(Minghui.org) I am 72 years old, and I began to practice Falun Dafa in January 1998. Falun Dafa rejuvenated my mind and body, and I wish to share my story.
I had high blood pressure, arthritis, migraines, swollen legs and many other medical conditions before I began practicing Falun Dafa. I was unable to walk or work because of painful swelling in my legs. We had to live on my husband's income until his unexpected death.
I received medical treatment from a Western doctor for a while, and then he informed me that there was no cure for my condition. He told me I would have to take medication for the rest of my life to prevent my illnesses from becoming even worse.
I had tried Chinese herbal treatments for many years, but with no relief. The Chinese medicine doctor said my leg disease was due to excessive qi, which was caused by my bad temper and impatient nature. He also told me that there was no cure, and physical labor could cause me to faint.
I was discouraged. I could not contribute any money to my family, and a large amount of our household income was spent on my medical bills. I thought about suicide. When I talked to my son, he assured me that an ill mother is better than none and said, “Mom, it will be okay. Please do not lose hope that you may someday find a cure.” I gave up my thoughts of suicide.
I sought supernatural aid, offering incense and prayers daily to various spirits. However, my condition did not improve.
In January 1998, my daughter returned home and told me, “Mom, I heard about a qigong practice which can cure illness. It is called Falun Dafa. Why don’t you give it a try?” My daughter sent me to a neighbor’s home two days later where a class was being held. We sat in a group, listening to a recording of a Falun Dafa lecture by Master Li Hongzhi, the founder and teacher of Falun Dafa.
My heart and mind grew lighter and clearer. I realized why my health had taken a turn for the worse despite my incessant prayers. That same evening, I discarded all shrines and idols.
Within a week of practicing Falun Dafa, I was able to walk on my own. My illnesses disappeared, and my body felt light and comfortable. I threw away my remaining medication. My family was grateful to Master and Falun Dafa.
I traveled with other practitioners to Beijing in the spring of 2003, and we petitioned the authorities to stop their persecution of Falun Dafa. I was detained by the Beijing police and sent back to my village.
The local officials working for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) detained us and tried to persuade us to give up the practice. I told them to look at my legs and pointed out they were becoming swollen again because I was not being allowed to read Falun Dafa books or to do the five exercises.
I said, “Before learning Falun Dafa, I sought help from various doctors for many years, but remained unable to leave my bed. I was cured within days of practicing Falun Dafa. I stopped practicing for a while after Jiang Zemin, the former communist party leader, made this practice illegal, but my legs became swollen again. How can I stop cultivating? Falun Dafa has brought countless benefits to the people in this country, while the government has little understanding of the real situation. Should we not correct their misunderstandings?”
The officials listened to me and soon released us.
As my attempt to visit Beijing had failed, I decided to continue telling people the facts about Dafa and the persecution to people face to face. We did not have any printed materials back then. My worried son asked me not to go out. I told him, “If I do not go out to tell others the facts, how will they learn what is really happening? If others had kept knowledge of Dafa to themselves, I would never have been cured.”
My son smiled and let me go. With the protection of Dafa, I remained safe on my daily outings to talk to people.
I did not have a good memory, and sometimes my thinking was unclear. I then started suffering from acute migraine headaches during the middle of 2006. After twenty days I felt something in my right nostril that had blocked my airway. I blew my nose hard, and a lump of clotted blood came out.
I felt a sharp pain on the left side of my head 20 days later. Soon another lump of clotted blood came out of my left nostril. My head no longer ached. After my brain was cleared, I was no longer forgetful. My thoughts were clearer, and I found memorizing to be much easier.
I feel like I have been reborn since becoming a Falun Dafa practitioner. My illnesses were cured by Falun Dafa, and everyone in the village, including the local CCP officials, knows this. Dafa gave me perfect health and changed me into a kind-hearted person. Through my truth-clarification efforts, I have helped many people to become practitioners.