At the age of 20, Yi-Chi, a confident and cheerful young man, is pursuing his vocal dreams while studying at Taiwan’s Ivy Song Art High School. It’s hard to imagine that he once struggled through a difficult period of mental illness during his teenage years.
As a young boy, Yi-Chi was lively, with curious eyes full of sparkle. However, from a certain day onwards, he slowly fell into the abyss of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, and depression.
It started with just a slight discomfort, but quickly escalated into severe mental illnesses. Young Yi-Chi had to face the challenges brought by the ferocious demons of the diseases. Uncontrollable repetitive behaviors, intrusive thoughts beyond his conscious control, and suffocating feelings of despair engulfed his every day, leading him to detach from his once vibrant social life. Unable to even manage his daily routine, his learning and social life were severely disrupted.
One day, Yi-Chi came across a book titled “Zhuan Falun.” From then on, his life took a 180-degree turn. “Zhuan Falun” is the primary work of Falun Dafa, a practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, including meditation and cultivation methods.
In June of this year, Yi-Chi shared his life-changing transformation on the New Tang Dynasty Television program “Whispers of Life.”
During his sophomore year of junior high, around the age of 14, Yi-Chi began showing symptoms of OCD. His mental health deteriorated rapidly, leading to confusion in thinking and an inability to live normally.
“I kept wanting to organize things, but eventually I felt like I didn’t want to. The process was also painful. I couldn’t focus on the teacher’s lessons, not knowing what was happening to me. I felt different from others,” he recalled.
By high school, Yi-Chi had completely lost the ability to socialize, even unwilling to leave the house. He would repeatedly perform the same actions, unable to stop. OCD left him mentally exhausted in daily life, such as spending three to four hours bathing, half an hour or even longer to make the bed, disrupting his usual routines and leaving him fatigued.
Brushing teeth and making the bed took him a whole morning before he could go to school, making Yi-Chi late almost every day and often forgetting the time.
“The thoughts weren’t rational. I felt conflicted, not knowing what to do,” he said.
Eventually, Yi-Chi took a year off from school, as he was plagued by this obsessive thinking and even couldn’t eat or drink normally. A year later, he transferred to another school. However, within just a month at the new school, he had to take another break. With severe depression and an inability to care for himself, teachers were concerned about the risk of suicide.
As the compulsive and endless repetitive behaviors worsened, despair and anxiety followed. At home, Yi-Chi could only lie on the floor, afraid to return to bed to sleep as he also felt anxious about bathing.
“Everything was just off track. It felt like I had no ability, like a vegetable,” he said.
He described it as a feeling of being at odds with himself, not understanding why he couldn’t control himself.
Yi-Chi was diagnosed with OCD, anxiety, and depression, requiring frequent psychological counseling. His parents sought medical help from professionals and therapists, but to no avail. Everyone believed that hope had run out, and Yi-Chi might never recover for the rest of his life.
At the lowest point in life, Yi-Chi felt trapped in an endless cycle of OCD. At this time, a social worker who regularly provided him with psychological counseling introduced him to the book “Zhuan Falun.” As Yi-Chi’s family had no religious beliefs, he was initially hesitant. But due to the trust and understanding built up with the social worker over time, he chose to read “Zhuan Falun” with her.
Through continuous reading of “Zhuan Falun,” Yi-Chi’s life gradually improved without him realizing it, gradually overcoming his compulsive habits.
“It felt quite miraculous. When reading ‘Zhuan Falun,’ I became very engaged and mindful,” he said.
Gradually, Yi-Chi could bathe normally again and began to gain more confidence. He wanted to step out of the house and engage with society.
Yi-Chi’s mental illness lasted for three years, but within a month, he gradually recovered through reading “Zhuan Falun.”
Stepping out of the house, he volunteered at the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handling administrative tasks. Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Yi-Chi’s task was to receive and organize donations from Taiwan to Ukraine. He was able to organize activities independently and interact smoothly with peers.
Now, Yi-Chi has returned to campus to pursue his vocal dreams.
Reflecting on his drastic transformation, Yi-Chi recalled that the principles discussed in “Zhuan Falun” seemed familiar to him and he resonated deeply with them. “I feel the content inside is truly changing people,” he said.
The concept of virtue and karmic forces deeply touched him in the book. There’s an old saying in China that “good deeds are passed down from ancestors,” and elders often mention that bad actions in past lives can create karma. Yi-Chi believes that his previous painful experiences were a process that allowed him to encounter Falun Dafa.
“I believe people have many lifetimes. Accumulated karma from past lives needs to be repaid in different ways. Perhaps, I was fortunate to come into contact with Dafa in this way,” he said.
Yi-Chi found that a passage in “Zhuan Falun” about “strengthening the main consciousness” had a significant impact on him. He felt that his previous self was like a main consciousness not inside the body, unable to control himself. This new understanding rejuvenated his life’s purpose and restored his confidence.
Despite the pain he experienced in the past, Yi-Chi harbors no complaints. He believes these experiences led him to encounter Falun Dafa, making him a better person. As a Falun Dafa practitioner now, he practices the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance every day.
Before practicing Falun Dafa, Yi-Chi often felt embarrassed about his younger brother having Down syndrome and avoided contact with him. Now, he has learned to be more tolerant of special children like his brother, accepting them for who they are and offering more help.
At school, Yi-Chi has reconciled with classmates with whom he had misunderstandings. He apologizes proactively and communicates openly with them.
“If my actions might harm others, or if I haven’t considered others and caused them losses, I might inadvertently create karma. I may have to go through some things, endure hardships, in order to clear this karma, and then transform it into virtue,” he reflects.
With a long and challenging journey, Yi-Chi’s story is a testament to the transformative power of faith, determination, and personal growth. Through the teachings of Falun Dafa in “Zhuan Falun,” he found solace, guidance, and the strength to overcome his struggles and emerge stronger and more compassionate. His journey serves as an inspiration for all those battling their inner demons, showing that there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel.