From Anxiety and Confusion to Peace and Joy—Finding the True Meaning of Life

(Minghui.org) Most people spend a lifetime searching for life’s true meaning. Whether rich or poor, they ask the same questions: Why are we here? And where will we go when we die?

Ms. Chen Mengfeng, a former electronics company manager, used to be one of those people. Although her life was stable and peaceful, from a young age, she would sometimes feel an indescribable anxiety.

She said, “I didn’t understand why I had these feelings. I clearly had no worries about life, so why was I still unhappy? The future felt uncertain, and I felt as if I had no control over anything.”

“Back then, I felt that being human was too painful. I looked at the birds, who seemed to have no worries. I looked at the stones on the roadside, and even thought it would be better to be a stone!”

Zhuan Falun, a Book Gathering Dust on Her Bookshelf

When Mengfeng was 36, two of her beloved family members passed away. This caused her to seriously confront the impermanence of life.

She recalled, “I thought to myself: ‘Even wealthy people eventually end up in coffins, the same as ordinary people. So what do we come to this world for?’ I felt extremely fearful of life, as if the end of the world were about to come.”

That extreme fear stayed with her until one day when she remembered the book her older brother had given her years prior. Her brother and mother both practiced Falun Dafa, and her brother had given her the book Zhuan Falun, which had been collecting dust on her bookshelf ever since.

Mengfeng opened the book and finished it in one sitting, reading non-stop from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mengfeng said that the book Zhuan Falun answered her questions about life and eliminated her confusion.

She said, “When I got up to Lecture Nine of Zhuan Falun, I read:

“Accumulating de is what everyday people believe in, as they want to accumulate de and do good deeds so that they can live well in the next life. But we do not have this issue. If you succeed in cultivation, you will attain the Tao and there will not be the issue of your next life.”

I felt as if I’d been struck by lightning—I suddenly understood that I didn’t have to come back to suffer anymore! This was what I’d been looking for—Falun Dafa was the answer I’d been seeking!”

In the past, Mengfeng could never understand why life was so difficult, and she’d wanted to escape the suffering that came with being human. But in Falun Dafa, she found her life’s direction. She bought all the Falun Dafa lecture books, and felt happy every time she read them. She studied the Fa constantly, and her long-term anxiety and fear gradually dissipated.

Breaking a 16-Year Mahjong Addiction

Mengfeng found inner peace through Falun Dafa, and gradually broke free from the long-term habits that had plagued her. What surprised her the most was being able to overcome a mahjong addiction she’d had for 16 years.

She said, “I used to really love playing mahjong. Every Friday after work, I’d sit at the table and play until the early hours of the morning, sometimes until noon the next day. But the day after I finished reading Zhuan Falun, when my sister-in-law called to invite me to play mahjong, I asked her not to invite me anymore, and said I no longer wanted to play.”

Playing mahjong had been one of her major pastimes, and she’d never even thought of quitting, let alone imagined that such a powerful addiction would vanish after she began studying the Fa.

She was even happier that her own transformation also brought about changes in her family. Shortly after she quit playing mahjong, her husband quit his bad habits of drinking, chewing betel nut (a stimulant fruit that is also known to cause cancer), and playing mahjong, and hasn’t touched any of them for the past 15 years.

Mengfeng felt immense gratitude, “I experienced what Master said”:

“...with one person practicing, the whole family benefits” (Teachings at the Conference in Australia)

“The miraculous power of Dafa has transformed our entire family.”

An Unforgettable Miraculous Experience

One night, Mengfeng felt herself floating in her sleep. The experience was so vivid that it remains fresh in her memory even after all these years.

She recalled, “I felt my body floating in midair. Even though my eyes were closed, I was fully aware that I was floating. I wondered if I should open my eyes to look. Miraculously, the force pushing me up seemed to be waiting for my decision, allowing me to float in midair without moving up any higher.”

She decided not to open her eyes. No sooner had that thought entered her mind than she felt her entire body shoot upward with a “boom,” like an arrow leaving the bowstring, soaring into the vast expanse of the heavens.

This experience left her deeply shaken. She felt that Master was encouraging her, showing her that everything Dafa teaches is true.

Six Years of Unemployment Overcome with a Benevolent Solution

Life’s trials did not disappear for Mengfeng when she started cultivating, but she learned to face them with a different mindset. She and her husband had both worked at the same electronics company. When the company downsized, her husband was the first to be laid off.

Facing her husband’s sudden unemployment, Mengfeng followed the requirements of her cultivation—considering others first in all things. She thought that it was the perfect time for him to get some proper rest.

This break didn’t last just a few months, however—it lasted six years. During these years, relatives and friends would occasionally ask if her husband had found a job, or if she was the only one supporting the family. If she hadn’t been practicing Falun Dafa, these remarks would have upset her, and would have been impossible to let go. But she came to understand that everything happens for a reason.

She said, “I know everyone has their own destiny, so I’m not overly worried about this. Besides, when I think about it, I’m perfectly fine with my two children not working, so why should I have any reservations about my husband not working?” She no longer felt any pressure about his unemployment, and appreciated his dedication to the family.

Mengfeng didn’t complain once during these six years, and her husband, mindful of her hard work, quietly took charge of dinners and many household chores. Their marriage became even more harmonious.

Take a Step Back and the World Opens Up

Six years after her husband lost his job, the company had another round of layoffs, and this time Mengfeng was let go. She’d been with the company for 18 years, and as a veteran employee, should have been one of the most likely to keep their jobs.

Before she left the company, a colleague in another department decided to quit. So the head of that department asked if Mengfeng would take over his job. After a few days of the handover process, the colleague suddenly changed his mind and decided he wanted to keep his position.

Mengfeng knew that if she didn’t get this job, her family would have no income. But seeing the department head’s dilemma and her colleague’s anxiety, she didn’t even consider fighting for the position, and instead chose to take a step back, letting her colleague keep the job.

She said with a smile, “I truly understand the principle Master teaches in the Fa. When I let go of my attachments and stopped competing with others, I actually felt at peace!”

Eight months after Mengfeng stopped working, her husband successfully landed a job, and she became a full-time homemaker.

Reflecting on this experience, she said with emotion, “Cultivating Dafa has truly made me feel peaceful. I have everything I need in life.”

Finding True Joy in Life

Since she began cultivating, Mengfeng has felt that she and her family have been protected at many critical moments. She and her child were once in a car accident, and although the vehicle was damaged, they were not injured.

She said, “I know it was Master who helped us avoid that disaster. There are some things we know about, but many more that we don’t know or can’t see.” She was full of gratitude.

Mengfeng doing the second Falun Dafa exercise

Mengfeng said that if she hadn’t practiced Dafa, she might have found some fleeting entertainment in life, but once the excitement faded, the inner emptiness would still be there. She said, “After practicing Dafa, the anxiety and worries I used to have no longer controled me. Instead, I can now control them and prevent them from disturbing me again. Practicing Dafa can truly bring great joy—true happiness.”

From the inexplicable anxiety of her past to the inner peace and contentment today, Mengfeng realizes that true happiness isn’t about material wealth, but about the transformation of one’s life from the inside out.