(Minghui.org) I became a Falun Dafa practitioner before July 20, 1999, when the persecution started. Although my cultivation path has been full of trials, tribulations, hardships, and sorrows, I have experienced significant improvement in my mind and body. Dafa changed me for the better and bestowed indescribable joy to my life.
Growing Up With Traditional Family Teachings
I started living with my maternal grandparents when I was one year old. My grandfather was a carpenter who had worked for a wealthy family in his youth. The family possessed a large collection of books, which he read extensively in his spare time. When I was four, He began teaching me to recite Chinese classic texts, such as the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, and The Great Learning. During the coldest days of winter, he would draw a “Nine-Nine Winter-Dispelling Chart” and take me out each day to observe and record the weather. Every nine days would be accompanied by a traditional story. I still remember the third nine-day period story, “Flimsy Reed-Fluffed Coat” from the “Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars.”
My maternal grandmother was illiterate but knew many mythological stories. During summer evenings, while relaxing in the courtyard after dinner, she would point to the Milky Way and tell me stories like “The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl,” “The Seventh Fairy Descends to Earth,” and ghost stories specifically used to caution disobedient children. These traditional cultural stories reinforced my belief in gods and ghosts. I was deeply saddened when my grandfather passed away, but I thought to myself, “When someone dies, they don’t simply disappear. Grandpa is surely watching over me from somewhere.”
I returned to my parents when it was time to start school. There, I started reading Poems of One Thousand Writers and classical literature picture books such as Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
The traditional cultural knowledge I received in childhood turned out to be my great fortune. Growing up in an environment steeped in traditional culture facilitated my future attainment of Falun Dafa.
How My Family Members Successively Become Dafa Practitioners
As long as I can remember, my mother had suffered from poor health. Severe fatigue, eye pain from suspected glaucoma, a heart condition, stomach problems, and gynecological issues. Our drawers were filled with medication. My mother would frequently travel to large cities hundreds of miles away, consult renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in our neighborhood, try recommended folk remedies, and she had even started practicing various forms of qigong. But her illnesses continued to plague her.
Burdened by family responsibilities and work, my father developed chronic intestinal inflammation, hyperthyroidism, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure. His diastolic blood pressure in particular could reach up to 120 mmHg and remained uncontrollable despite medication. My parents’ poor health affected their moods, creating a tense atmosphere at home. This was especially true of my mother, who often became angry and irritable over trivial matters.
One day, a neighbor came to our house and said, “There’s a practice called Falun Dafa that’s very effective at improving health. I know you’re both unwell, so I specifically visited to tell you about it.” My mother told my father, “You should try it first. I’ll continue with my qigong. If it works for you, I’ll join you.” My father began practicing Falun Gong.
My father’s third eye opened soon after he started practicing. He told me, “While I was practicing the fifth set of exercises, I saw a row of Buddhas sitting on both my arms. I believe Master let me see this to strengthen my resolve, so I told Master, ‘Master, don’t worry, I will cultivate steadfastly to the end. Please close my third eye.’ My third eye closed afterward.”
My father’s blood pressure dropped to normal levels, and his ailments disappeared. My mother began practicing soon after, and as my parents’ health improved, the atmosphere at home became better. My sister and I started reading Zhuan Falun, and our whole family eventually became Falun Dafa practitioners. The improvement in my parents’ health also inspired eight of our relatives to begin practicing.
When my parents were still in poor health, I had focused my college application efforts toward getting into medical school. However, before I could graduate, my parents were completely cured by Falun Dafa. My mother later told me, “Back then, with two sick family members, we were determined to have you study medicine so it would be easier for us to seek medical treatment. But after practicing Falun Dafa, we became healthy and no longer need to visit a hospital. Even though you became a doctor for us, we never had an opportunity to use your skills.”
Overcoming an Illness Tribulation With a Righteous Mindset
I did not step into Falun Dafa for health reasons, but many minor ailments that had plagued me for years disappeared. For example, the chronic constipation that I had suffered for more than 20 years, and the stomach pain (symptomatic of duodenal ulcers) from doing night shifts, irregular eating, and sleeping habits, all vanished without me realizing.
One year, during a company-organized physical examination, a general surgeon touched my neck and said, “You have something growing here that is quite large, about two centimeters. Did you realize it? You should get it checked out!” Medically, the more isolated and painless a mass is, the higher its potential for malignancy. Yet I did not take the surgeon’s advice to heart, thinking, “I practice Falun Dafa, I’m not sick.” Although I did not follow up about the lump, fellow doctors started asking if I had gotten it checked, reminding me of its consequences. Unconsciously, I started touching the lump frequently.
Soon after, the lump on my neck grew larger and started hurting. As the pain intensified, even swallowing was painful. I also felt a chafing sensation when wearing my turtleneck. I started looking inward. Although outwardly I did not acknowledge the lump as an illness, an attachment still remained. Deep down, I harbored the thought that “practicing Falun Dafa is like having insurance, and any symptoms will quickly disappear.” I was seeking material benefits from Dafa, causing my symptoms to worsen. This was a reminder to let go of my worldly attachments to illness and mortality.
After recognizing my attachment, I stopped worrying about the lump. I began studying the Fa diligently and doing the exercises in my spare time.
One day not long after, while putting on my turtleneck, I realized the pain in my neck was gone, and the lump had disappeared. I felt indescribable joy and gratitude to Master!
The following year, a different surgeon examined me during my physical examination. He touched my neck and said, “You had something growing there before. It’s gone now, but I can feel a dent.”
Integrating Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance Into My Life and Work
I was honest, reliable, and hardworking as a child. Even after starting work at the hospital, I maintained this same image. My colleagues often told me, “Don’t treat everyone, especially unreasonable patients, so nicely or you’ll suffer.” At that time, although I felt my honesty had contributed to my suffering in some situations, I also could not understand why I should not be kind to others. How was I to interact with others, and what was the standard for being a good person? After practicing Falun Dafa, I found the answers, though my thoughts and actions still fall short of the target. I am determined to overcome my fear of suffering losses and become a better person according to the values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
“You Are Different from the Other Doctors”
During my residency, I rotated through a section in charge of geriatric patients. While most of the wards housed two to three beds, one ward had six beds designated for elderly patients with multiple illnesses who were unable to care for themselves. Some had been there for two or three years. Each patient had a caregiver of their own. Besides overcrowding due to the large number of people, the ward had a perpetually bad odor as the bedridden patients were forced to eat, drink, and defecate within the ward itself. Reluctant to stay in the ward for long, many doctors would perfunctorily ask a few basic questions before hastily leaving.
I was placed in charge of some patients in that ward. During ward rounds, I treated these patients no differently. I carefully inquired after their physical condition, conducted physical examinations, and instructed the caregivers caring for patients with cerebrovascular disease and aphasia to watch out for certain symptoms that could indicate a worsening condition. Other caregivers began asking me questions, which I patiently answered.
The caregivers were migrant workers from rural areas, and they lived alongside their charges in the ward. Having been reprimanded by hospital doctors or nurses, many displayed extreme respect toward the medical staff as they were afraid of losing their jobs. Instead of scolding them, I would teach the caregivers of patients under my care how to do things correctly. Caregivers from other beds would pay attention during my lessons, and over time, they began to ask me questions about patient care or consult me when they were not feeling well.
Although this heavily increased my workload, I knew a practitioner should strive to treat everyone with sincerity, kindness, and tolerance. Moreover, the more knowledgeable the caregivers were the faster the patients in the ward could recover, and that would contribute to an improved environment.
One day, a male nursing assistant whom I barely knew approached me, “I’ve worked in this hospital for many years and seen many doctors. Most of them look down on us since we come from rural areas, but you don’t. I’ve never met anyone like you. There seems to be something that sets you apart from the other doctors, so if you have time to spare, I’d like to converse with you further.” As this was a chance to tell him about the goodness of Falun Dafa, I agreed. Regretfully, I was transferred to another section soon after and never got a chance to see him again.
“I Transferred Here Because the Hemodialysis Unit Has a Very Responsible Doctor”
My hospital’s hemodialysis unit is relatively large compared to other hospitals. However, as the hospital is less prestigious, it has poorer quality equipment and support facilities. Many dialysis patients received by my hospital are those who were rejected from larger hospitals. Mainly elderly patients with multiple complications, or patients from impoverished families with poor adherence to treatment.
When I first started working in the hemodialysis unit, everyone said, “You’ve gotten a good posting. Doctors in charge of dialysis have it easy. Treatment is straightforward, as you just need to hook up the patient to a dialysis machine.” But in reality, the situation is more complex than that.
Dialysis treatment must routinely be administered for life, and high treatment costs are a major expense for the patient’s family. Besides learning about each patient’s medical history and current condition, hemodialysis doctors also have to consider the family’s financial situation. Doctors proceed to develop a suitable treatment plan for each patient only after extensive discussions with family members.
When I arrived, I was placed in charge of 100 dialysis patients, each with varying conditions. The diverse temperaments of their family members, and having to understand and connect with my patients and their families, required a considerable amount of effort and hard work.
One day, a female patient in her 60s requested a transfer from a top-tier national hospital to my hospital. She had been on dialysis for nearly 10 years and was not only in good health but also came from a well-off family. Both she and her husband were highly educated. After gaining an understanding of her condition and treatment history, I developed a treatment plan. She was very compliant and adapted quickly to the new environment.
Everyone in the hemodialysis department was mystified. What had prompted this affluent patient to transfer from a prestigious hospital to our lower-tier hospital? The patient and I became familiar with each other after some time, and she opened up to me one day, “After receiving dialysis at my previous hospital for so many years, I was hesitant to transfer.
“But as we were moving further away, it became inconvenient to continue treatment at the same hospital. I eventually decided to transfer here. Besides being closer to home, there’s another more important reason. Do you know what that is?” When I shook my head, she continued, “Before transferring, I did a lot of research on your hospital. After all, I would have to continue treatment for the rest of my life, and both hospitals offered different standards of care.
“When I inquired with an acquaintance working at your hospital, he told me, ‘We have a new hire (referring to me), who is medically proficient and responsible. You can transfer here with peace of mind!’ Acting on his advice, I came over. After receiving treatment from you, I can confirm that my acquaintance was right. I intend to continue my dialysis here!”
Grateful for her praise, I found a suitable opportunity to let her know I practice Falun Dafa, which teaches us to be good people according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and to be considerate of others. I described the benefits of practicing Falun Dafa and explained the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China. The patient listened carefully and agreed with what I told her.
“Your Mother Is the Most Magnanimous”
From a young age, I focused on cultivating good habits and independence in my daughter. She would jump out of bed at my call each morning, pack her own kindergarten schoolbag after finishing her homework, and store her belongings (such as books and clothes) neatly. I did not demand that she get perfect scores or aim to be first in class. Rather, I advised her to cultivate good learning habits, such as paying attention in class, completing her homework on time, and asking the teacher if she had questions.
I also taught my daughter to get along with her classmates at school, advising her to overlook their shortcomings and improve herself according to the positive qualities they displayed. Even though my daughter’s grades are average, she continues to maintain a simple, happy, and kind personality.
One day, my daughter came home from school. With eyes full of admiration and free of jealousy, she told me, “My classmate won first prize in a city-wide competition! She’s amazing!”
My daughter decided to grow her hair long. I braided it into a small ponytail for her each day, but soon received a request from her to cut it off. When I asked her why, she said, “Some mischievous boys in my class keep touching my ponytail whenever they walk past me. I don’t want to argue with them, so it’s better we cut it off.” I replied, “That’s good. Your classmates mean no harm, so don’t argue with them over this small thing. You can grow your hair out when you’re older and braid it yourself.” My daughter nodded in agreement.
My daughter was in second grade when I received a call from her homeroom teacher one day. Her teacher apologized, saying, “Your child was playing with a classmate. The classmate was carrying her on her back when she lost her balance and dropped her. Your daughter landed on her head and now has a big bump on her forehead. Her classmate’s parents are here, saying they want to apologize to you in person when you fetch your child.”
I replied, “It’s alright. It’s inevitable for children to fall while playing. My husband and I will be working late today. Neither of us will be able to fetch my daughter from school today, so my husband’s colleague will pick her up. There is no need to keep the other classmate’s parents waiting. It’s nothing serious; there is no need to apologize. I’m sure it will be fine in a few days.”
My daughter’s teacher gratefully said, “Thank you! Thank you for understanding! Any other parent would have argued and blamed the school for not taking good care of their child, even demanding the other parent take the child to the hospital. We’ve encountered situations like that before. This is the first time I’ve encountered someone so understanding.”
I examined the huge, egg-sized bump on my daughter’s head after returning home from work. When my daughter cried and said it hurt, I took an ice pack and put it on the bump, saying, “It’s okay, Mom is a doctor. I’ll make it stop hurting in a little while. You did a great job today!” My daughter stopped crying and smiled after hearing my words. She then went to play while holding the ice pack to her head.
Near the end of the semester, my daughter came home from school one day and excitedly said, “Mom, the teacher praised you in class today!” I replied, “Really? What did the teacher say?” My daughter replied, “The teacher said my mother is the most magnanimous!”
This incident had a significant impact on my daughter, and she became much more tolerant and forgiving during her interactions with others. My practice of Falun Dafa has unconsciously influenced my daughter.
Concluding Remarks
After reflecting on my 20-year cultivation journey, I have come to realize that keeping Dafa’s teachings in my heart, looking inward when encountering problems, and using the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to guide my words and actions are key to showing the goodness of Falun Dafa to those around me. As long as I walk my cultivation path well, Master will arrange the best and enable me to return to my true home.
