(Clearwisdom.net) In "Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference," Master gave a response to a practitioner's question:

"Some people who used to have illness did recover as soon as they started cultivating Dafa, and they really were cured. But, in order to remove your attachments and test whether or not you have what it takes, the old forces cause you to have pain wherever the focal point of your former illness was, or have a relapse, with the symptoms even being the same, all to see whether you believe in Dafa."

I have not taken any medicine for many years, nor do I have any illnesses. So I often use myself as an example when I talk to people about Falun Dafa. Recently, I also had similar symptoms mentioned in Master's lecture. I did not believe they were illnesses, and sent righteous thoughts to eliminate them. Sometimes it was effective and sometimes not. Is it because I have not cultivated well? After studying Master's recent lecture, I enlightened to the fact that my righteous thoughts are not strong enough.

I started practicing in February 1999, and have just turned 70 years old. After the Chinese New Year in 1999, I had many health problems, such as high blood pressure, problems with my upper spinal column, and heart disease, plus I suffered from vertigo. I could no longer take care of myself and went to various hospitals in Harbin for medical treatment every year. But the medicine I took was not effective at all.

My younger sister and local practitioners urged me to practice Falun Dafa and brought me a copy of Zhuan Falun. I tried to study with them and listened to Master's lectures. No matter how uncomfortable I felt, I continued to listen. Soon, my head didn't seem so dizzy. I saw hope and gained a bit of self-confidence. When my sister took me to see Master's lectures on videotape, I saw four to five hundred people there. This was how I learned that so many people were practicing in our local area. I felt very comfortable while I watched Master, and a thought flashed through my mind, "This is what I have been looking for."

I asked for ten copies of Zhuan Falun, CDs of Master Li's 9-Day Lecture in Guangzhou, and the exercise tapes, so I could hand them to my close friends and relatives. After watching Master's lectures for 10 consecutive days, all of my symptoms disappeared, and I have not taken any medicine since then. There are no words to express the joy I felt in my heart. I was enveloped in compassion because my view of the world changed. I told people, "Falun Dafa is good" and tried to encourage them to practice. My home became a practice site, and I got up every day at 4 a.m. in order to prepare everything for my fellow practitioners to come and do the exercises.

During the last ten years, I have done the three things to validate the Fa, but I have not been diligent enough. The meanings of Master's words did not penetrate my heart when I studied the Fa. The principles of the Fa were not clear to me. The old forces were able to interfere and persecute me because I did not raise my xinxing. I had a pain in the heel of my left foot in 2006. It felt as if a thorn was piercing into it when I walked. I was not able to go out to talk to people about Falun Gong because of this. By studying the Fa and talking with fellow practitioners, I decided that it was interference from the old forces, as I sought ease and comfort and was indolent. I sent righteous thoughts and realized that I should go out and clarify the facts. I distributed fliers in a few villages, and when I had finished, my foot did not hurt anymore. A fellow practitioner said, "You look exuberant! You've scared off the old forces."

After a period of time, the back of my right knee hurt so much that I could not walk. It swelled up so much that my right knee was much larger than the left one. I looked inward and discovered my attachments of zealotry and showing off. During group Fa study and sharing, I found out that two other practitioners also had pain in their legs or similar symptoms. We found our attachments and removed them by collectively sending righteous thoughts.

Towards the end of 2009, I was carrying a bag of Falun Gong materials as I left a practitioner's home. A fellow practitioner offered to carry the materials for me, but I refused out of my attachment to competitiveness. I had not walked far when my right leg collapsed and I narrowly missed falling down. I quickly called my son to collect me. My leg hurt so much that when I practiced the exercises, I could not cross my legs. I continued to send righteous thoughts and eliminated the interference.

Another time, my right arm went numb and I didn't dare turn my neck. I felt my head was spinning so much that I spent the whole day lying down. I recited, "Falun Dafa is good." My children wanted to take me to the hospital and feared that I had a cerebral hemorrhage. I said that I did not want to go. All of my previous illnesses had disappeared, and I knew that this was just interference. I kept reading the Fa and doing the exercises. That day I heard that there would be a Fa conference in another country and I wanted to attend.

Master said:

"The ancients have a saying, 'Having heard the Dao in the morning, one can die in the evening.'" ("Melt Into the Fa" in Essentials for Further Advancement)

I hesitated at first, and then thought, "I am on a divine path, I am definitely going to attend the conference." I felt good throughout the whole trip, and when I returned home, all of my symptoms were gone.

When I practiced the exercises or sent righteous thoughts during the first half of this year, I was easily distracted. I wasn't thinking about personal matters, I was thinking about how to validate the Fa, and who would I clarify the truth that day, and the next. Through talking this over with other practitioners, I learned that the old forces will transform our thoughts in order to interfere with us. It is very subtle, but sometimes interference appears even when we send righteous thoughts to eliminate it.

I will definitely cultivate well and diligently study the Fa. My righteous thoughts will then be strong and I will do the three things well.