Recovered from Chronic Illness, Persecuted for Refusing to Renounce Falun Gong

(Minghui.org) Cheng Shi (alias) is a Falun Gong practitioner who lives in Germany. He suffered from a terminal illness and tried various Chinese and Western medical treatments, but to no avail. He became healthy after he practiced Falun Gong. But he was persecuted, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tried to force him to give up his faith. In China, millions of Falun Gong practitioners have had the same experience as Cheng Shi. 

Tried Every Possible Chinese and Western Medical Treatment 

At the age of 27, an age when young people start a family and build their career, Cheng Shi was diagnosed with viral conjunctivitis. His eye discharged viscous white secretions, forming albuginea. It affected his vision and was itchy. He felt uncomfortable and sometimes had a fever of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The doctor told him that the fundus of his eye was burned out and was incurable. In order to protect his other eye, the diseased eye had to be taken out. Cheng said, “When I was in the hospital, one patient had the same illness as me. One of his eyes was taken out.” But Cheng was not willing to have it removed.

Misfortune comes in pairs. Due to herniated lumbar discs that were compressing his nerves, Cheng felt numb on the right side of his body. He felt uneasy whether he was sitting, walking, or sleeping. He went for acupuncture treatments that lasted an hour each and they were extremely painful. He didn’t feel any better after one course of treatments. Then he resorted to Western medicine. The doctor told him that surgery might not help and could even put him at risk.

Cheng said, “I was in agony and would rather die. But my child was still small. I was the bread winner of the family. I had to put up with the pain. I was willing to pay for any medical expenses as long as my illnesses could be cured, but nothing helped.” He tried one treatment after another for years. 

Nearly Missed Falun Gong

Two of Cheng’s relatives took up Falun Gong and their experiences moved him. One suffered from bone hyperplasia and had been on all sorts of medications. After she practiced Falun Gong, she recovered and could go anywhere she wanted. The other easily got cold in winter. He tried many qigong practices and also joined winter swimming, but none of them helped. After he practiced Falun Gong, his health improved and he became stronger. Cheng Shi believed that Falun Gong could truly cure illnesses. 

Hoping to get his illness cured, he attended a Falun Gong seminar personally given by Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, at the Dalian Municipal Sports Stadium in late December 1994. He said, “I was offered a book to read during that time. I was looking for the paragraphs about treating illnesses to read. My mind was focused on curing my illnesses.” His notion was that there must be methods such as massages, feeling the pulse, etc., that could cure illnesses. If there was no healing method in Falun Gong, how could illnesses be cured by just doing the exercises and reading the books? He was skeptical of Falun Gong and continued searching for other treatments. 

Falun Gong Practiced by People from All Walks of Life

Cheng Shi’s calves were shrinking in early May 1995; he couldn’t drive or work and wanted to die. So he made his final decision, saying, “I stopped going to the hospital or seeking out special treatments. I tried all sorts of methods, but none of them worked on me. I have decided to practice Falun Gong wholeheartedly.” 

Early the next morning he went to a park near his home to join the group practice. “The people there were so good,” he said. “I thought only elderly ladies practiced Falun Gong. But I saw many intellectuals, professors, government officials, university students and others practicing the exercises. People of all ages practice Falun Gong. My mindset changed. I was very excited. It was like an international class. There must be something good in Falun Gong.” “There were dozens of people at that practice site at the beginning. Then more and more people joined in. It became a practice site of one hundred people.”

Besides the morning practice, Cheng Shi studied the Fa with other practitioners during the day or in the evening. He understood that Falun Gong is cultivation practice and doesn’t treat illnesses and that practitioners cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He studied the Fa, came to know the Fa principles more clearly and his mind became calmer. Gradually, his illnesses became less painful. In less than six months, his illnesses were gone. His shrinking calves recovered. “I threw out all the medications in my fridge,” he said. “I become healthy and illness-free. Why should I still keep those medications? I don’t need them.”

Peaceful Mind and Healthy Body

Cheng Shi improved his xinxing and gained good health after he started practicing Falun Gong. He said, “I used to be coldhearted and would fight for personal gain. I was not open and complained a lot. Superficially, I was happy and was good to everyone. Actually, in my heart I hated everyone. I couldn’t sleep and got angry. How could it be possible that I would stay healthy with a mind full of hatred? Since I started practicing Falun Gong, I came to understand the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I treat everyone kindly. I try my best to do everything well and don’t pursue personal interests; I just follow the course of nature. As a result, I bought an apartment and I was promoted at work. My colleagues know that I practice Falun Gong and put the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance into practice.”

All his colleagues learned that he practiced Falun Gong and gained huge health benefits. He shared his experiences with his colleagues. Some of them took up the practice. “As far as I know, several of them are still practicing,” he said. “Many managers and leaders were practicing Falun Gong at that time. But not many people knew that.”

Becoming Destitute Due to Persecution

Because of the amazing health benefits and practitioners’ high moral standards, people from all walks of life welcomed Falun Gong. By word of mouth, millions of people came to practice Falun Gong since it was made public in May 1992. Sadly, former CCP leader Jiang Zemin got jealous of Falun Gong’s popularity and initiated a nationwide ban and persecution in July 1999. 

Many local practitioners including Cheng Shi went to the municipal petition office to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. They waited until the evening and nobody came out to see them. Then several buses came and took them to a school playground. Their personal information was taken before they were released. 

Then the environment became harsh. Many families were harassed from time to time. Cheng Shi clarified the truth to his colleagues and was reported to his company’s Party secretary and security department. Many colleagues were afraid to contact him. He was pressured to give up his belief. He explained the truth about Falun Gong to the security personnel. He was pressured to distribute newspapers that slandered Falun Gong to every office in the company. He said, “I was so sad that I felt I would collapse. So, I resigned.” His family went through ups and downs during the persecution. 

He learned that a brainwashing session was going to be held in his city. The street community committee and the 610 Office were looking for him. He had to leave his home and he became destitute. He found odd jobs wherever he went. With the help of his colleagues and bosses who learned the truth, he managed to escape several attempts of harassment from the 610 Office. He was able to leave China in 2010 thanks to the help of kindhearted people.

Moving Overseas and Exposing the CCP’s Persecution

When Cheng’s flight landed in Germany and he disembarked, he looked at the sky and said, “Wow, it is beautiful.” He exclaimed, “The sky is so blue. The blue sky and white clouds are just like a painting. I have never seen such beautiful weather. It is indeed a completely different land. I am breathing such fresh and sweet air for the first time in my life. I have come to a free world. I feel relieved. The days I had to be vigilant and careful are gone. I have come to a free land.” The cultivation environment in Germany compared to the one in China was much better. 

After Cheng settled down, he cultivated himself solidly and gave out fliers at a Falun Gong information booth, and exposed the persecution happening in China. He hopes that more people become aware of the truth and help stop the persecution. He makes phone calls to China every day to let people know the truth, and encourages them to quit the CCP. 

Six practitioners were arrested in Tangyuan County in Heilongjiang Province on March 18 this year. Cheng Shi and other practitioners made phone calls to China in turn. They clarified the truth to related organizations and demanded the immediate release of the detained practitioners. The next day, good news came that all six practitioners were released. The practitioners in Tangyuan County said that the Police Criminal Brigade arrested the practitioners and that the officers in the Domestic Security Division had a big argument with the officers in the Police Criminal Brigade and didn’t want to get involved in the persecution. People are awakened when they learned the truth.