I am Zhao Yonggang, 39 years old, living in Hongguang village, suburban area of Ulanhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. My parents make a living by growing vegetables and tilling four mu of land. I was supposed to have a bright future, but it was destroyed by Falun Gong.  

I graduated from high school in 1994. I failed to go to college due to my bad academic performance and because my family is poor. I studied medical skills from my third uncle, who was a doctor with a diploma issued by a medical school. Under his instruction, I learned some fundamental medical knowledge. In 1996, I went to Beijing to receive one year of systematic training and then I returned to my hometown to become a doctor. Gradually, I became well-known for my medical skills and I later resigned from the healthcare institution and opened a clinic. I often inquired with concern about villagers’ well-being, and delivered medicines to their homes, so I won their trust and respect. My clinic was very profitable.  

I believed in Falun Gong and was led astray    

In the summer of 1998, a middle-aged lady came to my clinic and gave me the book Zhuan Falun. She told me about her practice of Falun Gong and said, “You’d better read this book. Practicing Falun Gong can cure all diseases. As long as you keep on practicing, even cancer can be cured. If you learn Falun Gong, you can cure your patients without giving medical treatment.”Pointing to the medicines in my clinic, she added, “You know that I have been suffering from pains in legs for a couple of years. Medicine did not work at all. But I have not felt pains in my legs since I began practicing Falun Gong. This is a good thing. You’d better learn it.”    

With my medical knowledge, I knew a little about Qigong, but I did not believe that Qigong could cure diseases. In order to see whether Falun Gong was as magic as the lady said, I began to study it in my spare time. I was not quite convinced at first. A couple of days later, the lady gave me other tapes and teachings of Falun Gong. She also introduced me to their practice group, thereby helping me get acquainted with practitioners from various villages. After hearing their firsthand stories about curing diseases by practicing Falun Gong and witnessing how they practiced Falun Gong diligently, I began to believe in it. In order to help my patients with Qigong, I joined the group. Since then, I participated in activities organized by the group, and read Falun Gong teachings every day. I got increasingly obsessed with Falun Gong.  

I was so obsessed with Falun Gong that I broke with my family  

As a high school graduate, I was young and quick to learn. It did not take me a long time to master Falun Gong movements. I also read Falun Gong books including Zhuan Falun and Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa. I thought that I should not only ascend to higher levels, but also help my family. After learning the “karma theory”, I firmly believed that medical treatment was not a good way to cure diseases, and that people may suffer from its side effects. My parents and friends did not believe in the theory, therefore I introduced Falun Gong to my patients. I was so obsessed with Falun Gong that I did not care about my work. I closed the clinic and concentrated on cultivation. As members of the practice group expressed the hope that we would make some donations to cover the practicing expenses, I donated all of my savings.   

But my family did not support me. My parents and elder sister advised me to give up Falun Gong. My third aunt came from far away to talk with me, trying to dissuade me from practicing Falun Gong. I turned a deaf ear to their advice. What was lingering in my mind was my master’s teaching “You should concentrate on practicing”. I regarded my family as an obstacle to my consummation. Therefore, I left them to find a remote place to practice Falun Gong.  

The picture is taken from a website  

I paid a lot to face up a test  

After I left home, I rented a small house in a nearby village. Without income, I was hard up in those days, but I regarded it as a test that I had to face. In the cold winter months, I could not afford coals. I was starving and suffered from cold, but I was so absorbed that I forgot food and sleep on occasion.   

Before long, I had a tingling feeling in right foot. Sometimes I felt stabbing pains in my toes, but I did not care about it until my right leg turned purple. My right foot was deformed and sometimes I felt sharp pains. My fellow practitioners said to me, “It does not matter. Our master said this is a sign of karma elimination. It is a test for practitioners. If you stand the test, you can ascend to a higher level. ”   

Driven by such thoughts, I kept on practicing to eliminate my karma while suffering from the sharp pains in my foot. In order to cure my disease as soon as possible, I practiced more diligently. Two months later, my condition went from bad to worse. The foot was ulcerating and hurting terribly, but I did not change my mind. I kept on practicing out of my belief that practicing Falun Gong would cure my disease. When my mother came to visit me, she wanted to take me to hospital, but I did not agree with her. I thought she was hindering my cultivation.  

With the help of our relatives, my mother forced me to a hospital and I was transferred to another hospital in Changchun . There I was diagnosed with thromboangiitis obliterans. Due to delay in treatment, amputation was the only viable option. I was overwhelmed with sorrow when I heard the news. I had been practicing diligently for a couple of years, I had followed the directions of the master and faced up all tests, but I failed to ascend in broad daylight. Instead, I had to have my leg amputated.  

I have finally come to my senses. Now I am using an artificial limb. I am almost 40 years old but I have not got married. I have to depend on my parents and I am filled with remorse over my obsession with Falun Gong.