(Minghui.org) Words can’t express my gratitude to Dafa and Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa. Master not only saved my life but also changed me from being a selfish person who was very concerned about personal gains, into a kind person who thinks about others first. I thank Master for letting me know the principles of the universe—Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance—and being the guide in my daily life.
I am a 60-year-old farmer. My wife is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of polio when she was young. She also has epilepsy and can't work. So I have to work hard to make a living for the whole family and look after my wife.
I had an argument with someone one day. The other person kicked me and jumped on my back, and I passed out.
I hadn't returned home by midnight, so my daughter went out looking for me. She found me and took me to the hospital. I had been unconscious for over ten hours and regained consciousness the following morning.
The doctors checked me over and found that my spine was fractured. They said that it would cost at least 80,000 yuan to treat me, and emphasized that if I became paralyzed later on, they couldn't be held responsible.
The police told the person who beat me to give me 8000 yuan as compensation. But that would only have covered the fees for staying in the hospital, and I couldn't afford the rest. I had to go home.
Even though my lower back was seriously injured and very painful, I still had to work and look after my wife.
My injury became worse a year later. I was more bent over, and I started losing weight. My neighbors thought that I was done for.
In time, I could no longer farm the land or feed my pigs and chickens. I later had difficulty walking and I even couldn't lift a dustpan. I didn't know how much longer I had.
I was the breadwinner in our family. If I became bedridden, how could my young daughter look after her paralyzed parents? And she couldn't work if she looked after us. How would we survive?
My cousin came to our village for a funeral on July 18, 2017. He was shocked to see that I had become skin and bones. He said, “The only way I can help you change your situation is by recommending that you practice Falun Dafa.”
He had told me about Falun Dafa before and asked me to repeat, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance is good!” But I paid little attention to that back then. My cousin said that if I wanted to practice Falun Dafa, I had to stop drinking. I loved alcohol. I stored many bottles of wine and drank whenever I wanted. I could live without food, but I couldn't live without alcohol.
Hardship had nearly destroyed me, and Falun Dafa was probably my last hope, so I decided to give it a try.
My cousin taught me the five exercises after lunch. My lower back and legs hurt terribly when I did the sitting meditation, but I didn't move and sat there for 45 minutes. When I told my cousin that it was very painful, he said that because I had endured a lot, Master would purify my body.
I felt very comfortable after doing the exercises, and my back became straight when I walked.
My cousin brought me some Dafa books the following day, along with Master's audiotapes and exercise music. Whenever I had time, I did the exercises and studied the teachings.
When my cousin came to see me three days later, he saw that I was able to work again. I told him that my back was no longer in pain. He asked me to remember the date— July 18, 2017— and said that that was the day that I became a Falun Dafa practitioner.
My cousin came to see me frequently. He always wanted to know how well I had been studying the Fa and my understandings, and whether my xinxing had improved or not. He studied the Fa and did the exercises with me. I gradually learned the meaning of genuine cultivation and how to improve my xinxing.
I was born into a poor family, and money was very important to me. For example, when one of my chickens died, I was so angry that I didn't eat or speak for days. One chicken might sell for a few dozen yuan, but I couldn't control my emotions when I lost even that little bit.
I remember a time before I started practicing Dafa when I couldn't find 1500 yuan that I had hidden. I was so angry that I became ill. I passed out and my entire body became hard and cold. When I regained consciousness, I didn't eat or drink for days. All my neighbors were frightened and helped me to look. We found the money, in pieces, in a hole where rats had lived. Even though the money was in pieces, I was still very happy.
I spent a long time putting the pieces back together. One of my relatives said that he would help me to change the money at the bank. But he took the money and never came back.
After I started practicing Dafa, I understood from the teachings about everything having its predestined relationship—no loss, no gain. If I owed a debt, I had to pay it off. And cultivators need to eliminate their attachments.
My house caught fire late in the evening on March 9, 2018, due to an electrical fault. The house and my computers were all destroyed. I built a new house for over 30,000 yuan. When I told my cousin about the fire and losing my personal belongings in the blaze, he asked me how I felt.
I told him that it hurt for a short while, but then it passed. I am no longer attached to personal interests. My heart feels more relaxed and my mind has broadened.
From studying the teachings and with my cousin's help, my xinxing has improved a lot. My body always feels light, and I no longer hate anyone, complain, or want revenge. Kindness fills my heart.
Sometimes when my wife complains about me, I just smile at her. I even smile at the person who injured me when he passes in front of my house. I used to be selfish, and people looked down on me, but since I started cultivating, I have changed from the inside out. As a result, the environment around me has also changed.
Dafa saved my life. I can do my farm work and look after my family as before, and I am very healthy and happy. People are surprised by how much I've changed and ask how I recovered. I tell them it is because I practice Falun Dafa.
My recovery inspired my four sisters to start practicing Falun Dafa. I hope more people can benefit from the practice as I and my family have.