(Clearwisdom.net) I am 68 years old and began practicing Falun Dafa in March 2009. Previously, I practiced Christianity for over 10 years. During those 10 years, I took part in weekly activities, including faith studies organized by the church. I always brought a Bible with me, listened for awhile, then returned home and put my bag away--that was it! My life was not very different from other people's. Year after year, though there were some difference between me and the atheists, I didn't feel that I'd changed much, either in terms of body or spirit.
My sister and her family have been practicing Falun Gong for many years. She talked to me about how good Falun Gong is, but because I had my own beliefs, she never tried to persuade me to cultivate Falun Gong. When I visited her in March 2009, I wanted to learn how to practice Falun Gong, for reasons about which I, myself, was not even clear. My sister saw that I indeed wanted to practice, found the book, and began to teach me. After I learned how to do the exercises, I went home with a copy of Zhuan Falun, the audiotapes of Teacher's lectures, and practice music.
After I returned home, I made the best use of my time to study Zhuan Falun and listen to the Fa lecture audiotapes. I got up at 3 a.m. daily to practice. Sometimes, my MP3 player ran out of power, so I recharged the batteries, then made up the time to practice. Every day I do heavy chores and look after my grandson, but I also listen to one Fa lecture. I felt very good soon after I started. A few days later, the people responsible for the church activities and my former fellow Christians started coming to my home. They told me that it was not good to give up one's belief midway. They also asked me if I'd converted to any other belief. Some of them even threatened that they would report me to the police if I converted. No matter how hard they tried, I was not moved at all. I wondered, "If people just read the Bible, which they really don't understand, and don't improve their moral standards while continuing to pray for God's protection every day, will God protect them?" I didn't really believe that, so I explained clearly that they didn't need to visit my home again. I wouldn't rejoin them, that was certain. Therefore, I began cultivating Falun Dafa steadfastly and gave up Christianity.
One month after I started practicing Falun Gong, the asthma allergies that I used to have for many years returned. I coughed severely every day, and there were traces of blood in my phlegm. It appeared more serious than before. Through Fa-study, I understood that this was because Teacher was clearing my body, so I wasn't afraid. After a few days, my asthma ceased, and all the symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath were gone. I also had severe arthritis; for many years my arms and legs had been stiff, and I couldn't raise my arms. I was also afraid of being cold and always dressed in lots of clothes regardless of the season. One month after I began to practice, I felt that my body was gaining warmth and my limbs became more flexible. I could even raise my arms.
When I first started doing the fifth exercise, I could only cross one leg. I knew that Teacher requires both legs to be crossed, so I shouldn't fear the pain. After I practiced for a few days, I could sit with both legs crossed for over 30 minutes. I practiced two hours daily, without fail. I could also see a very blurry image of a glowing Falun. I believe that it's Teacher who looks after and encourages me, a practitioner who recently entered the door of Falun Dafa cultivation.
In the past, I was prone to catching colds. Once I caught a cold, I would cough and be congested for a very long time before finally recovering. After I began to practice, I never caught another cold, although at times, I did have a runny nose, but the symptom would stop after only a day. After I recovered from the more severe diseases, the small ones also disappeared. Currently, I am full of energy, with no diseases at all. I truly experienced the magic of being illness-free and having my health strengthened through Falun Gong.
Through studying and practicing Falun Gong, my xinxing elevated again and again. In the past when I didn't agree with things my family did, I yelled at them, which made it really difficult for them to accept. Now I let myself by guided by the standards of a cultivator and do all the family chores willingly and without complaint, including looking after my grandson. Even when I'm not happy with other people's conduct, I don't criticize them anymore. Once, one of my neighbors cursed at my family for a whole day due to a very trivial matter. I said nothing back to him, because I knew that he was losing his virtue by cursing us, and his virtue came to me. At the same time, I needed to validate Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance. If not for cultivating Dafa, I could definitely not have tolerated something like that without comment.
After I started practicing Falun Dafa, I changed. I am now full of energy and very happy. Now I understand that Falun Dafa can truly and quickly elevate mankind's morality. Dafa also has the magical effect of curing diseases and enhancing health. Cultivating both body and spirit, Dafa is of mighty virtue and the fundamental Fa of the Cosmos, which transcends all religions. Without a doubt, I will steadfastly continue my journey on the path of cultivation, follow Teacher's requirements, try my best to do the three things well, and become more and more mature in order to become a qualified Dafa practitioner during Fa-rectification.
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