(Minghui.org) My brother and I were born in the 1980s. We were no different from other young people, with one exception: we became Falun Dafa practitioners, one of today's most precious forms of self-cultivation.
Since childhood, I harbored dreams of becoming an artist. As priorities change, however, most people abandon their childhood dreams. I was fortunate to have a twin brother who shared the same aspiration, and we encouraged each other in the realization of our dreams.
By chance, we met a famous art teacher who took us under his wing. I studied Western painting technique, sketching, watercolor and oil painting, while my brother studied Chinese painting and calligraphy. We also learned to craft sculptures.
As a child, I was frail, and my health deteriorated while I was in junior high. I had constant migraines and lacked stamina. Later, my condition progressed to symptoms of chronic insomnia, drastic weight loss and vertigo. Because of the vertigo, I was unable to walk on my own. The doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of my condition.
As I grew older, my insomnia worsened, and I was unable to sleep. As a skinny, frail 20-year-old young man with a pale complexion and dark circles under his eyes, I was rejected by prospective marriage partners more than 30 times. This greatly affected my self-esteem, and at one point I even contemplated suicide.
Our art teacher developed spinal hypertrophy in 2008 and was admitted to a local hospital. Within seven days, he was unable to move. His doctor told him that surgery might not guarantee mobility and that he could spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. We then decided to transfer him to a city hospital.
Coincidentally, two friends dropped by for a visit that afternoon. During our conversation, we learned that they practiced Falun Dafa. They clarified the truth behind the persecution of Falun Dafa to us and talked about the “Self-immolation hoax on Tiananmen Square” , as well as the healing effects of Falun Dafa.
They told our teacher to sincerely recite the phrases, “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is good,” and said that he would recover from his illnesses.
Once he recited the phrases, his pale face regained its rosy complexion and he sat up on his own within minutes. Then, he stood up and went to the restroom on his own. We were shocked! Just days before, our teacher needed our support to walk.
Concerned, we accompanied him and watched as he repeatedly crouched down and stood up. Then with a smile, he touched his back and said, “My back no longer hurts. It’s extraordinary!” Our teacher recovered within half an hour and was discharged the following day.
Encouraged, my brother borrowed Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa. After witnessing the recovery of our teacher and reading the book, he changed his view of the world and overall attitude. He became open-minded, fearless and responsible. His calligraphy, painting skills and outlook on life continued to improve as he let go of his human attachments.
Upon witnessing the change in my brother, I was prompted to reflect on my past, and I realized that I had been following the wrong principles. My actions and selfish attachments had caused suffering and harm to myself and others. Influenced by our degenerate society, I pursued wealth, material gain, personal comfort and believed these to be of utmost importance. My thoughts and actions had tainted my childhood dream of becoming an artist.
In an effort to change my life, I read all the Dafa books I could and surfed the Internet for information about Falun Dafa. I came to understand the truth behind the persecution of practitioners and could discern the lies spread by Jiang Zemin and his minions.
As I read the information, my mindset and moral values gradually improved. My various illnesses, including migraine headaches, severe insomnia, and allergic rhinitis disappeared.
Falun Dafa showed me the path to a meaningful existence and opened up my mind and heart. My difficulty in finding a marriage partner was also resolved.
Before obtaining Falun Dafa, my wife loved to go clubbing and drinking. She slept late every day, refused to help with household chores, and indulged in watching television. Before she was 20 years old, she suffered from a host of health issues, the most severe being polycystic ovary syndrome. Due to the difficulty in treating this disease, most of my wife’s wages went into the cost of purchasing medication.
In 2014, my wife consulted a well-known gynecologist, who happened to be a Dafa practitioner. The doctor told her to recite the phrases “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” He also proposed to accompany her to Yueyang City’s medical facility for a second opinion.
They met another Falun Dafa practitioner who told my wife, “You just started to scratch the surface of Dafa. Cultivate, and with time, I’m confident that even the prospect of being given a mountain of gold would not move your heart.” She was surprised and wondered if Dafa was so amazing that a person would willingly forgo a mountain of gold? This piqued her interest!
At Yueyang, the gynecologist and my wife stayed at the home of some Dafa practitioners. These practitioners shared their personal experiences and understandings. My wife was impressed by their friendly, kind, sincere manner and decided to learn the practice.
On the way home, the elderly gynecologist recited a poem by Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Dafa,
“He who acts for his namea life of anger and hate is hisHe who acts for profitcold is he, knowing not his kinHe who acts for emotionmany are the troubles he brings himselfBitter,fighting away,he makes karma all his life.
Not seeking a namelife is carefree and contentNot set on profitone is known as humane and righteousNot stirred by emotionthe mind is quiet, desires fewKind,cultivating himself,he builds up virtue all his years.” (“An Upright Person” from Hong Yin)
Upon hearing these words, she suddenly understood why the practitioner had told her that upon obtaining Falun Dafa, even a mountain of gold would not move one's heart.
In less than 20 days after starting Falun Dafa, my wife recovered from her polycystic ovary syndrome. She began to lose weight, and the acne on her face gradually disappeared. Then gradually, she started giving up her bad habits, stopped her relentless pursuit of fame and fortune and began helping with household chores.
Like my wife, my twin brother’s wife was also bad tempered and took offense easily. However, after obtaining the Fa, she followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion and Forbearance. Their relationship then became more harmonious, and they recently had a baby son.