(Minghui.org) Brian Chang graduated from the University of Texas with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, and is the founder and CEO of a technology company in Taiwan. Towards the end of 2021, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and decided to resume practicing Falun Dafa, which he had learned ten years prior.
In 2002, Brian’s father fell seriously ill. Wishing to help his father, his brother brought home a copy of Zhuan Falun and some information about Falun Dafa recommended by a friend. Brian recalled, “The flyer mentioned Falun Dafa could help resolve diseases and keep a person healthy, and learning it was free of charge. I first thought that such a good thing could not be possible and I was worried my family would be deceived. I advised them not to act rashly, and said I would first research Falun Dafa.”
A skeptical Brian finished reading Zhuan Falun within two days. “I was shocked. The book was amazing! I felt it contained heavenly secrets. The content is so profound I had failed to understand certain parts. However, I could sense the power behind the words and the impressive teachings contained within.” Soon after, Brian started practicing Falun Dafa.
Brian Chang (Photo courtesy of Brian Chang)
Brian later went to the United States to further his studies. After graduating, he returned to Taiwan and founded a technology company specializing in research and development of hydrogen for energy applications. Engrossed with his studies and then his career, Brian gradually forgot about Falun Dafa.
In 2009, Brian returned to Taiwan with his wife and two children. “I was busy caring for my family and working. Later, I became even busier after starting my own business. Cultivation practice was the last thing on my mind.”
“In 2021, many things started going wrong. I began experiencing issues at work, and my relationship with my wife became tense. Then my body started feeling unwell. Things were coming to a head.”
Severe stomach pain drove Brian to go to a hospital. Despite conducting a gastroenteroscopy and an ultrasound, doctors remained clueless about the cause. A month later, Brian found a lump on his neck, which was surgically removed for diagnosis. Analysis of the excised tissue determined he was suffering from a rare form of cancer.
“The doctor said my condition was very critical with a high degree of malignancy,” Brian said. “I had a chest x-ray done before the procedure. One week after the operation the doctor ordered another x-ray, only to find the cancer cells had spread throughout my chest.”
The speed at which the cancer spread was beyond the doctors’ expectation. Brian’s doctor ordered chemotherapy. Yet after six rounds, his treatment was not as effective as expected, while the side effects of the medications wreaked havoc on Brian’s body.
“The hospital used a human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) test to determine the severity of cancer. Normally, the level is less than 2.5 mIU/mL for healthy adult males. My test results however were more than 300,000 mIU/mL, indicative of final-stage cancer. After six rounds of chemotherapy, my HCG levels fell to a little over 3 mIU/mL. As my body could no longer bear the burden from chemotherapy, my doctor suggested that I go home and rest.”
Despite his weak and emaciated body, Brian firmly wished to practice Falun Dafa again. He felt that Falun Dafa was the only lifeline he had left.
“With my character, I refuse to give up till the end. My chasing after ordinary peoples’ pursuits prevented me from resuming cultivation practice after I returned to Taiwan. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was not panic like an ordinary person, because I knew this did not occur by chance and likely had to do with my cultivation.”
After many years, Brian started reading Zhuan Falun again. He also tried practicing the five sets of exercises at home, but it was not easy. “My body was so weak I could only do the first set of exercises in fits and starts. The slightest exertion would trigger dizziness and fainting spells. I had to stop frequently to sit and rest. However, within ten days I was able to do the standing exercises continuously for an hour without stopping to rest. My rapid physical recovery was truly miraculous.”
Brian then enrolled in a Nine Day Falun Dafa Class. Although his physical strength was rapidly improving, blood tests indicated Brian’s HCG levels were still increasing. “My doctor was worried about the possibility of cancer recurrence and proposed to perform a major operation. Surgeons would cut me open from my heart to my perineum, and even remove my intestines for treatment. I was stunned to hear about the potentially damaging aftereffects.”
Brian chose to leave his fate in the hands of Falun Dafa’s Master. Unexpectedly, his HCG levels began to drop at an accelerated rate. Within two months, his HCG levels had fallen until they were practically undetectable by the blood testing equipment.
“On seeing my improving lab tests, my doctor started asking me what type of therapy I did at home. Initially skeptical when I attributed my recovery to practicing Falun Dafa, my doctor came around after seeing evidence of my complete recovery. He even asked me when I started learning the practice and recorded it in his medical records.”
Having witnessed Brian’s amazing physical and mental health improvements, his family not only threw their full support behind Brian’s cultivation efforts, but also attended a Falun Dafa nine day lecture series with Brian at the beginning of 2023.
Each day of the nine-day class, practitioners played a video recording of Master Li Hongzhi’s lectures. Practitioners then taught participants the exercises.
“My wife tried many kinds of cultivation practice. After seeing my health and personality change for the better, she decided to practice Falun Dafa with me. My three children, my mother-in-law and my younger sister also joined us. A total of seven people from our family participated in the nine-day class.”
Brian’s youngest son suffers from severe atopic dermatitis. On the second day of the nine-day class, when Master Li Hongzhi covered the principles of sickness karma, his youngest son’s dermatitis began to flare up. “I told my son this was a sign of Master cleaning up his body. He decided to bear with it and did not apply any medication or see a doctor. His dermatitis is recovering, and I believe Master has fundamentally removed the root of my son’s condition. My son says his condition is continually improving.”
Brian also had many amazing experiences while practicing the exercises. “One time while meditating, I felt as though someone pushed me hard with his palms from behind. I was shocked, because I knew there was no one behind me. That gradually morphed into a single straight line of force that pushed into my back from top to bottom. That force narrowed to become a single point, gradually expanding from one single point to several points. It felt as though my meridians and acupoints were being opened by an energy flow.”
“In the beginning, this phenomenon only appeared whenever I practiced the exercises. Later, it began manifesting out of my practice sessions, appearing with frequency up to a dozen times throughout the day. I experience a deep vibration within along with a warm current of energy passing through my body when I perform the exercises or send forth righteous thoughts. This feeling is as if Master is by my side, encouraging me.”
“When performing the exercises, I feel a warm current of energy passing through my body.” (Image courtesy of Brian Chang)
After resuming cultivation practice, Brian felt regret and was moved beyond words, “Words are inadequate to express my gratitude to Master. I just want to cultivate well and live up to Master’s requirements.”
“I would like to use my own experience to tell everyone that, no matter what notions you had about Falun Dafa in the past, I hope you will try to learn more about it. Every encounter is a rare opportunity.”
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings—which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance—and learned the five exercises have experienced improved health and well-being.