(Minghui.org) Zheng Liqin’s life was once marked by constant upheaval. She emigrated from Taiwan to the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, and after she married, she shuttled back and forth between the two islands.
The many changes in language, family, career, and relationships left her tense and unsettled for years. Only after she decided to return to Taiwan in 2007 and settle down did her life gradually stabilize. In the midst of this transition, she discovered the “anchor”—the stabilizing force—that brought her a sense of inner calm.
Years of Upheaval
Born in Taiwan, she immigrated to the Dominican Republic with her family when she was 13. Later, at the behest of her elders, she returned to Taiwan for a blind date, whom she ended up marrying.
Her husband went with her to the Dominican Republic, where they helped out at her father’s deli and worked there for 10 years. When her father-in-law later passed away, her husband closed the business and returned to Taiwan to care for his mother. This traveling back and forth left her tense and uneasy.
A year later, they returned to the Dominican Republic. Their son, who of course went back and forth with them, spoke Spanish locally, attended an English-language school, and spoke Chinese at home. (Speaking three languages is quite common in the Chinese community in the Dominican Republic.)
But this was difficult for Liqin. Her studies in Taiwan were interrupted by her move abroad, so she finished junior high school in the Dominican Republic and then, back in Taiwan, went to night school to complete high school. She didn’t graduate from high school until she was nearly 40—at almost the same time as her son. Liqin said it was wonderful to be back in Taiwan; she felt a sense of peace in her heart.
The Stress of Living Abroad
After her older sister took over their father’s store in the Dominican Republic, Liqin and her husband opened their own fast-food restaurant, selling pizza, hamburgers, and other fast foods.
Due to the language barrier, her husband and their employees often complained to her about communication problems. Caught in the middle, she found herself in a difficult position. She frequently argued with her husband, leaving her bitter and exhausted.
One year, when her husband was getting to visit Taiwan, she said, “Go ahead and go. I’ve thought it through—we might as well just get a divorce and go our separate ways.” This made things very tense, but her husband loved her deeply and refused to agree to the divorce.
Unexpectedly Discovering Falun Gong
In early 2007, her younger brother gave her a computer and downloaded a program he told her that people from all over the world used. All she had to do was select a country, and if someone answered, she could chat and make international friends.
One day, Liqin went online and selected Norway and found herself connected with a man. They initially chatted in English, but when she discovered he also spoke Chinese, they switched to Chinese.
Liqin asked him, “You’re Chinese. Why did you end up living so far away, in a country covered in ice and snow?”
The man told her a tragic story. He had once been part of a happy family in China, but he was persecuted for practicing Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). With the help of friends, he fled on his own, traveling through Thailand before finally settling in Norway.
The man’s story shocked Liqin. She wondered, “In this day and age, how could such a terrible thing happen?” She was so unnerved that she did not dare to message the man for three days. Once she had calmed down and re-established contact, he told her, “A book changed my life—it is called Zhuan Falun. It is a precious book, and I highly recommend that you read it.”
Liqin downloaded the e-book version of Zhuan Falun from the website. The more she read, the more engrossed she became, and she finished the entire book in two days.
In mid-2007, Liqin decided to settle in Taiwan with her husband and not return to the Dominican Republic. She began visiting Falun Gong practice sites to participate in the morning exercises. At first, she didn’t understand what cultivation was because she was busy adjusting to her new life and looking for a job, so she only went out to practice on holidays. Although she had encountered such a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she didn’t realize how truly precious it was.
Zheng Liqin doing the fifth exercise, a meditation
A Strange Illness
One day, Liqin noticed that the right side of her face had sunken in, she couldn’t open her mouth wide, eating was painful, and her jaw made a clicking sound when she spoke—a condition medically known as “temporomandibular (also referred as TMJ) joint disorder.” The doctor said it was caused by stress.
The treatment involved taking calcium supplements and wearing a night guard to correct the misalignment. It took a year before her teeth were properly aligned, she could eat normally again, and there was no extra sound when she spoke.
However, the sunken area on her right cheek had not improved. When she returned for a follow-up appointment, she asked the doctor, “What should I do about this? It is unattractive—and I’m a woman.” The doctor reassured her, “Medical science has come a long way these days, so don’t worry. We can do a cosmetic procedure.”
No matter how the doctor tried to explain it, she couldn’t bring herself to listen. She cried all the way home from the hospital, and her husband, who was with her, did not know what to do for her or how to comfort her.
The doctor’s diagnosis was that, even though she had recovered from the actual condition, there was an 80 to 90 percent chance that the indentation would remain. Liqin was in despair—she was only in her 30s. She thought, “So be it! Since even the doctor can’t change it, I’ll just have to accept the reality. From now on, I’ll live a quiet, ordinary life and cultivate myself diligently in Dafa.”
Years Later, She Realizes What It Means to Cultivate
Although Liqin had read Zhuan Falun once in 2007, she didn’t really understand what “cultivation” meant. She thought it was enough to just practice the exercises on holidays, unaware that cultivation is primarily about refining one’s heart—that one must read the Dafa books regularly and use the principles in the books to reflect on one’s own words and deeds. Only then can one elevate one’s character. It wasn’t until 2013 that she understood this.
In 2013, the Hsinchu area hosted the Taiwan Lantern Festival. Falun Gong practitioners wanted to take this opportunity to spread the teachings, so they worked together to design and build a massive “Fa Boat”—five stories tall and in glittering gold—which became the festival’s most eye-catching attraction. Liqin was fortunate to be able to help construct the Fa Boat. As she read the Fa teachings and exchanged insights with fellow practitioners, she suddenly realized that there was indeed a method of cultivation and that, unaware of this, she had wasted six years. Fortunately, it was not too late.
After truly embarking on her path of cultivation, her insomnia was cured, her physical and mental health improved, and she became more even-tempered. Her family lived in harmony, and she often said how much she benefited from Falun Gong. Her husband, however, would say, “No, no—I’m the one who’s benefited the most.” What he meant was that, because of her cultivation practice, his wife had become more considerate and gentle, and as her husband, he felt this most deeply.
One Wish Granted
In 2014, Shen Yun Performing Arts came to Taiwan. Liqin made plans with a friend to attend the performance. Before the show began, as she sat in the third-floor auditorium, she noticed the ushers wearing elegant traditional attire with their hair tied up in buns—they were as beautiful as celestial maidens. Liqin thought to herself, “Wow, that is wonderful. How great it would be if I could work as an usher like that!”
To her surprise, no sooner had she had that thought—as if by telepathy—the person in charge invited her to assist with hospitality duties for Shen Yun the following year. Her dream had come true, and she was overjoyed!
However, a second thought gave her pause: she habitually wore her hair long to conceal the depression on the right side of her face—a flaw that would be exposed if she wore her hair in a bun. She realized she should be honest with the coordinator and politely decline the assignment.
That evening, she stood in front of the mirror trying to put her hair up, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she was startled—the right side of her face wasn’t sunken in anymore! It had healed! It was simply unbelievable! Tears welled up in her eyes. As soon as she had that thought, her wish came true—she had witnessed the miracle of Falun Gong.
Resolving a Tribulation by Letting Go of Resentment
Ever since she began to truly cultivate, Liqin has held herself to the standards of the Fa principles. Master explains that karmic connections govern everything; whether the ties encountered in this life are benevolent or adversarial, one must resolve them with kindness.
Perhaps one owes a debt from a past life, which is why the other person treats one this way now. Understanding the principles is one thing; putting them into practice is another.
Before returning to Taiwan, Liqin bought a plot of land in the Dominican Republic and built a house on it. Since she planned to settle in Taiwan permanently, she wanted to sell the property and entrusted her younger brother with handling the sale. However, it took over a decade to resolve the matter because she encountered a troublesome neighbor.
Whenever her younger brother took prospective buyers to view the house, the neighbor would drive them away. The brother would then call her, angry, to recount the neighbor’s malicious words and actions.
Liqin, however, would comfort him, saying, “It doesn’t matter. Perhaps we owe him something—maybe we mistreated him in a past life, which is why he treats us this way now” and “As Master Li says, what is yours won’t be lost, and what isn’t yours you won’t have.”
She also told her husband, “Let’s just look at this like a failed business venture—there are gains and losses in business. If it never sells, we can donate the house. Let’s just set our minds at ease.” Her husband agreed.
Liqin recalled that, when she was in the Dominican Republic, a large water tank sat on the top floor of that house. The lid was often missing, and in the summer, the neighbors’ children would jump into the tank to bathe. This really bothered her and made her resent her neighbors.
As she reflected, she recalled Master’s teachings and realized that “resentment” was also an attachment she needed to eliminate through cultivation. In an instant, she had a breakthrough and completely dissolved the resentment for her neighbor that had built up for more than a decade!
Then, something unexpected happened. Shortly after, her brother called to say the house had been sold. It was wonderful—she was filled with gratitude to Master and felt the immense benefit of practicing Dafa.
It seemed that, upon seeing her xinxing (mind nature) improve, Master had removed the tribulation, allowing everything to fall into place. Liqin was overjoyed to have finally resolved the karmic connection with her neighbor through kindness.
Liqin is profoundly grateful for Master’s compassionate guidance on her path of cultivation;. She resolves to be more diligent in the future to be worthy of Master’s painstaking arrangements. She also hopes that all those with a predestined connection can obtain the Fa and cultivate, so they may experience the beauty of Dafa and bathe in the Buddha’s light.
