(Minghui.org) I had a happy family life and I was loved and spoiled. My mother, my oldest brother, and I were practicing Falun Dafa and other family members all supported our practice.
Then the persecution of Falun Dafa began. The persecution took away my happiness and caused the death of my oldest brother. I was put in prison for two years and lost my job because of my refusal to give up practicing Falun Dafa.
When I returned home from prison, my husband, father, and second oldest brother—the members of my family who did not practice—had all changed their attitudes and opposed my practice. I had a difficult time dealing with them, and it was a painful time for me.
With Master’s protection, however, I emerged from that tribulation more at ease to continue my cultivation path.
Breaking Through Family Barriers
My father is a doctor, and he feared the persecution. He had already lost his eldest son. He was now afraid of losing me. He watched me closely and would not allow me to do the exercises. He pleaded with me to quit Dafa, reminding me that he had already lost one child because of the persecution.
I had a strong belief in my faith. I knew that my father had come to the world for the Fa. I needed to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa to him, wake up his understanding side, and not allow the old forces to use him in preventing me from practicing.
While in prison for my belief, I had symptoms of high blood pressure. My father monitored it at home and gave me medicine. I did not use the medicine yet still regained my health. My father witnessed this and no longer tried to force me to take medicine.
My father no longer opposed my practice. When he came in the room where my mother and I were sending righteous thoughts, he quietly left us alone.
My husband used to do Dafa projects with me before the persecution, even though he did not practice himself. Now he no longer supported my practice. I told him I had to walk the path Master arranged regardless of how my family reacted. I further explained that if he could not live with me anymore, I would accept his divorce. He could have what money and family property we had, and I would continue to raise our child.
He listened without saying anything. He stopped opposing my practice. Then when I brought home a computer, he looked worried. My cultivation state got better over time and everything improved. I brought two more computers and a printer home. My husband smiled and said, “You are resuming your former Dafa work, aren’t you?” I could tell his fear had subsided a lot.
Removing Sentimentality
My father used to treat me like a treasure. But after I came home from prison, his love for me appeared to be gone. I stayed with him for two months after prison because of my poor health. My father was not happy and eventually told me it was time for me to get a job and earn an income.
My husband also encouraged me to work. He was distant toward me and spent a lot of time playing WeChat. My princess status at home was gone. My husband and his parents were cold to me. So I went to work. I had to pay for my child’s expenses, our house bills, and food for my parents.
I felt sad, and for a while I even hated them. I complained to other practitioners. They told me that what I was facing was a completely different environment than before the persecution. I reminded them and myself that I would follow Master’s requirements and overcome this tribulation.
I began to look at things from their perspective instead of my own. I felt their pain and fear when I was in prison. I had no right to hate them. Plus, my husband did not divorce me. As a Dafa disciple, I needed to be kind to everyone unconditionally and have compassion.
I let go of all my human notions and treated my family kindly without any intention of changing the environment. I did what Master required of us. I knew I was a practitioner with the mission of saving sentient beings, including my family members. I did not want them to have a bad impression of Dafa.
My salary was small so I was frugal. I did not spend money on clothes for myself. I would buy food for my husband and in-laws that I knew they especially liked. Sometimes I gave money to my in-laws to spend as they wished. I did not complain; my heart was clear and calm.
Over time they all changed. My husband enjoyed conversing more with me and even purchased clothes for me online. He was kind and considerate. My father invited me to eat with him every day. My in-laws bought me gifts unexpectedly. They were all treating me like they did before the persecution began.
But I was different now. My mind was calm and I did not long for that feeling of being spoiled by my family. My only thought was that I needed to act in accordance with Dafa. I decided I would not disappoint Master.
Recommending My Family Members Write Statements
My second-oldest brother spent a lot of money to rescue me when I was illegally detained. Yet he also asked a lawyer to talk me into giving up Dafa. My husband also came to the prison to recommend I give up my practice.
It was now time for them to apologize to Dafa. I asked my husband to write a repentance statement apologizing to Dafa. “Since you betrayed Master and Dafa,” I said, “the evil has a chance to destroy you. Master is merciful, so if you apologize, Master will not allow them to harm you and will take care of you.”
He said he would think about it. A few days later, I mentioned it again. I told him it was for his sake that I encouraged him. He knew I was looking out for him. He decided to write the statement.
I did the same for my brother. He lost his temper at first. I explained further and he wrote his statement as well.
Then he got drunk one evening and began to curse Master and Dafa. I wrote a long letter to him explaining how Dafa had protected me, enabled me to walk out of prison safely. I treated him like any ordinary person I might encounter who did not know the truth about Dafa. I was not attached to his attitude.
He read my letter and told my mother that he sympathized with Falun Dafa.
I soon filed my criminal complaints against Jiang Zemin, the former dictator. My husband and my father were afraid initially. But they saw nothing bad happened to me. I took this opportunity to ask them to join suing Jiang, which they did.
I removed my sentimentality for my family members wholeheartedly—as Master said, to save sentient beings. I felt the wonderfulness of cultivating Dafa and firmly walked on the path, assisting Master to rectify the Fa.
I am still far away from all Dafa’s standards, but I can solidly treat myself as a practitioner. I can be considerate of others when coming across incidents and look within when facing conflicts. I believe I am a true Dafa disciple, fulfilling my mission and not letting my sentient beings down.
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