(Clearwisdom.net)
Having a Stubborn Personality, I Was Deceived
I am a 59-year-old farmer in China. I do some carpentry and farm work. I have always been stubborn. I have not received much education. My mentality and my lack of knowledge limit me, so no matter what is going on, I do whatever I think is right, and no one can change me.
Because of the slanderous propaganda on TV, I developed negative thoughts about Falun Dafa. My cousin's family and many of my in-laws practice Dafa. They all told me not to believe the propaganda. They went to appeal for justice for Dafa in Beijing, and they were arrested, fined large sums of money, and sentenced to a forced labor camp. I did nothing to comfort them. On the contrary, I called them fools, for I thought they should not go against the government. No matter how patiently they explained the truth to me, I was very rude to them. My practitioner relatives pointed out that Jiang Zemin launched this persecution out of personal jealousy. They tried to dissuade me from believing the government propaganda; however, in my heart I dismissed their efforts as foolish.
Misfortune Struck, Who Can Save Me Now?
In August 2004, I was diagnosed with a malignant cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma. My family and I were bewildered. My wife, child, and doctor were afraid that I could not face the reality of the situation, so they hid the diagnosis from me and acted as if nothing was wrong. In the meantime, my friends, family, and even some distant relatives came to visit me. They told me to take care of myself, and not to worry about my sickness. I felt that something was amiss. Later, a military hospital in another city produced an identical diagnosis. So I returned to the local cancer center for treatment.
I thought, "My heavens! Who can save me now?"
The Buddha Fa is Boundless, Saving Sentient Beings
At this extremely difficult time, my cousin, whom I ignored before, visited me and comforted me by telling me that Falun Dafa can save all sentient beings. If one truly practices Falun Dafa, one's illness will disappear. My cousin pointed out that the evil forces had taken advantage of my stubbornness and prejudices, and that is why I said bad things about Dafa. Nonetheless, if I could accept the truth, Dafa could help me with boundless compassion. This cousin also read Zhuan Falun to me and told me true stories of how practitioners have improved in mind and body and become healthy because of Falun Dafa.
I was greatly touched. I began to wonder why I did not understand the truth before. I remembered those local Dafa practitioners, a lot of whom were sick before they started practicing, and are healthy now. Every one of them has done many good things for society. They are all good people. They are punctual in paying taxes, happy in helping others, and kind to everyone. Such goodness readily wins people's respect and admiration. For example, before Ms. Xiang started to practice Falun Dafa, she was in very poor health. She had to wear a fur hat to cover her head from the wind even on warm days. On March 2003, she went to appeal for Falun Dafa in Beijing. When she returned, the authorities tied her to the back of a truck and drove around the city to have people verbally abuse and hit her. That day was freezing cold. The authorities stripped off all of her clothes and only left her underwear to cover her body. Her hair was messed up and she had no hat. The chill did not make Mrs. Xiang sick, though. In contrast, she has never needed to wear a hat ever again.
I witnessed all of these miraculous stories. I had to accept them as true stories regardless of my stubbornness. I believed that since they have practiced for so long, Master Li protected the practitioners. I was not a practitioner and had said many negative words about Dafa. I thought that I would be lucky if Master did not get angry at me. How could I expect Falun Dafa to save someone like me? I was very confused.
My cousin understood my problem and started to read the Fa to me. Now, I feel Master's boundless compassion. Finally, I let go of my stubbornness and prejudice and became a Falun Dafa practitioner. I started on my cultivation path.
My former illness was incurable, even with the most advanced medicine. I just started practicing, and my understanding was rather shallow. The doctor said I should not expect to live past March 2005. I did not follow the Fa's teachings exactly. After coming back from the hospital, I felt pain constantly. Even after I started to do the exercises, I still took painkillers. I felt somewhat better, though. In a dream a week later, I saw that a shell was taken off from my face. I held it in my hands, and it looked like a mask on a TV commercial. Actually, I was born with a black wart on my left cheek. In the dream the mask had a black hole.
After I woke up, I told others about my dream. My cousin pointed me to a passage in Zhuan Falun. When I read that passage, I shed tears and felt Master's immense compassion for all sentient beings. "Good or evil comes from a person's spontaneous thought" (Zhuan Falun). Now I deeply understand the Fa. After that, the changes in me were tremendous; I have had many ineffably wonderful feelings.
I became healthier, and the black wart disappeared. I can again do some farm work. I felt very fortunate. Only by practicing Falun Dafa can you discover the true magnificence of the boundless Buddha Fa. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Master for saving my life.
It has been three months since I obtained Dafa. It has transformed me from a fatally ill patient to a fresh new farmer. There are a lot of people who still believe the Chinese Communist Party's lies. I must tell my story to the whole world: "Dafa is saving people. Master's compassion is boundless." I had been deceived by the lies and said some irreverent things. I feel guilty. That is why I tell my real experience to people. I advise them, "Do not believe the slander; do not do bad things to Falun Dafa and Master, because you will regret it."
Some people told me, "Since you already got well, why don't you just stay at home and practice? Do not spread Falun Dafa; otherwise you will get into trouble!" It sounds like they were very concerned about me. However I think that if every Dafa practitioner hid at home, no one would have told me the truth. Practicing Dafa cured my cancer. I must share this amazing practice with others.
I want everyone to benefit from Falun Dafa. I believe that is true compassion as taught by Dafa. In the meantime, I am gradually coming to understand the real meaning of why Dafa practitioners who are cruelly persecuted still persist in clarifying the truth. Previously, I thought that Dafa practitioners were "fools," and "against the government." Now I see that the foolish person was not a Dafa practitioner; it was I.
May 15, 2005
