(Minghui.org) Tsao Chiung, 78, born into a devout Catholic family, had a stable job with a good family before she entered the second half of her life. However, at that point her life took a sharp turn. Ms. Tsao not only developed breast cancer, but also lost millions in savings due to investment failures. How did she find the strength to face her suffering and regain her life during this most difficult time?
Born in Taiwan in the 1940s, Ms. Tsao’s father was a colonel in the Air Force who became a lawyer after his military retirement. Her mother was a devout Catholic. Growing up in a family that emphasized discipline and respect for God, she believed in the existence of God from the bottom of her heart.
Although her grades in school were modest, her school years went smoothly because she was well-behaved and conscientious. After graduating from college, she worked as a librarian in the library of the Department of Architecture at National Cheng Kung University, with the daily responsibility of organizing books, assisting with lending data, and maintaining book classifications. She worked quietly in this tedious and complicated job for twenty-six years.
Meanwhile, she also built a family with her Christian husband, and together, they had a son. Her family life, like her career as a librarian, was plain and orderly, yet peaceful and happy. She recalls, “My life was going along smoothly until I was fifty. At that time, I had imaged that it would keep going peacefully like that for the rest of my life.”
Ms. Tsao retired at age 51 in 1999. Just as she was about to embrace leisure in the second half of her life, she discovered a hard lump in her right breast. She summoned up the courage to go for a checkup, and obtained the bad news: second stage breast cancer. The doctor didn’t give her much time to think about treatment, and quickly arranged for surgery the next day.
Although the surgery was successful, there was no follow-up chemotherapy or electrotherapy because the hospital was small. Whenever Ms. Tsao felt something strange in her body, she would become anxious and was afraid of relapse. She recalls, “I was very scared during that period, imagining that my life could end at any time. I was also worried that my condition would burden my husband and affect the lives of the whole family.”
To make things worse, the investment company that she and her husband had invested their saving with went bankrupt the following year. The money from their three houses and all of their life savings, a total of about eight million dollars, went down the drain overnight. This huge financial loss threw her to the edge of a dark abyss. However, as the saying goes, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” At her lowest moment in life, Ms. Tsao watched a program about Falun Dafa on TV in 2000.
The program about Falun Dafa caught Ms. Tsao’s attention. The calm and peaceful images of Dafa practitioners performing the exercises, as well as their sharing personal accounts of physical and mental benefits, were like a stream of light that brightened her heart.
She thought to herself that it would be wonderful if she could practice too. So she went to the bookstore and bought two books, Zhuan Falun and The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection. But she couldn’t find a practice site, nor any practitioner to learn the exercises from, so she put the books aside.
But practicing Falun Dafa was always on her mind. While grocery shopping one day in 2001, a stranger handed Ms. Tsao a leaflet with a brief introduction to Falun Dafa. She learned about an upcoming Falun Dafa nine-day seminar and attended without hesitation. At 53, Ms. Tsao embarked on the journey of cultivation and fully regained her health shortly afterwards.
“Since life is limited. I have to seize the time and cultivate diligently,” Ms. Tsao said. This became her greatest wish after attending the nine-day seminar. She began to read Zhuan Falun attentively, word by word, slowly understanding and absorbing it. Then, she went on to read other lectures by Falun Dafa’s founder, Master Li, one by one.
As Ms. Tsao devoted herself to true cultivation, she gradually understood that the sufferings in life were not accidental, and that everything had causes and arrangements. “Originally, I couldn’t comprehend why I had to endure so many trials and tribulations, since I had always been kind and never committed sins. But Zhuan Falun gave me the answer. All of our suffering has its own cause, which is the result of the karma from past lives. Only when one improves their character through cultivation, can one truly transcend suffering and clear one’s karmic debts.”
Ms. Tsao understood from Dafa’s teachings that people all have their own destinies. Letting go of grudges gave her strength to maintain a resolute and peaceful state of mind when facing any adversity. Her lingering fears, insecurities, and grievances were dissolved layer by layer through Fa study, and her mind has become calmer.
“I no longer worry about a relapse of cancer, nor the loss of money and houses. I began to live each day seriously, with diligent Fa study and exercises. I also took the initiative to share the beauty of Falun Dafa with my friends and family.”
Ms. Tsao gradually regained her health, becoming more cheerful and full of hope every day. She confessed, “I used to worry about everything, and was always sentimental. Now it is easier for me to accept the facts of life. I also stopped comparing myself with others. As my mind is more open and cheerful, my life feels real and I am happier.”
In May of 2020, Ms. Tsao received a shocking phone call from her son, with the bad news of his diagnosis of bladder cancer and an operation. Though she froze the moment she heard the news, she didn’t feel scared and helpless as before.
She was aware that even though her son didn’t practice Dafa, he believed in Master and Dafa after witnessing her recovery and changes. So she told him to recite, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” sincerely, and that Master would definitely help him.
Previously, her son’s doctor accessed that the tumor was likely malignant and scheduled his first chemotherapy treatment. However, his pathology report came back with good news, surprising the family and cheering them up. Ms. Tsao sensed that this was not a coincidence and she deeply thanked Master for his compassion. The family became even more convinced of the wonders of Dafa.
Looking back at her life, Ms. Tsao expressed with emotion that she couldn’t imagine how she would have been able to come this far without Dafa. At the age of 78, she is physically and mentally healthy, with a keen mind. Her whole family, including her son and grandchildren, have all benefited from Dafa over the past 25 years of her cultivation. Her family is full of harmony and goodwill.
Ms. Tsao stated gratefully, “When undergoing difficulties in my life, if I hadn’t cultivated, I might have been trapped in suffering and unable to free myself, just like many people. Dafa gave me the strength and dissolved the doubt in my heart, so that I could bravely face my setbacks and illnesses and step out of the gloom. The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance taught me the true meaning of life and how to face the storms that come along as we walk our path.”
From the bottom of her heart, Ms. Tsao hopes that more people will learn about the beauty of Falun Dafa and find true happiness for themselves.