(Minghui.org) There is a street in a city in China which connects the homes of hillside residents to the main road at the bottom of a hill. The street is long and steep, with concrete stairs. Over the past 14 winters, people have seen an elderly man sweeping the snow off the stairs for the public.
When school kids see him, they say, “Thank you, Grandpa!” When people pass by they say, “You're clearing the snow for us again. Thank you.” The man always replies with a smile, “If you want to thank anyone, you should thank my master.”
The man is Mr. Wang. He is an 81 year-old Falun Dafa practitioner. Since he moved to the area, he has voluntarily cleared the steps every time it snows. Mr. Wang says that his neighbors use that path to go to work. Especially in the morning when people are going to work, he is concerned that someone might fall.
Sometimes when it snows at night, he goes out right after the snow stops. He says he can't wait for daybreak because some people leave home before the sun comes up.
It takes Mr. Wang an hour and a half to two hours to clear all the steps down to the main road. He sometimes has to use a spade to remove the ice on the steps, to make sure pedestrians won't fall on the ice.
Some people have asked Mr. Wang, “You are over 80 years old. Why are you outside in the cold clearing snow? Aren't you afraid of the cold or that you might fall? Why do you do it?” Mr. Wang replied, “Because I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, I am very fit. Moreover, my master told me to be a good person and follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and think of other people first. I don't have any other reason to clean the snow. In the past I had many health problems. If I hadn't started practicing Falun Dafa, I'd be dead by now.”
Mr. Wang was a technician in a state-owned enterprise. He suffered from cervical and lumbar issues, and had severe stomachaches. He had nine bouts of stomach bleeding and hematochezia. He fainted and had to be taken to the emergency room each time.
The stomach bleeding made Mr. Wang very weak. Doctors finally operated and discovered that he had a gastric ulcer.
After the surgery, Mr. Wang's stomach became inflamed, causing a great deal of pain. After that he could only eat soft food or hot congee. He couldn't eat anything cold, spicy, or sour. He became very thin.
In May 1996, Mr. Wang saw a Falun Dafa exercise class, and started practicing. A month later, he felt obviously stronger, and then had diarrhea for eight days. After that he felt much better, and his illnesses were gone. His stomachache was completely cured, and he had no pain or discomfort. That summer, Mr. Wang bought some ice cream to store in his fridge, and he was very happy that he could eat ice cream again, after suffering from illnesses for so many years.
Mr. Wang became healthy after he started practicing Falun Dafa. He now walks fast, and no one can tell he is 81. He can dig a vegetable cellar to store vegetables for winter, and carry a large barrel of water to water the vegetables in the summer.
Mr. Wang's neighbors know that he is a Falun Dafa practitioner. They also know that he is kind and helpful, and that if anyone has a problem, they can ask him for help. His neighbors say that he is the kind of person they seldom meet nowadays. When Mr. Wang and his wife go shopping, if he sees an elderly person carrying bags and having difficulty walking, he is quick to lend a hand.
Once when Mr. Wang was watering his vegetables, he stumbled and fell on a sharp stone. His knee started bleeding and soaked his trousers. Mr. Wang just bound his knee and wasn't concerned about it. He did the Dafa exercises, and the bleeding stopped. However, he couldn't walk on his injured leg. He insisted on doing the standing exercises, and he crossed one leg on the other leg loosely to do the seated meditation. A month later, the injury was better. After over two months he fully recovered. Mr. Wang's wife thought it was a miracle.
The improvement in Mr. Wang's health impressed upon his family and relatives the greatness of Falun Dafa. Mr. Wang's brother-in-law had severe asthma. He was in intensive care in the hospital, but wasn't cured. He eventually gave up on treatment there, and said he wanted to learn Falun Dafa from Mr. Wang.
After he left the hospital, Mr. Wang taught him the Falun Dafa exercises, and he put his heart into learning them. A month later, his asthma was cured.
Mr. Wang's wife is 77 years old this year, and she also sincerely believes in Falun Dafa. She often tells people that without Falun Dafa, Mr. Wang would have already died. She supports Mr. Wang practicing Falun Dafa, and often reminds him when it's time for him to do the exercises.
She said she benefits a lot from the practice. Once on her way down the hill, she missed a step and fell. People were worried that she might have broken her hip. However, she stood up and it was as if nothing had happened. She said the Master of Falun Dafa had protected her.
At home, Mr. Wang's family respects and trusts him. His three daughters and their families are very happy. They and their husbands are very kind to Mr. Wang. Every week when the daughters visit their parents, they help in doing the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. They respect Falun Dafa and often burn incense in front of Master's picture. The husband of the youngest daughter has started practicing Falun Dafa.
Mr. Wang became healthy after practicing Falun Dafa, and he always thinks of others first.
