(Minghui.org) My mother is 79 years old and lives by herself, but my sisters and I often visit her. She used to practice Falun Dafa with me and was very healthy. However, after the persecution began in 1999, she became afraid, stopped practicing, and her health deteriorated.
My mother resumed practicing last year. Her illnesses disappeared and she became healthy again. She told my cousin who lives overseas to stop sending her medications, and she gave my youngest sister a big bottle of calcium pills made in the U.S.
My mother told me a story. One morning, a bag of trash was on her doorstep. She did not think much about it and threw it away. The next day, my middle sister saw another bag of trash on the doorstep and became upset. Bags of trash were placed on the doorstep for the next several days. My sister was furious and yelled in the corridor, “Who is doing such a nasty thing? You better not let me see you, or I'll scream your head off!”
My middle sister has a bad temper and is impatient. My mother pulled her into the apartment and asked her to stop yelling. My mother said since she practices Falun Dafa, she should be more tolerant and not behave like others. My middle sister, who does not practice, replied, “Don't lecture me about your practice now. I'm so upset! I bet the family upstairs did it. I see them pour dregs of Chinese medicine onto the street and throw trash downstairs from their kitchen window. They make a big mess around the garbage can. They are bullies and are now encroaching your space.”
My middle sister would not let my mother sweep the corridor and the entrance. But my mother said she just wanted to keep the area clean.
My middle sister and I returned to our home at the end of the year. Before I left, I reminded my mother to look inward when encountering problems.
We had a family gathering during Chinese New Year. My mother went to get to get the newspaper. Instead of the paper, she found two black bags of trash in the bamboo basket where the mailman normally places the newspaper. We decided not to tell anyone in the family. Anyone who received such “gifts” on Chinese New Year would have been very upset.
My mother got the same “gifts” for the next few days. We did not become upset and we didn't tell anyone.
We went home few days after the Chinese New Year and gathered at my mother's on March 16, for her 79th birthday. I asked my mother if she received more “gifts” after I left. She said the “gifts” kept coming, for more than 40 days in a row. I told her they were there to help raise her cultivation level.
She said she tossed the trash bags and cleaned the basket, but the “gifts” kept coming. Sometimes she felt sorry for herself, for having to put up with that kind humiliation. But she felt better after reading Falun Dafa books, and was not bothered by it. She said that maybe she owed the upstairs neighbors from their past lives and was now repaying her “debts”, so it was alright to suffer a little bit. Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, said in Zhuan Falun, “One's gong level is as high as one's xinxing level.”
My youngest sister heard our conversation and wanted to fight with those neighbors. She said my mother was too naïve and was always bullied by others.
My mother said it was not necessary to talk to the neighbors, as they no longer put trash on her doorstep and even cleaned the floor. The other day she came back from shopping and noticed her doorstep was squeaky clean. She said she should thank them instead. As we were chatting, the neighbor's son came downstairs and heard our conversation. We could not help but smile at each other.
I said to my mother that it was her kindness that touched her neighbors and resolved the conflict. I said practitioners should act in accordance to the principles of Falun Dafa, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and follow Master Li's teachings and be good people.
My youngest sister was still a bit upset and said, “Everyone else would be resentful, except for you two.” My mother and I looked at each other and we both smiled.
My youngest sister got up to go home. She turned around and, as if she had a sudden realization, said, “I now understand why the two of you don't get sick and are healthy. Your state of mind is different from others. Falun Dafa practitioners are not easily defeated, because you are not moved by things in the ordinary world.”
My mother and I were pleased that she had this insight.
The New Year's “gift” was truly a gift to help all of us raise our understandings.
(12th China Fahui on Minghui.org)