(Minghui.org) Twenty years ago, I taught physical fitness at the town high school. I was proud that I was healthy and fit. However, I developed rheumatoid arthritis after giving birth to my daughter in 1998. Every joint and every cell in my body ached. I visited various doctors and tried all kinds of treatments including acupuncture, but nothing helped. I felt miserable and hopeless.
From Depression to Hope
My father died of esophageal cancer in 2001. Shortly afterward, my mother suddenly had a heart attack and passed away. Ridden with pain from my arthritis, and depressed and saddened by my parents' deaths, my health deteriorated. I went into an emotional spiral and could not even take care of myself.
Prior to my crisis, Falun Dafa practitioners had told me about the amazing benefits of the practice. Influenced by the pervasive atmosphere of atheism in China, I initially disbelieved anything they said. But when no doctor could help me, I decided to try Falun Dafa. I started by practicing the exercises, but I did not read the main book, Zhuan Falun.
I quietly observed Falun Dafa practitioners. They did not behave the way the communist party described them. Instead, they were kind and sincere. Zhang recovered from late-stage stomach cancer after practicing Falun Dafa. Twenty years later, he was healthy and happy. Ms. Li used to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, but her hands became flexible soon after starting to practice Dafa.
The practitioners in my village built and repaired the roads to help others, and they also helped those in need. They were good people. I was very touched by them, and my opinion of practitioners started to change.
I started to read Zhuan Falun and other Dafa books. I started to understand that Falun Dafa is the universal law. From the depths of my being, I knew that the principles taught in the books are true. Life became meaningful again! I decided to practice Falun Dafa.
As I continued to read the teachings, I saw my arrogance and bad temper in everyday life. I blew up easily and argued with others over the most trivial things. I felt sorry for my past behavior. I was determined to conduct myself according to Dafa's principles.
I did my best to evaluate everything I said or did and to place others first. My health then improved. All my illnesses disappeared. I had not even tried to improve my health—it happened naturally.
Persecuted Because I Practice Falun Dafa
I followed Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance at work and in my daily life. I worked harder and became more patient and considerate of my students. However, when the school administrators learned that I practice Falun Dafa, I was transferred to a primary school.
The students and their parents trusted me at the new school, where I taught Chinese. Some parents even requested that their children be transferred to my class. I got along well with the students, and we became close. I did my best to help them and took good care of them when they were sick. I told them to recite, “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and gave them charms inscribed with words about Falun Dafa. I was punished for this and removed from my teaching position.
One year later, I was sent to teach at a remote primary school, where I endured many hardships. But I always remembered Master's teaching, “Let hardship then be treated as your joy” (“Tempering Your Will” from Hong Yin). I was able to face the hardships with a positive attitude.
I returned to the other school one year later, but I was not allowed to teach Chinese or to be a lead teacher. Even though my performance was outstanding, I was not allowed to be nominated for the Excellence Award. Nevertheless, I did whatever job I was assigned to wholeheartedly.
Soon my students trusted me, and we became close. I encouraged them and rewarded them for their academic progress. Whenever they had problems, they came to me for help. I often gave them extra lessons after class. Every student had improved by the end of the term. Their parents wrote a joint letter to the school supervisors requesting that I remain their children’s teacher until they graduated.
But my time there did not go smoothly. Because I gave the students Falun Dafa charms, officers from the education department, the 610 Office, the domestic security division and the local police station came to harass me.
The officers from the education department knew the facts about Falun Dafa because they had received letters from practitioners. They listened and were sympathetic. The students' parents wrote a joint letter asking that I be left alone. I was thus allowed to stay in my position.
Sickness Tribulation
For years, my mind was not focused when I studied the Fa or did the exercises. The evil took advantage of my loophole, and I went through a severe sickness test.
In 2015, my throat became dry and sore, and I had difficulty speaking. A lump formed on my neck, and I became afraid. One of my colleagues had the same symptoms a few years before, and even though she had an operation, she passed away. I didn't say anything, but in my heart, I was afraid that I would suffer the same fate. I remembered that Master had talked about how “the appearance stems from the mind” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”), but I could not suppress my fear.
By the time the summer holidays came, I was in so much pain that I asked my husband to take me to a hospital. The examination showed that it was nasopharyngeal cancer, and the doctors said that I had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy.
My husband forced me to stay in the hospital. I was afraid that I could not pass this test. I just wanted to go home to study the Fa and practice the exercises. I decided to go home despite my husband's and my relative's objections.
Master wrote,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide”(“The Master-Disciple Bond,” from Hong Yin II)
I knew that only Master could save me. As long as I had ample righteous thoughts, Master would arrange the best for me. A practitioner offered to help, and I stayed at her home for one month. We read the Fa and shared our understandings. I finally understood what it meant to truly cultivate. I felt ashamed for not really cultivating before. I found so many attachments that I still had! Despite my shortcomings, Master was still looking after me and protecting me. I knew that Master had borne a lot of things for me.
With Master's help, I was able to pass the test. When I studied the Fa, sent forth righteous thoughts and practiced the exercises attentively, I could feel the rotation of Falun. Soon I was able to read Zhuan Falun aloud, and my throat no longer hurt. The lump became smaller, and I could barely feel it. I was able to eat. I felt energetic and happy.
When I returned to work, the other teachers said I looked much younger. My husband was amazed by my recovery, and he now follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in his daily life.
I'd like to thank Master for his compassionate protection and thank fellow practitioners for helping me out during that difficult time.
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