(Clearwisdom.net) I began practicing Falun Gong in June 1997. I am now 67 years old and have hardly any wrinkles on my face. I am very energetic and healthy, and my life is calm and full of joy. Others say that they cannot tell my age at all. I have deeply felt the magnificence and beauty of Falun Dafa and Teacher's enormous compassion through my own experiences.
Before Cultivation: Suffering from Many Diseases
My health was not good ever since I was a child. When I was five or six, my nose bled so much that I had to put a basin under it to contain the blood. At various times in my life, I suffered from typhoid fever, dysentery, whooping cough, diphtheria, and rheumatic arthritis of the knee. Right before I began practicing Falun Gong, I had a duodenal ulcer, chronic gastroenteritis, sinusitis, insomnia, low blood pressure, gynecological disease, right-side facial numbness, and cervical bone hyperplasia (enlargement), just to list a few of my health problems. I also had severe constipation, often with a lot of blood. I was afraid of cold temperatures and could not bear fans or air conditioning in the summer; I couldn't eat fruits or spicy food. In the winter, even when the heater was on high and all the windows and doors were completely shut, I still felt very cold and that a cold breeze was blowing at me. I tried many different ways to treat my diseases, but my health didn't improve. All these things caused a lot of trouble both at work and at home.
Starting to Practice Falun Dafa
In 1994, a coworker told me that Falun Gong had miraculous effects in treating diseases, that Teacher was holding classes all over the country, and that I should go and take a class. I was too afraid of how much trouble it would be to go out of town, and then someone else recommended another form of qigong to me. It was actually not a genuine form of qigong, but because of this, I missed the rare opportunity to listen to Teacher's lectures in person. Not long after I started to practice the other qigong, I realized that something bad was happening. I was scared and wanted to get away from it, but I couldn't and felt helpless.
At the height of my concern, something happened that allowed me to easily sever my connection with that fake qigong. That was the first time I realized that I was protected by divine beings. Later, after practicing Falun Gong, I understood that it was Teacher who had helped me. Due to this lesson, I refused to learn any other type of qigong, but I did begin to worship Buddha and divine statues to ask for help for my diseases. It did not help.
One day, my sister brought me Teacher's Fa lectures on tape and recommended Falun Gong to me. I did not really want to do it, but she was so sincere that I would have felt bad if I had not given it a try. I began listening and realized that Teacher was talking about the exact things that I had wanted to know about for years, so I began to listen very carefully.
There was a Falun Gong exercise site in the residential courtyard where I lived. I saw another elderly lady there who had practiced Tai Chi with me in the past. She also told me about Falun Gong's tremendous effects on health and other miraculous things that happened to her after she began practicing Falun Gong. She recommended it to me highly.
Thinking that I would just give it a try, I went to the exercise site and followed the other practitioners' movements. The first day, I felt very relaxed and comfortable during the exercises. Especially during the second exercise--the Falun Standing Stance--I felt my hands get very warm. It was the first day of summer in Beijing, and I stood still for 30 minutes. That would normally have been impossible for me. That was the first time that I realized Falun Gong's extraordinary effect, and I started to do the exercises with the group daily.
Several days later, there was a Falun Gong banner in another spot in the courtyard. There were also practitioners there to teach the exercises for free. This drew people's attention, and many joined. I went there to learn the five exercises and correct any inaccurate movements. The two exercise sites eventually combined into one, and every morning there were at least 25 and sometimes even over 100 people. Everyday when I went to the exercise site, I felt very comfortable. It was miraculous. I went there every morning and evening. My health improved daily. Later, a fellow practitioner told me that I also needed to read Zhuan Falun. I took Zhuan Falun home and read it very carefully. I finished reading it the first time in one afternoon and evening. That was when I finally stepped on the path of practicing Falun Dafa. It was 1997.
After Practicing Dafa, All My Diseases Went Away
Very soon after I began practicing, I felt my body become light and relaxed. My temper improved a lot. I could eat all the things that I could not before--even ice cream--without a problem.
I was no longer afraid of the cold. I remember that the winter of 1998 was very cold and often quite windy. In the morning it was often about -15 C (5 degrees F), but we still did the exercises in the mornings and evenings in a park. During the 1998 Chinese New Year, my husband and I and two young couples climbed the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan Mountain). There was snow on the peak and it was very icy. My husband and I climbed very fast, and the two young couples could not keep up with us. Another night, after doing exercises in the park, I was caught in a heavy rain and was completely soaked. I didn't get a cold and everything was normal. All my diseases quietly disappeared without my even noticing it. My body was exactly like what Teacher said:
"... you will feel that your body is light, as though treading on air. In the past, you would be tired if you walked a few steps, but now it is very easy no matter how far you walk. You feel as if being pushed while riding a bike, and you are not tired when going upstairs--no matter how many floors there are. It is guaranteed to be this way." (from Zhuan Falun)
I remember one time when I walked from the first floor to the 25th floor and did not feel tired. In the past, I did very little housework because I got tired and annoyed very quickly and was also afraid of cold water. My husband took care of these things most of the time. After practicing Falun Gong, it was completely different. I began to do all the cooking and cleaning. These are just a few examples of things that changed.
Dafa Purified My Heart
Not only did my body become healthier after I started practicing Falun Gong, but my heart was also purified. I used to be very competitive and took everything very seriously. I wanted to be the best in all areas, including family, children, work and career, etc. I was a perfectionist and wanted everything to be centered around me. Especially at home, everyone had to listen to me. If they didn't, then I wouldn't stop talking. I often blamed others for problems, so the atmosphere in my family was often not peaceful. My husband and I fought a lot.
At work, when coworkers that I considered less capable were promoted over me, I got very angry. When the awards were given at the end of year, I thought they were unfair, and my relationships with coworkers and my supervisors were very tense from time to time. As the moral level of society slid down, my notions and behavior were carried away with them. I had given up the traditional values. Atheism had pushed me further and further away from Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The moral standard of Falun Gong made me feel deeply embarrassed and worried. Zhuan Falun purified my heart and got me back on track with the traditional moral values.
I followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and used this standard to direct myself. The first step was to become a good person. Wherever I am and whatever I do, I tell myself to think about others first. I try to eliminate attachments to fame and personal gain, and let everything happen naturally. No matter how others treat me, I try to be compassionate toward them. Whenever I encounter conflicts, I try to identify my shortcomings with a practitioner's standard. I try to focus on the good things in other people, understand them, and care for them. Gradually, my relationships with others got much better, and there was harmony in my family again.
I had always wanted to achieve a higher realm in life, but I didn't know how. After I began practicing Falun Gong, I really felt that my body and heart were being constantly purified. Many bad mentalities, notions, and thoughts were eliminated. I really felt that my mind was constantly improving. I no longer got worried or annoyed over fame and emotions like I once did. Now, my life is free and relaxed, and I have met my goal of purifying my heart.
It is hard to describe in words the blessings I received after practicing Falun Gong and my deep appreciation for Teacher. I just wrote about a very tiny part in this article, to show the beauty of Dafa and Teacher's compassion. I also hope that those who have not heard the facts about Falun Gong get to take a closer look at it. Once you get closer to Falun Gong, you will receive blessings, and if you take a step further to learn about it, then you will receive even more blessings. I hope that all the predestined people will clearly see the lies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and know that "Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" and have a good future.
Category: Health Benefits
