Experience Sharing of Vietnam practitioner ĐO THI TAM
I respectfully greet my compassionate and revered Master. Greetings to all fellow practitioners.
Master, I am a small being, a tiny particle within this vast universe, and I have been reborn through your compassionate guidance. Today, I am honored to be present here in the beloved and beautiful country of Malaysia to attend the 2024 Fa Conference. I am deeply moved and grateful to you, Master.
Dear fellow practitioners, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Do Thi Tam, and I am 55 years old. I attained the Fa on January 9, 2019, and have been practicing for over five years now. Today, I would like to share with fellow practitioners some of my heartfelt insights from my journey of attaining the Fa and my cultivation process.
1.The Predestined Opportunity to Attain the Fa
In 2018, I was introduced to and learned about Falun Dafa. It was also the second time that death had nearly claimed my life. At that time, I was gravely ill, to the point where it seemed I would not survive. My husband even called my family back in our hometown, asking them to come to Saigon to prepare for my funeral. Relatives and family members gathered at the hospital to see me one last time. Fortunately, a cousin came to visit, and she knew the hospital director. They mobilized all the doctors to save me, and I was lucky to escape death on that occasion.
Shortly after I was discharged and returned home, a cousin called to check in on me. She told me that she was practicing Falun Dafa, and said, “Only by practicing Falun Gong will you be able to recover from your illness. Look at me – I had cancer and many other illnesses, was sent home by the hospital, and the family had even prepared a grave. But through practicing Falun Dafa, I completely recovered.”
At that time, I still didn’t know what Falun Dafa was. My cousin simply told me to look it up on YouTube, practice Master’s five exercises, and listen to his nine lectures. So from that day, I went on YouTube, searched for the five exercises, and began listening to Master’s lectures. I listened to a few lectures but didn’t understand much.
Then I accidentally came across a video online that slandered Falun Dafa, mentioning things like forced organ harvesting and the cement-pouring incident in Binh Duong. Seeing that, I became frightened and lost the courage to believe or continue practicing. My cousin only called me that one time, and then we didn’t discuss it further.
A while later, my illnesses relapsed more severely, and I developed several other serious conditions. I had to take 5 to 7 doses of Western medicine every day and spent more time in the hospital than at home. One day, while back in my hometown for my father’s memorial, I visited an old friend. We were dining in a restaurant when, suddenly, my illness relapsed right there. The symptoms were severe, and I thought to myself, “Could it be that coming home for my father’s memorial will turn out to be my own as well?” I told my friend, “I’m not okay; this might be it. At least I have you here to say goodbye.”
My friend and my niece rushed me to the emergency room, where I was lucky to have a niece-in-law who was a doctor at that hospital. Once again, I narrowly escaped death. I stayed in the hospital for a week before my niece-in-law took me to my brother’s house to continue treatment.
Seeing how frail I looked, my sister-in-law remarked, “It doesn’t seem like you’ll have the chance to return to your hometown again.” Hearing this, I felt deep sorrow and remained silent. A week later, I struggled to return to Saigon, thinking that if I were to pass, at least my children would be there to see me off. I had to ask a friend to accompany me back.
Two days after arriving, my blood pressure shot up to nearly 200 in the middle of the night, and I suffered a ruptured artery, causing bruising all over my body. Those around me urgently called for an ambulance to take me to the hospital. The doctor there said that I had arrived just in time; a few more minutes, and it would have been over. I was admitted to the intensive care unit, staying for almost a month, but my condition did not improve—in fact, it worsened. Some days, I needed emergency care 5-6 times. I was on a wheelchair, and my son pushed me from one department to another, but every doctor shook their head. Finally, they sent me home. I instructed my children to prepare for my funeral. Though they wanted to take me to another hospital, I refused. I wanted to pass away at home, with my family by my side.
At that moment, I suddenly remembered the Falun Dafa practice that my cousin, who had been sent home by the hospital with cancer, had turned to and fully recovered. So why was I afraid to give it a try? I immediately took out my phone and started listening to Master’s nine lectures. As I listened, I felt my body gradually strengthening, and my blood pressure began to drop. I quickly stood up to follow Master’s first exercise. But because I was so weak, I fainted after just a few moves. When I regained consciousness, I resumed the exercise. After a while, I felt stronger. My children kept checking my blood pressure, and they noticed it gradually decreasing. I suddenly realized that Master had saved me. I exclaimed to my children, “I’m truly alive! Master has saved me. I am really alive!” From that moment on, I decided to cultivate in Falun Dafa. I told them I wouldn’t go to the hospital anymore. My children were overjoyed.
Thanks to Master’s compassionate salvation, I escaped death. It felt as though I had been granted a new life. At that moment, I made a vow: I would practice Falun Dafa under Master’s guidance forever. I entrusted my life to Master, pledging to follow him faithfully and follow the arrangements of Master Li Hongzhi.
That night, I practiced the movements and listened to Master’s lectures all night. The next morning, I felt as normal as any healthy person. I devoted myself to practicing and listening to Master’s teachings.
A week later, I returned to the hospital for a follow-up. The doctors were astonished, unable to believe the transformation they saw—I was calm and healthy. They asked how I had improved so quickly. They still prescribed me a week’s worth of medicine and asked me to come back the following week. At home, I continued practicing with dedication, though I kept taking the medicine because of my severe illnesses.
A week later, I went for another comprehensive check-up. All my health indicators were stable, and the symptoms of my illnesses had vanished. The doctors asked what kind of miraculous medicine I had been taking. I didn’t dare mention that I had been practicing Falun Dafa, fearing they might judge me since I had only just started practicing and didn’t yet fully understand. The doctor told me I didn’t need to come back for more follow-ups; I was fine now. From then on, I felt completely at ease and never returned to the hospital.
- Cultivating Through the Fa
A few days later, my younger sibling sent me a copy of *Zhuan Falun*. From that point, I began reading the book while listening to the nine lectures. Honestly, I felt very reluctant to read because it had been so long since I last picked up a book.
I tried my best, but it took me more than a month to finish reading *Zhuan Falun*, as I mainly listened to the lectures. Later, my sibling bought me a set of books for cultivation. When I received them, I was utterly shocked by the number of books—it was far more than I had imagined. I immediately called my sibling and said, “Why did you send me so many books? I can barely finish one; how can I possibly read all of these?” I was so upset. However, I eventually started reading.
To my surprise, once I held the book in my hands and began reading, I found it incredibly interesting and captivating. Without realizing it, I became engrossed, and three months later, I had finished reading the entire collection of teachings. I gained many insights from the books. I understood why I had accumulated so much karmic illness. Master explained: “Because people have done bad things in the past, karma is created, which manifests as illness or tribulations. Suffering hardship is paying off karmic debts” and “In order to cure their illnesses or eliminate tribulations and karma, these people must cultivate and return to their original, true selves.” (*Lecture One – Zhuan Falun*).
From that point on, my mindset began to shift in a positive direction, and so did my physical condition. Master continuously purified my body. Old symptoms of my past illnesses started to surface, sometimes even more severely than before. However, thanks to reading the books and listening to Master’s teachings repeatedly, I wasn’t afraid and remained steadfast, choosing not to visit any doctors.
After four months of cultivation, I felt that Master had purified and expelled all illnesses from my body. At times, my body felt so light, as if I were floating in the air. I was overjoyed beyond words and even more determined to cultivate diligently. No words can truly describe Master’s immense compassion in saving His disciples. I had truly transformed into a good person—healthy, peaceful, and happy.
Before cultivating, I had always considered myself a relatively good person in daily life—thoughtful and willing to sacrifice to help others. Family and friends often praised me for being kind-hearted. Yet, I still felt unhappy and unsatisfied, as if others were living better lives than me. Now, after cultivating in Dafa, reading the teachings, and listening to Master’s lectures, I’ve come to understand the deeper truths. I no longer resent the heavens or complain about life’s injustices. I’ve let go of self-pity and no longer feel unlucky or unfortunate.
Master teaches: “In fact, everything in life, whether or not one should get something, is the result of karmic consequences from the good and bad things one did in the previous lifetime. The number of blessings and the amount of virtue accumulated in the previous lifetime determine the amount of good fortune in this or the next life. With more blessings and virtue, one may exchange them in the next lifetime for high positions and salaries, or for various kinds of fortunes and blessings, including whether one has a happy family and how well one’s children will do. This is the fundamental reason why some are rich, some are poor, some hold high positions, and some have no homes to return to; it is not like the demonic rhetoric of egalitarianism propagated by the evil Communist Party.” (Why There Is Mankind)
I realized and quickly let go of my attachments. What I once thought was good only aligned with the standards of ordinary people. When compared to the principles and standards of the universe in Dafa, it was completely the opposite. I had made so many mistakes, some even very serious. I silently promised Master: “Master, I was wrong. I will commit myself to correcting it.” And so, I began my cultivation journey and experienced a relatively peaceful period.
- Improving Xinxing While Performing the Third Task
One day, I encountered a xinxing (mind-nature) conflict in a person-to-person interaction. I had received an order that didn’t meet the requirements upon delivery, and my competitive spirit flared uncontrollably, along with attachments to fame, gain, and sentimentality. Unable to keep my xinxing stable, I acted in a way that didn’t uphold the standards of a cultivator. A while later, I realized my mistake and asked Master for forgiveness, hoping for a chance to correct myself. I resolved to start over in my cultivation.
A few days later, Master compassionately gave me an opportunity. I also began engaging in the third task. Previously, as I practiced on my own, I had only clarified the truth to a few people over the phone and to some neighbors nearby.
I felt rather shy about stepping outside to clarify the truth. However, as my son and daughter-in-law also began practicing, I gained more confidence. From then on, I started distributing truth-clarifying materials on main streets, in small alleys, at school gates, hospitals, and busy markets. Initially, I was still hesitant, but within a few days, I grew accustomed to it and became more confident.
Once, I was overly eager in explaining the truth, and although some people initially showed an interest in cultivation, they later declined, saying they couldn’t give up alcohol or smoking. I felt deep regret but gained a valuable lesson from this experience. I devoted more time to studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, which helped me understand that one should let things take their natural course and allow others to come to their own understanding after reading the Fa. Since then, my third task doing have been more smoothly and successfully.
In the first three years, I clarified the truth and spread the Fa to many people, some of whom also began cultivating. Most of them came to understand the truth. Many familiar with me noticed the transformation in my being, often saying I seemed like a completely different person. This brought me great joy and motivated me to work even harder.
Clarifying the truth and distributing materials became an incredibly uplifting experience for me at that time. Recently, after watching the film *Returning to the Divine*, I came to understand the profound and miraculous power of the nine-character mantra that Master gave disciples for saving sentient beings in times of danger.
I was deeply moved, realizing just how many people I had connected with through the Great Law and how many beings had been saved through Master’s compassion. This realization strengthened my faith and intensified my commitment to saving people. I understood that all of this is due to Master’s compassionate salvation and his arrangements, providing disciples with the wisdom to accomplish the three tasks well.
- Joining Cultivation with other Practitioners
After over three years of cultivating and doing the third task on my own, one day, I found a local group of fellow practitioners who practiced and studied the Fa together. Filled with excitement, I joined this collective group and have been a part of it since.
Through this, my xinxing improved, and my movements were corrected by fellow practitioners. I was able to participate in a nine-day Fa study course, where I listened to Master’s nine lectures alongside other practitioners. Previously, I had been practicing by watching Master’s videos and following along, thinking I was doing it correctly. However, after fellow practitioners shared insights with me and I read “The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection”, I realized that my movements had deviated significantly from Master’s instructions. With guidance from others and much effort over several sessions, my movements finally improved greatly.
Afterward, I was also invited to join a group dedicated to correcting movements, where we helped both new practitioners and long-time practitioners who needed adjustments. I found this work to be deeply meaningful, as it helps practitioners improve their movements to avoid incorrect practice. I have now been part of this group for over two years.
- Participating in Promoting Shen Yun and GanJingWorld**
Two years ago, I joined the group dedicated to promoting Shen Yun. Our goal is to help more people discover Shen Yun and learn about the 5,000-year-old divinely inspired traditional Chinese culture that has been gradually lost. Thanks to the ShenYun artists and Fei Tian College students, who bring to life ancient stories and historical tales through classical Chinese dance, theatrical performances, and symphonic music blending Eastern and Western instruments, this beautiful and divine culture is being revived.
While working on this project, our group faced many difficulties and interference from various aspects. However, we have done our best to look within and persevere under the guidance of Master. Up to today, our efforts are making a significant impact and spreading widely. This mission, arranged by Master for our entire group, is a powerful tool that Master has given us to save sentient beings as swiftly and urgently as possible. Therefore, despite the challenges and interference, we remain determined to carry it through.
I am also actively involved in the GanJingWorld project. This is a clean, healthy digital platform free from violent or explicit content and devoid of addictive algorithms that could harm the brain. It respects personal privacy. Master has arranged and blessed this platform to offer people an environment with a high moral standard that aligns with the universe’s principles. This platform, too, is a powerful tool given by Master, enabling us to save more beings at a broader scale and faster pace.
Looking back on my more than five years of cultivation, I can clearly see what I have gained and what I have let go of. I have gained the honor of being Master’s disciple. I have been given a second chance at life, experiencing health, happiness, and inner peace that I had never truly known before. I have let go of numerous serious ailments, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic sinusitis, vestibular disorders, kidney stones, atherosclerosis, spinal degeneration, and many other health issues.
For over five years, I have not had to use any medication. I have also shed many attachments, including competitiveness, the desire for recognition, joy, attachments to fame, gain, and sentimentality, and many others. Now, I have completely transformed into a new person, a true person.
Even so, I still encounter tests to my xinxing repeatedly. Challenges, both major and minor, continue to arise. Sometimes I pass through them easily, while other times, it is much harder. I’ve come to understand that because we cultivate in a state of delusion, Master allows us to let go gradually. I make efforts to keep myself in check, and when I find things difficult or feel I haven’t done well, I remember Master’s teaching to his disciples: “Then it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun). This always helps me get through.
The above is a humble sharing of my insights and understanding in my cultivation journey. I share this with the hope of encouraging new practitioners and those who are just beginning their path. No matter how many illnesses one may face or how severe they may be, as long as one has faith in Master and the Fa, sincerely cultivates with a true heart, and remains focused, Master’s compassionate salvation will surely guide us. As the saying goes, “Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the Master” (Lecture 1, Zhuan Falun).
Though my time in cultivation has not been extremely long, it hasn’t been too short either. I have faced many trials and tests, enduring both mental and physical hardships, as Master has taught. Cultivation is not excessively difficult, but it is not easy either. I have come to understand that with genuine dedication and Master’s arrangements, we can surely return to our heavenly home with Master when we reach consummation.
During my journey, I have received much encouragement and support from fellow practitioners. I have felt the warmth, energy, harmony, and understanding that comes from this community- a true Dafa family.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have obtained this Fa, to be a disciple of Master, and to be a fellow practitioner alongside all of you.
These are my heartfelt insights, and I am grateful to all fellow practitioners who have listened to my sharing. My understanding is still shallow and limited by my current level in cultivation. If there is anything that does not align with the Fa, I kindly ask for compassionate guidance from fellow practitioners.
I respectfully thank my compassionate and revered Master, and I am deeply grateful to Dafa.
I will strive to fulfill my vow to Master and to Dafa. Once again, I wish the Malaysia Fa Conference great success.