By Cai Yanwei, a Dafa practitioner from Hong Kong

(Clearwisdom.net) I was fortunate to obtain Dafa in August 1998, and the path of my life changed during my cultivation. I walked away from numerous painful diseases, regained my health, and found the home for my soul to return to. Now, I'd like to share some personal experiences that occurred before and after the start of my cultivation.

Twenty years ago, one month after my marriage, a medical examination showed that I had endometriosis. Two tumors, each the size of an apple, grew on my ovaries. Through surgery the tumors were removed. In the past twenty years, the tumors reoccurred four times. I took medicine to suppress the reoccurrence, but the doctor said this medicine could cause breast cancer. He recommended the removal of my uterus and ovaries. I didn't agree to that surgery. Every month when I suffered a relapse, I would experience unbearable pain in the abdomen area, and the whole of my lower body was in sharp pain. Once I experienced bleeding everyday for over 40 days.

A year and a half after the first surgery, I gave birth to my son. Two weeks later I suffered from a bout of depression. After seeing a doctor in the neurology department and taking medicine for five years, the depression was cured. During the same period of time, I developed a thyroid gland disease. Seven years ago the symptoms of depression reoccurred. Due to the pressure from work, the family, and with age, my condition was worse than before. I couldn't sleep normally for almost six months, couldn't work for nine months, and weighed only 83 lbs. Even though I continued to take medication, I suffered repeated relapses. I had mood swings, lost sleep, cried easily, and couldn't concentrate on anything. I was in a passive and negative state. The most painful was that I became suicidal. A doctor said that I had to stay on medication for the rest of my life.

In the last two years, due to the side effects of the drugs, I developed a severe constipation problem. Neither western nor Chinese medicine worked. My condition worsened day by day. I once tried to take less antidepressant drugs, but in less than three or four days, my condition worsened, and I had to turn to drugs again. During the half-a- year period immediately before I started practicing Dafa, I was often constipated for 5 to 10 days.

Every day I took many western medicines; my tongue was dyed red from the color of the pill coating. I felt panic when I thought about the side effects on my internal organs. I didn't ask for more antidepressant drugs when the depression worsened, because I was also taking constipation drugs at that time.

About 16 years ago I got sinusitis. Once, several of the paranasal sinuses inflamed and swelled up at the same time. They put pressure on my nerves. My intellectual abilities and reactions slowed. After taking some western medicine, I eventually came back to my senses. But this occurred very often. When it happened, my nose was blocked, and I couldn't breathe, which was accompanied by a bad headache. The nasal mucus ran backward, causing tracheitis and throat pain. Because of the vicious circle of reoccurrences, I took many antiphlogistic drugs that weakened my body's immune system. The doctor suggested surgery, but I didn't comply. My immune system became so weak that I had to wear a long-sleeved shirt even on a hot summer day.

Twenty-three years ago, I got a urinary system disorder. One night I had to go to the bathroom every five minutes, which caused sleep loss, neurasthenia, anemia, dehydration, and a weight loss of over 20 lbs. I also suffered these ordeals during my pregnancy. These illnesses accompanied me for 10 odd years. Sometimes they got better, other times worse. Taking Chinese traditional medicine helped a lot, but I still went to the bathroom three to four times a night. If I ate cold food, those symptoms would reoccur. This vicious circle continued. When I reached middle age, more symptoms appeared, including gastric disease, presbyopia, and an ill-smelling perspiration. Periodontosis caused all my teeth to turn soft. I took medication all the time.

In August 1998, I coincidentally came to know about Zhuan Falun. I read the book in one sitting. Some of the contents were hard to grasp, but I could feel the weight of Master Li's words. Although I didn't understand the concept of cultivation at that time, I did want to practice. I wanted to be a good, simple person, and return to my original, true self.

I understand that cultivating starts with being a good person, raising one's xinxing, being kind to others, and discarding attachments and bad thoughts. Falun Dafa touched my heart deeply, because I felt that my attachments had brought me many worries. I went to a group practice site and learned the exercises. I continued to practice every morning at home and read Zhuan Falun. After finishing those morning routines, I either went to work or did chores around the house. In my everyday life, I followed Master Li's teachings, using "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" as the criteria to evaluate good and bad. I worked hard to give up my attachments and bad thoughts. I learned to value virtue, often thought of others, became more tolerant, and did not fear difficulties. When conflicts arose, I looked into my own gaps to raise my xinxing.

After a month of practicing, my old sicknesses started to appear (gynecological disorder, sinusitis, and uropoiesis disorder). My menstrual pain was the worst. The bleeding wouldn't stop and was accompanied by nasal pain and headaches. I didn't tell my family members about this. When I couldn't bear the pain, I would hide somewhere to cry. At night I would get out of bed and go to cry in the living room. I had pain killers at home. One tablet would ease the pain, but I knew that drugs would only press the illnesses back into my body. It wouldn't work, and the symptoms would reoccur.

Several symptoms reoccurred a few times. Each time the symptoms would last 5 to10 days, but the pain was less severe than before, and the time-lapse between occurrences became longer. Antidepressant drugs are usually taken for a lengthy period of time and must not be suddenly stopped. Besides, half a year before I stopped taking the antidepressant drug, my mood had already become unstable. However, the symptoms never reappeared after I stopped the medication, and constipation problems and other sicknesses have disappeared, as well.

I haven't been to see a doctor for 10 months now, but all my illnesses are gone. Last month I passed by the clinic of four doctors who previously treated me. I saw a crowd of people in the waiting room. They complained to each other about their illnesses, looking helpless. I thought that if I hadn't attained Dafa, I would have been one of them. The diseases wouldn't have been subdued, and the side effects might have caused other illnesses.

Eliminating my sickness karma was painful, but it was done quickly. Compared to over 20 years of suffering from illnesses, it was nothing. As long as my xinxing reached the standard of a cultivator, karma would be eliminated. I became a healthy person within six months of practicing Falun Gong. Most of my sickness karma was cleared out. Later I understood the principle of gaining without pursuing. Falun Gong is not for curing illnesses, but in the course of cultivation and raising one's xinxing, the physical body would change. Practicing Dafa does not guarantee one to become free of illness. If one does the exercises without cultivating xinxing, it is no different from doing gymnastics. The illnesses will not be healed.

Experiencing the state of being illness-free was unthinkable after my over-20-year-ordeal. Of course, the most precious thing is for me to obtain Dafa and take the path of returning to my original, true self. Teacher cleanses the body of a genuine practitioner. Having a healthy body is an inevitable result for a genuine practitioner. In Zhuan Falun, it indicates that one is unable to cultivate while having a wicked mind and a sick body (full of karma). This is why Teacher cleanses a genuine practitioner's body. Eliminating sickness karma presents a special state: No matter how painful the body feels, the spirit and mood are peaceful and rational.

During Fa study, our body and xinxing are enhanced, which is proof of an upright cultivation way following the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." It is not an ordinary form of qigong that only heals illness and keeps one fit. Falun Dafa is a cultivation of mind and body in the Buddha School. A human body is hard to obtain. The orthodox Fa is even harder to obtain. I hope people will treasure it.

Posting date: 4/22/2005
Original article date: 4/21/2005
Category: Personal Cultivation
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2005/4/6/98750.html

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