(Minghui.org) I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1998, and I’m now in my 70s. Before I practiced I suffered from various illnesses, including a herniated disc, hyperthyroidism, and heart problems. All these ailments vanished shortly after I began practicing. I truly believe in Falun Dafa and its founder, Master Li. I also feel those who truly practice are illness free.
Last May, Rong asked me to help another practitioner, Ming, who was experiencing a severe sickness tribulation. When we went to Ming’s home, we saw he was unable to take care of himself, and was in a wheelchair. Despite his physical condition, Ming still had righteous thoughts. But he could not identify the attachments that caused his illness symptoms.
I encouraged him to trust Master and Dafa and assured him that he would overcome any tribulation with determination. He agreed. I also recited Master’s poem:
Gong cultivation has a way, the heart is the pathDafa has no bounds, hardship serves as the ferry”(Hong Yin)
I suggested we meditate together. Ming was in severe pain the entire time, but he persisted. Rong and I were heartened by his determination.
Shortly after visiting Ming, on June 3rd I had difficulty urinating. I wasn’t worried. I felt I was paying off karma, that this was a false appearance of sickness and an opportunity to improve my cultivation. I maintained my daily routine, including studying the Fa teachings and doing the exercises.
I put myself in Master’s hands. Finally, around 10:00 p.m. that night, I was able to urinate. The swelling in my legs disappeared the next day and I was back to normal.
Another tribulation came two days later. I woke up with a high fever. I felt lethargic and had no energy or appetite. When my son called me that afternoon, he noticed my voice was weak and he wanted to come and check on me. I reassured him that I was fine and discouraged him from coming. By the next morning, my fever subsided, and I could eat. My son came while I was having a meal. He was surprised and relieved that I'd recovered so quickly. I reassured him that I have Master and Dafa, so I would be fine.
However, I was still weak and miserable over the next two days. I began looking inward and realized that my human notions dominated my thinking. For example, I wanted to eat certain foods I thought would help me feel better; I didn’t want to take a shower as it might give me a cold. These small thoughts showed that I treated my condition as an illness.
Recognizing my errors, I instantly felt revitalized. I got up, took a shower, and washed my clothes. I recovered right after that. Cultivation is serious and nothing is “a trivial matter.”
Then a third test came. My back started to hurt, and I was in so pain I couldn't bend down. I treated it as a false appearance, too. Then the water delivery man arrived at the door with a 40-pound barrel, I asked myself what I should do, as they normally left it at the door for me to take inside.
I reminded myself that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner. When I bent down to pick up the water barrel, my back pain vanished. A miracle occurred with that positive thought. If I were not a Falun Dafa practitioner, being over 70 years old, I imagine it would be impossible for me to carry that water barrel, let alone with severe back pain.
In the more than two decades I’ve cultivated, I had never had this experience before—overcoming three tribulations and eliminating substantial karma in ten days. There are no coincidences in cultivation, and everything that we experience is a good thing. I regarded these tribulations as Master’s orderly arrangements for me during the process of assisting another practitioner during a sickness karma test. On the surface, I was helping him, but, in fact, this process helped me improve.
When Rong and I revisited Ming, he'd improved and was now able to take care of himself. He was in good spirits and had even gained some weight. I recounted what I experienced during my tests and shared the importance of steadfast faith in Master and Dafa.
Ming was moved to tears twice as he listened to me and said he felt inspired to be more diligent. I urged him to study the Fa more, which is the source of our righteous thoughts. We encouraged each other to persevere and do better.
The above is my own understanding. Please point out anything not in line with the Fa.