(Minghui.org) I have had many questions about life since I was very young, but no one would pay attention to me or to my questions: Where do humans come from? Where do the things we use come from? Where did I come from?
‘Simple-Minded’ Child
I was bullied a lot by other kids when I was young, I never thought about how to fight back. My teacher told my parents that I was “simple-minded.” My parents thought that I would never become somebody important when I grew up.
In middle school, others still commented that I was too honest and simple-minded, and they looked down on me. I felt inferior and lost confidence in myself. I tried my best to fit in, to follow the crowd and to go with the flow.
No matter how much I did to pursue fame, benefits, or power like others, the pursuit of the true meaning of life never abated. I often thought that, even if one obtained everything in life, one lives only so long and eventually dies. Is that all there is? Is that the life I was longing for? It made me feel sad.
I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2006 and the joy of obtaining Falun Dafa was beyond words. I felt fulfilled, and no matter what happened, I felt secure. Others would say that if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes Falun Dafa, it must be bad. In my personal experience, I knew that it was not the case. Others asked what did Falun Dafa give me since I wouldn't give it up. Here is the answer.
I had a number of ailments since childhood—headaches, insomnia, and diarrhea. I had chronic cold symptoms, reflux and erosive gastritis, and even stroke-like symptoms. I often had sudden panic attacks and shortness of breath and would pass out on the street as I walked.
I took medication for dozens of years without any improvement. All my symptoms disappeared after I practiced Falun Dafa for two weeks. My co-workers had considered me a “medicine cabinet.” I even had to wear sweaters in the summer.
Since practicing Falun Dafa, I no longer take any medication, and my health is better than ever. More than that, Falun Dafa gave me a brand new life and a wonderful future.
I could not ever imagine regaining health in half a month by just cultivating. How could that be possible? How could a book in the human world have such an effect? I was certain that Zhuan Falun, the book of Falun Dafa, was way beyond the human realm. Conventional knowledge cannot explain this at all.
The more I study the Fa, the more I understand the truth of life. In the past when I heard others talking about the meaning of life, I thought what would it matter, no matter how well a life would be, it would last for just a few dozen years--and then what? I often thought how wonderful it would be if life could last forever.
After reading Zhuan Falun, my questions were answered. As long as one lives according to the principles of Falun Dafa, obtaining eternal life is not a dream. The old saying was true: “When one does good, one goes to heaven; when one does evil, one goes to hell.”
When I was in the second grade, the teacher often told us stories of heroic characters and I was often moved to tears. I wished that I could be a good person like those characters I admired. When I grew up, I realized that these heroic characters were fake and that the CCP made them up to brainwash people. When I looked around in the real world, I found it was very hard for a good person to survive, so I went with the flow.
After I read Zhuan Falun, I realized that “Zhen-Shan-Ren is the Sole Criterion to Discern Good and Bad People” (Lecture 2, Zhuan Falun). If I had known that as a child, I would not have considered myself foolish to forbear others. My innocence and simple-mindedness were who I truly was.
I always wanted to be a good person and, when I found Falun Dafa, I learned how to be a truly good person. I was delighted that from then on I would not be confused by trends or current notions, and I could dominate my own thoughts. I had the brightest beacon of light in my heart—Falun Dafa. When I was mocked, cursed at, deceived, or threatened, I never faltered.
People who come into contact with practitioners know they are good and kind. Even in the detention centers and prisons, one can see practitioners' kindness shining through.
I was once held with two other Falun Dafa practitioners. One gave away her winter coat and warm clothes to other inmates who did not have winter clothes. She also spent her own money to help those inmates who had no money and no visitors.
Four practitioners imprisoned in a cell with an inmate who was paralyzed helped her to bathe and wash her clothes. When they were released, no one else in the prison would care for the paralyzed woman, so prison authorities moved me into her cell.
No one asked me to take care of her but I did. I cleaned her and washed her clothes, and took care of her. Whenever I did these tasks, she could not stop crying and thanking me. “Thank you, you are so good,” she would say. “All Falun Dafa practitioners are so good. Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
Most of the inmates were depressed. Some cried daily and some wanted to commit suicide, so I talked and guided them. One of the wardens physically abused me because I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, and some inmates told him not to do that. They told him that I was so very kind to everything and everyone...and he stopped.
One inmate was very vicious. She had persecuted many Falun Dafa practitioners in the past. No matter how much she provoked me, I tried my best to treat her with kindness. When she lost control and abused me physically, I felt sorry for her because she unknowingly committed a sin. By the time I was released, I learned that inmate had changed greatly, and she stated that she would never be involved with persecuting practitioners anymore; she realized they were the truly good people.
I have obtained so much from Dafa that it is hard to express my gratitude with words. All I can say is this: I will be surefooted and firmly walk the path of cultivation.
(Submission to “Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day” 2018 on the Minghui website)