(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, our sewer was plugged twice. The first time, I paid 30 yuan to have it fixed. A few days later, in the morning, I found that it was plugged again when I flushed the toilet. My husband was upset and started to complain. His behavior disturbed me. Because I'm a cultivator, I should not be the same as him, so I didn't say anything and continued trying to flush. However, it didn't work.
After lunch, he found that it was still plugged, and started to shout. I couldn't restrain myself anymore and started to argue with him. I said angrily to him, "A simple phone call to the maintenance man would resolve this. It is not necessary to take it so seriously and shout. Instead of trying to solve the problem, you are complaining. Now it is plugged. What can you do?" Then I added, "What do you want me to do?" He became really irritated with me, yelled at me, slammed the door and left.
Sitting there in a daze, I was so angry with him. Many of his shortcomings came to my mind and I got more and more angry. Many thoughts surfaced, like I would have divorced him if I wasn't a cultivator. Thinking of cultivation, I realized that I should study the Fa.
I washed my hands and opened Zhuan Falun. A sentence immediately showed up in front of my eyes:
"The enlightenment that we actually refer to is a matter of whether in the course of cultivation practice one can enlighten to and accept the Fa taught by the master or the Tao taught by the Taoist master, whether one can treat oneself as a practitioner upon encountering tribulations, and whether one can adhere to the Fa while practicing cultivation." (Zhuan Falun)
I'm a cultivator and I cultivate according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. By arguing with my husband, I didn't do well with respect to compassion, let alone forbearance. I was partially responsible for the sewer problem. Since he was angry with me, wasn't this for me to raise my xinxing? Instead, I argued and fought with him. Wasn't I the same as him?
When I truly looked inward, I found that all the problems originated from me, and I felt very regretful. I continued to study the Fa, and the more I read, the more I found that every sentence of the Fa is true. Master said.
"Cultivation practice itself is not difficult, and neither is upgrading one's level itself difficult. It is because they cannot give up the human mind that they call it difficult." (Zhuan Falun)
Isn't Master talking about me? I'm a cultivator, but I couldn't give up my human notions. When it was the time to truly elevate my level, my human notions were dominant. As a cultivator, I argued with an everyday person. Where should my level be? I must give up my human notions and be a true cultivator.
As I let go of this, I soon felt clear and enlightened. This relief and being at ease is so wonderful. After studying the Fa, I was thinking that, as soon as my husband comes back, I will apologize and tell him that it was my fault.
Surprisingly, when I went to flush the toilet, after over seven hours of being plugged, the sewer was suddenly unclogged. Even more surprisingly, the faucet in the kitchen, which had been leaking for days, stopped leaking.
Looking at my husband's angry face when he returned, I said, "Don't be angry, it was my fault. I'm sorry." At that moment, he looked out of place because I had never sincerely apologized to him like this. He smiled, and then gladly assisted me.
Reflecting on this story, although a simple one, the gap in my cultivation state was exposed. I didn't validate the Fa well at home. It's not surprising that after cultivating for so many years, my husband never listened to the truth nor agreed to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations. It was because I didn't cultivate well. I must do well as required by Master. I will validate the Fa at home as well as in every other environment, and do the three things well.
Although this story is about just some of my limited enlightenment, it was critical for me. From now on, I will truly look inward and cultivate myself.