(Minghui.org) When I first met Ms. Ma, she looked as ordinary as anyone else. She is a plump, elderly lady with a kind smile and a loud voice. She told me that she was on the verge of death in the 1990's, while suffering from a lung function decline. That is when she began Falun Gong cultivation practice. She returned to good health without any further problems. She now even rides a bicycle dozens of miles without tiring herself out. The following is her story in her own words.

My Lung Disease Was Untreatable

When I was in my twenties, I came down with tuberculosis (TB) because I worked too hard and lacked the proper nutrition. My work unit didn't have the funds to pay my medical expenses, so I didn't get timely treatment. I even had to work despite my condition. My TB turned for the worse. First, the chest X-ray showed a shadow and then lesions in the lungs, spreading to both lungs. I often had fever, a persistent cough, and coughed up blood. After some time, I suffered from sleep deprivation because of the coughing. Moreover, the medicine took a toll on my liver and stomach. Life was very difficult. There is an old proverb, "Misfortune never comes singly." My husband died of TB when our child was only five years old. In the mid-80's I earned only 120 yuan per month. I lacked funds to put food on the table and could only buy some green leaves to eat with some grains of salt.

By 1991, I was told that my left lung was non-functional and my right lung was diseased. I was admitted to the hospital in order to survive. But I was told, "With one lung gone and the other diseased, there is no point in treating you." He told my child to buy me anything I would like to eat because I was going to die soon. My child was shocked and burst into tears. When I returned home, I could not sit up in bed and had to hold onto the wall when using the bathroom. I was short of breath and had to take several breaks to complete a sentence. I could not cook for my child. My child went to the canteen at my workplace, where my colleagues took turns feeding him. I had to retire and the labor bureau approved my retirement. My child was the only reason I was fighting to survive.

While I was at the hospital I dreamed of a child about five years old and I took him to my mother's. When I was on my way home, I arrived at a three-way fork. I didn't know which path would lead me home. I looked around and suddenly heard a little girl calling my name. I turned around and saw a tall man in a northeastern Chinese outfit, a little girl, and my child. The girl said, "My teacher and I were passing and noticed that this child was all alone. My teacher asked me to find his mother. It is dangerous to leave him alone!" The tall man said, "If we had not come upon your child he may have lost his life." I remember the man's face very well. Because of my poor health, I went to many fortune tellers, who all told me that my child would be orphaned. When I woke up from the dream, I thought, "I didn't realize that my child had a teacher."

On my death bed I was given the book Zhuan Falun. It was June 1995. The local qigong association had only two copies of Zhuan Falun at the time. A qigong enthusiast borrowed it and loaned it to me when he heard I was dying. But he asked me to return it to him within two days.

I was astonished when I opened the book and saw Mr. Li Hongzhi's photo. It was the very man from my dream. I turned to the first page and instead of Chinese characters there was an image of a Buddha sitting in the lotus position with hands conjoined. I thought I was dreaming, and I rubbed my eyes and looked again. There were still Buddhas in the book. I wondered how I was supposed to read the book? The Buddhas then turned into Chinese characters.

The instinct of survival drove me to read Zhuan Falun from cover to cover. I learned the root cause for a person's illness. Given my dream I became a believer instantly. I said to Teacher in my heart, "Teacher, will you save me? I have suffered enough. I will be diligent. I will leave my fate to you. I promise to cultivate diligently."

It didn't take long for my body to be cleansed. While I was studying Zhuan Falun, I no longer had to hold onto the wall, fighting for air, to get to the bathroom. My child was astonished. "Mom, how did you manage to go to the bathroom without leaning against the wall?" That was when I realized that I had improved rapidly. I could then walk normally, was no longer troubled by coughing at night, and could sleep well.

Two days passed. On the morning of the third day, before I made breakfast, the qigong enthusiast came to claim his book. I returned the book reluctantly. I thought, "Now, he is demanding to have my child and my Teacher back, who is going to look after us?" I felt so sad that I skipped breakfast. I felt anxious without Zhuan Falun, so I decided to take a walk. I happened to overhear someone praising Zhuan Falun. I approached the lady and she told me that there was a Falun Gong group practice site near my home, where a dozen people practiced Falun Gong exercises in the morning. She suggested that I ask them where to get the book. I hurried to the site immediately.

The Buddha Light Shines Upon Me, a Person Dying from TB

Once I found the Falun Gong practice site, I told the volunteer assistant that I wanted to learn the Falun Gong exercises and find the book Zhuan Falun. She taught me the exercises, and I was able to sit in the double Lotus position. However, Zhuan Falun was very difficult to get in those days. Many people had to share a copy. A Falun Gong practitioner who heard that I was looking for Zhuan Falun lent me his copy. I immediately started to transcribe the book. In fact, I transcribed the book three times.

Miracles happened while transcribing the book. The first time I transcribed Zhuan Falun, I was wearing my reading glasses. Then, my eyes itched, so I rubbed them and put the glasses on again, but they still itched. After rubbing my eyes repeatedly, I decided to stop wearing the glasses. Then, to my utter surprise, the Chinese characters I was about to transcribe enlarged and raised above the page. I could see every character clearly. I did not feel sleepy while staying up late transcribing Zhuan Falun, nor did I feel sleepy studying Zhuan Falun. My vision has been restored. I had been wearing reading glasses since I was 46 years old. I can now thread a needle and read fine print without wearing glasses.

When I transcribed Zhuan Falun for the second time, I saw ancient Chinese buildings and pagodas. The vision was not very clear, but I could see them in pink and other colors.

The third time I transcribed Zhuan Falun, I was home alone. I didn't know when it started, but the desk with Zhuan Falun and the bed I was sitting on began to levitate. They raised to the same height and then descended. This phenomenon occurred several times. Sometimes, the child in me thought, "Once more!" Then the desk and the bed levitated again. They could also freeze in the air.

While I was transcribing Zhuan Falun, I also smelled the most lovely fragrance. It made me feel great. My child smelled it too and it made him feel great too.

When transcribing Zhuan Falun, I learned that practitioners strive to be good persons by living in accordance with the Falun Gong principles, "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." I followed these principles because I wanted to be a better person. I stopped fighting with people and no longer lost my temper when people took advantage of me.

Most importantly, Falun Gong saved me life. After 17 years of suffering with TB, I was finally healthy. I can now ride on a bicycle for 50 miles without getting tired. I can work again and improve my family's quality of life. My friends, relatives, and acquaintances who witnessed the miracle praised Falun Gong highly. "You didn't have to spend a penny or meet the founder of Falun Gong in person. Yet you were cured. You look so young. Your teacher must be a divine being!"

It feels great to bask in the grace of the Buddha light. Why don't you read Zhuan Falun and see for yourself? After all, I am a living example of a person benefiting from Falun Gong.

(From the Call for Submissions to Commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of Falun Dafa’s Introduction)