(Minghui.org) I grew up in a single-parent home, and my childhood was filled with hardship. Although I did not lose my kind nature, I developed a negative personality, and became pessimistic, hypersensitive, and envious. I was a complainer and felt victimized by my life and fate.
After I graduated from college and married a great husband, I thought I would finally be happy. However, my health progressively worsened. I started to suffer all kinds of health problems, including rheumatism, periarthritis in my shoulder, stomach problems, skin disease, tracheitis, periodontitis, rhinitis, eye disease, and insomnia. The most severe problem was viral myocarditis, which is very rare, especially in women. I felt my misfortune even more, as this disease was not curable.
My symptoms became more and more severe. I was only 27 years old at the time. My husband secretly went to a fortuneteller, who said I would only live to age 31, yet he still borrowed a prohibitive amount of money to find medical treatment that would help me. He often sat by himself at night and worried until dawn, when he had to go to work.
In early 1998, I heard that practicing Falun Gong could cure diseases without any medication. This shocked me, and I wondered, “Could such a miracle really exist?” I used to study Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, physical therapy, and qigong when I was in college. Each time I studied something new, my hope was rekindled and then dashed once again.
When I heard about Falun Gong, I decided to give it a try. I borrowed a copy of the book Zhuan Falun and started reading that night. As I read, I realized it was exactly what I had been looking for, and I knew I had to start practicing, even if I were not motivated by all those diseases.
Many of the questions that had puzzled me my whole life were resolved after reading the book. I used to read a lot of books very quickly. This time was different--I could only read about 80 pages per night. Also, I didn't understand some of the issues discussed in the book. However, I did learn the true reasons why I was ill, and the reasons for the hardships in my life, and how I should face them during the remainder of my life.
That night I slept very well, which had not been the case for quite a few years. I used to have to sleep on my left side with my head on a high pillow, and I had many nightmares. After practicing Falun Gong, my myocarditis disappeared, and later all the other illnesses disappeared, too. One night I had a dream in which I pulled one snake after another off of me and nipped them dead. Then my husband and I started walking up a winding staircase decorated on both sides with fresh flowers.
After I started practicing Falun Gong, “When one person obtains the Fa, the whole family will benefit.” ("Teaching the Fa and Answering Questions in Jinan," from Zhuan Falun Fajie) My husband's career subsequently flourished, and we had a child. In the past, with my poor health, we could never have imagined having a child. We gradually paid off our debts and bought a house and a car.
After regaining my life, I started holding myself to the standard of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and treating coworkers with tolerance and care. Because my husband was a government official, I persuaded him not to take any gifts or bribes. Sometimes people brought the gifts to our home, but I tried not to accept them. If it was too hard or awkward to refuse the gifts, we found a suitable occasion or excuse to pay it back with another gift.
We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday quietly at home since we did not want coworkers to know about it and spend money on gifts. My coworkers acknowledged how much I had changed.
When a coworker's family member became ill, they would ask me to help persuade them to practice Falun Gong. Some of my coworkers were cured after practicing Falun Gong through my introduction.
My husband has many siblings. When we got married, his parents did not give us any money, as parents normally do for their newly-wedded children. My mother-in-law did not treat me well, either, so I held a grudge against her. After practicing Falun Gong, I let go of my resentment and started to treat her nicely, and send her gifts at New Year's and other holidays. She is a petite woman and has a hard time finding clothes and shoes that fit. So I searched many stores in order to find suitable things for her. Right before this year's New Year, I bought her a nice traditional style coat, which was stylish and holiday appropriate as well. She wore it often and was happy to show it to the neighbors.
When my mother-in-law was 78, she became unable to raise her arms, and her legs started to give out, too. She stayed at our home for a winter so we could take care of her daily. I started to tell her about Falun Gong. After listening to Master's lectures, she was able to raise her arms and comb her hair by herself. Her legs also became stronger. She had gone deaf in one ear when she was little, but now she could hear. Her hair started to grow in black instead of grey on the top of her head. After getting home, she enjoyed a youthful spirit and started to pick mushrooms in the hills. Her family was amazed at her regaining her youth at her age.
One of my husband's nephews used to fight with others in the neighborhood. I often talked to him about what I had learned from Falun Gong and the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. One day he said to me, “Aunt, I now have learned Forbearance and I won't fight anymore.”
My husband's elder brother said to me one day, “I didn't like what you did in the past, but everyone says you are a different person now.”
On one occassion at my mother-in-law's birthday party, she was upset at her eldest son's wife and her third eldest son, because they would not help her videotape the birthday celebration. I comforted her by saying, “Mom, let's think about it. As we celebrate your birthday, they are the ones who do most of the work. Now we have learned Falun Gong, and we should see other people's merits and strengths. Next time we celebrate your birthday I will do the videotaping.” She smiled at me and said, “You are indeed right. They really do do most of the hard work, and yet they are not young themselves.” From then on, my mother-in-law always felt she could talk to me about her worries and concerns. She also consulted me with questions about her cultivation.
When my husband's elder sister and sister-in-law both encountered heart disease, pituitary tumors, and precursory symptoms of stoke, I invited them to stay at my home for some time. I cooked for them and introduced them to Falun Gong, and they both benefited a lot from practicing. Two of my husband's other sisters also asked their mothers-in-law to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and both benefited. One of them fell twice at the age of 80 but recovered from the fall without any problems. There are many more examples of the benefits of practicing Falun Gong experienced by my family, relatives, and friends.
As a Dafa disciple, I truly hope I can bring the beauty and harmony of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to all who have predestined relationships with Dafa.