The Story of My 102 Year-old Mother

My mother's name is Tian Jiao. Born in June 1907, she is now 102 years old, and has lived through and experienced the events from the Republic of China to the seizure of power by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and all of its three dynasties. She has an eighty year-old son and two daughters who are 75 and 72. (I am the younger daughter.)

I started practicing Falun Dafa in May 1996, and have benefited in many ways. Soon after I started, my brother and mother also began walking the path of cultivation. Every day before practice, I read Zhuan Falun out loud to them.

One day mother discarded all the medicine she used to carry with her, into the sink. There was a mixture of red, yellow, green, and blue pills, some of which I didn't even know the name. She no longer needed any of them.

In times when mother eliminated karma and passed tribulations, I often encouraged her by reading to her "On the Issue of Healing Illnesses" from Zhuan Falun, and stories by fellow practitioners who overcame the tests of their illnesses. To help her eliminate the karma collected throughout her existence, I encouraged her to read "One is able to endure what seems hard to endure, and one is able to do what seems impossible to do." (Zhuan Falun, 1998 translation) As she passed her trials of karma through will, determination, and endurance, Teacher protected her, allowing her to pass trial after trial. I was very touched by her resolve, which has led her to triumph over the tribulations of her illnesses.

In recollection, it is indeed a difficult thing for a 90-year-old person to pick up and practice all five sets of exercises. After learning one set of movements, she forgot the previous set. It was more difficult than teaching a preschooler. It really took a lot of time and effort! I often became impatient and started yelling, although I knew it was wrong for me to lose patience. Later, I no longer yelled, only shed tears in my heart, begging Master for help. However, no matter how difficult things became, I've never once thought about giving up. I stood resolved with a single thought that I must help her learn the exercises. In the upcoming months, mother persisted in learning the movements daily, and finally my mother in her nineties could finally practice the exercises along with the audio tapes on her own!

My sister later brought mother to live with her. I gave her our venerable Teacher's book, Zhuan Falun, and placed it under her pillow (mother has difficulty seeing the words). I instructed her time and time again to sincerely repeat the phrases, "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." During that period of time I wasn't able to visit them often.

On July 20, 1999, the CCP begin its widespread defamation of Falun Dafa through its lies and deceit. Under the immense pressure of the persecution, mother was forced to give up cultivation, and thus her illnesses returned. I urged her to remember the phrases in her heart, "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good," and she was able to do it.

In March 2006, my mother was staying in her niece's home, and on March 28 I received a phone call that mother was in critical condition and that I should see her one last time the next morning. After hanging up, I stood firm and calm as I called Shan, a fellow practitioner. We arrived at an agreed upon time and location at the niece's home. We saw mother lying on the ground, her facial features beyond recognition. It was a clear sign that she was not going to make it. My heart remained unperturbed. Shan took my mother's arm and called out to her, "Grandma, it's Shan, please remember 'Falun Dafa is good,' 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good'." I sat down facing mother and began sending righteous thoughts. I could feel the entire atmosphere being covered with a field of righteous thoughts.

Second by second, minute by minute, ten minutes passed, then twenty, then forty, and at last, the words "Zhen - Shan - Ren - is good" slowly came from my mother's closed lips, and the words "Falun Dafa is good" followed as her lips quivered. Gradually mother was able to speak more distinctly, "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." Her sunken eyes gradually opened, and she began to regain consciousness. After a couple of hours, she felt hungry and was able to eat. Shan and I were filled with immeasurable gratitude for our venerable Teacher to have saved my mother's life! Those who witnessed this course of events included my sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece.

One night in June of this year, Shan called to deliver the news that my mother was again critically ill. Her pupils were dilated, her tongue had shrunk to half its size, and her breathing was abnormal. She was in critical condition. I was in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province at the time. On my return flight, I remained calm and composed, holding one simple thought in mind: It's all up to Master's arrangement. After the flight I headed straight toward mother's nursing home. It was 9:30 at night when I arrived. My brother was bathing. I could only see mother's frail thin body lying so straight on the bed. Her face was long deprived of any expression. I embraced her with my two hands and shouted into her ear, "Mother please say 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,' 'Falun Dafa is good!'" I called out the phrases word by word into her ears. My heart was filled with sunshine without the slightest dread or fear. I had completely forgotten the hunger and exhaustion of travel with only one enduring conviction in my mind, that Falun Dafa will certainly eliminate all evil and the mighty Fa will certainly save mother! I incessantly called out, "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" as I replaced her diapers and washed her body. Not knowing how much time had passed, the words "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" finally came out of mother's tightly closed lips, followed by "Falun Dafa is good" slowly spoken from her mouth. At that moment, I could not help but cry as I excitedly held her in my arms telling her, "Mother, Master has saved you once again!"

I spent the entire night on the cement floor below mother's bed. When she wasn't feeling well I caressed her and asked her to say with me, "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." From time to time I changed her diapers, washed her, and gave her some water so that she could feel at least some comfort. At around six in the morning she gradually fell asleep. When she woke she could open her eyes, and she recognized us. In the morning she started eating a little again.

For woman of her age to get sick and become critically ill, then recover, is nothing short of a miracle! To recover in front of us without taking one bit of medicine was amazing. The chronic pain that has ravaged her upper mouth for decades had disappeared, and she never caught cold or coughed again. This is the mighty Buddha's Fa, a testament to Falun Dafa taught in 1992 by our venerable Master, which saved thousands upon thousands of lives!

Of the 200 elders who reside in the nursing home, there were 13 living in the same room with my mother as well as three nurses and multiple medical staff. Even the managers of the nursing home came to see my mother and brother after hearing the news. They can all testify that it was Master's Dafa that saved mother's life! I've always said to mother, "Your life was saved by Master's Dafa." I told all the people I encountered that it was Falun Dafa that twice saved my mother's life. Who can deny such an unmistakable fact!
From then on, mother recited in her heart "Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" every day. She had the feeling to call out from the bottom of her heart, "Falun Dafa is indeed good!" Falun Dafa saves the helpless and saves the masses! This is the calling of a 102 year-old woman. This is an elderly woman paying reverence to our great venerable Teacher! This is her heartfelt song for the Dafa of the cosmos from the depth of her heart!

Mother still resides in the nursing home. She is able to walk 200 meters on the treadmill, saying in her heart " Falun Dafa is good," "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good" as she walks.

I offer my mother's true story to those numerous people and sentient beings who are suffering. I firmly believe you will trust my sincerity. I would be gratified in knowing that my mother's story could help and inspire you.