up the heavy luggage and left with my wife. On the train, when I put our bags down, I could not help but shout out in pain. A tourist next to me asked with concern, “Are you ill?” I told him that I was all right. I ignored the pain and went sightseeing with my relative. On the way back, my liver and gallbladder hurt so badly it was difficult to walk. I tried harder and managed to walk a bit.
The next day I read Zhuan Falun for the whole day and the pain disappeared. I stopped coughing and recovered. Two days later, I accompanied my daughter and son-in-law on a tour and walked the whole day. My daughter was tired but I was fine.
In May 2013, I felt dizzy all of a sudden and started vomiting. I could not stand up. I thought to myself: “I'm a Dafa disciple, I must not fall down.” I stumbled to the toilet and vomited again and experienced diarrhea as well. I made my way back to the living room holding onto walls and things for support.
I sent righteous thoughts and then recited the Fa intermittently. Master said in “Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference”:
“But all the same, Master doesn't acknowledge them. And you shouldn't acknowledge them either. Do things well in an upright and dignified way, negate them, and strengthen your righteous thoughts some. "I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them"--then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved. When you can really do that, not just saying it but putting it into action, Master will definitely stand up for you. What's more, there are lots of Fa guardians around Master, there are lots of Buddhas, Daos, and Gods, and there are even greater beings, and they will all participate, because forced persecution that's not acknowledged is a crime, and the cosmos's old laws don't allow it either--irrational persecution absolutely is not allowed, and the old forces don't dare to do it if that is the situation.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Lantern Festival)
I understood that birth, old age, sickness, and death are principles of the Fa at a low level. It can control everyday people but Dafa disciples are not ordinary people. Master has removed our names from the ledger in hell. Three hours later my symptoms vanished and I was back to normal.
I had the same above symptoms again in 2014. I recited the Fa and sent righteous thoughts. Three hours went by. Instead of getting well, my throat, esophagus, and stomach hurt, and I was suffering from diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. My head was spinning and I could not move. I then thought of asking Master for help. I shouted: “Master, save me!” I only had to shout once and in a few minutes, all my discomfort disappeared miraculously. I knew Master had helped me overcome this tribulation. Words cannot express the gratitude I felt.
Conclusion
The few life and death experiences I described above were attempts by the old forces to destroy me and undermine the whole body of practitioners. I was formerly suffering from two forms of cancer and given a new lease on life through practicing Falun Dafa. I'm a typical practitioner in my city and county. I am also one of the coordinators in my area. I'm highly regarded amongst local practitioners and everyone looks up to me. Unconsciously I've become a role model for everyone. The old forces see this and want to take my life away so as to test other practitioners. Master said:
“As I mentioned earlier, the reason some people were made to lose their lives was to have others see it—it was meant for their cultivation. That was how the old forces arranged it. It wasn’t because they didn’t do well.” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.”)
Since the persecution of Falun Dafa began, I have been practicing cultivation steadfastly. I've never stopped telling people the truth about Dafa, especially officials who have participated in the persecution. Some accepted what I said and stopped harassing me. Others patted me on the shoulder and told me to keep practicing Falun Dafa.
For nearly 20 years, the local 610 Office, Political and Legal Affairs Committees, the police station, and the neighborhood committee kept harassing me and even tried to have me incarcerated. I've been able to avoid arrest due to Master's protection.
I would like to share Master's words in the recent lecture “2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.” as a way of encouraging fellow practitioners who might be going through the same life and death tests as me:
“But even if you have a lot of karma, you can get through whatever tribulation as long as you have strong righteous thoughts. The karma does need to be eliminated, though, and so there could be what seems like a relapse. If that happens you can just treat it as a test, as something to cultivate through. Keep your thoughts positive and strong, and you will again break through it. Cultivation doesn’t take just one shape or form. Each person’s situation is unique. But I would like you to know one thing: now that you have Dafa with you, you have gained the Fa, and your life belongs to the Great Way, so you should forge ahead without any doubt, with righteous thoughts and actions, and do things as I have taught you. But, if you feel that you haven’t cultivated well and aren’t up to par, and can’t handle [the physical ordeal you’re facing], then you can go see a doctor, and you can do better in the future after you’ve made some progress in cultivation. But don’t take my words as an excuse to let up.” (“2018 Fa Teaching Given in Washington, D.C.”)
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