(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in early 2020, and I am grateful to Master Li Hongzhi for his compassionate salvation and for giving me a new life.

When I was in my 20s, I was a stubborn atheist. However, after experiencing many changes in my life, I fell into a long period of depression, especially after watching my mother tormented by a serious illness and eventually passing away. Life was exhausting, painful, and meaningless. I even thought about suicide several times. But each time I had that notion, I thought of how my family would react, which made me hold on and endure.

Years of depression, combined with the pressures of work and life, led me to develop serious health issues such as cervical spondylosis, arthritis, hyperplasia of the mammary glands, and gastroenteritis. Sometimes, I was in so much pain below my neck that I couldn’t move. On rainy days my knees ached, and my spleen and stomach were so weak that even a little cold food would give me diarrhea. I consulted both Western and traditional Chinese medicine doctors, but the treatments only addressed the symptoms, not the root cause. My health continued to deteriorate, and I felt that living was far too painful.

It wasn’t until the end of 2019 that the wheel of fate began to turn. With my husband’s support, I prepared to start my own business. I began looking for a storefront, and after considering many locations, nothing felt right until I finally found a place that was next to a shop owned by a previous colleague of mine. I had a strong intuition that being next to him would make me feel more secure. He had great character, and I believed he was a wonderful person when we worked together. He was cheerful, helpful, and had a great temper, so I had always trusted him. Later, I learned that he is Falun Dafa practitioner, which explained his outstanding qualities.

In late December 2019, I took over the store and began my entrepreneurial journey, which also marked the start of my cultivation path. As I opened a shop in a completely unfamiliar environment, I felt lost at first, but fortunately, my previous colleague (my new neighbor) was there to help and provide some support. After we finished work and had a meal together, I shared with him some of my thoughts and questions about life and the universe. He patiently answered each one of my inquiries.

When we had these conversations, I was shocked and wondered how he, with a low level of education, could answer these questions so well. He explained that he learned so much from reading the Falun Dafa books and shared the facts about Falun Dafa and the persecution with me. That’s when I realized I had been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for so long.

I told him that I had not known Dafa was so good, and wished he would have told me earlier. He replied: “You were young and full of yourself back then. You probably wouldn’t have believed it. Now the opportunity has come.” He helped me get a copy of Zhuan Falun and encouraged me to read it, so that I could understand more.

The COVID pandemic broke out during the Chinese New Year holiday in early 2020, and the city went into lockdown, which meant my shop couldn’t operate. I was frustrated and anxious, thinking: “I’ve just taken over this shop, and now I can’t do business—what am I going to do?” But then I realized that since Master had arranged for me to open a shop here, there must be a reason for it, and I wouldn’t be left unable to continue my business. My shop neighbor advised me not to overthink things and calm my heart. So, I settled in at home, doing housework during the day and studying the Fa at night.

The next day, I had a strange sensation in my leg. It was as if a warm hand was resting on my knee, giving a comforting, slightly aching sensation. I had previously injured my knee and was very sensitive to cold. I called my shop neighbor, and he told me it was a good sign, indicating that Master was looking after me. I didn’t fully understand what was happening and didn’t realize Master’s fashen (Law body) was cleansing me, but I was very happy knowing that I had Master’s care.

I read Zhuan Falun every night, sometimes staying up until two or three in the morning, without feeling tired. The more I read, the clearer my heart felt. When I came across the passage: “One should return to one’s original, true self; this is the real purpose of being human.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) I finally understood the true meaning of life. When I read the section on “killing”, I realized that suicide was a great sin. I cried for a long time after that, feeling so grateful that I hadn’t taken my life before, and that I had persevered through those years of suffering. I had finally found the truth of life and encountered this great opportunity to practice Dafa.

After starting my practice, Master cleansed my body and purified my mind, transforming me from a person who was weak, often sick, reliant on medication, insecure, sensitive, doubtful, and filled with negative thoughts, into a healthy, optimistic cultivator with a positive outlook on life, the world, and moral values. Every day, I bathed in the immense grace of the Buddha Fa and truly considered myself very fortunate.

I came to understand the preciousness of life and the mission of Dafa disciples. I am grateful to Master for compassionately pulling me out of hell and allowing me to gain a new life. The only way to repay Master’s grace and salvation is through diligent cultivation, and clarifying the truth to help Master save more people.

Many young people today are harmed by atheism and the theory of evolution. They do not understand the preciousness of life or the concept of the six fold path of reincarnation. When faced with pressure or difficulties, they may consider suicide, thinking it would bring them relief from their troubles. This is truly pitiful and regrettable. These people do not realize that suicide does not solve problems and will only create greater karma.

Human life is rare, and it is precious to be born in the human realm and encounter Falun Dafa. I hope that in the future, more and more young people will come to understand the value of life and the beauty of Dafa, cherish their lives, and distance themselves from the CCP.

The above is my personal cultivation experience at a limited level, please kindly point out anything not inline with the Fa.