(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa prior to July 20, 1999, when the persecution started. I am now 81 years old. I have never submitted an article to Minghui before. As Fa-rectification draws to a close, I feel I must give an account of my cultivation progress to my teacher, Master Li Hongzhi.
I got married before I was 20. My husband’s grandmother was widowed at 20. Her son (my father-in-law) joined the army at 20 and never returned, leaving my mother-in-law a widow. My husband has an elder sister, and these two widows raised my husband and his sister.
After I joined this family, I felt sorry for them. I cared for my grandmother and served my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law had a terrible temper, and I was always the target of her anger, which I endured silently. My husband was injured while working for the village and became disabled and unable to work. My son was only 12 at the time.
My son grew up, got married, and had children. My daughter-in-law also had a very bad temper. To keep harmony in the family, I endured the bad tempers of both my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. My daughter-in-law gave birth to a son who was intellectually disabled and asked me to raise him. She gave birth to another boy, who was also intellectually disabled. Her rage was uncontrollable, and she took it all out on me, saying that their disabilities were a result of the way I raised them. She was mad at me all the time.
One day, my son didn’t return home. He was the backbone of our family and the main source of income. The entire village went looking for him. It turned out that he had been hit by a car and the driver had fled. The villagers rescued him, but he could no longer walk.
To make matters worse, my husband fell seriously ill. Years of overwork had left me feeling depressed and plagued by ailments, particularly allergic asthma, which really took a toll on my health. When it struck, I couldn’t move, and sweat covered my forehead. I felt as if the sky was falling. Why was my life so miserable? Was there any hope for me?
In 1998, Falun Dafa spread to our village, and many villagers began practicing it. Hoping to find a cure for my intellectually disabled grandsons, I joined an introductory Falun Dafa class. Someone told me, “Your grandsons’ brains aren’t working well, so they can’t learn this practice.” I thought, “That may be so, but mine is, so I’ll learn it for them.” All I could think about was my grandsons.
When the lecture video began, I was completely absorbed. I had never heard such a wonderful lecture. Master’s every word resonated in my heart. I felt incredibly at ease. I’d never been happier in my life. As the video ended, the three large characters “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” appeared on the TV, radiating an intense light. I couldn’t help but exclaim from my heart. “Ah! This is the Buddha’s light!” I was so happy.
From then on, I cultivated in the Buddha’s light: I had a Master and I had found my path.
Less than a month later, all my ailments vanished without me noticing, even the devastating allergic asthma. I was so happy! No matter how angry my daughter-in-law was with me, I could endure it because I had obtained the Fa and was no longer ill. This was priceless!
But less than a year later, Jiang Zemin, the former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), began persecuting Falun Dafa. I absolutely refused to accept it. Such a wonderful practice and such a wonderful master, who didn’t charge us a penny and taught us to look inward and be good. Master cured all our ailments and brought us good health. Family harmony and interpersonal relationships, public security and social stability all improved. How wonderful this was!
I told the village CCP and government officials about this, and none of them objected. But they said that it had nothing to do with them, that “It’s a matter for the higher-ups.” The police said they were paid to carry out the persecution, and they didn’t care about right or wrong, and would arrest anyone who disobeyed. As a result, most of the Falun Dafa practitioners in the village stopped practicing. Of the 16 practitioners, only my daughter and I didn’t give it up.
We went to find Dafa practitioners in other villages to discuss how to seek justice for Master Li. We connected with other practitioners, and those in the city provided us with Dafa informational materials. We formed a united group and went everywhere to clarify the truth, distribute Dafa informational materials, hang up banners, and post stickers.
Later, my daughter bought a computer and a printer, and we set up a site to make informational materials. We accessed Minghui.org and downloaded information. We often went out together to clarify the truth. When there were more materials, I would go out and distribute them by myself.
Once when I was putting up stickers, the head of security in that village told me to peel them off. I said, “You can’t ask me to do that. This information is to help people. What it says is very good.” I showed him a sticker.
He asked which village I was from, and I told him. He responded, “Okay, but don’t put them up here.” He later reported me, and the police came looking for me. I went to the police station to clarify the truth to them.
These people knew me. I said, “If you don’t let me practice, and I have an allergic asthma attack, who will take care of me?” They told me to go home, so I did. From then on, I went out to clarify the truth and help people quit the CCP organizations with even greater confidence.
I’ve benefited greatly from practicing Falun Dafa. My health has always been excellent. I have a big family, but few can work, so for many years I helped with the farm work.
When I was 78, I began to feel a little unwell. I sent forth righteous thoughts, rectified myself, and improved my xinxing. Master said,
“... the life prolonged beyond your predestined time to live is completely reserved for your practice. If your thoughts undergo even a little deviation, your life will be in danger because your lifetime should have long been over.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I thought, “If I hadn’t practiced Dafa, my life would have long been over. It’s because of cultivation that Master has extended my life. I should devote all my time to cultivation, not exploit my good health to engage in ordinary things. Besides, most people my age would have already retired. How can a cultivator like me still be attached to ordinary things?”
I told my daughter-in-law, “I’m getting old. Don’t expect me do farm work anymore.” From then on, I have devoted all my energy to Dafa. I practice diligently. Now, at 81, I can still do the sitting meditation for an hour or two. I do all five exercises in one go. After doing the exercises, I walk so lightly, like a swallow flying through the sky.
My husband was seriously ill. After surgery, the doctor said he had only two years to live. I asked my husband to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and his life was extended by 10 years. Even the hospital considered it a miracle. I asked my son to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and his health has improved significantly. He supports me in fulfilling my commitment to cultivate in Dafa.
For our group Fa study, my daughter always took me to a village a few miles away. She was arrested last year, so another practitioner offered to take me. We agreed to meet at a certain intersection, but I mistook the afternoon as the morning. When the practitioner didn’t show up, I mistakenly thought she was busy and couldn’t come, so I walked to the village by myself. It took over an hour to get there. The practitioner said, “You’re amazing! You can still walk that far at 80. Young people these days don’t even walk that far.” I told her that, if it hadn’t been for Falun Dafa, I would have been dead long ago.
My good health validates the miraculous power of Dafa. Our village officials have never persecuted me. They always say things like, “Your Teacher has given you a healthy body. Practice diligently. Falun Dafa is good. You are a true living example! Don’t listen to their [the CCP’s] nonsense. We are all witnesses, we understand you, and we won’t make things difficult for you.”
My story has spread to nearby villages, so they are receptive to me when I clarify the truth. Some former practitioners saw the changes in me and have returned to cultivation.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners! Please correct me if anything is not in line with the Fa.