By a Falun Dafa Practitioner from Taiwan

(Clearwisdom.net) My name is Yio Meilian, and I am a very ordinary woman. For the first half of my life, I struggled between having enough to eat and being forced to do physical labor. After I got married, I suffered immensely from various illnesses and lived under constant pressure from my family. I felt like a hopeless walking corpse. I would like to share my experience of the endless misery I suffered to finally being given a new life and a bright future from practicing Falun Gong; just like a full moon after the dark cloud has passed.

I was born into a very poor family, and my father was obsessed with gambling and women. He never fulfilled his fatherly responsibilities, and as a result, my mother suffered a great deal. I heard that when I was very little, my father sold my oldest sister. My mother, not able to endure it any more, committed suicide. I was only one year old at that time. My aunt told me that not long after, my father also passed away. The day my mother committed suicide, she told her brothers and sisters to never allow my father to give me away.

Before my uncle joined the military, he told my father not to sell me to another family, as he would be back in two years to take care of me. My father, feeling bitter, took revenge on my uncle who had threatened to kill him after my mother died, and sold me for more than 1600 yuan. At that time, I was barely six years old. I was sold to a farmer who had barely enough to eat. Children obtained under that condition were child laborers. Life was hard in my foster home, even though I was only a young child. My foster mother's sister-in-law loved to gossip and took her anger out on me. My foster mother did not care about me, and she too, frequently took out her anger on me. Sometimes I was beaten while I was doing work. Often, my body was black and blue all over. My foster father did not care about me. He wanted to send me to school, but I had only a first grade education.

When I was eighteen, I was arranged to be married. Before the wedding took place, one night my future husband brought his girlfriend home to spend the night. I was quite confused about what my future husband's family was going to do with me and where I would go from there. While I was hesitating, my older sister suddenly showed up. My older sister was married and had a small business of her own. She insisted on taking me away with her.

I was foolish enough to work again as a laborer in my sister's home. Year after year I worked very hard, but I never got paid. Many years later, I was still penniless. I mentioned to my sister that I wanted to work in a village to earn some money and live independently. However, a few months later, my sister said that the store owner next to us wanted me to marry her son.

Actually, I had nowhere to go, and could barely read or converse intelligently. What I did not know at that time was that my sister wanted to keep me around for my free labor. She was actually the one who went to ask for the marriage. She told the store owner that I was very fond of her son. For that reason, after I got married, my mother-in-law often cursed me and accused me of being a "loose woman." I understood very soon after I got married that what I cherished most and hoped for in my heart was just an illusion. From then on, not only did I have to work for my sister, but I also had to do all the chores in my own home.

A few years into the marriage, I got pregnant several times, but each time, they took me to a clinic and had my pregnancy terminated. I guessed they wanted me to work while I was still young and capable. My body, however, was seriously damaged after a few abortions. Also, I did not get the proper nourishment and care to restore my health. My sister was quite resentful because I could not help her as much as before. She was even jealous about me being better off. She would often gossip to my in-laws and made up things about me. As a result, I was often beaten and cursed at by my in-laws and husband. I suffered a great deal physically and emotionally.

I got pregnant again when I was over thirty years old. This time my husband and his family agreed to let me have children even though I was getting worse physically. Within three years, I had two children. Unfortunately, my health deteriorated because of serious postpartum bleeding and uterine rupture. I was operated on a few times and had to stay in the hospital for quite some time. As a result, I became very weak and could not live without medication.

My child was so small, yet I was so ill that I could barely pick up my crying child. My only hope was to be able to raise my children, as I did not think there would be a future for myself.

I was looking for a spiritual path, but I was buried too much in misery and had no way out. Looking back at my entire life, I knew nothing, and lived like an animal. After experiencing only suffering, insecurity, and a harsh family environment, my body and mind felt caged up, and I was falling down to hell rather quickly.

Finally, a friend came to see me and mentioned of a practice called Falun Gong and how miraculous it was. At first, I did not care to hear about it, but then I heard him say that one could cultivate one's heart, and I was moved. I wanted to learn because there was so much sorrow in my heart. Actually, I felt the world had nothing to offer except suffering, and my heart was immersed in darkness. I felt I must learn Falun Gong! If it can broaden my horizon, elevate my xinxing, and get out of the prison that was my own heart, then...

I went to the nine day video lecture series and learned the exercises. However, I did not have the faintest idea what Master Li was talking about. For me, even the simplest language was a challenge. I only knew that Dafa sounded quite reasonable. At that time, my physical condition was so poor that I walked like a drunken sailor. Also, my digestive system was severely damaged from long term medication and did not function properly. When I walked, I had to push a stroller to balance myself. When I heard fellow practitioners talk about how they regained their health and did not need to take medication any more after practicing Falun Gong, I became even more determined to practice.

I had faith in Dafa, and after the nine day lecture series, I stopped taking my medicines. Initially, there was no practice site close to my home. Fortunately, a month later, a practitioner set up a practice site nearby. I was delighted and knew that I had to get up at 4:00 a.m. to do the exercises. When I pushed my stroller in the dark, I thought, "If I die, so be it. I must go and practice." In the beginning, I could not even stand up while doing the wheel-holding posture, but I could still feel the strong energy field when I returned home.

Not long after I started practicing, the local coordinator asked me to be responsible for bringing the exercise music every day. I was worried that my family would not understand this. I later realized that I was trying to be a good person, and therefore I told my mother-in-law honestly about my learning Dafa. She scolded me, but I remained silent and let her go on. When she hit me with a wooden stick, I did not cry and let her beat me. After she was done, I said to her calmly, "Thank you, Mom." She was quite angry and asked me why I thanked her. I told her sincerely, "If you were very kind to me and I was happy, I would have missed the chance to obtain Dafa."

Since then, no matter how my mother-in-law scolded me, I always thanked her. I did the same with my husband after he beat me. I went to the practice site every day. A couple of months later, I found that I could stand up straight and walk in a straight line. I was also able to hold my chin up high and move fast. Since then, I practiced regularly, and my husband also started to change. He became able to accept criticism and went to work on time. In addition, he stopped lying to me.

I wanted to join Fa-study, but I could not quite understand what other practitioners were talking about. Some practitioners said cultivation was about passing tests. Then, I wondered what "passing tests" meant. Other practitioners told me, "That is for you to enlighten to, and you should take this opportunity to get rid of your attachments." I wondered to myself, "What is enlightenment and what are attachments?" When I shared experiences, everyone laughed about what I said because I was not able to use the right words to express myself. For a long time, my fellow practitioners kindly corrected me. Studying the Fa and experience sharing was the only way for me to gain knowledge. I would like to thank those practitioners who have helped me from the bottom of my heart.

Reading Chinese characters was extremely difficult for me because of my limited education. It seemed as though there were only a bunch of words in black and white and I could not tell them apart. Slowly though, I followed others in reading the Fa. I would learn a few words each time and began to understand some Fa principles. I read whenever I had time. After one year, I was able to read the entire book of Zhuan Falun, and also understood the meaning of the words. I never dreamed that I would be able to read at my age, but I am able to because I practice Falun Gong.

In my entire life, Zhuan Falun was the only book I had ever read from front to back. Other practitioners could read it in 24 hours, but it took me an entire year. Within one year, I regained my health, and I was emotionally released from my old self. When my mother-in-law picked up her wooden stick to hit me, she would suddenly change her mind. One time, I wanted to go out to spread the Fa and she kindly asked me, "It is so hot. Are you sure you still want to go?" I was very grateful for her concern and said, "Learning Dafa is not hard; the hardest is for people who have not obtained the Fa." When my husband opened his mouth to start yelling at me, he too would suddenly change his mind. Because I changed after practicing Falun Gong, so did my family, and so did the world I lived in. The delights and wonders in life that have eluded me for so long are slowly coming back to me. My gratitude to Teacher and Dafa is indescribable.

My husband's family was biased towards boys and therefore spoiled my son. I did not have much say when it came to the upbringing of my son. I could only stand by and watch. My daughter, on the other hand, was treated indifferently. At the age of two years old, she began to accompany me to the practice site during the winter months. When she got older, she recited some poems in Hong Yin and learned to do the sitting meditation exercise. The miraculous thing was that my daughter was very respectful to her grandparents. Whenever there was something good to eat, she would take it to her grandparents first, and only after they declined, would she eat it. She continuously behaved like that and her actions eventually touched not only her father, but also her grandparents.

My husband and mother-in-law initially told the children to never listen to their mother. However, after witnessing how different the children behaved in their daily lives, they all agreed that "Falun Dafa is Good!"

When I started practicing, I understood the principle of loss and gain but was not quite sure about the conflicts around me. For that reason, I often stumbled and fell down over the last few years. I then thought of Teacher's words,

"Whatever you experience during your cultivation--whether good or bad--is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating." ("To the Chicago Fa Conference")

I slowly began to let go of my resentment about the unfairness, the grievances, and the misery in my heart. In reality, it is Dafa that helps me to transcend all my suffering from the past.

Besides my personal cultivation, I also wanted to participate in activities and spread the Fa. I have helped new practitioners at the practice site and distributed fliers. Other than that, my involvement has been quite limited due to my inadequate conversation skills. When I saw how the Chinese Communist Party slandered Falun Dafa and persecuted innocent fellow practitioners, my heart ached terribly. I wanted so much to go online and clarify the truth and tell them: "I am a true testimony of how good Falun Dafa really is!"

Strangely enough, one day, my husband brought a computer home. However, he did not allow me to touch it - he would yell at me if I did. The computer was intended for our son to play games and surf the net for fun. I believed that my husband wanted our son to be like his classmates. Our son soon got hooked on the computer, and he also learned to tell lies and fight with other children at school. I told my husband that if he wanted our son to be a good kid, he should take our son to attend some of the Falun Gong activities or the Minghui School.

Perhaps because the timing was right, or my daughter and I had behaved so well for a long time, my husband believed what I said. My whole family, including my husband, son, and daughter attended every activity sponsored by the Minghui School (education program centered on Falun Dafa's teachings and run by practitioners). We watched our son change for the better week after week, and he no longer plays tricks on his classmates. As a result, my husband started to study the Fa and do the exercises with us. My mother-in-law is also beginning to be more caring. If I cannot find time, my husband would voluntarily accompany the children to the Minghui School.

At the present time, I am allowed to use the computer. I have learned how to go online to clarify the truth to the deeply poisoned people in China. I now have a regular job, a harmonious family environment, my health and wonderful children. All of these were only an unfulfilled dream before! I know that if it was not for Falun Gong, I would have headed for my grave with only regret. After I regained my health and with the money I saved from not taking any medicine, the conflicts at home dissipated.

I look back at my past with a grateful heart. My struggle in the past became a motivating force. Teacher has mentioned that when one member cultivates, the whole family benefits. I hope all my family members will practice Falun Gong and obtain the Fa. May all predestined people in this world cherish this opportunity. May Mainland China provide a peaceful environment for people to freely practice.

Falun Gong has given me a second life. Without it, I would not have lived to this moment. I hope after reading my true life story, others will also cherish Falun Gong the way I do.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/1/4/146119.html