Goh Hwee Noi | Singapore
Back pain caused her immense suffering. She was unable to bend, walk, or sleep normally. It was so painful that she wished to sleep and never wake up. Doctors and treatments provided no relief. Her relationship with her family was deteriorating.
Then, she signed up for an eight-day retreat, and it completely transformed her. How was such a dramatic positive change possible? Let’s listen to her story.
Goh Hwee Noi’s Meditation Story
I’m Wu Hui Lian from Singapore. This was back in 2000, when I was 29. Bending slightly would trigger a sharp pain in my back. The pain was so intense, I couldn’t stand. I worked 12 hours a day, standing and lifting heavy loads. Long, breakless days wore me down severely. I couldn’t climb stairs or walk. Even standing caused me severe pain.
When the pain hit, it felt like an electric shock, and my lower body would go numb. I needed two people to support me and take me to the hospital. I stayed in the hospital for four or five days. The painkillers provided little relief.
I was under various pressures. Then I noticed a lump on my back. It remained red and swollen. It hurt even when I touched it lightly. Friction from clothing also caused pain. Because of this, I had trouble sleeping at night. When I slept, it was only from 2AM to 5AM. Or I’d wake up at 6AM. This continued for years.
I started acting out and losing my temper at home. Over time, my relationship with my children grew more distant each day. Our home became tense. I began to feel that life had lost its meaning. I told myself, “No way.” I don’t want a life filled only with medicine; I truly wanted to give up. Life was worse than death. When I thought about facing another painful day, I felt I’d rather just die in my sleep. I’d rather not wake up.
(Discovering Bodhi Meditation)
In February 2023, a friend told me about the Singapore Center. We signed up for the Health and Happiness Retreat. On the first day, while practicing the Meditation of Greater Illumination, I started feeling intense pain. The pain was so strong that I got scared. I thought about giving up. Then a voice told me, “You’ve come this far. Why not try your best and keep going?” So I decided to stay and push through.
On the fifth day, with Master’s blessing, I miraculously slept through the night. I slept so well, I woke up late. So I rushed to the center. When I arrived, I wondered, “Was I really running?” I could never have imagined this. Before, it was impossible for me to run. My back didn’t hurt. My legs didn’t hurt. And I realized I hadn’t taken any painkillers that day. I felt no pain.
On the sixth day, after just a few minutes of Master’s blessing, I began weeping intensely. I couldn’t control my emotions. I felt completely transformed. I released over 30 years of pain and sorrow, letting go of all my stress and pressure. I fully let it all go.
Within a week after the retreat, I noticed I hadn’t taken any painkillers. The pain from my lump slowly began to fade. The redness and swelling also gradually started to disappear. In the following week, people around me said I had completely changed. The irritable, stubborn woman they once knew seemed to be gone.
I noticed my relationships with family improved. The kids began coming out of their rooms one by one, watching TV, chatting, and eating together. It was a feeling I had never known before. For the first time, I felt harmony and warmth within my family.
Since I joined the retreat two years ago, lifting heavy objects or doing house chores no longer causes back pain. Climbing stairs is easy for me now. My back pain, sleep troubles, irritability, and leg pain have all disappeared. I never imagined an eight-day retreat could bring about such a miraculous rebirth.
Master gave me a chance to be reborn, helped save my family, restored my health, and helped me rediscover myself. From today, I will work hard to be a compassionate person and to learn from Master. Join me at the center to find health and joy. I’m thankful to Master.
(Ps: The effects of meditation will vary from person to person.)