Some Understandings from Recent Ordeals

(Minghui.org) Fellow practitioner Ann (alias) has suffered from sickness karma for over three years. Because her condition worsened over time, she told me she was thinking of seeking medical help from a hospital. Her lack of confidence in passing this tribulation led her to ask, “Can I get medical treatment, yet continue to practice Falun Dafa?” Although Ann is aware of Dafa’s cultivation requirements, her ordinary human notions became stronger during this severe tribulation. I also learned that Ann had not read the Fa for three years, since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic. We shared our understandings over the phone for about half an hour, before hanging up to send forth righteous thoughts.

After sending forth righteous thoughts, I started my regular routine of reciting Zhuan Falun from memory. It was then that the thought struck me. “It has been 20 years since I first started reciting Zhuan Falun!” I felt a sense of awe at having unknowingly sustained this for so long.

My ability to comprehend things is not good, which hampers my progress. I seemed to enlighten to things after the incident was over, “Oh, so Master had been trying to enlighten me for a while, but I didn’t realize it!” Even so, the ability to memorize the Fa has helped me overcome all kinds of physical and mental tribulations. The following are some examples I would like to share.

Overcoming Sickness Tribulations

In 2017, I experienced sickness karma, which manifested as a severe itch throughout my entire body. It took me 11 months to fully recover. For over two months, the severe itch disrupted my sleep, and I could only catch short 30 to 60 minute naps between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. I continued to go to work as usual.

Along with the itch, rashes, and pus covered my entire body except for my face. During the hot summer months, wide and deep cuts continually formed on my hands. On one occasion, my hands began to swell until, within minutes, they resembled loaves of bread. I could not clench my fists nor stretch out my fingers. The back of my head swelled badly for a few days. I intermittently felt severe cardiac discomfort, especially while taking my daily shower.

For some time, small cuts also spontaneously appeared throughout my entire body. Each morning, I found my bed sheets peppered with light blood stains. When I showered, water seeped into these exposed cuts and caused pain, as though countless knives were cutting my body.

Regardless of the level of discomfort, I persisted at reciting the Fa every day. However, the itching was so bad that I could barely calm down. Additionally, I had become so familiar with the contents of Zhuan Falun that I could recite the words by rote, without absorbing the meaning of the text. At one point, I was left in tears, without hope that this ordeal would end. At another time, I lamented the long path ahead of me, unable to discern when this tribulation would pass.

I suffered in pain like this for over six months, struggling each day in this battle between good and evil. One day, a notion struck me. “Since I can’t concentrate on Zhuan Falun, I should try memorizing another book. The effort to memorize a new set of teachings would force me to concentrate on understanding the Fa teachings.” So I started to memorize Hong Yin IV. Unable to sit and recite the Fa normally due to the extreme itch and discomfort, I put a small cushion beside my bed and sat on it, leaning my upper body across the surface of the bed while I worked to memorize the Fa. During the first few days, I was so distracted by the severe itch that it took almost an hour to memorize one poem. Two weeks later, while preparing to memorize the Fa one night, I suddenly realized the itch was gone! I did not even notice when it stopped. As my body started its rapid recovery, I found myself crying uncontrollably whenever I recited content from Hong Yin IV. It took four to five rounds of repeated recitation before I could stop crying.

Clarifying the Truth and Cultivating While in Detention

At the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, I was illegally detained and sentenced for distributing Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials. In the detention center, I recited Zhuan Falun over 100 times and recalled from memory over 300 pieces from Master’s various lectures. I wrote some of these out and passed copies to other practitioners. Even though I was incarcerated for a few years, no matter how harsh the conditions were, I felt little hardship because I recited the Fa and practiced the exercises every day.

I shared a cell with another practitioner. The guard overseeing our cell used to catch and punish Dafa practitioners who practiced the exercises. At the beginning, she scolded and made me wash the toilet as punishment for practicing the exercises. The other practitioner and I refused to give up and wrote many truth clarification letters to her. We also seized every opportunity to clarify the truth to her.

Over time, her attitude towards us changed and she started looking at me favorably. More than once, she expressed admiration for my principles. She actually expressed her admiration for Dafa’s principles, although she was unable to say so directly. More than a year later, just before she was transferred, she specifically sought me out to tell me that she admired my upright character.

Some detainees who scolded and bullied me at the start eventually ended up calling me “elder sister.” They even declared to the gods in heaven that they withdrew from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliates. One detainee used to bully me and the other practitioners. Over time, I struck up a friendship with her. One day she asked me to be her witness as she openly declared to God her intention to quit the CCP.

One detainee announced in her farewell speech, “Everyone will inevitably encounter someone who changes the course of their lives. For me, it was that person (referring to me).” Another originally bullied me, but later expressed her respect and regret towards, “You treated me so well, yet I treated you so shabbily.” One detainee asked me to copy some of Master’s poems into her little notebook. In the case of another detainee, we were together for only two or three days, yet after we separated, she sang my praises to other detainees. When I later heard this, I was shocked. How was I able to leave such an impression, despite our short time together?

Continuing to recite the Fa boosted my righteous thoughts, and allowed me to overcome this persecution and secure my release from detention.

Deep Cut Heals

At the start of 2023, I accidentally and seriously cut my thumb on a cup. The cut, which was one-fifth of an inch deep and more than one-third of an inch long, should have gone through a small artery. Although the wound bled profusely all over my hands and surrounding areas, I felt no pain. I applied pressure and managed to stop the bleeding after 10 to 20 minutes. I wrapped the wound with tissue and secured it in place with a rubber band.

One day later, I opened the makeshift bandage, only to find the wound had closed, leaving only a superficial open cut on the surface. Two days later, I opened the bandage to find the wound had completely healed. Only a thin, red line the width of a strand of hair remained. This thin bloodstained line vanished in two days and my thumb was back to normal, except for a slight scar. In less than a month, even the scar had vanished. Now, it is impossible to tell that my thumb had been seriously cut.

Motivating Oneself While Undergoing Tribulations

When COVID-19 broke out again last year, I started experiencing symptoms of infection, though they were extremely mild in comparison to the people around me. Although I quickly recovered, I subsequently found myself unmotivated, unable to memorize the Fa and not making full use of my time. As a result, towards the beginning of March, I experienced another tribulation. My back began to hurt as if it were cut with a knife. The pain traveled throughout my body, sometimes to my shoulder, arm, or even my heart. I also experienced chest tightness and difficulty breathing.

Despite my pain, I still went to work. Typing elicited sharp, knife-like pains. It felt so bad, my temper became shorter and uncontrollable. Because I could not keep up with Fa study, my human notions began to strengthen. I knew I was falling behind in Fa study and failing to send righteous thoughts. Without the support of fellow practitioners, I found it hard to remain motivated.

One day in early April, I thought, “Why not record the amount of Fa study, exercises, and righteous thoughts I send forth every day, and compare them on a day-to-day basis?” From April 5th, I began a log of daily Fa study, exercises, and sending forth righteous thoughts. With this, my righteous thoughts became stronger, and I found it easier to motivate myself to improve. If I failed to do well the previous day, I worked harder the day after to make up for it. Less than two weeks after I started this plan, I discovered my back stopped hurting.

Miraculous Recovery After a Bike Accident

A week ago, I fell down while riding my electric bike in the rain to meet a client. My bike skidded about two meters, then turned 180-degrees before falling over. I injured my knee on the tiled pavement and I began bleeding. I considered turning around and heading back home. However, I was almost at the client’s place, and the client, my colleague, and my boss would be waiting for me. TI got back on my bike.

By midmorning, the pain vanished, so I thought everything was fine. Unexpectedly, that night unbearable pain started flaring up in my hips. Even the smallest movement triggered severe agony, and I found it hard to sleep well. The next morning, I got up to meditate and had to grit my teeth in pain while attempting to sit cross legged. The pain was reminiscent of the time when I started learning how to meditate in the full lotus position. The pain vanished after I managed to sit in the full lotus position. After the hour-long exercise, the pain flared up again when I attempted to take my legs down. It took me a few minutes of moving gradually before I finally could put my legs down.

It so happened that I was scheduled to go on a business trip that afternoon. I wanted to find a replacement, but no one was available. I had no choice but to go myself. It took me a few minutes to board and sit down in the hired car due to the severe pain. I also dragged my legs slightly while walking, as I could not lift them. After finishing lunch on the third day, I experienced a sudden flare of pain when I tried to stand. It took a few minutes for me to fully right myself, all the while holding on to the table for support. Yet between 3 and 4 p.m. that day, I suddenly realized the pain had vanished and my hip was fully healed, an inexplicable miracle! To experience Master’s compassionate kindness is a blessing!