(Minghui.org) I had arranged to meet another practitioner one evening for a discussion. Yet for some reason, as I was having lunch with relatives around noon, I was struck with a sudden sense of urgency to arrive earlier. I hurriedly finished my meal before rushing over to this practitioner’s home.
To my surprise, I found the practitioner sitting paralyzed on her bed, with her mouth crooked and speech slurred. Fortunately, she was still conscious. I instantly realized the source of my earlier unease during lunch. Master had arranged for this hint, “Your fellow practitioner is in trouble! Hurry and help!”
I worked with another practitioner, who had also rushed over to send forth righteous thoughts. “We are Li Hongzhi’s disciples. Our cultivation path is arranged by Master, and only Master has the final say in it. Whoever interferes with this arrangement has committed a crime. We will never admit the ‘sickness karma’ imposed on fellow practitioners by the old forces. We firmly believe in Master and will eliminate our attachments based on the Falun Dafa teachings.”
After sending forth righteous thoughts, the afflicted practitioner could hold Zhuan Falun, and read Master’s Fa with us.
After we finished studying the Fa, the practitioner described to us the miraculous experience she had. “Just before the onset of this ‘sickness karma’, I fell into a daze as I stood alone at the rail station. I suddenly could not remember the way home, which train to get on, and where to get off. While I was at a loss, a young man suddenly walked over and said, ‘You should get on this train.’ I followed his advice and boarded. When the train reached one station, I heard someone say, ‘It’s time to get off.’ I followed the instructions and disembarked. Upon exiting the station, I recognized the regular path I took to get home and returned home with much difficulty. Not long after, my stroke symptoms appeared.”
We were overcome with emotion. If our fellow practitioner had collapsed in public with these symptoms, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Compassionate Master escorted her home, and even left a hint. No matter the situation, practitioners must have faith in Master and the Fa, in order to follow Master to our final home.
On the second day, another practitioner and I studied the Fa with this afflicted practitioner. We shared our understandings, and she searched within, finding many attachments as a result. Dependence on others, human desires, loneliness, love for her children, having previously killed livestock, not strictly adhering to the principles taught by Master, and failing to believe completely in Master and the Fa. The Old Forces had taken advantage of her loopholes. This practitioner told us, “All abnormal phenomena happening to me must be false, I will not acknowledge it. I firmly believe in Master and Dafa and will correct all my attachments.”
Yet on the third day, her stroke symptoms worsened. No longer able to move her right hand and leg, this practitioner could not get up from bed or turn over. Her eyes appeared lifeless, and her mouth had slanted so badly that she was drooling uncontrollably. A section of her lower jaw had started ulcerating, and her speech had become so slurred I could not understand what she was trying to say. Her legs were dangling over the side of her bed, while her upper body was horizontal. Upon seeing her condition, I hastily called her relatives over, and we lifted her back into the bed.
I said to her, “Yesterday we searched inward and found many attachments. Now that you have found them, you must take the initiative to eliminate them. Lying in bed, waiting for fellow practitioners to help you, is just a form of relying on outside help. You must take the initiative to listen and assimilate to the Fa every day.”
I continued, “You once told me that before you started cultivating Dafa, a fortune-teller predicted you would live until you were 80 years old. You are now 86 years old, with an extended lifespan due to practicing Falun Dafa.”
Master said,
“But there’s one condition, in this scenario: the days that you may gain beyond those originally allotted to you, are only provided so that you may continue to practice. And so you may be at risk if your thinking gets off track, for your life was supposed to have already ended.” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I told her she must let go of life and death. Everything is subject to Master’s arrangements, so she should firmly believe in Master and Dafa.
After much effort, I managed to understand what this practitioner replied in response. “I will let go of everything and follow Master resolutely. I won’t go to the hospital.”
At this critical juncture, this fellow practitioner still firmly chose to believe in Master! With great relief, I hurriedly replied, “Let’s quickly recite ‘Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.’” She suggested to add the phrase, “Master is good” behind it, and I agreed. Following my lead, we repeatedly recited aloud, “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good! Master is good!” As we recited, her pronunciation became clearer.
After her speech pattern had improved, I put earphones in her ears and let her listen to Master’s audio recordings of lectures in Guangzhou. I also sought help from her family members, to arrange it so she could listen to Master’s lectures uninterrupted throughout the day.
By the fourth day, her stroke symptoms showed signs of further improvement. This practitioner also told us, as she was lying in bed, that she repeatedly heard a man’s voice say, “A good innate foundation! A good innate foundation! A good innate foundation!” We immediately opened Zhuan Falun and re-read the respective chapter. From this, we realized that Master was encouraging this practitioner. The greater the tribulation, the greater the practitioner’s innate foundation. We also realized that we should not underestimate ourselves, since every Dafa practitioner during the Fa rectification period has deep foundations. We should conduct ourselves according to the noble qualities of one with great innate foundations, and cultivate firmly until consummation. Master’s compassionate encouragement gave us the confidence to help our fellow practitioner successfully overcome this tribulation.
After studying the Fa, we helped this practitioner lean against a wall to do the exercises. As she remained unable to control her right hand and leg, I supported her arm and correct her movements. We loudly encouraged her, “Master is by your side, Master is watching you. “Nothing is truly unbearable or impossible.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun), you can do it!”
Despite the difficulty, this fellow practitioner remained determined, practicing to the best of her ability. For the fourth and fifth sets of exercises, she did the practice while sitting down.
After the practitioner was able to sit on a chair to do the exercises, she heard a voice calling her at three a.m. every day, “Wake up! wake up!” Upon realizing that this Master’s Fashen calling her to wake up and practice the exercises, her drowsiness vanished, and she sat up and did the exercises.
Her health improved day after day. Soon her crooked mouth and articulation were back to normal. The ulcer on his jaw healed, and she regained control and strength over her right arm and leg. We stopped supporting her arm, as she could do the exercises movements herself. When she started moving around with the aid of a walker, we encouraged her to walk more.
Around ten days later, she could pick up items with her right hand. We encouraged her to use her right hand to eat, and after several trials she was able to hold a spoon well enough to eat on her own.
After another two days, she managed to support herself on the walker with both hands, and walk to the dining table for meals. She could even remove the shell from a boiled egg with her right hand. After yet another two to three days, she was able to walk slowly without support of the walker.
However, the old forces refused to give up, and continued to interfere in her progress. They arranged for her to fall while walking one day. This incident triggered a fear of walking independently within this practitioner.
After hearing about her setback two other practitioners came to her house, rushing over from outer districts, to discuss and share their understandings. This practitioner finally realized her fundamental attachment. She had been cultivating Dafa with the goal of “helping to cure her son’s illness”! Having found it, she immediately eliminated it. At the same time, we encouraged her to eliminate her attachments, such as dependence on others, fear of falling, human desires, and fear of loneliness. We loudly encouraged her, “What is there to fear? Your fall was not arranged by Master. Even if you fall, get up again and walk. Master is always by your side, taking care of you.” With increased confidence, this practitioner again started walking without support.
However, she fell down again within days. Because of this remaining psychological fear, she refused to walk without her walker, despite our continued encouragement.
A few days later, her walker went missing at home. She could not find it, no matter where she looked. Eventually, she realized that Master was trying to enlighten her, “Don’t be afraid! You can walk independently.” She finally resolved to give up the walker and walk independently. After overcoming this barrier, her walker miraculously reappeared.
One day, a colleague came to visit her. While walking and talking happily with her colleague at home, she fell again, and her fear of walking independently arose once again.
During our Fa-study discussion, she told me about this matter. I replied, “You have escaped unscathed after falling so many times. Doesn’t this prove that you aren’t ill? A stroke patient would not have fallen so many times without injury. You must firmly reject this thought and walk out from the shadows of this fear. Believe in Master and Dafa, believe you have no illness. These falls are interference from the old forces, who don’t want you to succeed in cultivation. Even if you fall again, stand up and keep going. With Master by your side, there is no fear.”
Through Fa-study and sharing, she finally realized that her latest fall was caused by her attachment to human emotions, showing off, and some remaining fear. She also realized the need to cultivate away her remaining attachments, such as over reliance on others. This practitioner voiced her determination to continue practicing diligently according to the requirements of the Fa.
Having overcome the final obstacle, this practitioner regained her ability to walk confidently, and overcame the last illusory symptom of her stroke.
This fellow practitioner hosted a family reunion one day. Amid the festive atmosphere, her younger brother commented, “I witnessed them chanting the words “Nothing is truly unbearable or impossible.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun) With these words, she was able to walk. Isn’t this amazing!” Having witnessed her grandmother’s symptoms cured without medication or hospital treatment, her granddaughter wholeheartedly agreed, “It’s amazing!” Her son added, “The key is to firmly believe in Master!”
Her son drove this practitioner to visit her hometown soon after. Upon hearing that her stroke was rapidly cured without receiving medical treatment, her relatives marveled at the miracle Dafa produced.
Throughout her ordeal, we witnessed how merciful Master stayed by her side, enlightening, watching over, and protecting her through each stage of difficulty. We are grateful to Master for his great kindness!
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Category: Improving Oneself
