Reborn

1. Catastrophe

In the 1980's, catastrophe befell our happy family of four. I was a healthy 29-year-old. One day I was suddenly, inexplicably unable to speak. No matter who asked me a question, I couldn't reply. Even if a dog were to eat the food from our table, I was unable to react. Flies and mosquitoes landed on my face, yet I did and felt nothing. I was sleepy all day long and I appeared to be catatonic. After meals I'd lay on my bed, motionless. I was in this state for three years and three months, during which time I didn't drink any water or fluids. My family took me everywhere looking for a cure. It cost a lot of money, which they borrowed. However, no one could figure out what was wrong with me, much less offer a remedy. One day, for no apparent reason, I suddenly recovered.

This sickness came and went; it was a mystery. Even stranger, I would suffer relapses periodically. I was fine for three years, then sick for three years. It recurred three times and I suffered for nine years and nine months. The catastrophes came one after another. The second time I was sick, I suffered severe stomachaches. It was so painful that I couldn't help rolling around and moaning. My family members and a neighbour took me to a hospital, but the doctors weren't able to give me a diagnosis. I was hospitalised for observation. On the fifth day they performed surgery on my stomach, but the doctors still couldn't figure out what was wrong. They operated on me twice more at the hospital. I was treated for a stomach perforation and a duodenal ulcer. I lost conscious during the operations. My family started planning my funeral at one point.

The operations left three 6-inch long wounds on my midsection. I lived on IVs and was unable to eat. Half a month passed and my surgical wounds had not even begun to heal. My intestines were visible through the wounds. The skin on my belly showed deep bruising. The wounds bled and festered. To keep blood and pus from soiling the bed, a thick layer of paper was tied to my stomach by a belt. The paper had to be changed fifteen or sixteen times a day. Since entering the hospital three months earlier, I'd had nothing to eat or drink. I felt like my mouth was deformed. My tongue was as hard as a piece of wood and I couldn't move it freely. I was very weak and couldn't turn over on the bed by myself. My backside developed deep ulcers. My weight dropped from 143 to only 66 pounds. The people I knew were no longer able to recognise me.

In order to feed me and speed up my recovery, doctors opened a hole in my duodenum to give me infusions of a mixture of milk and cooked eggs, but my condition did not improve. It was spring again. All my siblings had to go home to plant crops in the field. I spent 6000 yuan (Chinese currency; 500 yuan is equal to the average monthly income of an urban worker in China) which I had borrowed, within four months, and my wounds weren't healing. I couldn't afford to stay in the hospital any more, so I left.

It was even more painful at home. We had no money and no food. How were we going to survive? My wife sold everything in the house to support me. I couldn't eat anything coarse. I could only stomach the finer grains (wheat flour and rice). In those days, the amount of grain one received was limited. Each person was allotted about 9 pounds of fine food grain and 3.5 ounces soybean oil. Those who had jobs or were students could get 35 pounds of grain total. Those who didn't have jobs received only 31 pounds a month. Children were allotted much less. It was very hard for my wife and two children. Sometimes we didn't have any grain and they had to eat potatoes. Even worse, my wife sometimes had to work on an empty stomach. My children had never even had a popsicle. They were both good students. One day my son was leading all the students at his school on a run. Suddenly he couldn't run any more. His teacher asked him if he'd eaten. He told the teacher he'd had some potatoes, but not enough. The teacher was saddened and told the other teachers about our family's situation. They all sympathised with us. In those days, no one was rich, but the students and teachers donated more than 200 yuan and a cart full of grain to help us. I was suffering from the sickness and was speechless. I was so grateful that I couldn't have spoken if I'd wanted to. I hated myself. I couldn't work because of the sickness. It had brought my family to this situation and brought such trouble to the students and teachers. They had to save their money and grains to help us. I felt really bad.

2. Reborn

At the time, I felt there was no hope for me, and I was so lucky to come across Falun Dafa. One day in September of 1998, my wife gave me a book called China Falun Gong (Revised Edition. At first I couldn't read the words, but later I tried harder, and I could see the words clearly. It was so strange. The words were getting bigger. I felt so comfortable and loved to read the book. I continued to read it the next day and finished it on the third day. Later I read it two more times. I became another person. I felt very light and energetic. I didn't want to lie on the bed anymore. I could do house work and didn't feel tired. Later, I finished all the Falun Dafa books and I changed so much. I could also practise the exercises along with the exercise music.

One day my wife read me Master's article "Environment" (Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement):

"The lofty conduct that Dafa disciples have established in this environment--including every word and every deed--can make people recognise their own weaknesses and identify their shortcomings; it can move their hearts, refine their conduct, and enable them to make progress more rapidly. Therefore, new students or self-taught disciples have to go to the practice sites to do the exercises."

I thought, even though I cannot speak, I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I should listen to Master and go to the practice site to practise. So my wife and I went to a practice site to study the Falun Gong teachings and do the exercises. The environment at the practice site was very serene and peaceful. I had never felt so happy.

Everyone read one paragraph from one of the Falun Dafa texts. When my turn came, all the practitioners encouraged me to give it a try. I was very touched, and I wanted so much to read Master's Teachings aloud! I felt a warm energy flow filling my body. Something came out of my throat. I coughed three times. I could produce sound!

Suddenly tears fell from my eyes. I read it while I was crying. I called in my heart: "Master!" Thirty or forty practitioners witnessed this. We were all moved by Falun Dafa's greatness and Master's benevolence. We all cried. We were so joyful, surrounded by Master's boundless compassion.

After studying the Falun Gong teachings, we practise the exercises. I meditated with crossed legs for 80 minutes. On the second day I could sit in meditation for an hour and a half. These are the manifestations of Falun Dafa's greatness in my body. Falun Dafa gave me a second life and gave hope to our broken family.

After the persecution started on July 20th, 1999, nothing could shake my belief in Falun Dafa, even facing the brutal persecution. I have benefited from Falun Dafa and I know what I'm talking about. I witnessed Falun Dafa's greatness so how is it that such a wonderful practice could be slandered?

3. Safeguard Falun Dafa

I, someone who has been saved by Falun Dafa, want to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and reclaim justice for Falun Dafa. In August of 2000 I overcame my difficulties to go to Beijing and appeal for justice to be returned to Falun Dafa. I wanted to say, "Falun Dafa is the righteous way, restore the reputation of my Master, allow the publishing of Falun Dafa books and release all the detained Falun Dafa practitioners unconditionally."

A police officer at Tiananmen Square asked me why I was there. I told him that I'd come to appeal. I told him Falun Dafa is good, sharing my personal experience. The officer put me in a van and sent me back to my hometown. I was detained for 25 days. I used my personal experience to tell guards and criminals alike that Falun Dafa is good. They all know the truth through my clarification. One of them said, "I want to learn Falun Dafa," and became a good person after he left the detention centre.

4. Giving people a chance to learn the truth about Falun Dafa

With the swift progress of Fa rectification, practitioners all over the world are exposing the evil persecution and saving sentient beings. I gradually understood my mission. Why do we dare to risk everything to come to this human world? We do it to rectify the universe and to save sentient beings. I cannot forget my mission. Although I am not well spoken, I want to do well, and I use my personal experiences and actions to achieve this.

My job is delivering goods. I meet many people every day. I use these opportunities to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa. One time I pedalled a tricycle into the countryside to deliver goods. I didn't feel tired, even after riding 47 miles each way. My co-workers all say that Falun Gong practitioners are very healthy and good people.

One time I carried sandbags to the sixth floor. It took me less than a half hour to bring up eight sandbags, each weighing 110 pounds. The customer was very surprised and said, "You're so skinny. How can you do that?" I said, "I am a Falun Gong practitioner." I told him about my health situation before I started practising and showed him the scars from my surgeries. I told him how I'd sold the house to cure my sickness, but it hadn't worked. Then I told him how I was cured after practising Falun Gong for a month. Falun Gong gave me a second life. He said that Falun Gong was miraculous. I spoke to him about the practice and told him to remember that Falun Dafa is good. He happily accepted my words.

I did a job for an official from the local Procurator's office. He was very satisfied with my work. After he learnt that I practise Falun Gong, he said he would look to hire Falun Gong practitioners from then on and that Falun Gong practitioners are good people.

I never have conflicts with others at work. I take the heaviest and dirtiest work. I never care how much customers pay me and I work for free sometimes. I remember Master's instruction that we should be good people no matter where we are. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I should display the image of a Falun Dafa disciple and bring the truth of Falun Dafa wherever I go. There were times that I wasn't diligent and fell down on the path of cultivation. When that happens I study the Falun Dafa teachings more and continuously correct myself. I allow people to see the truth of the practice using my words and actions. I will use every opportunity to do well the things that Master requires. That is our mission. I will continue to dissolve all the factors hindering the Fa-rectification, and do well on the path of cultivation, which is arranged by Master.