(Shared at the Los Angeles Fa Conference in February 2002)
(Clearwisdom.net) My name is Yu Ruhui. I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998. Prior to this I was a devout lay Buddhist. I believed in the theories of reincarnation and karmic relationships, so I was always looking for a path to salvation and had the wish to cultivate and go back to my true self, a wish formed long ago. After reading Master Li's book Zhuan Falun, I realized that Falun Dafa is a cultivation practice of mind and body, and that it is the great cultivation way of the universe that cultivates Buddha-hood in one's lifetime. I also had come to understand the only purpose for us being here is to cultivate and return to where our lives truly came from. Since then I read the book and practice the exercises everyday. The first week of my practice I started to have diarrhea. I've been a vegetarian for years and rarely eat anything bought outside, so I couldn't have had anything unclean in my system that would upset my stomach. Later on other practitioners told me, "You are experiencing karma elimination, your body is being cleansed. It's a good thing. You shouldn't worry about it." These stomach symptoms continued for about half a month and stopped on their own without the aid of any medication.
Because I had undergone surgery at age 43, and then at 57 had another surgery for cancer, my health condition had been poor. I wasn't even 60 years old, but I had all the symptoms that most elderly people would exhibit, especially high blood pressure and glaucoma. Doctors told me that I must take my medication regularly for the rest of my life, and I faced the possibility of going blind and having a stroke. For the past ten years, my reliance on medicines had extended my days of living. If I were not very careful I would have headaches and vomiting. I constantly worried about my health and felt that life was full of hardships. Because I was fearful about my health, when I first started cultivation I still took medication. Three months later, on September 1 of 1998, I first met Master Li at the Geneva Fa conference. Master Li seemed so youthful, kind and benevolent. In the United Nations conference hall I used all my concentration to listen to Master Li. I wanted to remember every word and movement of Master. A strange phenomenon occurred that day. I had always been relying on sleeping pills to go to sleep, but that day, although I tried hard to listen to Master Li's lecture, I started to doze off after only a few minutes, until I was awakened by applause. I regretted my actions and told myself that the purpose for my long trip to Geneva was to listen to Master's lecture, not to fall asleep. However, nothing could keep me awake. I would doze off every time Master Li started lecturing. I woke up after Master Li was gone from the lecture hall. I felt so clear-headed, and my body felt so comfortable and relieved. At that moment I realized that I had an illness inside my head, and in order to cure me, Master had to first put me to sleep. I thanked Master Li in my heart. Since then, my chronic headaches that often bothered were gone. From then on, with Fa study, exercises, and cultivation of xinxing, my health became better and better, and all the illnesses are gone without any medication. I do not need to take medicine any more.
My husband is 80 years of age. He has always been healthy. Recently he went to visit the doctor quite often. I noticed that although he exercises regularly, his health deteriorates despite his physical exercises. On the other hand, ever since I started practicing Falun Gong, I've always been healthy. My hair used to be all white, now it's half gray and I have more black hair than white. From this change we can see that Falun Gong has miraculous abilities. It is a fact, not superstition, that cultivators are healthier and have longer a life span.
After reading the book, I came to understand the relationship between virtue and karma. Virtue is obtained by doing good deeds, and karma is obtained when people do bad things. I understand that misfortunes in life are not coincidental. It's because of karmic relationships.
With the upgrading of xinxing, I can naturally take loss and gain lightly and let go of a lot of my attachments. One day I was passing out flyers in front of the Chinese consulate. A young man came over. I gave him a flyer about the persecution in China. He gave me a harsh stare and then said rather rudely, "What are you doing here instead of staying at home? If you were my mom, I would slap you." He was gesturing while making his comment. If this had happened before my cultivation I would've been very upset, but now I could tolerate it, thanks to practicing "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance." Nonetheless, I'm worried about this young man who does not want to know the truth about Falun Gong, due to the slander made up by the Chinese ruling dictator's regime.
After cultivating Falun Gong I do a better job with my household duties, letting my family see that Falun Gong practitioners are truly the best people in society.
Because I benefited from cultivating Dafa, I always wish that more people could also benefit from the practice. Since the Chinese ruling dictator's regime fabricated lies to deceive people, other practitioners and I have been traveling all over to clarify the truth. I also went to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. My children were very concerned. They were raised in Taiwan and have never seen snowstorms as those in Salt Lake City. They asked me why I don't just stay at home and practice? Why do I run around and undergo such hardships? I told them, "It's a blessing to be a cultivator. Would you rather see your Mom taking medicine and stay at home, or let me be a fighter for truth? I want to cultivate and will cultivate until the very end. You guys should encourage me instead." After hearing that they agreed to let me go.
Recently I moved to the practice site at San Gabriel. Every day there are new people coming in to learn the exercises. It must be a predestined relationship for any cultivator to start cultivating Dafa. I hope everyone can cherish this most precious opportunity to be a genuine practitioner, and understand that in our short existence here on earth, our true meaning is to pursue truth in eternity. Falun Dafa can guide us back to our original true origin and can truly save us. Dear friends, please don't let this precious Fa of the universe pass by. Thank you for listening!