(Minghui.org) Nikhil Govind, an electronics engineer, said he often wondered about the universe when he was a child. When he first read Zhuan Falun, Falun Dafa’s main text, in 2005, he never imagined that a book about spirituality could offer such extensive scientific explanations in simple, accessible language while unraveling the mysteries of life and death, the universe, and beyond.

“Zhuan Falun is the book that changed my life forever—it truly is a shining light in the darkness,” he said.

“I believe what the founder of Falun Dafa, Master Li Hongzhi, has revealed in Zhuan Falun can bring about a paradigm shift in the field of science if these higher-level principles are studied and understood with an open mindset,” said Govind.

Nikhil Govind with Zhuan Falun (Minghui.org)

The Intersection of Two Separate Worlds

Before he found Falun Dafa, Govind practiced other forms of qigong and energy exercises. He said, however, that the teachings of Falun Dafa are unlike anything he previously encountered.

“I used to think science and spirituality were mutually exclusive. I never imagined that one day I would come across a book that explains spirituality with modern science,” he said.

To illustrate this, Govind refers to a section from Zhuan Falun titled “Different Levels Have Different Fa.” He said that different material worlds have different laws, which let him gain more understanding of the Fa revealed in Zhuan Falun.

“Just look at some of the principles of quantum mechanics—and how strangely different this field of science is from classical science. Scientists even described it as ‘spooky,’ where the mere act of observation changes the outcome. I’ve actually gained a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics through studying Zhuan Falun.”

He added that the science of spirituality is very different from our empirical science. It’s therefore easy for people who do not understand or believe in qigong practices, energy-based healing, or supernormal powers to become closed-minded and dismiss them as superstition.

“In my opinion, the science behind energy-based practices cannot be understood from an ordinary perspective because it follows higher-level principles and higher moral standards that help a person control their emotions and attachments. Genuine energy-based practices can have transformative effects on the body. Even modern science acknowledges that meditation alone can rewire the brain.”

Experiencing for Himself How Mind Changes Body

Govind said that his own experience with Falun Dafa is evidence of how meditation and spirituality can deliver material benefits to a person’s body.

Since childhood, he suffered from asthma, lactose intolerance, and chronic fatigue. The first thing he noticed after just a few weeks of practice was that his fatigue lessened greatly, and he felt energetic throughout the day.

But asthma still bothered him. Based on his own spiritual understanding at the time, he believed his asthmatic condition reflected some dark and heavy emotional knot in his inner world that he had yet to discover.

As he continued reading Zhuan Falun, he gained a deeper understanding of human life and the moral principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. One day, he realized the root cause of his asthma was resentment.

Govind’s childhood wasn’t pleasant because his father was addicted to alcohol. He lived in constant fear and worry, thinking he’d be beaten at any time. Hatred and resentment were quietly taking root in his heart.

“I wasn’t sure what I was doing wrong at the time until I began practicing Falun Dafa. I realized that the real cause of my suffering was karma I accrued in my past life by treating my father the same way he treated me in this lifetime,” he said.

“The soul is eternal. I have also come to understand the principle of causality, that is, goodness always reaps rewards and bad deeds are always met with bad luck,” he said.

With this humbling thought, Govind said, he felt his grief and resentment melting away, and the sense of unfairness and injustice that suffocated him for years began to subside. During the first six months of his practice, he felt he was able to let go of a large amount of the negativity. As time went on, sometimes those feelings would resurface, but he felt that he was able to reject them and remain unaffected by them. After a few years, he realized that the resentment was hardly there anymore.

“As I continued to let go of these dark and heavy emotions, I started feeling much lighter, and soon after that I experienced changes in my body—my asthma and digestive issues disappeared without a trace. I felt healthy and energetic,” he added.

Govind said, “This is what I personally experienced through studying the book and doing the exercises. After letting go of the bitter feelings for my father, I was able to heal our relationship and could also see his suffering. Fortunately, after a while, my father was able to completely overcome his alcohol addiction. Since then, both my mother and father have started reading Zhuan Falun and they wholeheartedly embraced Dafa.”

Nikhil does the fifth Falun Dafa exercise. (Minghui.org)

Letting Go of Comparison and Competitiveness

As a child in India, Govind was very reclusive and introverted. Compared to some more extroverted peers around him, he always thought he wasn’t smart. This inner dialogue pushed him to ruminate on everything and left him stressed about his future.

“For the first time after reading Zhuan Falun, I felt that smartness wasn’t necessarily the best quality for a human being. I learned that there are other qualities and virtues in life that are far more significant—and that there was a path for me to explore my own inner self and its connection to the greater universe,” he said.

He said that Zhuan Falun’s spiritual teachings of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance dissolved all his worries and helped him understand the principle of cause and effect in life. “I feel relieved from the pressure of everyday life. Now I do not have to struggle and compete endlessly or pursue happiness relentlessly. All I have to do is follow the course of nature and be content—it is such an incredible, blissful feeling. Many of the notions and ideas I had about fighting for a good life just disappeared.

“It’s quite a blissful feeling not having to chase after or compete for benefits and personal gains. Interestingly, even though I take these things lightly and don’t pursue them, I always feel that I gain more naturally,” he said.

Sharing the Practice With More People

Govind now resides in Wellington, New Zealand with his family, and Falun Dafa is part of his life. He studies Zhuan Falun every day and does the five exercises. In his free time, he also holds free meditation teaching sessions for his local community.

He recently established a Falun Dafa practice site near his workplace, which is at the heart of the city, and many people come. He often interacts with visitors to share the beauty and wonderfulness of practicing Falun Dafa and how the Chinese Communist Party has been persecuting the peaceful practice since 1999.

Govind and others do the exercises at the Falun Dafa practice site he started near his workplace. (Minghui.org)

For Govind, this is his way of making his society a little bit better. “When people truly value Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance over their self-interest, it can truly have a transformative and uplifting effect,” he said.

He also teaches his six-year-old son the principles of Falun Dafa, in the hope that they can guide his son to grow into a healthy and empathetic young man.

Govind first introduced his son to Hong Yin, a collection of poems written by Master Li, as he thought his son was too young to study Zhuan Falun. The English translation of the book is over 300 pages long and written at a level beyond elementary school reading.

However, one day the young boy took Zhuan Falun and began reading. The next day he again picked up the book and he read the first lecture.

“The next day, my son sat on the couch and read the second lecture in its entirety—and in the following days, he completed lectures three through seven without any prompting from us,” said Govind. “He was so focused on what he was reading that he noticed nothing else happening around him. He’s inspired all of us by the way he reads Zhuan Falun. He won’t quit until he finishes a lecture,” said Govind.

Govind’s six-year-old child reads Zhuan Falun and hands out flyers. (Minghui.org)

Govind said the most striking aspect of the Falun Dafa cultivation practice is that it is taught free of charge around the world, yet it offers many benefits.

“Nothing is asked of you except to become a better version of yourself. No money, no donation, no worship, no rituals—just pure goodness, and nothing but goodness,” he said.

Unfortunately, Falun Dafa has faced brutal suppression in China by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999. Nikhil said that his heart cries out for those being persecuted to death in China simply because they strive to become better people.

He said, “Freedom of belief is a fundamental human right, and no one should lose their life for having faith, let alone for believing in the universally accepted values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”

“I’d like to wish my sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Master Li, for his amazing saving grace and boundless compassion in offering humanity a path forward to a new epoch—a golden age rooted in traditional values and culture,” he concluded.