(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1996. For over 20 years, Dafa has purified my body and uplifted my soul. I’d like to share some of my cultivation experiences to witness the wonder of Dafa and express my gratitude to Master Li.
Overcoming Depression
In 1992, my mother died in a car accident, and at 17, I suffered severe emotional trauma and became depressed, pessimistic, lonely, and insecure.
In 1996, I saw the book Zhuan Falun (the main book of Falun Dafa) in a colleague’s home. Soon after, I became a practitioner. I had found a way to return to my true home! Like clear spring water, Falun Dafa has cleansed my soul and guided me through life. I became confident and cheerful, no longer negative or insecure.
I worked as a clerk at my company. Because I typed for long periods each day, I developed severe tenosynovitis (inflammation of a tendon and its covering) in my wrists. Whenever I typed for a little too long or used my wrists forcefully, they would hurt and swell. A doctor at an orthopedic hospital told me there was no effective treatment. “Even surgery can only provide temporary relief, but it won’t cure it. Since you work as a typist, you’ll likely develop it again over time, and repeated surgeries will be required.”
I chose not to have surgery. When I had a heavy workload, I would pause to rest and relieve the pain when I could, but I became increasingly depressed.
After I began practicing Dafa, my wrist pain and stiffness disappeared before I knew it. No matter how long I typed or how much I used my hands, my wrists remained light and flexible. The tenosynovitis has not recurred. Falun Dafa is amazing!
Letting Go of Resentment, Treating My Brother Kindly
My father, nearly 70, had lingering effects from a stroke. He was still able to take care of himself, though his health was not as good as before. My brother, his wife, and their infant moved in with him while I was serving 18 months in a forced labor camp, which is one of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ways of persecuting Dafa followers. In early 2010, I returned home and was relieved to see my brother and his family living with my father. I took care of my father and helped look after the baby.
One evening when I returned home, I found my father alone. I asked why my brother and his wife were not there.
“Your brother has been pretending for some time now. He wanted to send you to a brainwashing center (another place to persecute Dafa practitioners) and demanded 10,000 yuan from me. He told me not to tell you about this.” My father said sadly, “I did not agree. I want you at home. So he became angry today, threatened me with a kitchen knife, and said he would kill me. In a fit of anger, I ordered them to leave.”
I couldn’t believe my ears—my brother and sister-in-law actually wanted to send me back into danger, even though I had just returned home from a forced labor camp. Then, when my father didn’t cooperate, they committed an ugly, unfilial act. I controlled my emotions, comforted my father, and helped him calm down. A few days later, my father asked my brother to permanently move all their belongings out of the house.
I already harbored resentment toward my brother and his wife. They never showed proper filial piety and often freeloaded off my father, asking him for money. My father would tremble with fear whenever he saw my brother. Now, their actions were even more morally reprehensible. They didn’t deserve to be called son and daughter-in-law. My resentment toward them intensified.
In November 2013, my 72-year-old father suffered another stroke and was rushed to the hospital. Two months later, although his life was saved, he was paralyzed and bedridden. He was unable to speak or eat and was kept alive with a feeding tube. Seeing my father’s condition, my brother and sister-in-law claimed they didn’t have time to care for him, so I had to assume sole responsibility.
I learned what to do little by little and helped my father turn over, changed his diapers, fed him, gave him medicine, brushed his teeth, suctioned his phlegm, helped him with bowel movements, and washed him. These tasks, which would be easy for healthy people, took a lot of time with my father. I was physically and mentally exhausted. The stress often kept me awake at night. However, I followed Dafa’s principles and treated the hardship as joy.
For several years, I harbored resentment toward my brother because he and his wife seldom shared the responsibility of caring for our father. I knew this was wrong and that I was far from Dafa’s standard. I decided to truly change myself from within.
I stopped dwelling on my brother's and wife’s shortcomings and focused on taking good care of my father and doing what I needed to do. My resentment toward them lessened. Sometimes, it still surfaced, but I controlled my thinking until it went away. I continued to read the Fa, and gradually my mindset improved.
One day in 2016, my sister-in-law called to say that my brother was in the hospital. He had suffered a stroke and wanted to see me. I felt sad. For several years, when my father was hospitalized, I had taken care of everything. Now, when my brother was sick, he turned to me.
I arranged for someone to care for my father and headed to the hospital. On the way, I realized that although I had let go of my resentment, I had not thoroughly clarified the truth about the persecution of Dafa to him. Both my brother and sister-in-law had quit the CCP, but my brother still believed the CCP’s lies about Dafa and sometimes even said disrespectful things about Master and Dafa. I would take this opportunity to talk to my brother about Dafa.
In the hospital, I did not waste time and talked with my brother in detail about Dafa. This time, he accepted what I said and wrote a solemn statement apologizing for his mistake. Soon after, his condition improved, and he was discharged from the hospital.
But my brother remained skeptical and stopped reciting “Falun Dafa is good.” About six months later, he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, which is incurable. I didn’t give up on him, and at every opportunity, I patiently explained Dafa to him, hoping he would accept the facts. Still, he didn’t change his opinion of Dafa.
In March 2020, the doctor informed me that my brother was in critical condition and could pass away at any moment. I arranged care for my father and rushed to the hospital. The doctor told me, “His heart is failing. His body is swollen, and he’s unable to urinate. You need to be prepared.” I didn’t tell my brother about his condition. I played a recording of Master’s teaching for him and told him not to think about his illness. Only then did I learn that my brother had been divorced for several years and that his 11-year-old son was the only one accompanying him during his hospital stay.
After listening to Master’s recorded lectures for three days, my brother began urinating profusely, and within two days, the swelling went down. A miracle had occurred—he was out of danger, and was discharged about a week later. Once again, Master saved my brother.
Over the course of seven years, my father was hospitalized many times. On multiple occasions, there was virtually no hope of his survival from a medical standpoint. Each time, I played recordings of Master’s teachings for him, and each time, Master compassionately brought my father back from the brink of death. In late October 2020, my father, who had been paralyzed and bedridden, passed away peacefully at the age of 80.
My brother asked me to teach him the exercises after he returned home from the hospital. For a period of time, his health improved. But he was still uncertain about practicing Falun Dafa.
In November, just after our father’s funeral, my brother was hospitalized again. I visited him at the hospital many times. I played Master’s teachings for him, hoping he would treasure the opportunities Master was giving him, one after another. It was a pity that he didn’t awaken. My brother passed away at the end of June 2021. He was only 49.
I paid all the costs, approximately 70,000 yuan, for my brother’s hospitalization and his funeral. I didn’t complain or hold a grudge against my sister-in-law, who had divorced my brother. I felt she was going through a very difficult time, being so young and having to care for their child on her own. I thought I should be supportive of her.
Although my brother has passed away, every year during the major holidays, I invite my nephew to my home for meals, encourage him to do well in school, and give him some money. When necessary, I correct the CCP’s lies instilled in him by the school textbooks, help him distinguish right from wrong, and tell him about the wonders of Dafa.
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Category: Improving Oneself
