(Minghui.org) I live in Japan and heard about Falun Gong about four years ago. It was during the pandemic, so I spent more time at home and was able to read all kinds of media reports. That’s when I came across Falun Gong and the cruel persecution its practitioners are suffering in China. I felt that I couldn’t just stand by, so I started reading the book Falun Gong to learn about the practice. I was deeply impressed by what I read in the section “Improving Xinxing,” and was thereby encouraged to take up the practice. 

Practicing the fifth Falun Gong exercise, the sitting meditation

Inner Peace

Before I started practicing Falun Gong, I lived a life of indulgence, had all kinds of bad habits, such as smoking and drinking, and my days and nights were completely turned around. I was still a student at that time. When I found a nearby practice site and started going there to practice the exercises with others, I became a Falun Gong practitioner.

I have changed a lot since then in terms of my personality and daily conduct. In the past, I tended to be very emotional in my interactions with others. For example, while in high school, I was often reprimanded by my parents and teachers for reacting emotionally. I used to be harsh with colleagues and others who worked in my research laboratory at the university. After I took up the practice of Falun Gong, I learned to control my emotional and impulsive temperament so that I would not hurt others. 

Nowadays, my family members say, “You have become so much calmer.” “You don’t really get angry anymore.” I’m also able to speak and act calmly when interacting with people and have developed good interpersonal skills. I’m determined to continue cultivating my xinxing.

Overcoming My Fear of Death

Ever since childhood, I have lived with an uncontrollable fear of death, known as thanatophobia (fear of death). I could not free myself from the knowledge that I would inevitably die, no matter what I did. 

Amazingly, after I started practicing Falun Gong, this dreadful fear disappeared without me trying or even noticing the change. 

I have found the meaning of life in Falun Gong, and can’t help but think that this practice is exactly what people are truly looking for in life. However, regrettably, many people have failed to embrace the practice because they do not know such a practice exists. 

I sincerely hope that people who still do not know about Falun Gong will have a chance to learn about it one day.