(Minghui.org) Greetings Master, greetings fellow practitioners!
I am an overseas Chinese practitioner living in the Korean city of Suwon. Looking back on my cultivation journey, I realize that I have come this far thanks to Master’s compassionate protection and blessings. I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners.
When I was 17, my mother suffered a stroke and became a completely different person, laughing wildly one moment while weeping bitterly the next. Her mental capabilities had regressed to that of a toddler, so my mother lost the ability to care for herself. My family borrowed money and sought treatment from hospitals and traditional therapies, but her condition continued to worsen. Our family circumstances became so bad that my father left home to work in Russia, leaving behind my disabled mother, my fourth-grade younger brother and me, a 17-year-old high school freshman. I became the head of the family, caring for my mother and brother, while studying and working part time as a tutor to support the family.
One evening, I rushed home after school to prepare dinner for my mother, but found she had run away from home. I rode my bicycle through the pouring rain, searching for her, until I saw her in front of a tofu shop. After bringing her home, I realized my younger brother was not home yet and went out to look for him. This happened so often that I became used to it. I also lived in constant fear that my mother would die at any moment. If my mother didn’t move while she was asleep, I would put my finger on her nostrils to check if she was still breathing.
I often wondered about the purpose of life and why I had to suffer so much. I visited the church and read the Bible. Although the love and help of the believers warmed my heart, it was only on a human level. My doubts remained unresolved. Toward the end of 2001, a relative, who had been forced to flee home because of her belief in Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), came to stay with us. She told me how she came to obtain Falun Dafa.
Originally a staunch atheist, this relative did not believe in the existence of gods and Buddhas, but miraculous events started to happen. A voice from another dimension spoke to her, saying it was her family’s ancestor from 500 years ago, and would follow and guide her as a reward for her ancestors’ good deeds. My relative could hear this ancestor’s voice but could not see him
With this ancestor’s help, the relative ran a fortune-telling business for several years. The ancestor would give her answers to the questions asked by others. As her fortune telling was remarkably accurate, she became famous. Many people came to seek her services, and her experiences completely shattered her belief in atheism. She learned about many things, including the principle of karmic retribution, clairvoyance, the third eye, animal possession, other dimensional beings, wandering spirits of the dead, the subordinate soul, and the afterlife. She even helped locate missing people based on information provided by her ancestor.
At the time, a qigong craze was sweeping through China. My relative was suffering from poor health and wanted to try some of the practices. However, her ancestor discouraged her and advised her to wait. Then, in June 1994, she received a flyer announcing that Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi would be delivering a lecture in her city in August. The words “Falun Gong” triggered a sudden desire in her, and she sought advice from her ancestor. Her ancestor replied, “You have been waiting your whole life for this. The suffering you’ve endured over many lifetimes was for obtaining this Fa. I’ve followed you for so long, letting you read fortunes and breaking your belief in atheism, all so that you could obtain this Fa. Not only should you practice but you should tell everyone around you and encourage them to practice as well. Your family gathered here in order to obtain this Fa.”
My relative shared this information with those around her, and dozens of people signed up to attend Master’s lecture. The ancestor left my relative’s side after she obtained the Fa. Before leaving, he told her, “Don’t tell fortunes anymore. My mission to guide you to obtain Falun Gong is complete. Before I leave, let me leave you with some advice: Never follow the crowd blindly and take responsibility for your own life. The path of cultivation will be full of thorns, but as long as you persevere, a bright future awaits you.”
My relative’s words were enlightening, especially when she said she had been waiting her whole life to obtain this Fa. I had found the answer that I was searching for. In March 2002, when the persecution had reached its peak, I resolutely embarked on the path of cultivation practice.
After I obtained the Fa, I tried to persuade my younger brother to cultivate as well. But he would just smile and tell me to cultivate diligently.
One day in November 2005, I had a very vivid dream. I saw my brother’s bones turn completely black and shrouded with a dark, eerie substance. A voice told me, “Your brother has bone cancer. He has only three months to live, but because he has a diligent practitioner in his family, he has been given a chance. If he cultivates wholeheartedly during these three months, his disease may be cured.”
The voice sounded so real, I burst into tears, calling out to my brother while kowtowing three times in the direction the voice came from. After waking up, I continued to sob for a long time. When I asked my brother about his health, he said, “Recently, my whole body has been aching terribly. I feel completely weak and the pain keeps me awake sometimes. I didn’t want you to worry, so I didn’t tell you.”
I described my dream to my younger brother and he was startled. At that time, my brother was a senior in high school, preparing to take the college entrance exam in a few months. He spent every evening in self-study, reaching home at 10 p.m. each day. Even after getting home, he had to do homework and review his lessons, which left him with no time to study the Fa or practice the exercises. So my brother withdrew from his evening self-study sessions and told his teacher he would study at home by himself.
Over the following months, my younger brother studied the Fa with us after getting back from school, then practiced the five sets of exercises. By the fifth set, he would be in so much pain that his body would be soaked in sweat, but he persisted.
My brother’s English grades had always been poor. He just could not remember his lessons well. Yet after he started practicing, without attending evening self-study or receiving any extra tutoring, his grades improved greatly. He said that the English words would fly into his brain, giving him perfect recall. During a mock exam, my brother achieved his best score ever, causing his homeroom teacher to believe he had hired an outside tutor.
As the college entrance exam approached, I experienced many nightmares, among which was seeing my brother buried in the hills behind a park, or being expelled from school with a voice saying his lifespan had ended, hence he was not entitled to advance to university. On the day of his college entrance exam, my mother accidentally broke my brother’s glasses. My brother later complained that he had failed to do well the first day, as his mind felt foggy. I told him, “Your life has been extended by Master. Master will give you everything you need, as long as you reject all the other interference. We then proceeded to study the Fa and practice the exercises together.”
The next day, after my younger brother had entered the exam hall, I found a small internet cafe nearby and kept sending forth righteous thoughts, eliminating the evil that continued to interfere with his performance. Over the next two days, my brother performed exceptionally well, achieving his best results ever. He was admitted to university with a four-year tuition waiver and provided with a monthly living allowance. This was a stroke of good luck, given our family’s inability to make ends meet at that time. Even if my brother had gotten in, we would not have been able to afford the tuition.
With every dead end, as long as we believe in Master and the Fa, the situation will eventually turn around because ultimately everything is in Master’s hands.
After graduating from university, I stayed on as a lecturer on my professor’s recommendation, while caring for my mother and doing truth-clarification work. A relative suggested I send my mother to a nursing home so that I would not jeopardize my future, but I knew the importance of filial piety. I was determined to do my best and leave no regrets, instead of running away from my responsibilities.
Moreover, I was responsible for a long-term truth clarification project, so I refused to consider leaving my hometown. A few years later, my mother passed away, and my father returned to China. My younger brother graduated from university and a fellow practitioner took over my truth clarification project. At this point, my professor advised me to continue my studies in South Korea. My classmates also told me to apply for a South Korean visa as soon as possible before a policy change went into effect. With my burdens and responsibilities lessened, I took it as a sign that I was supposed to go to South Korea.
I contacted a fellow practitioner in South Korea, and she welcomed me into her home. In May 2011, I went to South Korea.
I faced a choice upon arriving in South Korea to either pursue further studies or find a job. My professor hoped I would continue pursuing a master’s degree or PhD, before securing a teaching job as a professor in the future. However, my father’s femoral avascular necrosis had worsened to the point that he needed immediate surgery costing 80,000 yuan (USD$11,300). I decided not to pursue further studies and started looking for a job.
I decided to follow a natural course because Master was by my side and there were truth clarification tasks I had to do in South Korea. I set requirements for any job I considered: no working during our local group Fa study sessions every Thursday, no overtime in the evenings, and weekends off, so that I could participate in truth clarification projects.
I hoped to find a job with useful skills that could be used to help save sentient beings. Moreover, I knew that because of Dafa’s blessings, I would never be poor or destitute.
I started submitting my resume on job websites and soon received several invitations for interviews. One company offered me a job immediately after my interview. However, I learned that the company closes at 7 p.m. I would only reach home at 9 p.m., and moreover I had to work on Saturdays. Although the salary and benefits were good for a foreigner who had just arrived in South Korea, I eventually politely declined the offer.
While waiting at the subway station to go home, I received a call from another company inviting me to attend an interview the following day, the last day they would be holding interviews. I visited the company the next day, and saw many job applicants. Only then did I find out it was a subsidiary of a large Korean corporation.
The department was looking to hire only one person. The interviewer sought details about my visa, before advising me to not look for other jobs just yet. The company would contact me with the outcome of the interview as soon as possible. Two days later, I was officially hired and the company asked me to come in and sign the contract. I became the only foreigner in this local company with thousands of employees. The representative told me that this was the first time in years the company had looked to hire a foreigner, and I was among the last hired.
After signing the contract, I was told there was no probation period and I was now a full-time employee, enjoying full bonuses, commissions, and other benefits. Moreover, my department was the only one with no overtime. I did not need to work on weekends and holidays. Furthermore, my job required me to familiarize myself with the various products produced by the company, which would require several months of training. Master had arranged the best for me, down to the smallest detail. My time, income, skills, and life were given to me by Master, and I must use them wisely and righteously.
I majored in computer science while in university. After graduating, I continued as a lecturer for six and a half years, teaching college entry examination computing courses. After arriving in South Korea, I realized everything I had learned and experienced had been arranged by Master, so that I could use my skills to validate the Fa and save sentient beings.
I worked on computer technical support and translation projects, meeting many fellow practitioners and running into many opportunities to cultivate my character. Faced with computer-illiterate fellow practitioners, I found myself cultivating patience. When faced with computer-literate fellow practitioners who questioned or rejected my proposed solutions, I had to eliminate my arrogance and cultivate humility. When given praise, I had to eliminate the desire to show off. When facing conflicts, I had to search inward, examine myself, and consider things from the other person’s perspective. I could only achieve this through continuous Fa study.
After completing the housework and caring for my children after work, I would have to start working on my truth clarification assignments. This left me little time for Fa study. During this time, compassionate Master gave me the opportunity to study the Fa while at work. I seized the opportunity to study, memorize, and copy the Fa. Many seemingly insurmountable technical problems or conflicts were miraculously resolved as I began to rectify myself. Whenever I became preoccupied with work and failed to study the Fa, things would go wrong, causing more frustration.
When working on projects, I often recite the following teaching,
“How many sentient beings could not be saved on account of your failing to do well in the course of what you were doing?” (“Fa Teaching Given at the NTD Meeting,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume IX).
I cannot hinder sentient beings’ salvation or fellow practitioners’ efforts to validate Dafa because I failed to do well. Master arranged for me to learn computers and different languages so that I could assist Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings, not to validate myself.
Through continuous Fa study, I began to realize how superficial and shallow modern computer technology, knowledge, and science is in the face of Dafa. This prevented me from blindly worshiping capable, competent, or highly educated fellow practitioners. I often remind myself that gods and Buddhas can see people’s hearts, so my conscience must be clear. I have to prioritize the Fa without any desire for worldly reputation or praise from fellow practitioners.
I try my best to translate with a pure heart, because everything produced by Dafa disciples contains energy. Articles translated with human attachments, such as impatience, the desire to compete, achieve fame, and show off, will contaminate and interfere with fellow practitioners and ordinary people when they try to read my translations. Therefore, I take pains to adjust any incorrect mentalities before continuing to translate.
I had been stuck in a depressed and lethargic state over the past two to three years. Various injustices and conflicts I encountered at work, my autistic child, and my seriously ill father became heavy burdens trying to pull me down. I even experienced the false symptoms of illness, leading to physical and mental exhaustion. Although I knew only Master and the Fa could save me, my exhaustion after finishing work made me unable to muster the necessary righteous thoughts. I found myself relieving my stress and fatigue through watching earthly videos. Despite continuing to study the Fa and practice the exercises, I found myself with less courage and diligence than before.
Toward the latter half of last year, I decided to study the Fa daily with a fellow practitioner who had been struggling with personal tribulations. During this process, I gradually regained my righteous thoughts. Later, fellow practitioners I knew created a group and began studying the Fa each day. Through continuous Fa study and listening to fellow practitioners’ experience sharing articles, I emerged from my depressed state. As my character improved, my work and home environment, as well as my father’s illness, showed marked improvement.
I treat my work colleagues as precious beings with whom I have a predestined connection. I treat them kindly and consider their needs first when problems arise. The conflicts and difficulties they create for me are meant to help me improve, and I must seize these opportunities to elevate and save these precious lives. My child has become more cheerful and has come to understand what we are trying to convey. Although he remains unable to speak, his teachers praise him for his kindness. My father, who had supported the Communist Party and atheism, had long resisted accepting the truth about Falun Dafa. After he was diagnosed with leukemia, he began to study the Fa with us and his condition showed steady improvement, until a recent checkup confirmed his leukemia had vanished. All of these blessings were from my efforts in studying the Fa and applying the principles of the Fa to everything I do.
When I look at the world through the mindset of ordinary people, I find myself lost, unable to see the way out. Yet when I consider things on the basis of the Fa, my situation improves. No matter how hopeless I feel, as long as I step toward Master and the Fa, a path will appear before me. From now on, I aim to let go of human attachments, consider things from basis of the Fa, cultivate myself, and validate Dafa in the human world.
Thank you, Master.Thank you, fellow practitioners.
(Selected submission for the 2025 South Korea Fa Conference)