(Minghui.org) I am 83 years old, and have a limited education. I used to suffer from many illnesses including severe asthma, pulmonary heart disease, and gynecological diseases. I had asthma attacks almost every month and sometimes even coughed up blood. I was allergic to penicillin so I had to take Chinese medicine, which did not help much.
I was addicted to tobacco and alcohol and had to be hospitalized at least twice a year. My life was miserable.
When someone told me that practicing qigong could heal my illnesses, I learned four different kinds, one after the other. None of them helped.
One day in March 1995, I was strolling down the street and became out of breath. As I passed the Veteran Cadres Bureau someone came out and announced that there was a qigong seminar inside.
I was curious and went in. The seminar had already started and the staff showed me to the only seat left.
The qigong Master was surprisingly young. I wondered, “Being so young, is he really capable?”
“Everyone stand up,” he said. “Think about the part of your body that doesn't feel good. You may think of a family member's illness if you don't have any yourself.”
I thought of the pain in my chest and my shortness of breath. The Master waved his hand and I immediately felt that I could breathe easily again! It was a very comfortable sensation. Cold air began to flow out of my chest, and went into my clothes, making them cold. The air continued to flow out for several days. I was amazed. I told people what had happened and asked them to touch my clothes to feel how cold they were.
I later found out that the person who held the seminar was Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.
I went to the site to learn the Dafa exercises. That night, I slept very well. The next morning I felt super energized. I had never felt that way before! I threw out all my medicines, and quit smoking and drinking from that point on.
I soon found a copy of Master Li’s book, Zhuan Falun. After reading it, I knew that it was exactly what I had been looking for.
I started a Fa-study group at my house a week later. Through studying the contents of Zhuan Falun, I came to understand the nature of qigong and cultivation. I was determined to use the Fa to measure all matters on my path of cultivation.
Master said:
“Cultivation itself is not difficult, and neither is raising one’s level itself difficult. It is because they cannot give up human desires that they call it difficult. This is because it is very difficult to relinquish something in the face of practical gain. The benefits are right here, so how can you abandon these attachments? It is actually because of this that one will find it difficult.” (Zhuan Falun)
I didn't have a deep understanding of Master's words, but whenever I read them, I knew that I wanted to practice Dafa diligently and let go of all my human notions. I made up my mind to believe in Master and the Fa, and cultivate in Falun Dafa to the end.
While holding on to this strong thought, I have been able to do what a Dafa practitioner should do in a dignified manner during 17 years of persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
After the persecution began on July 20, 1999, my house soon become a hub for producing Falun Dafa informational materials.
Another materials production site was forced to move location for a while for fear of being found out by the police. I talked with my son and he agreed to allow a few practitioners to produce the much-needed materials at his home.
We delivered the materials to other practitioners’ homes, where they were collected and given out when practitioners clarified the facts to people. It was a lot of work to do every day.
The persecution was rampant at the time, and quite a few practitioners were arrested. The pressure was like Master said:
“I've described to you what it was like back then: evil beings from other dimensions attached to each blade of grass and each tree. As you walked down the street tree branches would whip you in the face, the grass would trip you, and the air was filled with evil.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference IV)
I wanted to do more to validate the Fa, but my attachment to fear kept me from doing so. I soon came to realize that I was not studying the Fa enough. Gradually, I started to spend more time on Fa study.
I could not enlighten to the Fa principles for a period of time while studying. I looked within for the reason and found that I was not focusing enough on the words. To resolve the problem, I sent forth righteous thoughts before I studied the Fa, to eliminate the old force elements interfering with me. I could then study the Fa with a calm and attentive focus, and each word entered my mind.
By seriously focusing on Fa study, my righteous thoughts strengthened.
Master said:
“Our Falun Dafa will protect students from deviating. How does it protect you? If you are a true cultivator, our Falun will safeguard you. I am rooted in the universe. If anyone could harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe.” (Zhuan Falun)
I came to understand that to truly have Master’s protection, I had to be a true practitioner. I had to remove all fear and have solid faith in Master. With no fear in my heart, the old forces couldn't take advantage of me, and I was able to walk the path of validating the Fa solidly.
I often volunteered to help with the rescue efforts to get detained practitioners released, and sent forth righteous thoughts near detention centers.
When a local practitioner was arrested, another practitioner asked me if they could store Dafa materials in my home. I agreed without hesitation.
Though my husband is not a practitioner, he is very supportive of Dafa and helps to let people know about Dafa and the persecution.
The group Fa-study at my house has kept going during the past 17 years of persecution. Through the Fa-study environment, more practitioners have started to go out to clarify the facts, and some practitioners that had a strong sense of fear eventually abandoned the attachment.
I started to go out and talk to people about Dafa in 2003. I was able to remove my fear during the process and got better and better at talking to people. I still go out at least three days a week to talk to people, even police officers. Many people happily agree to quit the Chinese Communist Party after understanding that Falun Dafa is truly good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.
The police came to my house in June 2012 and found many Dafa materials and books. A fellow practitioner who was there at the time was taken to the police station along with me. I had no fear and just told them the truth about Dafa. We were released several hours later.
During my 22 years of cultivation, my understanding is that by listening to Master, studying the Fa well, cultivating myself well, and removing my attachment to fear, I can continue to walk on my cultivation path in a dignified manner.