(Clearwisdom.net)

February 22, 2002 Los Angeles, CA

My name is Hong Xiuying. I have practiced Falun Gong for about one year.

I had a lot of illnesses since I was young. I often had headaches and the joints of my hands and feet would ache for no reason if I got tired or the weather changed. My waist would feel as if it were broken if I stood for long time. Although a few family members of mine were doctors and they had done all sorts of examinations on me, they could not tell what was wrong with me. As my age increased, these symptoms became more frequent. I felt hopeless.

In January of 2001, I went back to Taiwan for the spring festival. Under the invitation of a friend, I attended the nine-day seminar held at the home of a Falun Gong practitioner. During the last two days of the seminar, I felt so sleepy that I went home as soon as Teacher's lecture was finished while other people were learning the exercises. Now I understand that it was because Teacher was purifying my body. In the book Zhuan Falun, Teacher said, "Due to karma resulting from past wrongdoings, one has illnesses or tribulations; suffering is repaying a karmic debt..." "...To really dispel such tribulations, karma must be eliminated." For people who really want to practice cultivation, Teacher will "purify their bodies and enable them to practice cultivation toward high levels."

After returning to the United States, I continued to study the Fa and practice the exercises in my spare time. Two weeks before the Falun Dafa Conference in Washington DC of last July, I finally got in touch with the local practitioners with the help of my daughter. I benefited a lot from fellow practitioners. They corrected the way I did the exercises. Every fellow practitioner appeared so kind. I felt that as a beginner, I had so much to improve. I felt that I should practice cultivation more diligently.

Then, for the first time in my life, I attended a Falun Dafa experience sharing conference held in Washington DC. After watching the photo exhibition about the persecution of the Falun Gong practitioners in China in a local public library, I got to know the brutality of the Jiang regime in China. I could not hold my tears upon seeing those pictures. Why would Jiang's regime persecute people who are making efforts to be better people? Who does not have a family? Who does not have parents and children? How could Jiang and his followers kill innocent people like that?

Falun Dafa is so good. After practicing Falun Dafa for half a year, almost all the old symptoms that had been bothering me disappeared. I become more energetic. I could do more things at home. Meanwhile, by following Teacher's advice: "Whatever you do, you should consider others first," I searched my inner self upon encountering conflicts, so my relationship with my parents-in-law and sister-in-law became more harmonious.

Last October, I decided to join the "SOS! Global RescueWalk" hoping that I could help end the persecution sooner and let more people get to know the truth of Falun Dafa.

During the month-long walk we passed by busy streets and climbed a mountain under the baking sun. Some practitioners had swollen ankles and some practitioners had a lot of blisters on their feet. No matter what we did, taking a rest, eating, sitting or standing, our bottom and legs would feel unbearable pain. Many times when I could not move ahead, I thought of the practitioners in China who suffered cruel tortures for protecting the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." This bit of hardship of mine became nothing. I also kept reciting Teacher's Fa-rectification verse, "The Fa rectifies the cosmos, the Evil is completely eliminated," and telling myself that I was a practitioner and I would suddenly resume the brisk pace. During the conference in Washington DC last July when I learned that some practitioners had walked from Boston to Washington DC, I felt they were incredible. Now after I had done that, I started to truly understand Teacher's words in Zhuan Falun "When you are overcoming a real hardship or tribulation, you try it. 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!'"

After returning home from the walk, my father-in-law could not understand my intention. He forbid me to join any activities of Falun Gong, otherwise, he would not welcome me home. With "Zhen-Shan-Ren (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance)" in mind, I did not argue with him. Instead, I strove to become an even better housewife.

One day, my grandmother-in-law broke her hips after falling down accidentally. The family kept giving her injections of anesthetics to relieve her pain. But as soon as the effect of the drug wore off, she would struggle to get out of bed. At least two people were needed lift her. Meanwhile, we had to watch her hand, which was being given injection and the nasal feeding tube, and also to take care of her bedpan. I was the only family member who could stand such labor. I stayed in the hospital at night to take care of this old lady, and during the day I would also help my mother-in-law to take care of the housework for a family of 10.

My uncle-in-law came to visit his mother and was very surprised at seeing that I was busy all day. He found that I had changed to another person after learning Falun Gong. Not only did I become healthy, but I also became a better person. During the conversation, he appeared to admire that his brother had such a good daughter-in-law. One day, he took a look at the book "Hong Yin" (Teacher's poems) that I had put on the table. He said, "Your Teacher's book is very good." He even spoke in my ear, "I will go to practice Falun Gong after returning to Taiwan."

Later, the grandmother went into the hospital again due to indigestion. She was so ill that she would release every one to two hours. The skin close to her anus became ulcerated. One had to be always ready to help her clean and put on the new medicine, which took a lot of energy. Every night from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. the next morning, I was the only family member who would stay in the hospital to take care of her. The grandmother sometimes beat and cursed me. A few times I almost lost my patience. But immediately, I thought that I was a practitioner of Falun Dafa. How could I be benevolent if I could not practice forbearance? I then resumed my serene attitude and told her that it was not good for her to beat and curse people.

At night, I would put a tiny folding chair beside her bed as my bed. A few times when I was about to fall asleep, I was awakened by her smell. It was about 4 o'clock in the morning. How badly I wished I could have a good sleep! But I asked myself, could I just ignore the grandmother who needed my care by not sacrificing a few minutes of sleep? Then I got up and helped her get clean. At that time, the night shift nurses started to do routine checks on the patients before they left. The whole hospital started to be in a chaotic situation. I had no way to fall asleep again. Teacher said, "Forbearance is the key to improving one's xinxing. To endure with anger, grievance, or tears is the forbearance of an everyday person who is attached to his concerns. To endure completely without anger or grievance is the forbearance of a cultivator."

Everyday, I made the grandmother look very clean. One day, while the nurse watched me using a toothbrush to clean my fingernails filled with stool, she said to my father-in-law, "You have such a good daughter-in-law. She is here everyday. She should have some good rest." She did not know that practicing the Falun Gong exercises was the best rest for me. On another night, a physician-in-charge originally from Hong Kong said to me, "Other people could not do this. Your family members are really great!" He was only on duty at night. He had only met me, the one family member. The person who is really great is our Teacher. Without Teacher's Dafa, without practicing Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I would have never done this. According to my previous health status, I would have not been able to do it even if I had a heart to do it. I took this opportunity to tell him the truth of Falun Gong. I would introduce him to the book Zhuan Falun in the future.

Finally, one day, my father-in-law told me that he would also practice Falun Gong after the matter of the grandmother was over. I told him that he should also read the Dafa book, besides practicing the exercises.

In the hospital, I made use of my spare time to study the Dafa books and practice the exercises, and also distribute flyers to doctors, nurses, and visiting family members that I met. Many people with a predestined relationship with Dafa would like to learn Dafa and they came over to me for help on getting the Dafa materials.

I know that what I have done is not enough. I will practice cultivation more diligently and take every step well on the path of returning to my true self and meanwhile, let more people know that "Falun Dafa is good!"