(Minghui.org) At one year old, I experienced major physical problems with my spine and legs. I was unable to walk and had to be carried everywhere.
Many years later, in the summer of 2005, my mother's colleague, a Falun Dafa practitioner, told me to sincerely recite, “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
I recited the verses every day for the next few days and my body began to recover. The chronic swelling in my legs went down. Witnessing my recovery, my mother began to practice Dafa. I would occasionally do the Dafa exercises and study the Fa with her.
Then, my crooked spine recovered, I was able to walk normally, and I no longer had to take the medicines that I had relied on for more than 10 years.
In high school, my grades improved greatly. I believe Master saw my determination and helped me. I was very calm when taking the advanced education program placement exam. I passed and was accepted by the program.
No matter how busy I was with homework, I always took time to read Dafa books, even if only a few paragraphs. I gradually came to understand the meaning of life, which is to return to one's original true self by cultivating xinxing and living by Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
My academic performance continued to improve immensely. I was eventually admitted to a university in the provincial capital given my excellent scores.
I encountered severe illness karma in my second year of high school. I felt pain and soreness in my hips. I could only sleep on a cushion at night. It was painful to even walk and I had a limp when I walked.
I knew that Master was helping me eliminate karma, so I did not pay attention to the pain. When I had time, I studied the Fa, did the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts with my mother. My grandmother also sent forth righteous thoughts for me.
At that time, I did not want people to see how I was limping and asked my mother to drop me off and pick me up at school every day. I was afraid of losing face. Once, I overheard two boys loudly saying bad things about me. I was not bothered, as this was a test to eliminate my attachment to saving face. When they walked past me, they deliberately imitated how I was walking. I remained calm and did not get mad.
Master said,
“For instance, upon arriving at the workplace, a person will become furious when he overhears two people denigrating him very badly. We have said, however, that as a practitioner one should not fight back when being punched or insulted, but should conduct oneself with a high standard.” (Zhuan Falun)
My father tried to force me to go to the hospital, but I refused. I firmly believed that I was eliminating karma and that it was not an illness. One morning, I could walk normally again. When my father saw my recovery, he was amazed.
Life and Death Situation
After getting into college, I began to slack off in my cultivation. I became addicted to many ordinary people's things, and sought reputation and personal gain. I did not study the Fa or do the Dafa exercises as much as before.
One night during my senior year, I began coughing up blood. My condition worsened. I was weak and had no appetite. During my holiday break, my father forced me to get a checkup. The doctor said that my lungs were full of empty holes and it would have been too late if I had waited a bit longer.
After I was discharged from the hospital, all of my joints became swollen and painful, even to the slightest touch. My fingers were deformed. I also could not walk because my arms and legs were too weak, nor could I turn in bed.
I was filled with anguish. I regretted that I had not maintained my xinxing or believed firmly in Master and the Fa.
Master said,
“If your mind is unsteady, that means you are not meeting the standard to begin with, and prolonging the process won't lead to any changes. And if someone holds out for the purpose of saving face, that is adding attachments on top of attachments. In such cases there are only two choices: You either go to the hospital and thus give up on trying to overcome the test, or you completely let go of everything, behave like an upstanding and noble Dafa disciple who has no resentment or attachments, and leave it to Master to arrange whether you stay or go.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles, 2006”）
Many local practitioners came to my house to send forth righteous thoughts for me. I enlightened that Master had already purified my body and the illness was just an illusion. I stopped taking my medications and eliminated my attachments to ordinary people's things. I studied the Fa and sent forth righteous thoughts every day.
Yet, my mother and I often argued. I looked inward and discovered that I had many attachments. Digging further, I found that all these attachments were derived from selfishness. I was self-centered and cared too much about my feelings, instead of trying to understand things from other people's perspective. I was afraid of getting hurt, wanted to protect myself and was not willing to bear hardship. This made me pessimistic and prolonged the tribulations.
Master said:
“I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism.”(“Non-Omission in Buddha Nature” in Essentials for Further Advancement)
Why didn't I think about my mother's feelings? She was under more pressure from our family members and relatives. Everything she did was for me. How could I complain?
My mother and I then went to Practitioner Bao's home. Bao and I studied the Fa every day. When I was sleepy at night, she would read Master's lectures to me. Practitioner Ai also came to Bao's home every day to send forth righteous thoughts with me.
Every time I had a fever, I would sweat and the fever would be gone after watching Master’s lecture videos. Every day, I coughed up a lot of sputum. I knew that Master was helping me purify my body.
I stopped coughing and the heaviness in my chest disappeared after 20 days. My lungs were healed, but my body had still not completely healed.
I felt the urgency to clarify the facts and do the three things well.
After several months of cultivating and looking inward, I enlightened that if I wanted to transform I must make a breakthrough and do the Dafa exercises. I persevered despite much pain and sweating.
I recited Master's Fa,
“When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible. If you can actually do it, you will indeed find: 'After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!'” (Zhuan Falun）
I have continued to do the exercises and now I can do many things independently. Thank you Master for giving me another chance at life.