(Minghui.org) I taught physical education at a high school in the ‘90s, and I was always very healthy. Unfortunately, after my daughter was born in 1998, I began to suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis. Every joint—indeed, what seemed like every single cell of my body—hurt all the time.
My husband took me to see all the doctors in our region, and I tried every medical treatment we could find. Nothing helped.
Living in China and listening to the Chinese Communist Party's constant slander in the media, I knew about the ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa. I felt that I had run out of options, however, so in 2005 I began to learn the practice.
I used to have an explosive temper. For example, when the office coordinator at work mistakenly marked me as being late, I was so angry that I yelled and even smashed a window. I looked down on nearly everyone, and I frequently insulted and criticized my husband for very little things.
After I started to practice Falun Dafa, I realized my behavior was far from Dafa's standards. I was so ashamed of the way I had behaved before, and I was determined to follow the teachings and improve my character.
Gradually, my temper improved. I no longer fought with others, and I stopped insulting people. Whenever my husband became angry, I remembered to have compassion for him.
Master said:
“Our school of practice directly targets one’s mind. The key issue is whether you can take lightly and care less about the issues of individual gain and interpersonal conflicts.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I did my best to behave according to Master's teachings, and gradually my health improved. My rheumatoid arthritis disappeared, and I haven't had to take any medications for twelve years!
In 2006, I was re-assigned to a position in an elementary school. I wasn't happy at first, but I remembered Master told us we should be good people in any environment. So I tried my best to be a good teacher. Besides teaching my students the basics of physical education, I also told them how to be good people. The students and their parents liked me, and many parents tried to get their children into my class. When the police came to the school because I practiced Falun Dafa, the parents told them that I was a good person and begged them not to mistreat me.
Overcoming Tribulations
One day, a parent reported me after I gave students some amulets that had information about Falun Dafa on them. I quickly spoke to that parent and told him about Falun Dafa and how it's being persecuted. He understood.
But the local Education Bureau, police station, and 610 Office did not spare me. They pressured my family, and when I refused to quit practicing, my husband lost his temper and broke my music player and hid my Dafa books.
I was not able to study the Fa and felt lost. The old forces then used this opportunity to persecute me. In 2015, my throat became painful, and I found an egg-sized lump on my neck. As I examined the lump, I remembered that a few years before a colleague had the same symptoms. She died even though she underwent several medical treatments.
I was worried. Although I knew Master taught us that “the appearance stems from the mind” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting”), I was still frightened. Soon, I was unable to speak because of the pain, and I could no longer hide my condition. My husband took me to see three different doctors, and they all gave me the same diagnosis: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
My husband forced me to stay at a hospital that specialized in treating cancer. I went through various painful examinations for a week, but they made my condition worse. Meanwhile, my husband developed sickness symptoms as well and had a dry and painful throat. It looked like both of us would be finished if we continued like this.
I was afraid that I would fail this test and that I would tarnish the name of Dafa. On the other hand, I knew very well in my heart that only Master could save me.
I insisted on going home and kept saying, “I must go home to study the Fa and do the exercises.”
After they heard about my situation, local practitioners came to help me. One practitioner invited me to stay at her home for a month so I would be in a better environment for cultivation.
I felt like a child who’d been lost for many years. When I looked inward, I found that this appearance of sickness karma came from my attachments, which included fear, seeking comfort, and dependence on my husband. I was ashamed when I realized how many attachments I hadn't eliminated.
Master never gave up on me. Whenever I studied the Fa, sent righteous thoughts, or did the exercises, I could feel Falun rotating around my lump. Sometimes it was so strong that I could even hear a whirling sound. Soon my voice came back, and when I read the Dafa books out loud, my throat stopped hurting. Both my body and spirit improved.
When I returned to work, my colleagues were all surprised that I showed no signs of sickness and that I looked even younger than before.
My husband had prepared to resign from a leading position so he would have more time to take care of me. After he witnessed the power of Dafa, he said, "I am blessed too!" Although he hasn't become a practitioner, he tries to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
Master Protects Me
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide”(“The Master-Disciple Bond", Hong Yin Vol. II (Translation Version A))
As long as I’ve had righteous thoughts, Master has given me endless support.
After that tribulation, I thought that it would be great if I had a better environment in which to study the Fa. Soon, we bought an apartment in the city, where I was able to get in touch with other practitioners and participate in some truth-clarification projects. I felt this was Master’s arrangement.
When practitioners began to file criminal complaints in 2015 against former Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin for ordering the persecution of Falun Dafa, I mailed out my letter using my real name. I knew this was the right thing to do even though I had some fear. On the way to the post office, my right leg began to hurt, and I was not able to bend my knee. After I pushed aside my fear and mailed the letter, my leg stopped hurting.
In the following months, police harassed many practitioners who had filed such criminal complaints. I knew this was another test. I was firm that what I did was right. In the end, no police came to my home. Master protected me again.
One day, some officers from the local Education Bureau came to my school and tried to force me to quit practicing Dafa. The school director wanted to protect me and said, “They are coming again! Just pretend to cry and don't say anything.”
I thanked him for his concern and said, “No, I won't cry. I will move them with sincerity and kindness.”
I was very calm. The officers were polite and listened to me. When my husband came to pick me up, the officers even bowed to us, apologizing for the stress they brought to our family.
I know that Master gave me the compassion and courage to remain calm.
Truly Studying the Fa
Looking back, all the tribulations I’d experienced were caused by me. Sometimes I did not focus when I studied the Fa. However, there were always opportunities for me to improve.
It was as Master said:
“To tell you the truth, the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I started to hand-copy and memorize Zhuan Falun. When I was copying, I cleared my mind and carefully wrote down every stroke. I knew that divine beings were behind every word, and I could feel my cultivation state improving. My handwriting got better as well.
I often reminded myself why I practiced Falun Dafa, and I constantly wished to eliminate my attachments and follow Master. I no longer care about everyday people's fame and gain.
"How unpredictable are changes in lifeJoy always accompanies sorrowAnd happiness is often built on hardship"(“Life's True Meaning”, Hong Yin IV)
I feel so fortunate to practice Falun Dafa! I hope that more people will get to know the wonders of this sacred cultivation practice.
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
