(Minghui.org) In the summer of 1999, media outlets around the world re-posted reports that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had launched a sweeping crackdown on the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa.

At the time, a couple in Taiwan were watching the news when their attention was drawn to images of tens of thousands of people quietly practicing the Falun Dafa exercises together in a public square.

Mr. Xufeng Gan, who was then in his 40s, listened to the news about the CCP’s persecution and found himself thinking, “I know nothing about this practice, but the Party has always persecuted good people. If so many people persist in practicing Dafa despite the danger, it must be truly good. Otherwise, why would the Party be so afraid of it?”

During that period of time, Mr. Gan’s health began to deteriorate. A severe cold lingered for more than a week without any sign of improvement. After years of smoking and drinking, he began to realize just how important good health is.

Then, as if by fate, something unexpected happened. Jinxian Lin, Mr. Gan’s wife, came across a small business card in a bookstore with these words printed on it: "Falun Gong - Free Classes." 

Looking at the card his wife had brought home, Mr. Gan recalled the television news report about the crackdown. Without hesitation, he dialed the number on the card.

To his surprise, the person who answered said that evening was the first day of a free nine-day introductory class,  and it was about to start in 30 minutes. Mr. Gan immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll be right there.”

That decision not only reinforced the thoughts he had while watching the news, but also marked the beginning of a journey that would change the course of the couple’s lives.

Awakening From an Aimless Life of Indulgence

Mr. Gan had a regular group of friends with whom he played mahjong, drank, and smoked every evening. On the day of the class, he told his friends, “Tonight, I’m going to check out what this is all about. I’ll play with you tomorrow.”

To his surprise, a miracle happened. The class lasted two to three hours. Under normal circumstances, he couldn’t go even half an hour without a cigarette without feeling restless and uncomfortable. However, throughout the entire session, the thought of smoking never once crossed his mind. Mr. Gan was astonished, thinking, “How could this happen? It’s so strange!”

The next day, although he had arranged to meet his friends to play mahjong, he chose to keep attending the nine-day lecture series instead. By the third day, Mr. Gan’s friends couldn’t believe he was still going to the lecture series and were all shocked that he broke his promise to play with them.

By the fourth day, it was as though Mr. Gan had awakened from years of drunkenness and aimless living—he finally understood the true purpose of life.

That evening, he told his friends: “You don’t need to wait for me anymore. I’ve found a true cultivation way. I’m determined to devote myself to cultivation practice and becoming a better person. From now on, I won’t join you to smoke, drink, or play mahjong.”

Mahjong requires four players, and it’s hard to play a game if one person is missing. Mr. Gan’s friends couldn’t understand how he could simply give up everything overnight. They all assumed it was just a passing phase and he would soon return. Yet, 27 years have passed, and Mr. Gan has never gone back to those gatherings.

The changes in Mr. Gan extended beyond his lifestyle and character. He used to suffer from such severe pain in his elbow that he could barely hold a bowl. Yet, soon after he began practicing and doing the exercises, the pain disappeared without any medical intervention.

He gave up his addictions to smoking and drinking, which he had done for over a decade, in just a few months.

Transformed From a Chauvinist Into a Considerate Husband

Mr. Gan’s dramatic transformation was perhaps most astonishing to his wife Jinxian Lin.

Previously, Mr. Gan had been a chauvinistic husband with a razor-sharp tongue. His wife described him vividly: “It was as if he had a knife in his mouth. Even though his words had cut someone deeply and left them emotionally wounded, he still had no idea what he had done. He never considered if what he said might hurt other people’s feelings.”

But after he began practicing Falun Dafa, this once selfish man became willing to share the burden of household chores. He started sweeping and mopping the floors, washing dishes, and doing the laundry. So when Mr. Gan asked his wife: “Would you like to take the children to attend the nine-day seminar and learn more about it?” she agreed immediately.

Mrs. Gan said that she had never enjoyed reading. However, every word and sentence in the book Zhuan Falun contained profound principles that she had never heard before. She felt as though a clear spring had flowed into her heart, allowing her to experience, for the first time, the joy and happiness that reading could bring.

She said, “The book was so thick, but the more I read, the more I liked it. I almost finished the entire book in a single day. I surprised myself.” She began applying Dafa’s principles in daily life, reflecting on her words and actions, and personally experienced the wonders of Dafa.

Quick Recovery After Falling Down the Stairs

On her way to the park to do the exercises, Mrs. Gan tripped down the stairs, leaving one side of her body badly bruised.

Despite the pain, she gritted her teeth and continued to the park, where she completed all five exercises. The moment she finished and lowered her hands, the intense pain on that side of her body suddenly disappeared. Her bruises healed with remarkable speed and she soon felt fine again.

Mr. and Mrs. Gan doing the fifth exercise, the sitting meditation (Minghui.org)

Mrs. Gan recalled another painful experience: “When I was in labor, I was given a spinal anesthetic. The doctor had to insert the needle several times before it finally worked.” Even now, that memory still haunts her.

Although the child was born safely, the anesthetic left her with serious, long-term aftereffects. Whenever the weather turned rainy or damp, excruciating pain would shoot through her back and spine, leaving her unable to stand up straight. The agony was so intense that she had to go to the hospital for intravenous infusions to get relief.

The ordeal that had tormented her for over a decade came to an end in an extraordinary way after she had been practicing Falun Dafa for some time.

One day, Mrs. Gan experienced a sudden pain in her lower spine, then a hard lump appeared there, which really bothered her. Mr. Gan looked and saw an abscess had formed precisely where she had been given the anesthetic during childbirth years earlier.

Mr. Gan said, “I helped squeeze it out, and a toothpaste-like substance just kept coming out in a long stream. It was several centimeters long.”

From that day on, Mrs. Gan never suffered from lower back pain again. Her aches disappeared completely, and she regained her health.

Driver Witnesses a Practitioner's Compassion After a Traffic Accident

In March this year, Mrs. Gan was in a terrible accident. While riding a motorbike, she was hit by a car with tremendous force. There was a loud screeching sound from the car brakes, and Mrs. Gan was thrown to the ground.

She slowly got up and brushed the dirt off her clothes. She didn’t blame the shaken and distressed driver. Instead, she comforted them, saying, “I’m fine. Don’t worry, I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

Mrs. Gan later recalled, “The impact was tremendous, as both vehicles were badly damaged, but I survived without any injuries. At that very moment, I knew that Master had protected me. My heart was filled with gratitude. The thought of blaming the driver or asking for compensation didn’t even cross my mind.”

Steadfastly Defending Justice Despite the Passage of Time

Mr. and Mrs. Gan are now both in their 60s. Every year on July 20, the couple is filled with profound emotions.

Mr. Gan said, “In 1999, we began practicing Falun Dafa after seeing the news reports about the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of Falun Gong. Our whole family has benefited from Dafa. The good health we enjoy and the harmonious relationships and happiness in our family life are all due to Dafa.”

Mr. Gan and his family practice Falun Gong together in harmony. (Minghui.org)

“Now that such a wonderful practice is being persecuted, we feel we must stand up and speak out for what is right. This is the most basic principle of being a human being.”

This brutal and inhumane persecution has torn thousands of families apart in mainland China and caused countless innocent people to lose their lives. However, tyranny cannot silence the voice of justice. Over the past 27 years, after learning the truth, more and more people have chosen to embrace and practice Falun Gong, following a new path towards health, inner peace, and a better life.