(Minghui.org) Ms. Kawamura Ayako was a troubled youth. She learned about Falun Dafa when she watched a documentary during her quest to save her soul, and said she changed completely after she encountered Falun Dafa.
A Lost Youth
Ms. Kawamura said, “I went through a terrible stage when I was young. I cannot bear to look back on it now.” She joined a gang of reckless motorcyclists when she was in middle school and was expelled from school after she was repeatedly caught by the police. She also became addicted to drugs. She encountered the Mafia and experienced violence and bullying. Her mind became gradually warped. She said, “I thought it was a miracle that I was alive. My companions frequently lied, stole, and engaged in violence. They thought they could do anything they wanted. I colluded with them and felt I was safe.”
Consequences came, one after another. She lost the most important person in her life and nearly had a mental breakdown. She tried medication to treat her mental illness, but it got worse. When she was overwhelmed by anxiety and self-loathing, she stopped taking pills.
She met monks from Tibet and was moved by their pure souls. She made her first trip to China.
Witnessing the CCP’s Suppression of Tibetans
Ms. Kawamura accompanied her Tibetan friend, a university student, when she returned to her native country. She stayed at the friend’s home. She said, “I know what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did to Tibetans and innocent Chinese nationals in Japan.” She witnessed temples and cultural relics being destroyed. By talking to residents, she learned how Tibetans were suppressed.
The so-called dramas on China’s war against Japanese aggression are broadcast daily on television. Incited by such hatred, Ms. Kawamura was arrested one day without warning, even though she was just a tourist and hadn’t violated any laws. She was released a few hours later after she was interrogated and photographed, and had to present her passport.
The reason for her arrest was simply because neighbours claimed, “Japanese are bad people,” and called the police.
Touched by False Fire Documentary
In February 2021, Ms. Kawamura’s husband suggested she watch the documentary “False Fire.” The film exposed the truth about the Tiananmen self immolation staged by the CCP to vilify Falun Dafa. This was the first time Ms. Kawamura heard of Falun Dafa.
She said, “I didn’t know whether the contents of the film were true. I watched it with the mindset of an ordinary viewer. I thought they [Falun Dafa practitioners] were persecuted even more brutally compared to what I saw in Tibet, and the tactics used were more despicable. Although practitioners went through torture when they narrated these brutal experiences, although they wept, their tone and expression were tranquil. This touched me deeply, and I could not stay calm. I was sure what they said was true.”
It also made her think: “In this world filled with lies, what is the purpose of my existence? I’ve been searching for the truth and was led around in circles. I only understood when I was in my 40s. I finally found a place where I can purify my soul and face myself as well as others without having to wear a pretence mask.”
She said, “I didn’t know what Falun Dafa was. I simply wanted to help these people, so I searched online and called the contact person for the nearest practice site. This was the first step to my fulfilled life.”
Recovering From Illness
When Ms. Kawamura began searching, she consulted psychics, looked into the Shinto religion, etc. She felt the world was a mess. Instead of finding answers, she discovered many contradictions and gave up. She said, “The only thing I did not think of was practicing qigong. The first time I heard the word qigong was at the practice site, and I hesitated. However, everyone welcomed me kindly. I followed them in doing the movements. I later borrowed a copy of Falun Dafa’s main book of teachings Zhuan Falun and took it home to read.”
Ms. Kawamura went to the practice site in a local community centre once a week. Her health improved.
She said, “I did so many bad things when I was young, and my kidneys were in a terrible state. I had to constantly massage the area near my kidneys to relieve the pain. My calves became very swollen in the afternoon, and it was difficult to walk. I also had difficulty breathing. I had a displaced lumbar disc in my 20s, and I had had back pain for over 20 years. It was agonising pain, but now, it was gone as though it never existed.
“Before I began practicing Falun Dafa, I thought of letting go of my attachments, letting go of my emotional burdens, and leading a relaxed and free life. But it was hard to do. I tried to cover it up and blur my past. I could deceive others but not myself.
“Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance gave me hope and confidence. They also made me more resilient and brightened my life. I don’t know how to express my gratitude. The thing I had been searching hard for over 40 years, turns out it was already right in front of my eyes.”
Going Forward
Ms. Kawamura said, “By reading Zhuan Falun, I understood the importance of cultivating my character. I feel my mind changing bit by bit through practicing cultivation. I’m no longer so easily disturbed, and I have fewer bad thoughts. I finally understood how profound and amazing the truth is. I am sincerely grateful to Master and his compassion in allowing someone like me to practice Dafa.”
She was reluctant to recall her past, but a practitioner encouraged her: “Whatever happened before you practiced Falun Dafa is in the past.” Ms. Kawamura said, “I cherish fellow practitioners. They treat everything seriously, support one another, and improve together. They are healthy, positive, and remarkable.”
Although her husband has not formally begun practicing, he reads Zhuan Falun.
Ms. Kawamura wants to tell more people about Falun Dafa and how it saved her soul. She teaches the exercises at a local community center and said, “I hope to meet everyone at the center or at a Falun Dafa event. Every month, I deliver Minghui Weekly to people’s mailboxes. If I meet my former companions from my youth, I will tell them about Falun Dafa. Thank you, Master, for guiding me to find Falun Dafa.”
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