(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2017. Before this, I was weak-willed, self-deprecating, and quiet. My unhappy marriage made me even more self-conscious, and I seldom interacted with people. After I started practicing Falun Dafa, my outlook on life fundamentally changed. My personality became more cheerful. I am no longer heavyhearted, and I feel fulfilled and happy. The joy of obtaining the Fa is beyond words—I even feel like jumping while walking, and I truly want to shout to the heavens, “I have Master and Dafa now!”
I’d like to share how Falun Dafa cultivation helped me overcome unfortunate family events, and how I improved myself in the process.
My Brother’s Passing
My mother began practicing Falun Dafa early on, and always encouraged me to do the same. However, I was afraid of the pain of sitting in meditation, and didn’t think I could endure the hardship. So I didn’t start practicing then.
A significant event later happened in our family. My brother, who was the pillar of our household, was diagnosed with liver and bone cancer. The doctors said he had only two months to live. My mother urged my brother to practice Falun Dafa, but he was unwilling. Later, my aunt, also a practitioner, came to our house with a copy of Zhuan Falun and persuaded my brother, saying, “If you truly practice, Master will cleanse your body. You’ll understand when you read the book.”
My brother listened to our aunt and began doing the exercises with my mother. I often encouraged him, saying, “Please give it a try, make sure you give it a try.” I hoped for a miracle for his health.
Other practitioners often visited my brother and mother during that period. On one occasion, a practitioner said to me, “You should practice, too. This Fa is really good. How wonderful it would be if your whole family practiced together.” Each time this practitioner visited, he encouraged me. Finally, one day, I picked up Zhuan Falun.
The first time I watched Master’s Guangzhou Lectures video, I was unexpectedly in tears all the way through. At that time, I was only studying the Fa and doing the exercises, and didn’t understand how to cultivate my character. I later heard from fellow practitioners that memorizing the Fa helps one to improve quickly, so I started memorizing the Fa.
During the process, I often missed words or lines. And once I managed to memorize a passage, I forgot it the next day and had to start over. However, I wasn’t afraid of hardship and persisted at it daily. With Master’s support, I memorized Zhuan Falun six times. As a result, I understand more Fa principles, and my body has since changed significantly. Relatives have remarked, “You look at least ten years younger than your peers.” My mother said, “Your complexion is really nice, even better than your daughter’s.”
Although my brother did the exercises, he couldn’t truly cultivate. Falun Dafa is about cultivation, not about curing diseases. But even though my brother couldn’t let go of attachments, Master still extended his life and gave him a chance—the doctors said he had “at most two months” to live, but he lived for over a year before sadly passing away.
When my brother died, our family lost its pillar. My parents were nearly 80 years old, and all the family responsibilities then fell on me. When my brother was alive, he took care of everything for our family. I relied on him, consulted with him on everything, and treated him like an older brother. He was tolerant, and genuinely cared for me like a brother. When he left, I felt lost and heavyhearted.
After he was gone, I often saw his image in my mind. He was kind and righteous, always willing to help others, and well-liked. After he died, I shed countless tears, missing him. I knew that emotion was an attachment, and that I could improve only by letting it go. I kept studying and memorizing the Fa, which helped me let go of my attachment to my brother.
My mother kept asking me the same question for a long time, “Where is your brother? Why did he leave me?” Seeing her in tears made my heart ache. I restrained myself and thought, “Now I’m different than before. I am a practitioner.” My brother passed away before completing his journey, meaning his predestined relationship with the family was limited. I comforted my mother, saying, “Don’t think about this anymore. Improve yourself quickly. All the gods and Buddhas in heaven are watching us.”
Although I comforted her in this way, sometimes the waves of emotion would break through the dam of reason. During the Qingming Festival, while visiting his grave, I cried uncontrollably. Looking at the mound of earth, I thought this wasn’t his final resting place; he must have gone to a better place. My spirits gradually lifted by continually letting go of my attachment. From the bottom of my heart, I felt that Master had guided me through those difficult days.
One time a friend of my brother, who is also a practitioner, said he dreamed of my brother floating in the heavens, wearing the white garments of a celestial being. The practitioner said that Master wanted me to let go of my attachment and not be sad, because my brother had gone to a beautiful place. I thought this was true as well. The cycle of life and death, coming and going, is about repaying debts and fulfilling karmic ties. When a person dies, their worldly bonds end. Holding on to these attachments only tortures oneself. Practicing Falun Dafa can change one’s destiny and lead to a bright future.
My Husband Leaves Me
Less than a year after my brother passed away, I encountered another heartbreaking event when my husband left me.
When I married my husband, we were not each other’s first spouses. He was divorced, and his family struggled financially, with no house or car. He never contributed his salary to the household expenses.
After my brother passed away, my husband insisted that my father’s property deed should include his name. I said, “My brother just passed away, and our parents are still grieving. Please don’t bring this up now.” He disagreed and demanded 200,000 yuan from my father. He argued with me, treated my parents rudely, and insisted on getting the money. At that time, I had just started practicing Falun Dafa, and my xinxing was not high. I was deeply hurt, and realized he was not someone I could rely on for life. I gave him 100,000 yuan, and we finalized our divorce.
After he left, I felt very bitter and resented him for a long time. With no man in the house, I didn’t collapse, I just quietly held the family together.
Looking back, I realize my husband was pitiable. This was a regretful situation, and with my current xinxing, I might have been able to stay with him. Falun Dafa has taught me that letting go of attachments is the key to improvement.
My Father’s Passing
After my brother passed away, my father’s spirits were very low. He often sat alone, lost in thought and tears. He started to have severe rectal bleeding in late 2020, and it worsened over time. Later on, my father wanted to practice Falun Dafa. My mother and I were very happy that he wanted to practice.
After he started practicing Falun Dafa, my father’s health improved significantly, and he stopped needing medications. His chronic conditions, including rhinitis, high blood pressure, and angina got better. Before practicing, he was diagnosed with having a stone in his ureter. The doctors had said it couldn’t be treated with laser, and required surgery, which my father didn’t want. After he began to practice Dafa, the stone passed naturally from his body. My father said, “This is truly miraculous.”
My father had only attended school for two years. So when he first started reading the Fa, he often added or missed words, and his reading was slow. When I corrected him, he was reluctant and sometimes argued with me. After many corrections, he became annoyed and complained.
My father was once doing the exercises incorrectly. So I pointed it out to him, and while he corrected it at the time, he reverted to the same mistakes the next day. When I corrected him again, he resisted, saying, “Do you think you’re practicing so well? It’s like the pot calling the kettle black.” He also said, “The movements are secondary; you must cultivate your xinxing, your xinxing, your xinxing...” He repeated this like a broken record. I knew that Master was using his words to enlighten me.
I genuinely wanted to help my father improve quickly and move past his illness, but my words didn’t help and ended up hurting him. His health declined sharply, and he could only lie down.
My father passed away on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. The passing of my father and brother showed me the seriousness of cultivation.
Helping My Mother Overcome Sickness Karma
After my father passed away, my mother fell into great suffering. We had lost two family members within just a few years. My mother often said, “I always feel their presence. Are they calling me?” I told her, “Mom, this is a big loophole. You need to have righteous thoughts. Let Master take care of us. Don’t let any demon tempt you. Send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the interference!”
However, my mother’s health continued to decline. She became weak, had a persistent cough, lost her appetite, and felt frail. Seeing her condition, I thought that only Master and Dafa could save her. I said to her, “Your attachments to your son and husband create a big loophole. You must let go of them quickly, or it could be dangerous.” I helped my mother send forth righteous thoughts for a long time, encouraged her to be steadfast in Dafa, played Master’s lectures for her, and had her read articles about overcoming sickness karma. She was very strong-willed. She endured physical discomfort and persisted in studying the Fa and doing the exercises.
During this time, I also struggled with unstable thoughts. I often had negative thoughts, “What will happen to this family if my mother passes away? What will I do?” I was afraid and dared not think about it further. However, I knew this was not righteous thinking, and I strongly rejected those thoughts!
My mother then began to vomit, had swelling in her face and legs, and a pained expression. One day, a fellow practitioner visited and said, “If she doesn’t go to the hospital in this condition, ordinary people won’t understand, and it will reflect poorly on Dafa. We shouldn’t go to extremes.” So, my mother was hospitalized. The doctors said her condition was hazardous. Faced with this situation, I asked Master for help. I sent forth righteous thoughts to thoroughly deny the evil’s arrangements and persecution of her body! I firmly believed that my mother was under Master’s care, and what the doctors said didn’t matter.
My mother stayed in the intensive care unit for three days, and her condition stabilized. On the fourth day, she was transferred to a regular ward.
One evening my mother suddenly seemed terrified and asked me to look to her right. I saw another patient lying in the bed, but there was nothing unusual. However, my mother kept urgently gesturing to me. I guessed that she might be seeing something from another dimension. So, I wrote on a piece of paper, “Recite, ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,’ and ask Master to save you.” My mother followed my instructions, and she immediately calmed down. She later told me, “I saw a person in black clothes with a fierce face, wielding a knife, and waving it at me.”
On the fifth day, my mother’s tests results were normal. She said, “Let’s go home. I haven’t studied the Fa or done the exercises for several days. I need to catch up.” However, the doctors disagreed and wanted to observe her for a few more days.
My mother was discharged from the hospital on the tenth day. Before leaving, her blood samples were sent to a provincial hospital for testing to determine if there were any cancer cells. The results came back normal. It was a compassionate Master who saved my mother.
Conclusion
I didn’t initially intend to write this article, but Master gave me hints twice to write about my “experiences and understandings.” I thought that since Master had given me hints, I should do it. This is the first time I have written an article, and I wanted to give up several times. A fellow practitioner encouraged me, and I finally managed to finish it.
I deeply understand that without practicing Falun Dafa and without Master’s guidance, with so many significant events happening in my family one after another, as a weak woman, I don’t know if I would have survived to today. The stormy road I’ve traveled has made me appreciate the preciousness of Dafa and the compassion of Master even more. I am grateful to Master.
Dafa disciples are like a pure land. The fellow practitioners I’ve encountered are all kind, simple, and selfless. They help others without expecting anything in return. One fellow practitioner even gave me a computer for free so I could access the Minghui website, which was even kinder than some of my relatives.
Practicing Falun Dafa is the only thing that can free people, elevate them, and liberate them from the cycle of reincarnation! Every morning, when I offer incense at Master’s portrait, I do so with reverence and deep gratitude, thanking Master for saving me! I am honored, happy, and proud to be a Dafa disciple!
(Selected submission in celebration of World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)
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