(Minghui.org) I’ve been practicing Falun Dafa for nearly 30 years. Looking back on my path of cultivation, every step has been strengthened by Master Li. I was able to move forward, validate the Fa, and help Master save sentient beings. The more I cultivate, the more I feel fortunate, as our Master is great and compassionate. I wanted to share an experience of breaking through a serious sickness tribulation.
When I woke up to do the exercises on the morning of the Lantern Festival in February 2024, my right hand suddenly cramped up. While doing the standing exercises, my legs trembled, and I couldn’t stand steadily. I leaned forward uncontrollably, and my right arm felt weak and sore. I wondered what was happening, but didn’t pay it much attention. After breakfast, I asked my daughter, “Today is the Lantern Festival, shall we have dumplings for lunch?”
She replied, “Go do your thing! [referring to my truth-clarification activities]. I’m not going to work today.” So I rode my bicycle to a village to let people know about Dafa. By the time I talked to four people and wrote down their names for withdrawing from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), my hand was not cooperating. My writing had become sloppy and crooked.
While riding my bike, I felt unsteady. I started to panic, wondering what was happening, and decided to go back home. I arrived home at 11.00 a.m. My daughter and her family were making dumplings. I tried to help but my hands weren’t working well. But I didn’t tell them about it. After lunch, they returned home. My first thought was that I was experiencing karma elimination, so I didn’t pay it much attention. I went to group Fa study in the afternoon.
While doing the exercises the next morning, my legs trembled uncontrollably, I leaned forward again, and my right arm wasn’t functioning well, exactly like the previous day. I knew that I shouldn’t acknowledge this as an illness. I communicated with each part of my body: “I’m a Dafa cultivator, we are one entity. Let’s exert strength together. Legs, stop trembling; arms, lift properly and don’t move back and forth. Arms and legs, you are all parts of my body. Listen to my commands, stand firm and be strong. Master is right in front of me, smiling and watching us. Be a true Dafa cultivator!” I did the exercises for an hour and a half, while communicating with my body the whole time.
The second day after the Lantern Festival was the first day of school after the Chinese New Year holiday for elementary schools. I had to take my daughter’s second child to school. Every day, my son-in-law would drop the child off at my place, then I would ride my bike to take my grandchild to school. The school is close to my home, only a six or seven-minute bike ride away. That day, I told my son-in-law, “Why don’t you take the child to school today? My legs are cramping.” He asked why my legs were cramping and wanted to take me to the hospital. I replied, “You know I’m a Dafa cultivator, I have Master watching over me. This isn’t an illness. I just need to find out what I didn’t do well.” He asked me again why I wouldn’t go to the hospital. I told him it was no problem, not to tell anyone, and just go to work.
I calmed down and searched for the cause of why my legs wouldn’t work properly. It felt like they were tied with rope. I asked myself, “Why is this happening? It must be something I didn’t do well. Where did I go wrong? There must be omissions in my cultivation.” I repeatedly questioned myself. Following Master’s teachings, I looked inward and found attachments to showing off, jealousy, competitiveness, arrogance, desire, self-righteousness, impatience, and the attachment to seeking small worldly gains.
I was shocked by the pile of attachments I found. How could I move forward with all these attachments? I had only been focusing on surface-level cultivation without truly cultivating my heart. I said to Master, “Master, I was wrong. If this is a test arranged by you, I accept the challenge. As a cultivator, I have no illnesses. If it’s arranged by the old forces attempting to control me and make me panic, I won’t acknowledge their arrangement. I’m a Dafa disciple, and Master is in charge of me!”
For three consecutive days, I studied the Fa and looked inward, but my legs didn’t improve, and I couldn’t even go downstairs. Practitioner Shimin came to my home and was shocked to see me in such a state. With tears in her eyes, she discussed cultivation with me based on the Fa’s principles and encouraged me, “You must firmly believe in Dafa and Master. You will definitely overcome this tribulation!” I assured her that I would never tarnish Dafa or disappoint Master. I asked her not to tell other practitioners because everyone was busy, and I didn’t want to burden them. I was determined to pass this test!
I told her that, a few days earlier, Master had enlightened me in a dream. In the dream, there was a large mountain ahead of me. I wondered how to get over it. I thought about taking a winding path to the right. I then reached out and grabbed a rope. With all my strength, I climbed up from below, thinking that the rope was really powerful. When I woke up, I realized Master had enlightened me in advance, but I didn’t get it.
I told Master I was confident I could pass this test. Shimin encouraged me, saying, “Believe in Dafa, believe in Master, and maintain righteous thoughts throughout!” She even helped me take out the trash when she left. I deeply appreciated her kindness.
By the fifth day, practitioner Feng found out and came to help me. We exchanged experiences, sent righteous thoughts, and studied the Fa together. I told her about another dream I had the previous night. A demon of lust chased me through the woods into someone’s room. I told the occupant not to open the door for anyone, but the demon suddenly entered and sprayed filth all over me. I then shouted out, and it ran away.
When I woke up, I was furious. I wiped myself with a towel and knelt down to ask Master for help. I begged Him to eliminate the demon, take it far away, transform it into water, fill the hole it vacated, and never let it harm anyone again. I was gritting my teeth with hatred, which reflected the CCP culture I had – my deep-seated resentment. Feng said the dream was about eliminating the CCP culture within me. She brought me a USB drive containing videos such as the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, and Disintegrating Communist Party Culture.
I was born in 1949 and grew up in the Communist Party’s environment, filled with vigilance, resentment, competitiveness, and arrogance. My whole being was saturated with the CCP culture, and I couldn’t even realize it. It was terrifying. How could I return to my true home with Master, covered in so much filth? I accepted the practitioner’s advice and repeatedly watched and listened to the Nine Commentaries. I’d seen it before, but I didn’t truly pay much attention to it.
By the sixth day, my daughter said she was going to study in the provincial capital for 20 days and asked if I wanted to go with her. I replied, “You go ahead. Don’t call me while you’re there, I’ll be fine. I’m a Dafa disciple. Besides, Master is watching over me, and other practitioners can help out.” I thought this whole arrangement was to make me calm down and study the Fa—to look inward.
Feng came to see me every three days, bringing groceries, baked goods, and other supplies. Other practitioners from our Fa study group also visited me regularly to study the Fa with me. Practitioner Lin spent over an hour each day sending righteous thoughts with me, followed by sharing experiences and discussions. We would then study the Fa together in the afternoon.
For five consecutive days, my legs gradually became more stable when doing the exercises. During sending righteous thoughts, my hands also stopped shaking involuntarily, and I could control them better. Day by day, I felt better both physically and spiritually. I maintained high spirits, studying two lectures of Zhuan Falun every day, doing the exercises for three hours, and studying Master’s Fa teachings in the evenings. During mealtimes, I listened to the recording of Disintegrating Communist Party Culture.
While studying Zhuan Falun, this passage struck me deeply: “To truly cultivate, you must cultivate your mind. This is called xinxing cultivation.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun). I suddenly came to a new understanding of these words. I knew I must cultivate my heart. Despite practicing Dafa for many years and having memorized Zhuan Falun seven times, it had not penetrated my heart. Tears of excitement streamed down my face, and I bowed to Master, saying, “Thank you, Master, for your enlightenment. I am so ashamed for making you worry.”
Every morning, Lin joined me to send righteous thoughts and, in the afternoon, we studied the Fa. On the tenth day, after finishing our Fa study, she encouraged me to go downstairs. My apartment is on the third floor, and I accepted the challenge. Slowly, using the handrail, I descended the stairs to the ground floor. My legs felt much better, and she was pleased to see this. I then walked around the courtyard twice.
On the morning of the eleventh day, after sending righteous thoughts with Lin at 10 a.m., we went downstairs together. I pushed a bike and went out onto the street. I couldn’t get on the bike, so I walked 50 to 60 steps, then stopped to rest. I was outside for over half an hour, distributed five sets of truth-clarification materials, and was very happy. Master was watching over and awakening me. Whenever I couldn’t awaken on a certain level, it was because I had a pile of attachments I couldn’t let go of.
I thought I did the three things well—studying the Fa every day, sending righteous thoughts seven or eight times a day, and distributing truth-clarifying materials diligently. However, I was complacent and felt pleased when praised. I looked down on others, gossiped behind their backs without restraint, and was still steeped in the CCP culture. How could I return home with Master like this?
We sent righteous thoughts, looked inward, and studied the Fa every day for two weeks. After sending righteous thoughts in the morning, I would go out to distribute truth-clarification materials. However, I couldn’t ride the bike due to my legs. I had to push the bike and sometimes stopped to rest every five or six steps. My legs felt heavy and uncomfortable, so I repeatedly asked for Master’s strengthening.
I gritted my teeth and persisted, as my spirit remained strong. I exercised my legs by practicing getting on and off the bike daily, but my legs still trembled. On the afternoon of the 20th day, after finishing one lecture of the Fa, I went downstairs and tried to ride the bike. With a surge of effort, I was able to get on the bike. With Master’s help, I rode for half an hour.
On the 21st day, I rode my bike to a gathering place. By the 22nd day, my confidence had grown even stronger. Encouraged by other practitioners, I firmly believed in Dafa and Master. I asked for Master’s strengthening when going out, and rode my bike to clarify the truth. I helped eight people quit the CCP and gave out six Dafa amulets that morning.
I’m now back to normal and can go far to clarify the truth. I’m grateful to Master and I thank the practitioners who helped me.
Due to my limited education and cultivation level, I cannot fully express my true feelings of gratitude. I just want to tell practitioners that, as long as we believe firmly in Dafa and Master, no difficulty can stop us. Dafa cultivation is solemn and miraculous!