(Minghui.org) China, traditionally known as the Land of the Divine, has a long history of spiritual practices. Under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) totalitarian, atheistic rule, however, many people in China today are unaware of their heritage and cultural roots.
The surge in popularity of different types of qigong over the past few decades, especially Falun Gong, has brought back the tradition and restored a connection with the divine. Introduced by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992, the practice improves one’s health and inspires its practitioners with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. More than 100 million practitioners from all walks of life have found peace of mind and improved their moral standards as they go about their daily lives.
In these three articles, we share the stories of a Ph.D. scientist, a successful business owner, and an accomplished engineer. We hope they will inspire you with some perspectives on life’s important questions: Who are we? Why we are here?
(Continued from Part 1)
Enlightening at a Critical Moment
Ms. Liu Qing ran an outdoor clothing store in Beijing before immigrating to the United States. In the past, whenever she heard about gods, Buddhas, or any miraculous stories about cultivation, she dismissed them. But when her life was hanging by a thread, she abandoned atheism and gained a new life by practicing Falun Gong. Here is her story.
Lost in the Secular World
Both her husband Li Min and her mother-in-law started practicing cultivation in Falun Gong in 1996. Her mother-in-law used to suffer from high blood pressure, a herniated lumbar disc, and heart disease when she was young. Her family spent a lot of money on traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, acupuncture, and massage to cure her, but to no avail. She was very fortunate to come across Falun Gong at the beginning of 1996, and within six months of practicing, she regained her health and was free of all her ailments.
Li Min was amazed by his mother’s miraculous recovery and began to practice Falun Dafa as well. His incurable Hepatitis B also disappeared. For more than 20 years, Li Min and his mother have never needed to take any medication.
Li Min often talked to Liu Qing about cultivation and told her some amazing stories, but she just laughed them off. “Atheism was deeply rooted in my mind. I simply didn’t believe anything he told me,” Liu recalled.
Speaking up for Falun Gong
In January 2001, Li was illegally arrested for doing the Falun Gong exercises in a nearby park.
“What’s wrong with practicing Falun Gong?” Liu challenged the police officer. For saying that, she was also taken to a detention center even though she was not a practitioner.
At that time, the CCP intensified the persecution by staging the self-immolation on Tiananmen Square. Witnessing the selflessness of her husband and her mother-in-law who lived by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, Liu wasn’t deceived by defamatory propaganda about Falun Gong and decided to speak out.
After she was released from detention, she started to do the exercises with her husband and read the book Zhuan Falun. “However, because atheism was so deeply instilled in me, I still doubted the existence of the divine,” Liu Qing said. “Atheism prevented me from truly cultivating Falun Gong.”
My Life Was Hanging by a Thread
Beginning in 2009, Liu Qing was unable to go to work whenever she menstruated. She would be bedridden for an entire week and lose over two kilos (over four pounds) each time. She looked very pale from losing so much blood. Her condition worsened as time went on.
By September of that year, she’d lost color in her fingertips and toes and under her eyes. She became so dizzy and weak that all she could do was stay in bed.
At four or five every afternoon, she would start coughing violently and had severe pain in her chest. The cough would last till almost midnight. Her feet also started to swell, and the swelling soon extended to her calves, and then to her thighs. The swelling was especially bad when she woke up the next morning.
Miracles Happened
“One day while I was lying in bed, I felt extremely weak and found it hard to even open my eyes or utter a word,” Liu recalled. “It felt as if all the blood had run out of my limbs and dried up.
“My husband suggested that we go to the hospital for a transfusion. I was lying there with my eyes closed as I was too weak to speak. Just then, I felt my body floating up slowly and I thought I might be dying. Then, I heard Master Li Hongzhi say to me, ‘Let go of all attachments and be an upright cultivator. Master will take care of you.’”
Upon hearing these words, Liu began to feel a bit more energetic and could open her eyes and speak. “I told my husband that I would start to truly cultivate in Falun Dafa, and I began to do the exercises again with him the next day,” Liu said.
At first, she felt very cold and her movements were slow. She could not stand for long because her blood was very thin. However, she soon felt warm as she continued to do the exercises. The next day, she didn’t cough in the afternoon. By the third day, she was strong enough to stand up and finish all the exercises!
What was even more amazing was that her fingertips and toes turned pink with good blood circulation, and she stopped feeling dizzy, too. Her whole body felt comfortable and warm, a feeling she had not had for a long time. The swelling in her legs also disappeared!
“I had the most miraculous experience of my life during those three days. All my severe symptoms were gone! Master Li saved my life!” Liu exclaimed.
True Self
Liu Qing reading Zhuan Falun
From her own near-death experience, Liu was awakened to a whole new understanding of the meaning of life. Falun Gong cleared out the confusion in her mind and she completely cast aside the CCP atheism she’d once so firmly believed in.
“I sincerely hope that people who still hold atheist ideas like me can wake up to the truth. The divine truly does exist. It is true that good will be rewarded and evil will be punished,” Liu said. “I also hope that, if you have the opportunity, please read the book Zhuan Falun. And please remember, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’”
(To be continued)
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