I Went From Seeking the Truth to Stepping Onto the Path of Dafa Cultivation

(Minghui.org) I used to be a very ordinary man in China—a husband and a father in an average family. In the past, I paid no attention to politics and never imagined that I would one day leave the country. Back then, my greatest wish was simply to work hard, raise my children, and ensure a stable life for my family. However, certain life experiences, along with many things I subsequently witnessed, personally went through, and gradually came to understand, changed my perspective little by little and altered the course of our family’s lives.

From Doubt to Searching for the Truth

When I lived in China, I gradually heard about various incidents, such as the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident, the internment camps in Xinjiang, and the practice of forced organ harvesting. I always had questions about these issues. Then I began to realize that the official narrative provided by the government did not necessarily represent the whole story.

I came across incidents that affected ordinary citizens. For instance, I saw and heard about cases where people’s homes were forcibly demolished for real estate development and other reasons. Some people, who were severely impacted by the loss of their homes and livelihoods, protested in extreme ways, with some even resorting to self-immolation out of desperation. The scandal of the melamine-tainted milk powder also deeply shocked me. It wasn’t merely a food safety issue, but a situation that shattered the trust many families had in government oversight ensuring the safety of citizens.

Then came the vaccine safety scandals, which left me equally distressed. As a father, seeing young children harmed by defective vaccines, while those responsible were not investigated or punished commensurate with the damage caused, made me increasingly question the extent to which the lives and rights of ordinary citizens are truly protected in such a society.

I also learned that some Chinese citizens who suffered infringements upon their homes, land, or livelihood, sought to resolve their grievances through official channels by filing complaints or petitions, only to end up being arrested and detained on charges such as “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”

These incidents repeatedly raised the question in my mind: when an ordinary person encounters injustice, what avenues actually remain for them to fight for their rights? After the Hong Kong “Anti-Extradition Bill” movement in 2019, I began to actively seek options from diverse types of information and perspectives.

However, understanding the outside world from inside China is no easy task. The Internet is heavily censored in China, and many overseas websites are inaccessible. To learn the truth, I began to use tools that allowed me to bypass China’s Internet firewall and access outside information. I was well aware that the Internet was strictly controlled by the government, yet I simply wanted to see what the outside world was truly like and to determine whether the things I had previously believed were actually true.

I started following some overseas independent media outlets and read a great deal of information that was not available in China. As I learned more, I grew increasingly skeptical of China’s long-standing information control, Internet censorship, and suppression of dissenting voices. I even started using my own personal accounts to express support online for content that opposed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), advocated for freedom, and exposed the truth.

To my surprise, the police soon came knocking on my door. They confiscated my computers and warned me about my so-called “illegal activities.” This incident left a profound impression on me. It was the first time I experienced how an ordinary citizen in China can come under scrutiny and receive warnings from the government simply for seeking information from the outside world or for expressing views that differed from the official narrative.

It was then that I truly understood that the freedom of speech I had always taken for granted was not, in fact, a right that a person in China could truly enjoy.

The Pandemic Lockdowns Made Me See Reality Even More Clearly

Then came the COVID-19 virus (CCP virus) pandemic. The ensuing three years of lockdowns were a profound experience in my life.

Mandatory vaccinations, mandatory mask-wearing, and mandatory nucleic acid testing, along with required health code scans, travel restrictions, and repeated lockdowns constantly disrupted our family’s normal life. I saw how a single policy could suddenly upend our entire lives.

Whether we could leave our home, go to work, send our children to school, or maintain normal contact with family and friends was often beyond our control. Online, I was horrified to see reports of people who died because they were trapped in their homes during the lockdowns. Some died from a lack of food or medicine, others took their own lives by jumping from buildings. I was utterly shocked.

In the past, I had only doubts, but those three years of lockdowns were something I experienced firsthand. I came to realize even more clearly that if a person doesn’t have true freedom and rights, it is difficult for them to have a genuine sense of security in life.

As a father, I began to worry deeply about my children’s future. My younger son had always been a good student who excelled academically and loved sports. However, in China’s education system, he faced a crushing academic workload and intense competitive pressure. The sheer amount of homework and study assignments made it difficult for him to get enough sleep, let alone find time for physical exercise. During that time, I could clearly sense the mental strain he was under.

Although my younger son was a good student, he was often exhausted and didn’t seem to have the relaxed and carefree happy mood a child his age typically has. He sometimes appeared sullen. As a father, I didn’t want his life to revolve solely around exam scores. I wanted him to grow up in a healthy way, with time for things like sports, friendships, personal interests, and genuine happiness, not just for academics.

My experiences during the pandemic, along with the pressures my younger son was facing, solidified a conviction: I don’t want my child to grow up in an environment where he could not freely express himself, access information, or choose his own path in life.

My older son had lived in Canada for a long time, and I’d visited him there many times. That country’s democracy, freedom, and warmth left a deep impression on me. Thus, we ultimately decided to give our youngest a change of environment by bringing him out of China for a time to study in Canada. It was upon arriving in Canada that I truly experienced the meaning of freedom.

In Canada, we faced our share of challenges regarding language and navigating daily life. Yet, at the same time, I truly experienced freedom for the first time. Here, I am free to express my views, access information from diverse perspectives, discuss the government, choose how to live my life, and even choose my own faith. These things were merely abstract concepts for me in China. It was only after living in Canada that I truly realized that freedom is found in the very details of everyday life.

The people here have shown us great warmth. Even though our English wasn’t strong, we encountered many kind people willing to help us. We gradually grew fond of this place and began to hope we could become part of this community. Consequently, my family and I started volunteering—giving back to Canada and helping others within our capabilities.

For me, this was more than just volunteer work; it was the first time I truly felt that a free society not only grants people rights but also offers them the opportunity to help others.

My Younger Son Is Happier Since We Came to Canada

Since we came to Canada, the most striking change I’ve noticed in my son is that he is happier. While his academic performance remains excellent, schoolwork no longer consumes his entire life. He has more time for sleep and sports, as well as to pursue his personal interests. He always loved basketball. In Canada, he has joined a club to train and compete. He not only managed to maintain his good grades, he also frequently plays in basketball tournaments and has won medals.

As a father, it brings me great satisfaction to see my son enjoy a life outside of his studies—playing a sport he loves, training and competing alongside his peers, and smiling more often. This has deepened my realization that what I want for my child is not merely good exam results, but a life that is healthy, happy, dignified, and full of choices. This is one of the reasons why we increasingly cherish our life in Canada.

It Was by Chance That I Came Into Contact With Falun Dafa

Later, through a stroke of serendipity, I came into contact with Falun Dafa. I initially just wanted to learn about it and never imagined that I would eventually practice it. As I continued to learn about Falun Dafa, I found that the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance resonated deeply with the values I was coming to embrace. Consequently, I began to study the teachings and do the exercises.

This was a choice I made entirely on my own, based on my own understanding and reflection, without anyone telling me to practice or not. To me, the right to freely choose one’s faith is incredibly precious, especially after living in an environment where even accessing information required extreme caution. Since arriving in Canada, I am finally able to read, think, and judge for myself, and to freely decide what to believe and what to practice.

This prompted me to re-evaluate the various narratives I had heard in China about Falun Dafa. As I learned more about the practice, I came across information exposing the truth about the long-standing persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners, including details of illegal detention, torture, and forced “transformation.” I also came across various investigations and reports regarding the sources of organs for transplantation in China. These revelations were deeply shocking to me.

I increasingly understood why overseas Falun Dafa practitioners persist in clarifying the truth, as I myself was once someone who was unaware of the truth. Had I not come to Canada and gained access to information from the outside world, I might never have truly understood these matters. Thus, when I see Falun Dafa practitioners here freely sharing their experiences and exposing the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party, I fully understand their reasons for doing so. I also believe that everyone should have the right to hear different perspectives, think about things themselves, and form their own opinions.

Our Lives Changed Significantly Since Practicing Falun Dafa

After I started practicing Falun Dafa, I noticed that both my thoughts and my life had changed. I started trying to conduct myself according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. When I encountered conflicts within the family or with others, I reminded myself to complain less and be more understanding. I reflected more on my part of what went wrong, instead of always looking to blame others. In doing so, I felt a growing sense of inner peace. My wife also practices Dafa. We both feel that our health has improved significantly—a state of well-being unlike anything we had experienced before. My wife experienced a very notable change: she used to suffer from frequent headaches for which she had to take painkillers. After she began the practice, her headaches gradually improved, and for a long time now, she has not needed painkillers.

These are simply our personal experiences. We do not characterize them as medical treatment, nor do we expect others to believe them. However, for us, these changes are real, and they have strengthened our resolve to continue practicing Dafa.

I Can No Longer Go Back to Who I Used to Be

Looking back, I realize that the changes our family underwent happened gradually, step by step. It began with me simply questioning certain things; later, triggered by the events in Hong Kong in 2019, I started to actively seek the truth. Then I accessed information from outside the Chinese government’s firewall, followed overseas media and independent online commentators, and even received a police warning for expressing my views online. After that, we lived through three years of pandemic lockdowns.

These experiences made me increasingly realize that without freedom and genuinely protected rights, an ordinary person can lack a sense of security—even while living in their own country. As a father, I also increasingly wanted my children to grow up in an environment that was free, healthy, and happy. That is why we ultimately left China and came to Canada.

Upon arriving in Canada, I experienced true freedom for the first time—the freedom to read, think, and choose my own faith without restriction. Later, through a chance encounter, I came into contact with Falun Dafa and took up the practice. These experiences have become an integral part of my life.

I cherish the freedom Canada has given us, and I am grateful to the kind people here who have helped us along the way. I intend to continue working, living, and volunteering, while also persisting in my practice and striving to live by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. I also wish to share my personal story with others, conveying that the truth deserves to be known and that faith deserves respect.

I was once silent out of fear. Later, I began to seek the truth. After arriving in Canada, I finally realized that a person can think freely, make their own choices, and live according to their conscience. This is why I cherish Canada and why I have steadfastly embarked on the path of practicing Falun Dafa.