Making a Breakthrough in a Life-and-Death Tribulation

(Minghui.org) I experienced a serious sickness-karma tribulation for several months in 2021. But with support from other practitioners and protection from Master Li Hongzhi (Dafa’s founder), I finally made a breakthrough in early November. My miraculous recovery helped people witness the beauty and amazing power of Dafa.

Before I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998, I smoked, drank, and gambled. I was very outspoken and had a bad temper. Whenever I encountered something I didn’t like, I’d lose my temper. My bad temper was very well-known by many people, including my boss.

When Falun Dafa was introduced to our area, I decided to practice. A person who knew me well said, “Look at his temper! He wants to practice Falun Dafa? Forget it!” Since his wife was a practitioner, he knew that Dafa requires people to hold themselves to the principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” However, Master’s high-virtue Fa woke me up and reshaped me. I changed and became a good person by following His teachings.

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Dafa, I was imprisoned for a few years because I refused to stop practicing. After I was released, I continued to do the three things that practitioners are supposed to do. I ran a truth-clarification materials production center. In fellow practitioners’ eyes, I had strong righteous thoughts and little fear. I did many things to validate Dafa: I was enthusiastic, and I was always willing to help other practitioners. I felt I was at the forefront of validating Dafa. I felt my only shortfall was that I still had a bad temper.

My relatives were misled by the CCP’s propaganda. Although they had seen my positive changes and health improvement, they paid more attention to material interests and turned a blind eye to the facts about Falun Dafa. I was imprisoned because of my belief and had no income for a few years, which was not worth it in their eyes. They were also unwilling to quit the CCP. So I made little progress in clarifying the facts to my relatives and fellow villagers, which has always been a regret on my cultivation path.

My Tribulation Begins

I had contact with many practitioners whose cultivation states and ways of doing things varied. This triggered many of my attachments. I developed resentment towards other practitioners, especially my wife who is also a practitioner. I looked down on her and often vented my anger at her. However, she was highly praised for her kindness and virtue.

In order to support me to do the three things, she took care of all the household chores. But I showed no appreciation. I also had a show-off mentality and an attachment to validating myself. I easily got upset when I was criticized. In addition, I had attachments to self-interest and lust. This caused me to get stuck in a tribulation that lasted for months.

In April 2021, my stomach started hurting. I didn’t take it seriously, but I also didn’t look inward or send forth righteous thoughts. Beginning on September 3, I suffered severe and continuous pain in my stomach. I couldn’t go out and was in so much pain that I stayed home in bed. My pain and suffering were beyond description, something I never experienced before. I couldn’t even study the Fa, do the exercises, or fall asleep.

I kept reciting the phrases, “Falun Dafa is wonderful! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is wonderful!” Sometimes, I had to continue to recite them for a couple of hours before I could fall asleep. But soon enough, I woke up in pain.

When I couldn’t endure, I began to ask for Master’s help and kept reciting,

“A Great Enlightened One fears no hardshipHaving forged an adamantine willFree of attachment to living or dyingHe walks the path of Fa-rectificationconfident and poised”(“Righteous Thoughts and Righteous Actions,” Hong Yin II)

A month passed, but I didn’t get better. A few practitioners came to my home to send forth righteous thoughts for me. On some of those occasions, I ended up screaming out in pain.

My pain didn’t stop, and I vomited everything I ate. What came out was black, rotten stuff. I also became emaciated—my weight dropped from 155 lbs to 90 lbs and I looked like a bag of bones. When people saw me they were frightened. I was under great pressure from friends and family. They all tried to talk me into going to the hospital. When I refused, they didn’t understand.

Holding Onto My Faith in Master and Dafa

One day, a friend of my wife came to see me. She was talkative and told everyone in the village about my condition and how I refused to go to the hospital. For a while, I became the subject of gossip. People kept saying: “In his situation, can he get well by believing in Falun Dafa?” There were even worse sarcastic remarks. My wife had to patiently explain the situation to them.

Amid the tribulation, I had unrighteous thoughts twice. The first time was when I couldn’t endure anymore, I begged Master, “Master, please take me away!” But my mind soon became clear: Everyone in the village knew that I practiced Dafa for so many years. I wasn’t attached to life and death, but if I died, how would people look at practitioners? This thought of wanting to leave came from the fake me, the real me wouldn’t have a thought like that. So I immediately negated my unrighteous thoughts.

The second time occurred when I had severe pain for more than 40 days. Negative thoughts appeared again, “When will this end?” I also quickly rectified this unrighteous thought. When I couldn’t endure, I asked Master multiple times, “I am not here to undermine Dafa, but to validate the Fa. I came here to assist you in Fa-rectification and save sentient beings. Master, please save me!” I firmed up my belief and only followed Master’s arrangement.

During that period, I couldn’t do the exercises. When I was conscious, I recited Hong Yin, On Dafa, and sent forth righteous thoughts. I never lost my faith in Master and Dafa. Although my wife only started doing cultivation a few years ago, she had a strong faith in Dafa and never thought about taking me to the hospital. She tried all kinds of means to comfort and look after me. She also worked with fellow practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts and recite the Fa for me.

One day, when I felt a bit better, I called a few relatives to come over, with the intent of talking with them to resolve their misunderstandings about my situation. However, as soon as they arrived, my pain flared up. I was in so much pain that I ended up rolling all over the bed. This scene terrified them, and they wanted to call for an ambulance. I asked them not to take me to the emergency room, as I’d be fine. Afterward, I just lay down and closed my eyes. I felt I was so weak that even saying those few words exhausted me.

My family knew about my bad temper. Knowing that they couldn’t convince me, they began blaming my wife, saying, “He doesn’t want to go to the hospital, and you don’t try to convince him. If this situation continues, how long will he last? Won’t you feel regret later?”

My wife remained very calm. She firmly believed that with Master and Dafa, I’d pass this trial in the end. She tried to comfort them, “He has practiced for more than 20 years without taking any medication or injections and has been in good health. This time, a loophole in his cultivation caused this tribulation. You don’t have to worry about him. He will be fine, as he has Master looking after him.”

I said, “If you don’t want to see me suffering, why don’t you recite the phrases Falun Dafa is wonderful! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is wonderful! for me? It’ll help me greatly.” In order to assuage me, some of my relatives indeed began to recite the phrases.

My Condition Turns Around

After this critical juncture, I quickly got better, with only occasional pain. My nephew’s wife worried about me and came to visit. When she saw that I was eating rice porridge, she could hardly believe it: She had seen how sick I appeared two days before. Without going to the hospital, how did I get better? Two days later, she came back again. When I finished two steamed buns filled with bean paste, she was dumbfounded.

Both my wife and I knew it was Master who saw our unyielding faith. So my situation would not negatively impact people and affect their chances of being saved, Master removed my karma. I wondered how much Master had to suffer for me? I couldn’t express my gratitude for Dafa's wonder and Master’s saving grace. Only by cultivating diligently could I not let Him down.

A month passed, and I kept getting better. My weight almost returned to normal. Now I can eat anything. My complexion is rosy, and my skin is very smooth. I am always in high spirits, and I can do any work like before.

My miraculous experience showed the villagers the amazing power of Falun Dafa. My relatives were also fully convinced. Many of them now believe that Dafa is wonderful, some even began to recite “Falun Dafa is wonderful!” Others decided to renounce their memberships in the CCP, and some acquired copies of Zhuan Falun. This laid a good foundation for my going back out to clarify the truth and help people to quit the CCP.

Through this life-and-death trial, I also learned some lessons. I now pay more attention to my personal cultivation. As a result, the computers and printers I use for truth-clarification work exceptionally well—this never happened before.

In looking back on the whole process, it came down to the fact that my personal cultivation was not solid, so the old forces were able to take advantage of my loopholes. In addition, prior to cultivation, I was addicted to drinking and smoking, which damaged my stomach. This time the old forces tried to take my life. They conjured the illusion to crush my will and shake my faith in Dafa. However, what the evil didn’t expect was that, with my faith in Master and practitioners’ help, I didn’t go to the hospital, nor take any medication. In the end, I made the breakthrough.

I enlightened that cultivation is extremely serious. One should not take one’s personal cultivation lightly, even if you’ve done many things to validate the Fa. Our xinxing must be up to par. The closer we get to the end, the higher the standards are. In our day-to-day life, we need to cultivate ourselves well, treat the Fa as Master, and constantly look inwards. Do not wait until your loopholes become too big and give the old forces an excuse to persecute you. Otherwise, the trials may become too difficult to pass.

I truly appreciate Master’s saving grace, as well as fellow practitioners’ selfless contributions and help.