(Minghui.org) I am 68 years old, and I have been practicing Falun Dafa for 26 years. In that time I have witnessed many miracles, but today I would like to focus on my personal experience of improving my xinxing and clarifying the truth to those around me.
Lesson Learned from My Attachment to Jewelry
My younger self was a wealthy businesswoman who was very conscious about her appearance and bought a lot of jewelry and expensive cosmetics for that reason. After I began cultivating Falun Dafa, I started taking those things lightly and no longer wore jewelry or cosmetics, and to this day I don’t even use soap when cleaning my face.
I have been relatively diligent in doing the exercises. Even though I am in my 60s and don’t use any cosmetics, I look young, with a rosy complexion, thanks to the five Falun Dafa exercises.
Years have gone by, and I thought I had completely let go of my attachment to things like jewelry and external beauty. However, when tests came, the attachment resurfaced.
My daughter has been keen on buying jade jewelry for the last few years and bought some for me. I told her not to, but as soon as I saw the nice-looking pieces, I liked them and began to wear them, with the excuse that the practitioners I saw on New Tang Dynasty TV were wearing earrings and other jewelry, too.
When my daughter bought jewelry, she wanted me to pick the pieces I liked first and keep them. When I went to the group Fa study, I wore the gifted jewelry to show off.
When other practitioners asked about the jewelry I was wearing, I was too embarrassed to admit that they were bought recently and lied, saying that they were purchased many years ago. I continued wearing new jewelry to the group study, which stirred up some practitioners’ attachments. They wanted me to take them shopping for jewelry.
I realized something was wrong, because my attachment had affected other practitioners, which was not good. From that point on, I no longer wore jewelry to group Fa study. I also shared my mistakes and understanding with them.
However, I was so attached to my jewelry that when I went out to clarify the truth, I was worried about the pieces at home getting stolen, and would rush back to check on them, or hide them here and there, until I couldn’t find them myself.
The attachment not only hindered my personal improvement and my effort in truth-clarification, but also reflected a showoff mentality in me.
I had a strong showoff mentality before I began cultivating. I grew up poor and wanted to become rich and powerful through hard work. I got married and started a business, and finally became wealthy, but I developed a bad habit of showing off and boasting about my wealth. I have not removed the attachment after so many years of cultivation.
Due to my showoff mentality being exposed through the jewelry matter, the old forces seized on this attachment. My sister suddenly asked to borrow money from me, and the amount happened to be the amount of my entire personal savings.
From my understanding, a cultivator’s money is part of Dafa resources and should be used to help save people and do great things, but because I had spent my money on the wrong things, the old forces used this as an excuse to make trouble.
I let go of my attachment to personal interest, and eventually lent the money to my sister because she needed it for surgery, which was life-saving, so I felt I must oblige. When she said she couldn’t afford to pay me back until quite a while later, I knew it was a test of my attachment to personal interest. I told her she could pay me back whenever she was able, and if she was unable, she didn’t have to pay me back.
Through this chain of events, I realized that my attachments were being taken advantage of by the old forces. Knowing that these attachments were a big mountain blocking my cultivation, I realized that I could not bring anything from the human world with me, and I was able to let go of my attachment to jewelry.
Soon after, I discussed this with my daughter and asked her not to bring me those things any longer. I also no longer worried about losing the jewelry. When I went out to clarify the truth, I felt relaxed and light.
Removing Suspicion
Suspicion was a great obstacle in my cultivation, probably because of the karma I had created over lifetimes, coupled with the bad habits I had formed while doing business, which caused me to be overly suspicious. After I began practicing cultivation, I found it challenging to get rid of this attachment. Year after year, it still manifested itself, on both large and small matters.
For example, when I went out to clarify the truth, I often suspected that the person(s) next to me was following me. If a car parked in front of my building for a long time, or showed up often, I would think someone might be after me, and when I came home, I would often suspect someone had been in my house or had gone through my things.
When I couldn’t find an item, the first thought that popped up into my mind was that so-and-so had taken or stolen it. I also suspected that my son-in-law had an affair, and so on.
During the course of studying the Fa, I knew that suspicion was wrong, and I was annoyed by it, but afterwards, it would often resurface. I could not get rid of it completely. Other practitioners suggested that I dig deeper and look closer for other attachments.
I looked inside for the root cause and was shocked to find so many attachments, including fear, personal interest, selfishness, lust, competition, etc.. The old forces thus had excuses to aggravate my attachments, plotting to persecute me and interfere with my family cultivation environment.
Seizing Every Opportunity to Save Predestined People
I have a relatively extroverted personality, which has laid a good foundation for clarifying the truth.
For example, when I went to the supermarket, I liked to initiate pleasant conversations with the people around me. People would often compliment me, “Auntie, how do you look so young?” I would tell them that I practiced Falun Dafa, and clarify the facts about Falun Dafa and how evil the CCP is, and persuade them to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
While riding my bicycle and seeing someone carrying heavy things, I would say, “Do you need help carrying that stuff? I can give you a ride.” The person would often gratefully accept my help. While giving the ride, I would clarify the facts naturally.
Once when I was moving, the movers accidentally broke a cabinet. They were nervous, but I immediately said, “It’s okay, I’m a Dafa practitioner, I won’t ask you to pay for it. This line of work is not easy, and you have worked hard.” I then provided them with fruit and clarified the truth to them. As a result, they were grateful and said, “Auntie, you are so kind.”
In my new home environment, I often initiate conversations with my neighbors, and share with them delicious food I made. This has paved the way for future truth-clarification.
A young couple living upstairs often run into me returning from the supermarket, and they help me carry things. I brought food to thank them, clarified the truth to them, and helped them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Another time, when I bought clothes at the mall, I saw the sales girls having a quick bite for lunch. I went home and brought some fruit and snacks to them. I chatted with them and showed empathy for their hard work, naturally clarified the truth to them, and helped them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
I similarly acquainted myself with the supermarket clerks and helped them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
There were many examples like these in my daily life. Master has arranged for predestined people to come to me, so I seize every opportunity to clarify the truth to them and fulfill my mission.
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