(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1998, and I’m now 73 years old. Born in the 1950s, I’m the eldest child in my family. My parents preferred boys over girls, and pampered my brother. They took their anger out on me whenever they were in a bad mood, often beating me with their fists, feet, or sticks. I had little to eat, and no chance of getting an education.

I started working in a production unit at the age of twelve. Despite my small and weak body, I forced myself to work hard, performing more household chores and tasks at the production unit in an attempt to curry my parents’ favor. Yet they remained unmoved and continued to abuse me. I seriously contemplated committing suicide.

Growing up in such a toxic family environment, I developed many bad habits. I put material wealth above all else and fought for benefits. I refused to give in or suffer any losses. I learned how to lie in order to please my parents. Despite my efforts, they favored my brother and sisters. As my resentment towards my parents grew, so did the desire to marry early so I could cut off all ties with them. I felt that even marrying a beggar would be preferable to staying at home.

After I married my first husband, I realized that he was lazy. Unwilling to work, he spent most of his time asleep and refused to do anything to support us. After giving birth to our daughter, I continued to do all the household chores and work in the fields, while taking care of our daughter. I was so busy I barely had time to rest. We fought and quarreled over his behavior constantly. I became depressed and felt like life had no meaning. I attempted suicide twice by jumping into the river, yet I was rescued by passersby each time. The other villagers consoled me and said, “If you die, how will your daughter survive?”

When my daughter was ten years old, she told me I should divorce her father and let him live on his own. Although my daughter carries her father’s last name, I single-handedly raised her. Following her wishes, I divorced my husband. To support the two of us, I worked at two jobs, farming, and laboring in a nearby chemical factory. I once accidentally snared a section of my right index finger in some twisting silk, causing it to be amputated. Although I had saved enough money to build two big houses, the accident caused me to become disabled at the age of thirty-five.

I later married an honest, hardworking man. My new husband raised pigs, farmed the fields, and did household chores on his own without complaint. Yet just as life was looking up, misfortune struck. Due to my disability, government authorities arranged for me to work in a formaldehyde production plant, where I developed a chronic formaldehyde allergy. As my immunity declined, many diseases began to manifest in my body. To add insult to injury, I suffered heavy bleeding while giving birth to my younger daughter due to my advanced age. Any improvement I obtained in life was negated because of my ill health. Despite spending all our savings on medical treatments, my condition did not improve.

Seeing how frail I had become, my neighbor advised me to practice Falun Dafa. He explained that he also had poor health, but recovered after practicing the exercises. I immediately decided that I wanted to learn how to practice.

Reborn After Obtaining Dafa

I found a large practice site in September 1998 where I learned the exercises. I also joined a Fa study group which read the teachings at night. As I had no books, I could only listen as practitioners read Zhuan Falun. Although I could not understand the text well, I was convinced that Falun Dafa was good. I eventually got a copy of Zhuan Falun. The third day I read the Fa, I felt something spinning inside my ears. When I told fellow practitioners, they said, “What you feel is the spinning of Falun. Master is taking care of you.” On the fifth day, I started coughing up a black substance. I was not afraid because I knew Master was cleaning up my body.

Unable to recognize many words, I read so slowly that I could not complete one lecture in a day. But Master continued to encourage me. One day while half asleep, I experienced a sensation of floating in midair, but when I reached out, I was still lying in bed. This feeling recurred many times afterwards. My health also began changing for the better. My complexion became rosy, and I put on weight. After three months all my illnesses were gone, and my body felt light and free.

Determined to spread word about this wonderful practice, I participated in Fa-spreading activities every Sunday, including a 10,000-person exercise at People’s Square, hoping more people would be inspired to learn the practice and have their lives improved by Falun Dafa.

My outlook on life changed for the better. I gradually let go of my resentment towards my parents, and started treating my younger brother and sisters better. This restored our family relationships. I resumed working at the production plant, and helped out in the fields after returning from work. My recovery allowed my husband to take up a job outside. My entire family supported my decision to practice Falun Dafa, and this was the first time in my life that I enjoyed such peace and happiness.

But my peaceful life did not last long. Less than a year after I started practicing, former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin began the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. One day after the Beijing appeal on April 25, 1999, we were practicing the exercises together outside when someone secretly took photos of us. On July 20, we were warned not to practice in public or we would be arrested. I refused to listen, and I clarified the truth to the other villagers. “Don’t believe the propaganda shown on TV. Falun Dafa is good. My illnesses disappeared after I began practicing.” Later when truth-clarification materials became available, I frequently helped distribute them along with fellow practitioners.

I advised my husband in 2004, “If you don’t practice Falun Dafa now, you will regret it.” By then we were better off, and he even had some leisure time to play mahjong. He told his fellow mahjong players, “I’ve had more free time since my wife started cultivating.” In turn, his mahjong friends reported to me how much money he lost that week and told me he only came to their games if he had money to spare. I then sent forth a thought, hoping for him to lose enough that he would never play again. After that, my husband stopped playing mahjong and started practicing Dafa with me.

After I began practicing Falun Dafa, I understood the meaning behind many things that happened to me in the past. Master had been taking care of me all along, so my suicide plans were always thwarted no matter how determined I was to succeed. My suffering since childhood was because I owed my family members large debts from my previous life. Paying off debts is still required according to the principles of the Fa. After I understood these principles, I began to let go of the grievances I was holding towards my family members, including my parents, younger brother and sisters, my ex-husband’s mother, younger brother, and his wife.

I also let go of my desire for monetary benefits. My ex-husband has two younger brothers. The elder of the two went to work in Jiangxi and settled down with his new family there. His youngest brother remained at home. When my father-in-law passed away, I was the one who paid for his funeral. When their home was affected due to a large-scale land acquisition and demolition, village committee members sent me a letter, informing me that I would get a share of the eviction fees. At the meeting place, I ran into my youngest sister-in-law who told me, “You don’t have a share.” I replied, “No? Then I’ll go home.” Later, my eldest son-in-law and husband returned carrying a bag of money. They told me they demanded a share of the money from my ex-husband’s family. My older son-in-law explained, “You contributed more to this family than they have.” When I told them I did not want it, my husband put the money away.

Sometime later, my eldest sister-in-law, from my ex-husband’s family, came down from Jiangxi to visit with her son and nephew. An uncle from my husband’s family passed away, which prompted their visit home. I welcomed them into my home and served them the wontons I happened to be making that day.

When my eldest daughter and son-in-law came to visit, they advised me to ignore them and let my youngest brother-in-law’s family entertain them instead. “They took all the benefits and left you with nothing.” I replied, “As a cultivator, I must listen to Master and be a good person.” My youngest sister-in-law arrived just then, and I also invited her to eat wontons with us.

After eating, we traveled to the village center. Upon seeing me, the village cadres said, “This does not involve you. Go home.” However, I continued to hang around. After the deceased’s wealth had been divided, I took out the 54,700 yuan that had been obtained from my ex-husband’s family the last time, added 300 yuan, and presented the total of 60,000 yuan to my eldest sister-in-law. This incident caused a stir in the whole village, with many people praising my virtuous deed. I told them, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, and must be considerate of others according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. With the passing of their uncle, their family income took a large hit. My youngest brother will have a hard time supporting the family.”

My eldest sister-in-law, her son, and nephew stayed in my home for three days. I told them the facts regarding the persecution of Falun Dafa, and helped my eldest sister-in-law’s nephew withdraw from the CCP. A college student, this nephew quarreled with my ex-husband’s family when he first arrived, as he thought they were being unreasonable. I advised him not to quarrel with them, and before they left, I gave them 4,000 yuan. My eldest sister-in-law’s nephew was moved. “Falun Dafa is amazing. Its practitioners are truly good. I honestly believe that “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I gave them Falun Dafa amulets and some truth-clarifying materials, which they happily accepted.

When it was announced that my childhood home was also slated for demolition, my two younger sisters announced their intention to divide the proceedings from my parents’ house equally among us four siblings. However, my younger sister had already obtained ownership of a separate house owned by my father, so my younger brother and sister-in-law were unhappy with this proposal.

My two sisters visited me in hopes I would bring up this matter to my parents. My youngest sister’s husband said, “It would be a waste not to seize this opportunity. We can cut all ties and live our lives separately afterwards.” In response, I told them I wanted nothing from the proceedings, as after learning Falun Dafa, I had come to understand the principle of no loss, no gain. After hearing my words, my two sisters gave up any thought of asking for a share.

My parents passed away one after another. Although my parents had amassed a fortune in bank accounts, jewelry, and other valuables, I made it clear to my siblings, “I don’t want anything. You can share them among yourselves.” My younger brother and his wife were satisfied after receiving my parents’ house. My two younger sisters happily split my parents’ savings and valuables.

Before he died my father asked me, “Do you really not want anything?” I replied, “I really don’t want anything. I have obtained the Fa and enjoy good health. Now that my two daughters are well off and living independently, I lack for nothing. I have enough to get by. I will be satisfied to see my brother and sisters happy.” People in the village also said, “Because the eldest daughter set a good example, the matter concerning family inheritance was peacefully resolved.” If not for Falun Dafa, I would never have done such a thing.

Explaining the Truth to Save People Despite the Persecution

I worked with fellow practitioners to distribute truth clarification materials after the CCP started persecuting Falun Dafa. My youngest daughter and her husband sometimes accompanied us and helped distribute flyers. We went out every day to clarify the truth, driving our cars to nearby villages and meeting all kinds of people in the process. Some invited me into their homes after hearing the truth, while others repeatedly expressed their gratitude. Others refused to listen. Some cursed me or threatened to beat me. There were also those who reported our activities to the police.

I once went with a practitioner to a farmer’s market to clarify the truth. I talked to passersby, while the other practitioner sent righteous thoughts. After walking for 200 meters, we successfully persuaded eight people to quit.

At this point, old forces took advantage of our human feelings of happiness, and caused us to have a tribulation. Two young people selling quilts at the side of the street reported us to the police after we approached them and clarified the truth. They had quietly called the police after we left, so we remained ignorant of their actions. A while later, the other practitioner decided to leave for home. After persuading eight more people to quit, I decided to head home.

A young man approached me and said, “Auntie, let me interview you.” When I replied, “Go interview someone else who is well educated”, he persisted, “I just want to interview you.” While blocking my way, he took out his cell phone and made a call. Police cars and many auxiliary police officers soon arrived. I knew things had gone wrong and silently begged Master to save me.

When twelve officers forced me into a car, my first thought was that I could not betray my fellow practitioner. At the interrogation center, they told me to sit in an interrogation seat meant for criminals. I told them, “I’m not a criminal, so I won’t sit there.” After a while, personnel from the 610 Office came and asked, “What’s your name?” I kept quiet. They then asked, “What is your companion’s name?” When I refused to say a word, they said, “Even if you don’t tell us, we have our ways to find him.” The two quilt sellers had secretly taken photos of us, so the authorities eventually tracked down the other practitioner.

At this point, I told them, “Falun Dafa teaches people to be good. There is nothing wrong in following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I used to have poor health but recovered after practicing Falun Dafa.” The police refused to listen and wanted to illegally search my home. They first visited the village center, where village committee members said I was the most upstanding person in the village. They then called my eldest daughter and demanded that she hand over my house keys so they could search my home. But my eldest daughter refused to cooperate with them, and said, “I don’t have the keys to my mother’s house.” Eventually, the officers entered my home by climbing a tall ladder to the second floor. After opening the main door, they entered and searched my house illegally.

An officer from the 610 Office said, “Old lady, you have cultivated very good relationships with people around you. Everyone praised your character and asked us to let you go.” I replied, “I wish to thank them! I used to be a strong-willed person, who would scold others for the slightest thing. Since I began practicing Falun Dafa, I follow Master’s teachings and I’ve become a better person. Now I think of others and strive to be a good person in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” The officer was silent after hearing my words.

The police tried to take my photo and fingerprints that night. I refused to cooperate, so several police officers held me down. One of them kicked my back, left, and right torso. It hurt so badly that I shouted, “The police are beating me up!” One of them shouted, “We aren’t beating you, we are kicking you.” I exclaimed, “What’s the difference?!” At this point, I saw police officers drag in the fellow practitioner who had accompanied me into the station. They then bundled us to the detention center in the middle of the night.

We were ordered to get out the car once we reached the detention center. We shouted loudly, “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” The police officers in the detention center immediately shouted in reply, “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” Puzzled, I asked one of them, “You know “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” yet you still arrest us?” He replied, “We aren’t the ones who arrested you. These other officers are the ones who sent you here.”

Inside the center, I was separated from my fellow practitioner and led to a prison cell which contained many inmates. A cellmate asked me, “What are you detained for?” I replied, “I am being persecuted because I practice Falun Dafa.”

The following day, a detention center guard called me out and asked me, “Why do you practice Falun Dafa?” I told her my life story and said, “I’ve lived a very hard life since childhood. My many illnesses were cured after I began practicing. Falun Dafa also taught me the importance of being a good person.” When the guard told me, “Your blood pressure is very high. You need to take some medicine.” I replied, “Throughout my 20 years of practicing Dafa, I’ve stayed healthy without taking a single pill. This condition was caused by the 610 Office and the police.” When the guard insisted that I take the medicine, I said, “I will practice the Falun Dafa exercises.” She then asked, “What time will you practice?” When I replied, “I will practice in the morning”, she voiced her understanding. When I advised her to withdraw from the CCP to ensure her safety, she agreed.

I returned to my assigned cell and clarified the truth to my cellmates inside. All nine cellmates quit the CCP on the spot. I was instructed to sleep on the floor near the toilet on the first night. The following day, a cellmate was transferred out and I was given their space on the bunk to sleep. On the third day, another person was assigned to our cell, and I voluntarily returned to my original place near the toilet. When a cellmate advised me to let the new person sleep near the toilet instead, I replied, “No, I cannot be selfish, and must act according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” The cellmates were impressed, and said, “Practitioners are truly good people.”

I rose early the following morning to practice the exercises. My cellmates also got up to watch and later told me some guards had dropped by to observe me too. They were impressed at how motionless I remained, with some saying they could see smoke emitting from the top of my head. With Master’s compassionate protection, I safely returned home ten days later.

Worried for my safety, my eldest daughter was originally unsupportive of my attempts to clarify the truth in public and save sentient beings. She suffered from many illnesses and had always been in poor health. After she refused to cooperate with the police’s request for my house key, her health drastically improved, and more than a dozen Udumbara flowers bloomed on her car. When she showed them to me, I told her, “You did the right thing, so Master is blessing you.”

After seeing my character and health improve for the better, my younger daughter became a firm believer in the goodness of Falun Dafa. She went out with me many times to distribute truth clarification materials. She also burns incense for Master every time she comes home, and often buys offerings of flowers for Master. My son-in-law was once hit by a car but emerged from the accident intact with only minor abrasions. Passersby were shocked. I told him, “Master was protecting you. Because you understand the truth and support your father and me in our cultivation, Master will take care of you.”

Throughout my almost 26 years of cultivation practice, I have gone through many heart-wrenching ordeals. During my journey to rid myself of the desire for material benefits, I started off feeling indignant, then endured my losses with tears, before finally reaching the calm state I have today. Fa study and experience sharing with fellow practitioners further helped me identify behaviors that were not in line with the Fa’s requirements. Master’s Fa opened my mind and showed me the path to enlightenment. I thank Master for his compassionate salvation!

(Selected submission in celebration of World Falun Dafa Day on Minghui.org)