PureInsight | April 8, 2002
Since ancient times, human beings have concerned themselves with physical health and have tried to insure strong bodies with proper diet, physical exercise, and a balance of sports activities. Today, we are still conscious of physical fitness. We spend a great deal of time and money on establishing exercise programs and researching their effects on the human body and mind. During the past several decades, there has been a parallel boom in sports activities and technology. Despite these increases our fragile bodies are still defenseless against illness and disease. Even the fittest people are susceptible to illness because, while physical activity can alleviate some ailments, it can not fundamentally make people free of the illness. Moreover, people who exercise supplement their health with physical examinations, proper nutrition and rest, and so on. Exercising alone is not effective, since when they relax a little bit from the exercise routine, the old symptoms are likely to come back stronger than ever and, in some cases, strong enough to kill. And even if they are always diligent in their exercise routine, symptoms are only relieved temporarily and life is extended ever so slightly. Inevitably, neither exercise nor medication is potent enough. How come? This problem has bothered me for many years. In 1995, I was fortunate enough to read Zhuan Falun and other books written by Teacher Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong. Through my own experiences, I gained some insights regarding this problem and would like to share them.
Our human body is just like a river. If a river is separated from other bodies of water it cannot flow and will quickly get murky and stagnate. However, if this closed river begins to somehow flow, it will be more difficult for garbage and refuse to settle. The river will thus remain clearer for longer, but still not forever. This is because it is a closed river and it cannot flush out its impurities. Eventually, the rotting silt accumulates making it a dead river. But when this river begins to flow into a lake or ocean, then the river's life will be as long as that of the larger body of water.
Similarly, if one does not exercise his blood will not circulate well, and it will easily clog which is more likely to lead to illness. A person who enjoys sports always looks energetic, has a stronger immune system, and gets sick less than a person who doesn't exercise. This is because his blood vessels are like a running river and the impurities in his body will not settle. However, ordinary sports only circulate the blood in a closed system and so are, therefore, unable to excrete impurities. By and by, the body is saturated by these impurities, the blood channels are blocked, and sickness sets in. I think of this as a result of excessive "mud and garbage" in the body. A little bit of garbage will make one ill, but will not threaten one's life. When the garbage increases to a life threatening level no physical exercise or medical means will save a person.
However, if this person practices qigong, the situation will be different. His body is opened and connected with the outside environment and dirty things flushed out, just like a river dumping into the ocean. Therefore, many qigong practitioners have experienced phenomena that are miraculous to modern medicine. For an example, suppose someone with a terminal illness is cured after practicing Falun Dafa. People who don't know this person do not believe s/he could be cured, and people who do know the person are very surprised. They just cannot understand it. Whether they believe it or not, it is still a fact. How can we make sense of it? It's just like the example of the river I gave above. The dirty things in the body are removed and at the same time the body absorbs fresh energy from the outside. Here, I want to especially emphasize the concept of an outside environment. It is related to the issue of level of practice that Teacher has talked about. Some qigong is high level and some is low level. In keeping with the river analogy, this is comparable to a river connected to a lake and a river connected to an ocean. It is obviously better for the river to be connected to the larger body of water.
I have experienced this difference in bodies of water, and so have other people I know. I have always been athletically inclined. Tai-Ji was one of the many things I did very well. People who had practiced longer than I had could often learn from my technique. Despite my accomplishments, I was still sickly. I was also interested in qigong. I studied dozens of qigong books and found a popular one to try. Initially, it made me feel very healthy, but eventually the feeling faded and I relapsed into a sickly state. This was because the qigong was low level. My body was connected to a small body of water that quickly became saturated with impurities. The master in this school did not have the ability to cleanse it.
Later, I began practicing Falun Dafa and found that this body of water had no bottom and no bank. It is boundless. It not only cured my illnesses but also changed the heart of friends and family who were worried for me when Jiang Zemin began the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. Some of my relatives objected to my practice from the beginning because they thought it was a waste of my time. Their obstruction grew worse after July 1999. My relatives wanted me to have a peaceful life with no police and jail. They were worried for me and I could understand this. However, they no longer are opposed to Falun Gong after a recent happening. In 1993, a close friend and I contracted a disease called small leaf proliferation. We gave each other support and shared experiences with different treatment methods. When I found Falun Dafa, the effects were immediately very good. I invited her to the park one morning, where fellow practitioners warmly taught her the exercises. However, a neighboring Tai-Ji exercise site attracted her attention more, even though it charged money. I reasoned with her that Falun Dafa is certainly good and is totally free and that she should at least try it. But she wouldn't, so I let it drop. Everyone chooses a different pursuit.
After practicing further, my body became healthy and I didn't need medication anymore. I gave my friend all of my leftover medicine. For all of these years, I have believed in Falun Dafa. Of course, sometimes I would be busy and skip practice. But whenever I had time, I would practice. Gradually, I began to require of myself the standards for a practitioner and conducted myself according to Truth-Benevolence-Forbearance throughout my day. Unfortunately, my friend insisted on practicing Tai-Ji and taking medication. Recently, a hospital exam showed that the small leaf proliferation had developed into breast cancer. She had surgery and underwent chemotherapy. In some aspects, her life is better than mine, but overall, how can they be compared? After seeing the dramatic differences between my friend and me, my relatives and friends all say, "We know Falun Gong is good, and we know you have became happy and healthy after you practiced Falun Gong. However, you should still be careful." They are not worrying about my health anymore. Now, they are only worried about my safety.
Physical exercises can only help the blood circulate within the body; qigong practice opens up the body and connects it to a larger external environment. Nevertheless, we should take note that among the many types of qigong, some are righteous and some are not. And even among the righteous, there is the issue of levels. That is why qigong is like a river. If a river connects to an outside source that is even filthier than itself, the river will be polluted instead of cleansed. Therefore, after practicing these kinds of qigong, some people are worse off than before they started. Of course, some people benefit a lot from qigong practice and some benefit less. There are many determining factors in this, but this issue of levels is a main one. On the basis of my personal experiences and those of many people I know, Falun Gong is truly at the highest level of qigong with no other school of qigong able to compare with it.
Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2002/3/10/14215.html
