(Clearwisdom.net) I am a lecturer in a university in Liaoning Province. The success I enjoy today is all thanks to my mother, to whom I am most grateful. She and I used to live alone together, and we depended on each other. In order to pay for my education, my mother endured a lot and suffered a great deal. In the end she began to break down physically and developed many illnesses. I am currently working in another town. I wanted to fetch her to live with me, but she refused to come, because she did not want to leave her familiar hometown. I was perplexed at not being able to fulfill my duty as a filial son.

After the Chinese New Year, my mother called me and told me that her health was improving. She asked me not to worry about her. Over the phone her voice sounded loud and clear, her laughter sounded bright and cheery, and she sounded full of stamina, but I still had my doubts as to how she could have improved so quickly. On the eleventh day of the New Year, I returned to my hometown, the city where the oilfield is located, to pay her a visit. My mother looked radiant and rosy and had even put on some weight. She told me that last year she started to practice Falun Gong. The moment I heard her mention Falun Gong, I quickly closed the windows as I was afraid that others would hear her. I told her, "I also know that Falun Gong is good! I know of a lady who was more seriously ill than you. Now that she has started to practice Falun Gong, she has become so different from the way she used to be ten years ago. She is a changed person."

I told my mother more about this lady. The mother of my classmate in graduate school always talked about this lady named Ms. Qiu. She described Ms. Qiu as noble and of high moral character, hard-working and able to bear hardships. She told me that ever since she had gotten to know this lady, she had learned many moral values. She learned how to better take care of and be more considerate of her family, her children, and her neighbors, and also how to be diligent and bear hardships. Such a nice lady, however, has suffered a great deal as a result of practicing Falun Gong. In the middle of the night in 1999, a gang of police officers took her away right in front of her aged mother. There was no news about her for three whole days. The lady's mother was badly frightened and became ill as a result. The next year, she passed away, grieving over missing her daughter. In January 2000, Ms. Qiu was once again arrested and incarcerated with a bunch of murderers in the Qingfeng Detention Center. They made her sleep on the cold cement floor and abused her mentally and physically. Later she was taken to the Huangpu Brainwashing Center. They kept her there for more than a month. One morning she suddenly fainted and lost consciousness. When her family rushed to the hospital, they noticed that the hospital staff ignored her. The doctor had been given instructions that Falun Gong practitioners should not receive prompt medical attention. At the time, the lady was having trouble breathing. She could exhale but not inhale. Her eyes were shut and tears were running down on her face. The family were outraged and insisted that the doctor give her immediate medical attention. They told him that if anything unfortunate happened because he had not seen that she got timely medical treatment, they would sue him in court. It was only then that they put her on a respirator to help her her breathe and finally placed her in a hospital room. Due to her family's care and concern, Ms. Qiu managed to recover. But the persecution inflicted on Ms. Qiu and her family did not stop there. Her husband was required to write a report. Her child was also implicated and required to write a guarantee statement. Personnel from the retirement office and the community and street offices frequently harassed them. They even sent someone to monitor them in their home. They also kept track of who visited the family home and at what time.

I told my mother, "Actually, I am clearly aware that the regime's news broadcasts are all lies. Anyone who is clear minded knows that the news being broadcast is not true. I encourage you to continue practicing Falun Gong. If your health improves, everything will be better. Now there is inflation, and everyone is having difficulties making ends meet. Medicine is very expensive. If I know that your health and mental state are good, I will be able to work away from home with peace of mind. But I'm afraid that you will also be persecuted like this lady."

My mother smiled and said, "After practicing Falun Gong, I finally know the true meaning of life! You can be so clear minded and kind--I am so proud of you! But there are still many people who don't know that this practice is so wonderful. In the past, my illnesses tormented me and I felt that I would be better off dead than alive. I must let more people know about this wonderful practice so that they will benefit from it as well and be saved!"

Although I have yet to start practicing Falun Gong, from the bottom of my heart I am grateful to Master Li for helping my mother recover her health. Now I can work away from my hometown and my mother with peace of mind. I would like to send greetings and good wishes to all Falun Gong practitioners and hope that they will be safe!