I Am so Fortunate to be a Dafa Disciple

(Minghui.org) I am 87 years old. I started to practice Falun Dafa in 1995.

I was born into a family who believed in Buddhism. My father was a teacher and often read ancient books about prophecies. I liked to listen to him tell stories about the cultivators in ancient times who cultivated to become divine. He told us many times, “When the person whose surname is Li spreads the ‘three treasures,’ people can complete cultivation and become divine in one lifetime. They will no longer reincarnate within the three realms.” I was looking forward to the day that this great Buddha would come to the world to spread the “three treasures” and I could cultivate to become a Buddha in my lifetime.

I got married at 18 years old. My husband was a peasant. His family was dirt poor. I had to do all the household chores but could not eat a full meal. Sometimes I didn’t have leftovers to eat. My health deteriorated. I developed many illnesses. My eyes were often swollen. My vision became blurry. I nearly lost my eyesight. I suffered from severe rheumatism. My legs became bent and formed a circular shape. I couldn’t walk due to the pain. I had to wear thick cotton pants even in summer. When I had a headache, I would vomit. I had to put on a towel around my head. I also suffered from heart and lung disease. My symptoms became worse in winter. When I had cold, I would be short of breath and had to be hospitalized.

A hospital examination confirmed that I had more than a dozen illnesses. When I lost the confidence to live, I always remembered my father’s words: “When the Buddha surnamed Li comes to spread the ‘three treasures’ people can complete cultivation and become divine in one lifetime and will not be restricted in the cycle of reincarnation.” His words gave me strength. I was waiting for this day, despite my miserable life.

My father repeatedly reminded my brother and me of the Buddha surnamed Li. Before he died, he said to us, “I will not live to the day when Buddha Li spreads the ‘three treasures.’ You can have this opportunity. Don’t miss it when it comes.”

The “Three Treasures” Spread

My brother traveled from another city to see me in 1993. We talked about my father’s words regarding the “three treasures.” I told him with tears in my eyes: “I am in such poor health. It seems I will not live to see that day.” He suggested that we become lay Buddhists in a temple. My daughter gave me 500 yuan for my expenses for the trip to the temple. My money was stolen on the bus.

I became anxious and fell sick after arriving home. My son asked his doctor friend to check up on me. The doctor said to my son, “We are old friends, I will tell you frankly, your mom has so many chronic diseases. When one illness is cured, the other illness will be triggered. Just let her eat whatever she wants when she comes home.” When I saw my son’s face, I knew what was going on with me though he didn’t tell me frankly.

My son came down with aplastic anemia. He contracted Hepatitis B when he was having a blood transfusion. The hospitals could not cure him. He was on medication hoping to extend his life. I cried so many times for him. I worried so much about him.

My son came home in October 1994. As soon as he got in the door, he said, “Mom, I came this time to teach you exercises. This practice is amazing. I have been practicing it for two weeks and feel so good. I am not on medication now but I don’t feel uncomfortable.” Seeing his radiant face, I felt pretty much at ease.

He opened his bag and took out a tape recorder. He said, “Mom, this practice is called Falun Gong. It belongs to the Buddha school, and is a prestigious practice. You believe in Buddhas, so you’d better practice it. I also brought a video tape of the exercises demonstration for you.” I felt very happy when I learned that the practice was from the Buddha school and the founder’s surname was Li.

However, I felt it was a little strange. My son hadn’t believed in Gods or Buddhas before. He used to tell me off when I told him stories from Buddhism. He had asked me not to kowtow to a bronze Buddha statute. He said that I was in poor health because I believed in Buddhism and didn’t eat meat.

When he played the video of the exercise demonstration I saw Master for the first time. I felt that I had seen Master before. My eyesight became clear. When the three Chinese characters Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance appeared on the screen, I shouted, “Oh my goodness! The ‘three treasures’ have been spreading in this world!” A warm current flew through my body. I was very touched. Tears streamed down my face.

I started to learn the five sets of the exercises after I watched the video.

Twenty Family Members Practice Falun Gong

I had believed in Buddhism for several decades and wanted to get out of the cycle of reincarnation. I regarded kowtowing, burning incense, being vegetarian, and chanting scriptures as cultivation. My son described me as a person who was walking on a cultivation path with confusion, though I had a pious heart. I had been full of resentment at that time because my husband cursed at me regularly, my mother-in-law was unfair to me, and life was hard. I had wanted to commit suicide a few times.

After listening to Master’s lectures, I learned that human beings are subject to reincarnation and have tribulations because of karma. Only by paying back karma can a person not be restricted by reincarnation, and return to Heaven. If a person didn’t want to bear hardships, this meant that he didn’t want to pay back his debts.

I went through a fundamental physical change when I cultivated myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I started to vomit, and developed fevers and diarrhea. But I was not afraid. I knew that Master was purifying my body. I had almost totally recovered from all the illnesses I had suffered in less than two months. I walked briskly, as if someone was pushing me forward. I was like a child and wanted to run around. I walked more than 20 miles to other villages to tell people about Falun Gong. I didn’t feel tired. I no longer wore thick cotton pants in summer. My face became rosy. Many people said that I looked 10 or 20 years younger.

More than 20 of our family members started to practice Falun Gong shortly afterward. The villagers were shocked to see how we had changed, especially my son, my elder daughter, and me. Quite a few people came to learn Falun Gong.

One of my relatives who was the same age as me suffered from many illnesses. She walked all hunched over. Master purified her body repeatedly after she started practicing Falun Gong. People in the entire village were gossiping that she was about to die when she was at the peak of the body cleansing. My son asked her, “What do you think about it? Is it illness or eliminating karma? If you think it is illness, I will take you to the hospital immediately.” She said firmly, “This is not illness. You’d better buy some good food for me. I believe in Dafa. Even if I die, I have already obtained the Fa.” She recovered completely several days later. Her bent back became straight.

Villagers Shouted “Thank You Falun Gong”

It snowed heavily one winter, and all of the roads were blocked by snow. The vehicles that were going to deliver public rations couldn’t leave our village. The deadline for delivering public rations was coming. Our village would be penalized if the rations weren’t delivered on time. The students couldn’t attend the school in town. Sick children couldn’t go to the hospital. The village Party secretary shouted into the village radio, “Party members and Youth League members please come out to clear the roads.” He repeated it for a whole morning, but no one came out.

We had dozens of Falun Gong practitioners in our village at that time. The assistant called them together to discuss the issue. Everyone was willing to clear the roads. The eldest was in their sixties while the youngest was only a teenager. We cleared the roads with shovels and brooms. The snow piles on the roadside were higher than a person. The public rations were delivered the same day.

The villagers waved to us and shouted, “Falun Gong is good! Thank you Falun Gong!” The Party secretary said, “The Party members are not as good as Falun Gong practitioners. When I become wealthy, I will build a large hall for more people to come practice Falun Gong.”

The people in our village underwent changes after Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) spread. The fighting and cursing among neighbors reduced. One young relative became a good person by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and returned the goods he had stolen and apologized. Some practitioners returned the farm land they had occupied before. Many such good deeds occurred.

The villagers knew about these things and said, “Falun Gong is wonderful!”

An Illiterate Woman in Her Sixties Became Able to Read and Write

I bought a copy of Zhuan Falun, but I couldn’t read. I listened to other practitioners’ reading in our Fa study group. When could I read? I became anxious.

I said to Master after I came home, “Master, Dafa is so good, but I am illiterate. How can I study the Fa? I must learn Chinese characters.” I asked whoever was near me how to read the Chinese characters.

Master saw that I sincerely wanted to learn Chinese, so he helped me. While I was looking at the characters in the book, they became bigger and bigger. My vision became clearer. Then a miracle happened. The characters were like human beings. I had only seen the back of their heads. Now they turned around and showed their faces. I could recognize them. I knelt down and kowtowed to Master with tears in my eyes. I had never imagined that I would be able to read.

The local practitioners were hand-copying Zhuan Falun. I wanted to as well, but I hadn’t attended school for a single day and didn’t know how to handle a pen. I asked my seven-year-old granddaughter to teach me to write Chinese characters. She put the pen in my hand, held my hand and said, “Write the left first, then the right. Then one word is finished.”

I practiced writing whenever I had time. I practiced writing even in my dreams. Amazingly I learned how to write. I loved to hand copy Dafa books. I hand copied all of Zhuan Falun.

I Will Definitely Follow Master to My Original Home

Evil Jiang Zemin and the CCP started to persecute Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999. More than 20 Falun Gong practitioners in my village were arrested and detained in the detention center. Our family was targeted as key members. The CCP officials tried to coerce us to write “guarantee statements” saying that we would not practice Falun Gong.

I was detained at the county detention center. When the guard closed the big iron door, the big “bang” sound made me tremble. I heard Master’s voice say:

“Teacher will certainly have Law Bodies (fashen) safeguarding them quietly.” (“Seeking Discipleship with Teacher,” Essentials for Further Advancement)

My fear disappeared. I knew that Master was right beside me. Tears of gratitude rolled down my face.

I was illegally detained for two months, but this did not waver my firm belief in Falun Dafa. My second daughter visited the town government and demanded the release of her parents. She said to them, “My parents used to be very sick. They re-gained their health after they practiced Falun Dafa. Why do you not allow them to practice? If anything happens to my mother during detention, I will not spare you.” I was finally released unconditionally.

As the CCP became insane in the persecution, my eldest daughter had to leave home to avoid persecution. Her husband, who was the village doctor, was subjected to forced labor. He was persecuted so severely that he came down with the symptoms of epilepsy. He could no longer stay in his profession. His four children were young and at school. My son, who was in senior management at an organization in the city, was illegally subjected to forced labor, and then sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was fired from his job, and his wife was arrested too. Their daughter had no home. She slept in an internet bar.

Some people who were poisoned by the CCP propaganda said to me, “You don’t do the right thing. Why on earth do you have to believe Falun Gong? You destroyed your children’s future.” I felt bitter in my heart. Influenced by my parents who believed in Buddhism, I did good things and never harmed anyone. After we started practicing Falun Dafa, our family members cultivated ourselves and behaved kindly toward others, according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. My eldest son-in-law was a doctor. Some villagers didn’t pay him after he treated them and gave them medication. When they came to see him the next time, he still treated them and gave them medication. My son won a lot of awards and was regarded as a good official by the public.

We practice Falun Dafa and became good people. What kind of laws have we breached?

Clarifying the Truth and Opposing Persecution

My son was persecuted and almost died. The persecutors didn’t think he would get better. They feared they would have to take responsibility for his death, and sent him home on a stretcher. He was a bag of bones. His weight had dropped from 70kg (154 lb.) to 30kg (66 lb.). He studied the Fa and practiced the exercises, and he survived. Falun Dafa saved his life!

My daughter-in-law was arrested again in 2009. I went to the police station with my youngest daughter and granddaughter. The police officers walked away as soon as we came in. We went to the police department, but they referred us back to the police station. My granddaughter and I went to the market to clarify the truth to people with a board and pamphlets.

Shop owners and customers came to watch. I told them about the persecution my son and his wife had experienced due to practicing Falun Gong. They felt that we had been unfairly treated and became angry. The news spread to the police station. They became afraid of the big influence and sent police officers to stop us. The officers pushed us around. I fell down to the ground. The police kept pushing us.

One customer said to the police officer angrily, “Are you the people’s police? You are shameless. She is elderly, and you treat her like this? Do you have elderly people at home?” The officer asked him to mind his own business and told him he knew nothing. He said, “I know Falun Dafa is good!” The officer saw that they couldn’t control the situation and went back to the police station. We were not afraid. We went to the police station with some people accompanying us. The police locked the gate and didn’t let us in.

Holding my board, I went to the busiest supermarket to expose the persecution. Many people read my board and expressed their sympathy. Some people asked me to talk to the mayor or the Party secretary. Some swore at the CCP’s police for their inhumanness. Some listened to me and cried. Some tried to give us money. We said to them, “We don’t want money. We want you to know that we are good people. We hope you will spread the truth for us.” They released my daughter-in-law unconditionally a few days later.

I haven’t needed any medication since I started practicing Falun Gong. I sometimes have felt uncomfortable, but I knew that Master was purifying my body. Through studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, I get through it. I am so lucky that I practice Falun Dafa, a practice that comes round only once in a millennium, and I started practicing at the age of 60.

I always tell people the story of how I had awaited the “three treasures,” and amazing stories of practicing Falun Dafa. I tell them not to miss this cultivation opportunity that we have all been awaiting for thousands upon thousands of years.

Thank you our benevolent Master! Thank you for your saving grace!