The Best Gift of My Life

[PureInsight.org] I am Uta, a 65 year-old lady. My husband and I first learned about Falun Gong in 1997. I remember vividly that as a young girl I often wondered why the grown-ups always looked forward to the weekend with much anticipation. Whatever could be the reason? I figured that one ages steadily, catches an illness, and then at the end departs this world. Or is there something else I have missed? Almost 60 years went by before I could make sense of this question about life.

I had a happy childhood in the former German Democratic Republic. I pondered further about the meaning of life after my fifty-year-old mother, younger brother and I took flight to the west. Untroubled times were over once I approached the end of my twenties. First, a skiing accident, then I suffered from back pains and other ailments. As if it was not enough, other hardships and adversities followed. My brother ended his life at the age of thirty. Déjà vu, the quest about the meaning of life returned in full force.

At that time I was ignorant about the cause and effect and karma formation and elimination. The only thing that kept me going was "work." Therefore, I accepted additional assignments and often worked late into the night or on Saturdays. Over time, I became afflicted with a very loud tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears), cancer, change of life ailments, depression and debilitating sleep disorders.

Then, in 1993, my 89 year-old mother ended up bedridden after an accident, and thus was in need of constant care. Rest assured, I felt it my duty to be the caregiver. I quit my job, but the twenty-four-hour care of my mother pushed me to my limits. I had to concede and taker her to a nursing home, where she passed away within two-and-a-half years.

I was reduced to despair and thus continued my search for different stress-relief methods and philosophies. Naturally these methods distracted me up to a point, but nothing brought real relieve in the state of my health or my frame of mind. To be honest, I was sick of all these so-called miracle health cures.

In 1997, I learned of Falun Gong for the first time at the German Association for Traditional Chinese Medicine. My curiosity got the better of me as always. Therefore, I immediately tried the five Falun Gong exercises. The energy current and the harmonic movements were immensely fascinating to me and the associated music was tremendously comforting to my soul.

Without hesitation I formed an exercise group in Munich. At that time the main book Zhuan Falun was being translated into German. I helped polish it. I could not stop reading it over and over again. It was like a craving to constantly absorb all the new concepts within. Then I went to the 1998 Fa-conference in Frankfurt. Meeting Master Li Hongzhi impressed me deeply. Listening to the Falun Gong practitioners experience sharing articles gave me that last push towards practicing Falun Gong.

Thus, Falun Gong became an integral part of my life. My husband and I performed the Falun Gong exercises daily before going to work. Daily reading of the main book was a given and my knowledge deepened continuously. Yet, although I practiced daily, my left knee suddenly began to hurt. This stretched over to a number of weeks. After uncertainty right at the beginning I just ignored it. Then, without noticing, the pain was gone as sudden as it appeared.

Because of the cancer I suffered in 1993 I stayed away as much as possible from any fatty meat and egg whites. The doctors explained that I was genetically disposed, as both my mother and grandmother had come down with cancer. I let go of all my anxieties as I intensively and continuously read and studied the book Zhuan Falun. I recognized that cultivation in Falun Dafa was the continuous process of letting go. I found myself in a constant observer role, watching my actions and the responses by my fellow men. I slowly came to the realization about the cosmic principle, "Good is rewarded with good and evil is rewarded with evil." This actually meant, "What goes around comes around." My understanding improved continuously. My ability to discriminate deepened and more often than not I found that I was at the right time at the right place, doing what was right.

During the first months of my cultivation all my old illnesses came back, though more or less intensively. Finally they all disappeared, the tennis elbow, hay fever and other allergies, migraines, as well as my hip and cervical spine problems. I cancelled my fitness club membership. I no longer needed medical prescriptions, massages, physiotherapy and cranial-sacral therapy. I was no longer picky in what I wanted to eat. I no longer took vitamins or other food supplements and my blood pressure normalized. The tinnitus eased up and only acts up occasionally. Inner turbulence, uncertainties and stress no longer affect met. I no longer suffer from sleep disorders or mood swings. Interestingly, I discovered that during sleepless nights I could read the Fa and was much more energetic the next day, yet I had only slept three or four hours.

The result was that I could tell other people about all these wonderful experiences. For three-and-a-half years I have spent six evenings a week at a clinic that specializes in orthopedics. I teach the Falun Gong exercises to rehabilitation patients who are recovering from knee, hip, intervertebral disc, or shoulder operations. I also help patients who come for a prophylaxis regimen. On days I am busy with something else, my husband takes over for me.

It takes only a few days before the patient reports improvement. For example the tickle in their legs disappears, they are able to sleep much better, can cope better with stress, and have more energy and love for life. They even disclosed that the following day they are able to bear the therapy at the clinic with much more ease. They enjoy the harmonic environment as, after the exercises, we have an exchange of ideas. The patients have a hard time understanding the brutal persecution. Also, many of them had not heard of Falun Gong.

All beginnings are difficult. There were many disputes, skepticism, even hostility. Yet, I marched evening after evening to my own drummer and visited the clinic. Sometimes I encouraged myself by repeating in my mind, "In three weeks, 200 new patients will come and with them more opportunities to tell the truth about Falun Gong. I will be able to tell about the persecution and the preciousness of Falun Gong."

Within time the small advances mushroomed and allowed me to gain experience. I learned to accept the challenge, conquer my inner "demon" and never give up hope that I would be able to manage – all by myself – because of the boundless grace of the Fa. It continues without doubt. New realizations provide new accomplishments. Unswervingly, I continue to understand my trust in the Fa and know of Masters constant support, and help to break down boundaries. I never loose sight of my goal, and when I fail I will not feel dejected, but continue striving forwards steadfastly.

Slowly, bit-by-bit, I am building a trusting relationship between the clinic staff and myself. I found a permanent placard on the blackboard with information about Falun Gong and announcing the evening exercises. I was even given permission to distribute informational flyers in the gymnasium. I constantly have with me the books A Journey to Enlightenment and Zhuan Falun. Later on, the staff also included announcements and information about Falun Gong.
every morning on the daily schedule, which they leave on the breakfast table, Then I asked myself should I dare to increase exposure? So, I showed Master Li's exercise instruction tape in the lecture hall. Later on I experimented further. I also showed the German language truth clarifying video, "Falun Dafa - A Path to One's Original, True Self," and "A Path of Compassion," although I knew perfectly well that many patients, because of their intense pain, were unable to participate for too long. Once I recognized this negative thought process and was able to eliminate it, all patients sat though all three films. This informational evening is now being given every three weeks, which is followed by discussion. I let everyone know that they would find on the table free photos, as well as flyers on a number of issues about Falun Gong, including the persecution in China, and cultivation issues.

Although I was not granted permission in the beginning, I am now allowed to leave flyers about Falun Gong and our newspapers in a number of places at the clinic. More recently I am even allowed to leave exercise CDs, as well CDs with other themes and information about Falun Gong, including the persecution. If patients so desire, I will stay in contact with them by phone and will give them, if they wish, informational material. Many read now the Jingwen's Number 1 and 2. As xeroxing is getting kind of costly, I have changed recently to CDs. At this time I wish to mention those practitioner who support me in this and give them my deepest thanks.

Finally, I want to read an article from one interested person and who has participated during 10 of the exercise evenings:

My name is XY and I will turn 62 years old at the end of this year. During November of 2002, I was given the best present of my life: Falun Dafa. My husband and I reside for the last four years in Costa Calida, Spain. We flew to Germany for an operation, as my husband suffered from severe knee problems and subsequently participated in rehabilitation. A friend told me about Falun Dafa. First I was rather non-committal, but my interest rose after she told me about it in detail. Subsequently, she introduced me to a practitioner. She looked at me and I felt as if we had known each other for years.

While my husband was in rehabilitation at the orthopedic clinic, I watched the introductory video by Master Li and was fascinated. The following evening I was busy learning the exercises at the clinic. After the fourth or fifth time doing the exercises, I could already feel the Falun strongly radiating through my arms. After that I had no doubt in mind that all of what Master Li said was truthful. For the first time in my life I received answers to questions that have puzzled me since my youth.
- Why are we here on earth?
- Why is there so much injustice?
- Why are there so many poor, while others are rich?
- Why are so many hungry, while others throw food away?

I returned by plane to Spain with my husband, having received the new wisdom, carrying Master's 9-day video and the two books, A Journey to Enlightenment and Zhuan Falun. Since then I do all five exercises daily with the CD from Master and I have regularly watched the 9-day lecture. After four weeks I suddenly saw one of Master's Fashen. It flew like a picture on a slide through the room. I was fascinated. First, I did not realize what I had seen. Since then, whenever I watch the videos, I see Fashen everywhere. They are at times smaller and at times larger. I see lights, bright, round and radiant, and closed circles, as large as small plates, which loom on the floor or on the walls.

Yet, the most precious of all is my new found view of life. I treat people differently, with more compassion and patience. I feel secure and well cared for. This was reinforced by regular phone calls with practitioners in Germany, as well as through reading and learning the Fa explanations and Jingwen that were sent to me. I thus gained a deeper understanding of the Fa. Although I cultivate on my own I have highly profited from it. Therefore, I have started to tell people the truth and give them informational material. I also provide newcomers with easy to understand experience-sharing reports.