(Clearwisdom.net) My mother is seventy-five years old. She was adopted by foster parents, never went to school, and is illiterate. She endured many hardships in her life, but she is kind and sincere.
I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1994. When my parents came to visit me from the remote countryside, my mother began doing the Falun Gong exercises with us right away. My father did not start, as he was still drinking (Falun Gong practitioners are advised not to drink alcohol). They spent two months with me and went home. I gave mother a copy of the book Falun Gong (an introduction to the teachings of Falun Gong) to take home. Mother asked her grandson teach her to read. After three days she did not remember a single character, and she gave up. In order for my parents to learn about the Fa, I invited them to live with me during the summer of 1995. This time, both of them did the exercises and read the Fa with us.
Every morning they got up to exercise, and went to Fa study every evening. Mother was worried about the fact that she could not read. She said that it would have been so good if she had gone to school, as then she could read with everyone else.
One night in 1996, my father went to Fa study alone and brought back several of Master's new scriptures, including "Real Cultivation."
Mother asked father, "What did you bring?"
"Master's new scriptures."
"I want to read it."
"But you don't know how."
When mother opened the scripture, she delightedly exclaimed that she could read. Father didn't believe her, and said, "Read for me." Mother began reading. To my father's surprise, she was right. Mother was very happy and said that Master had taught her how to read.
My mother couldn't count, no matter how much we tried to teach her. She could tell one from two separately, but if you put them together, she couldn't tell one from the other. From that day on, my mother began to read the Fa one character at a time. She gradually increased in speed, and can now read two chapters of Zhuan Falun every day. She can also read all of the other Dafa books. One day, I brought her the two Hong Yin books. As they were written in traditional characters, I was afraid that she wouldn't be able to recognize the characters, but she began reading right away and made no mistakes! She said, "If I make a mistake, Master reminds me, and next time I can do it correctly."
My mother is now like a child. She is happy and smiles every day. Her skin has turned fair and rosy, and everyone tells her that she looks younger than her age. She had two menstrual periods in 2008, and I asked her if she understood what it meant. She told me, "Master is extending my life, I'd better cultivate diligently."
I went to visit my mother with my daughter-in-law recently. She told us that Dafa has opened up her wisdom. She recited Baijiaxing (The Hundred Family Surnames - a classic Chinese text). I asked her how she had learned it, and she said that one night she woke up and felt that Baijiaxing was pretty good and she was able to recite it right then. My daughter-in-law asked her to recite it. Mother began, four characters per sentence. She was able to recite it, and made no mistakes. My daughter-in-law was amazed (she doesn't cultivate, but she knows that Falun Dafa is good and supports me in my practice). Mother doesn't have any attachments to showing off or zealotry. She stated, "Its not me that is amazing, it is Master and Dafa that is amazing. Without Master, how could I still be alive today? Master has been looking after me since my childhood. I have encountered numerous dangers and countless hardships in my life, but that cannot compare to what Master has endured for me, for us. I must not make any mistakes, and I will be more diligent."
Since mother obtained Dafa, she carries very few notions, and has become even more pure. Master encourages her when she is diligent, and she can see the flowers and trees in other dimensions. When she reads the Fa, she can see that the characters are moving and changing colors. She is also able to see the characters turn into Buddhas. Mother realized that she should say, "Falun Dafa is good" often. She said, "When I say that, I feel that my every cell is saying the phrase with me and all of my organs are saying the same thing. Even when talking with you right now, they are still chanting. It is all automatic."
When mother takes a walk, whoever sees her will tell her that she looks healthy. She tells them in a dignified way that she practices Falun Dafa. "I had diabetes, strokes, arthritis, and cataracts before I practiced Dafa, and all those problems disappeared after I obtained Dafa. I feel so light, I want to run. Falun Dafa is so amazing. You should also recite, 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.'"
I wrote down mother's story to validate the wonders of Dafa, as well as the compassion and might of Master. I also want to encourage fellow practitioners, particularly older practitioners, to cherish the precious Fa-rectification period. Don't let sentimentality (qing) and mundane matters stop you from practicing diligently. Cherish this opportunity of all eternity.
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
