(Minghyui.org) I am a retired coal miner who was injured in the 1980s when a coal mine collapsed. I survived the accident but was paralyzed. I was in pain and had lost all hope--until I started to practice Falun Dafa.

It has been 30 years since my team was trapped in a mining accident. While removing steel supports to be used elsewhere, the roof of the tunnel collapsed, and a large boulder fell on us.

My right arm and much of my lower body were trapped under the boulder. Someone eventually found us and called for help.

The rescue workers were experienced. They knew that I could not move because my spine was injured. They dug the coal out little by little from below me and then pulled me out. The collapse had instantly killed my teammates and injured eight other miners.

X-rays showed that my first three lumbar vertebrae were fractured and my entire spinal cord was affected. I needed an operation to insert a lumbar plate. After I survived the more than eight hours of surgery, I was told, "You really beat the odds. All the machines down in the tunnel were smashed, but you survived."

After six months I was able to walk with crutches. I had a family with young children, which gave me the will to live despite the physical and mental suffering. I went to many hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin, but the doctors there told me that I was already getting the best treatment available.

Falun Dafa Gave Me a New Life

I joined a local Falun Dafa practice group in the spring of 1997. At first, I could only do the exercises while I sat in my wheelchair. Gradually, I felt heat flowing through my legs, and my back pain lessened. I read the teachings, did the exercises, and cultivated my mind--and my physical condition improved.

I was so fortunate to learn Dafa. I used to have a bad temper, which had worsened because of my injuries. I complained a lot and often vented my anger on my children. After I began to cultivate, I understood the principle of "loss and gain" and was able to control my temper much better. My family life improved, and after some time, I no longer needed my crutches. After a few years I was normal: the effects of the injuries were gone.

Rising Above Persecution

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned Falun Dafa, I went to Tiananmen Square to appeal for the right to practice and to tell people about this spiritual practice and the persecution. I returned to my hometown when the persecution worsened. The Party secretary from my work unit and a dozen police officers came to take me to a brainwashing center.

I told them about my physical and mental improvements from practicing Falun Dafa and told them also about the positive changes in my family life. They listened and looked at the 15-centimeter scar down my spine from the surgery. They were speechless when they realized how much I had benefited from Dafa. The Party secretary said that I could practice at home. That was the last time I was harassed.