A Lost Child Finds the Way Back Home

(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner in my 20s. When I was about a year old, my father passed away due to an accident at work. My mother was arrested and sent to prison for refusing to give up practicing Dafa, so I was raised by my grandparents.

My paternal grandparents lived in the countryside. I did not go to school and I spent my days playing with children who also didn’t attend school. As a result, I developed many bad habits. When I saw a toy I liked in the shops, I simply took it. When I saw interesting toys in other people’s houses, I stole them.

My mother’s parents later took me back to the city to go to school. The teachers said I cried and liked to talk during class. My health deteriorated. I was anemic and my face was pale. I would suddenly feel dizzy and weak. My lymph nodes became swollen. I was ill every month and had to go to the hospital for intravenous injections, which cost over 1000 yuan each time.

Whenever my grandmother spoke of the misfortunes my mother and I went through, both of us wept. I frequently had nightmares and woke up covered in sweat. When my grandparents tried to wake me up, I mistook them for ghosts and began screaming. Consequently, I was terrified of falling asleep.

When I was in elementary school, my mother returned home from prison. She was forced to give up practicing Dafa due to the torture she went through. She became hot-tempered. When I was naughty or did something wrong, she would fly into a rage and beat me.

The headteacher in my class was also bad-tempered. She was strict with all the students. She would make sarcastic comments and even beat anyone who annoyed her. My grades were mediocre and I often did not pay attention in class. I was inevitably reprimanded by the teacher.

Leading such a difficult and painful life, I felt life was transient at a young age. I was scared that one’s existence would end following death. My mother told me how wonderful Falun Dafa is. One day, I told her that I wanted to go to the United States so I could openly practice Falun Dafa. She said, “Then you must study hard and get accepted into a university in America.”

After a while, I begged my mother to teach me how to do the Falun Dafa exercises. She helped me to get a copy of Zhuan Falun. She later resumed cultivation.

Through reading Zhuan Falun, I understood the purpose of life and that humans go through reincarnation. The objective of being human is to return to one’s true origin. I was excited to be able to practice Dafa in this lifetime and words cannot describe the joy I felt in my heart.

I started to conduct myself according to the principles of Dafa in my everyday life and made an effort to be a good person. When classmates hit me, I didn’t retaliate. When I was criticized, I remained calm and even smiled at the person who hurt me.

I used to be petty. After I began practicing, I learned to take things lightly. If I had delicious food, I shared half of it with friends. One year, there was a huge earthquake in Wenchuan. I wept when I saw the news reports about those who lost their homes. When the school asked students and teachers to donate to the victims, I gave my headteacher 100 yuan which took me a long time to save up. The teacher knew my family’s financial situation and was moved by my gesture. She praised me in front of the class and even told the other teachers about my generosity. I donated the most in my class.

My health improved as well. I stopped going to the hospital and my lymph nodes seldom swelled. I woke up less often at night and was able to sleep normally. I felt at peace and was able to finish the assigned homework. I paid attention in class and my test scores were above average.

By the time I was in junior high school, I was top in my class. I was admired by school teachers and became a monitor in class. I was also given the award as the school’s best-behaved student. I subsequently got into a prestigious high school. Although I excelled in many areas and often participated in school performances, I kept a low profile. I was kind and generous to classmates around me. I helped them and they liked to be friends with me.

At the university, I had to live in the student dorm and the cultivation environment was not as relaxed compared to when I was staying at home. I made an effort to study the Fa and do the exercises daily. I tried my best to do things responsibly so as to show people how good Dafa is.

When I bought tasty food, I would share it with my roommates. I would clean the room and wash the basin when it got dirty. I always smiled when I was with classmates and talked to them amicably. When they ask me to help them with school work, I assisted patiently.

Practicing Dafa unlocked my wisdom and I excelled in many areas. One time, our school held a contest for the “the prettiest female student.” I was nominated by the head of the class and most of the students agreed. However, I felt I was not good enough and turned down the nomination.

In my studies, whenever I let go of my attachment to results and put Dafa in the first priority, things would turn out unexpectedly. To give an example, one time, the teacher in physical education wanted us to learn how to play table tennis and take a test at the end of the semester.

I was not good at the sport but I had some knowledge from playing the game when I was young. Thus I did not fare too badly during practice. My roommates found it trying. In the test, we had to compete in pairs. Usually, we would pair up with a roommate but I chose to team up with someone in another room who was the worst player as I knew no one would want to pair with her.

Initially, I had to keep picking up the ball because my teammate played badly. I was upset but I remembered I was a cultivator and I should remain calm. I gradually calmed down and patiently corrected her hand movements. I also tried my best to work with her. Before class, we often arrived earlier to practice. We learned to coordinate well. During the test, against my expectations, we scored full points. I knew Master Li was encouraging me as I had done the right thing.

My classmates say I am kind unlike others and I don't fight or take people's things. My roommate said I am someone who doesn't fight over worldly gains. One time I told my roommate about Falun Dafa. She asked if I was a practitioner. When I said yes, she said, “Then I know it is good because I think you are a great person.” Through this incident, I realized that by cultivating myself well, my actions speak the truth.

I feel it is the greatest honor to be able to practice Falun Dafa in this lifetime. Dafa changed me from a bad child to a well-behaved youth. It helped me, a lost child, find the path leading to my true home and not wallow in the mire. Thank you Master!