(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in the fall of 1998. Before that, I hadn’t heard of Falun Dafa, let alone did I know that it’s a cultivation practice of the Buddha school that can improve physical health and elevate one’s moral character.
I once noticed a colleague holding a book and asked her, “What book is that?” She replied, “It’s Zhuan Falun.” I asked, “Can I borrow it to take a look?” She agreed. And from that day, I embarked on the path of Dafa cultivation.
Back then, my health was terrible, and I was deeply depressed. I suffered from angina, headaches, and insufficient blood supply to my heart and brain. I also had glaucoma in both eyes—including elevated intraocular pressure and frequent eye pain. This growing list included arthritis and skin allergies. My mother even remarked, “You are riddled with ailments!” My suffering was indescribable.
Although I did not take up cultivation for the purpose of curing my illnesses, within six months, all my ailments vanished without my even realizing it.
Now that I’m a Falun Dafa practitioner, it’s truly wonderful to be free of disease. I never dreamed I would encounter Master Li Hongzhi, who teaches such a magnificent Fa. I am fortunate beyond measure—this is what I’d been searching for through my many reincarnations!
I was as happy as could be. Every day, after getting off work and eating dinner, I would listen to recordings of Master’s lectures in Jinan. The more I listened, the more I understood, and the happier I became. Master teaches the Fa for cultivating Buddhahood. Dafa guides people to be good, restores physical health, and is encountered perhaps only once in 10,000 years—a true Fa of the universe that has never been taught since the dawn of creation.
Cultivating Within My Family Environment
When my sister-in-law was visiting, she inspected some eggplants I had bought and asked, “Why did you buy so many? Can you finish them all before they go bad? Four or five would have been enough. How much were they per jin [one jin is about 1.1 pounds]?” I replied, “0.99 yuan.” She commented, “You just buy whatever is cheap—you always pick the cheapest things! What are you saving money for? For your son?” I replied, “It’s not really about saving for my son; I just buy a few extra vegetables when the price is low.”
Her harsh words left a bitter taste in my mouth. I thought, “She interferes with everything—even the groceries I buy. She should mind her own household instead of meddling in ours.” Although I didn’t say anything to her, I was furious. However, I later realized my reaction was wrong. Wasn’t Master Li using her words to help me eliminate my attachment to personal gain, my habit of taking advantage of small bargains, and my inability to accept criticism? It was a small incident, yet it exposed so many of my attachments. She was actually helping me improve my xinxing. I realized that I should thank her.
I recall another time when my sister-in-law was having a meal at our home. She said to my husband, “Your meals are too vegetarian; you need to have some meat. Without meat, how can you get proper nutrition? Isn’t the whole point of earning money to eat well?” She said this several times. The implication was that her mother (who lived with us) wasn’t getting enough meat, and that we were mistreating her. My husband replied, “We just had pork knuckle yesterday.”
My sister-in-law frequently found fault with us, nitpicking and complaining that this or that wasn’t right. In fact, my mother-in-law has lived with us for 10 years, and we have never mistreated her. We always prepare whatever she wants. She loves meat, barbecue, alcohol, and liquid-based foods. She starts the morning with a bowl of honey water. For breakfast, she might have a bowl of powdered milk, powdered soy milk, or the sweet flour soup typical of our hometown, to which she adds black sesame, cucumber seed, and lettuce seed powders. She also has an egg and a steamed bun.
After breakfast, my husband accompanies her on a stroll, then she heads to the neighborhood square to chat with the other elderly ladies. Around 9:30 a.m., she returns home for a snack of red dates, walnuts, or fruit.
For lunch, we usually prepare several dishes tailored to her tastes, frequently serving staples like spare ribs, roast chicken or duck, and various deli meats. She likes a small glass of baijiu (a colorless liquor) with lunch, or a can of beer in the summer. We also vary the staples, serving dumplings—which she loves—about once a week. We do our utmost to care for her. She often exclaims, “I’m living the life of an immortal!”
My husband has four sisters. But we handle everything, sparing her daughters any expense or worry, and we never compare ourselves to them. Filial piety [respect and devotion to one’s elders] is the foremost virtue; as long as we fulfill our duty and keep our conscience clear, that is enough—for Heaven sees all we do.
Because we treat her so well, my mother-in-law rarely visits her daughters, saying she’s most comfortable with us. Yet my sister-in-law still finds fault with us. I’ve often felt a sense of injustice, thinking, “You don’t lift a finger—we shoulder everything—and yet you still nitpick. We treat your mother so well—we practically worship her—and you’re still not satisfied. You have no sense of propriety. Have you even looked at how the elderly live in other families? If I didn’t practice Dafa, would I treat your mother this well? It’s because of Dafa that I do so. You truly fail to appreciate the blessings right in front of you!”
I felt resentful and blamed her for being unreasonable. Jealousy, resentment, competitiveness, an attachment to self-interest, as well as a desire for maintaining a good reputation all surged. I viewed this as an ordeal.
Master’s Fa awakened me. My sister-in-law came to help me improve my xinxing and eliminate my attachments. She was not a stumbling block but a stepping stone. I really ought to thank her. Otherwise, how could I eliminate my resentment, jealousy, and competitiveness? These attachments and corrupt elements are not me; they are manifestations of the “false self” within the system arranged by the old forces—not the true me. I must align with the supernatural power of the Buddha Fa that Master gave me—that is, righteous thoughts—to disintegrate these notions.
Cultivating Amidst Tribulations
The past few years have been very difficult for me. In the beginning, I suddenly felt physically unwell—as if my very cells were lifeless. I was constantly exhausted and suffered from intense thirst; I lost over 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in just over a month. The symptoms closely resembled those of ordinary people with diabetes. However, I refused to accept this as reality and continued my daily activities as usual. I viewed all this as Master purifying my body.
In cultivation, there is no such thing as illness. So why should I restrict my diet? Consequently, I did not avoid any specific foods. All of this was an old forces’ arrangement, yet Master turned the situation into an advantage by using the tribulation to purify my body and elevate my xinxing. But I wondered why the symptoms didn’t disappear completely. There’s a reason for everything—where there is a cause, there is an effect—and the old forces dared to act this way only because they exploited my human attachments.
Other practitioners have often said that the sickness karma test is, in fact, a xinxing test. It seemed there was a problem with my xinxing. Looking inward, I realized that this tribulation was brought on by my attachments to comfort, resentment, and food cravings. I had a habit of going back to sleep after waking in the morning—an indulgence in comfort. I knew this habit was detrimental and an attachment that a cultivator ought to eliminate, yet it proved stubborn. Despite repeated attempts to cast it off, I had not fully succeeded, which caused me great distress.
I also harbored resentment. My mother-in-law was domineering; she would forbid me from cooking any dish she didn’t want to eat, and she controlled everything. I felt aggrieved and resentful, believing the situation was unfair. Then, I remembered Master’w words,
“...Eating but tasting not—A mouth freed from attachment.”(“In Dao,” Hong Yin)
Wasn’t I attached to food? Wasn’t my mother-in-law helping me eliminate that attachment? Looking inward, I realized I was wrong. I stopped fussing over what we ate. I no longer resented or envied her; instead, I repeatedly reminded myself to treat her well—truly well, not just superficially.
Once I identified this attachment, the symptoms of diabetes vanished, and I returned to normal.
There was also a period when my legs constantly felt cold from my knees to my feet and I couldn’t sleep all night. Sometimes, the cold made me want to cry, and I felt immense pressure. Because I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t complete all five exercises at once. I then thought, “If the old forces won’t let me sleep, I’ll use this time productively to do the exercises, send righteous thoughts, and study the Fa.” I did the exercises several times throughout the night. I also intensified sending righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil that was persecuting me.
During that time, I treated the night as if it were day and didn’t feel sleepy. I only managed to sleep for about an hour after dawn. I realized that my desire to resist hardship and avoid suffering stemmed from a lingering attachment to comfort. I strove to resist this mindset and keep it from taking hold, while ensuring I didn’t neglect my daily tasks. Over time, I grew accustomed to the situation, and the pressure gradually faded.
After more than a year, the coldness in my legs and feet vanished. I felt confident enough to wear skirts in the summer, and I could finally sleep soundly. Master had helped me eliminate a significant amount of karma!
Furthermore, during the pandemic—starting on May 1st—I developed a cough. I coughed violently at home but stopped whenever I went out, only to resume when I returned. The coughing lasted just shy of a year before it suddenly stopped. In the years since, I haven’t coughed at all. I knew Master was purifying my lungs.
My older sister (also a practitioner) remarked, “Look at your face—it’s so smooth, delicate, and fair. It wasn’t like that before. The hardships you’ve endured over the past years haven’t been in vain.” Another practitioner commented, “Your face looks just like a baby’s skin—rosy and fair. Master has truly purified you.” I knew this was true. I had faced numerous tribulations over the years—one after another, passing test after test, often stumbling along the way.
Amid tribulations and under Master’s protection, I have persevered and not fallen. Master has borne all the suffering and karma for me. It is through his immense endurance that I have reached this point today. Master’s grace is boundless—and for this, I feel a debt of gratitude.
As long as my journey of cultivation continues, there remain opportunities for me to improve and to save sentient beings. I am determined to cultivate diligently, study the Fa, send righteous thoughts frequently, and earnestly look within to keep a close watch on my every thought. As the final moment of the end times approaches. I will fulfill my vow to live up to Master’s compassionate salvation, as well as the hopes of sentient beings.
