(Minghui.org) I have benefited tremendously from practicing Falun Dafa for more than ten years. I actually felt I was reborn. I really appreciate Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) for saving me, and I’d like to share my experiences with you all.
As a child, I was much smaller than other children of my age, and my health deteriorated as I grew up. The added pressure of study, work, and being a mother added to the burden.
I used to have pharyngitis, and my throat was always sore and swollen. It hurt when I swallowed. To make things worse, I had to speak a lot in my job as a lecturer, so I needed to take a handful of tablets every day.
I came down with tonsillitis and had hemorrhoids. I later had anal fissures and became anxious every time I used the bathroom. All these illnesses, including arthritis, rhinitis, gastritis and neurasthenia, soon disappeared after I started practicing Falun Dafa. I became healthy and haven't needed to take any medications since then.
Fame and fortune are worthless without health, and Dafa changed my view of life and the world. I have witnessed its miraculous power.
I frequently went back to my mother’s home during holidays and helped in the kitchen when my family had dinner together. My mother was picky and always criticized me. She complained that I made too much noise when chopping vegetables or that I threw away things that she needed. Sometimes there was no seat for me at the table, and I had to eat after the others had finished. Meanwhile, my mother didn't ask my sister-in-law to do anything, even if she offered to help.
I felt that I was being treated unfairly, but I also knew it was because I harbored jealousy. I wasn't being compassionate to my family members. Master told us to consider others when we do anything, so I knew that I had to eliminate this attachment and should treat my family members well. As a Dafa practitioner, I should behave in accordance with its principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
After I understood this, I calmed down and didn't mind doing a lot of the cooking and cleaning when I visited my mother.
I used to get upset if people disagreed with me, misunderstood me, or treated me badly. I always argued with others about how to do things, or about who is right or who is wrong. But a practitioner should remain peaceful, calm, and compassionate.
When I realized that I may be paying off a karmic debt from a previous life when people weren't nice to me, I stopped arguing with others. I also didn't talk back when I was misunderstood. I noticed that conflicts with others became less and less when I became more tolerant.
For example, I brought some gifts when I visited my sister during the New Year holidays. To my surprise, she gave me attitude when I arrived at her home. She said that I was showing off by giving her gifts. I was really taken aback but didn't say anything.
After calmly talking to her, I found out that she was upset because she had gone to my home with gifts but I wasn't there. The misunderstanding was soon resolved when I changed my behavior.
I developed the attachment of resentment when I got married and had a child. I felt exhausted because I had to work while taking care of my child and doing housework. I felt I had too many responsibilities and was always complaining.
My son did not like to study when he was in high school. He didn't get up on time for school, and I had to call in and make excuses for him to have the time off. I grew angry and criticized him. When I heard that my relatives’ children did well academically and went to good universities, I felt that I had lost face and resented him even more.
I realized that my resentment toward my son was rooted in selfishness. Everyone has their own fate, and so does my child. I thus removed my resentment and became more compassionate toward him.
I loved to use makeup and dress up when I was in junior high. I read romance novels when I was in polytechnic school and developed lust from then on. I spent lots of money on my hair and makeup. I would wear the most fashionable clothes and have the latest cell phone. All in all, I wasted a lot of time and money on these things.
My desire for fame and wealth grew stronger and stronger. I felt irritable and unhappy if my desires weren't satisfied, and I even looked down on my family members.
I also liked to look at handsome men and would find topics so I could speak to them. I didn't know these were negative things until I started practicing Dafa.
I knew that I needed to rectify myself in many areas. I gradually found my true self and didn't follow along with societal trends. I dressed decently and behaved elegantly. I learned that inner beauty was more important and a person’s appearance would also change for the better if he or she paid attention to improving morality.
It was just as Master said,
“...if you put something square into a bag, by looking at the outer appearance you will be able to tell; if you put something round into it, you’ll also be able to tell that from the outer appearance. Meaning, whatever kind of thinking is loaded into a person will be visible from the outer appearance.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple” from Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
My life was caught in the downward spiral of modern society. I am fortunate to have found Dafa and been saved by Master. Dafa purified my body and mind, and it gave me a brand new life.