(Minghui.org) My mother-in-law often recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” during her later years, and her life was extended by six years. I would like to share my experience with her during those years.
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with interstitial pneumonia by the provincial hospital in 2012. This is a relatively rare disease. She was treated at the provincial hospital for over 40 days and was given a critical illness notice. Our family drove hundreds of miles in several cars, hoping to see her for the last time. I also went to the hospital, hoping to remind my mother-in-law to remember “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” so that she could receive salvation from Dafa.
After arriving at the hospital, there were strict requirements, as they did not allow multiple people to enter the patient’s room at the same time. The family was told that only a few people could enter at a time. I was the last one to go in. I saw that my mother-in-law was in good spirits. After a few pleasantries, she wanted to go to the bathroom, so I accompanied her. I recognized this as an opportunity to talk to her, as no one else was around. So I quickly told her, “Mother, you must remember ‘Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good’. I am here to tell you this.” She readily agreed.
I felt relieved. My mother-in-law was a Christian and opposed to all beliefs other than Christianity. She was particularly critical of my practicing Falun Dafa. In addition, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) lies and propaganda had caused her to have many negative thoughts about Dafa.
The provincial hospital would not keep my mother-in-law, and we could not take her home either, so we had to take her back to our county hospital. The doctor there gave her the best anti-inflammatory drugs and hormone drugs every day, and a variety of Chinese and Western medicines were used as well. A few months later, my mother-in-law was miraculously discharged from the hospital. I think it was because she had a correct understanding about Dafa when she was on the verge of death, so Master gave her the opportunity to learn more about Dafa.
My mother-in-law had multiple necrosis in her lungs, and her survival was a medical miracle. But, given her disease, she was susceptible to colds and fevers, and she had to be hospitalized immediately if she caught the slightest cold. She became a frequent visitor to the hospital and had to stay there several times a year. My mother-in-law has four sons, and she and my father-in-law live alone. The sons all had jobs, and only I had a more flexible job and more time, so caring for my mother-in-law during her hospitalization fell on me alone. I took good care of her, chatted with her, took her for walks, and cooked her delicious meals whenever I had time. The other patients in the hospital thought I was her daughter.
My mother-in-law was a stubborn and strong-willed person. If you did things that she didn’t agree with or like, she wouldn’t listen to anything you said. So I didn’t say anything and treated her kindly. Because of my attentiveness, consideration, and care, my mother-in-law gradually began to trust me. She told me about the unfair treatment she received from her husband’s family when she was young, which she still remembered after decades. Except for her younger brothers and sisters, she rarely talked about these family matters with others. I used the principles I learned in Dafa cultivation to enlighten her, and gradually untied the knots in her heart. I also slowly told her the truth about Dafa. My mother-in-law was an educated person, and she raised many questions about Dafa, which I answered accordingly.
I treated her as if she was my daughter. I did what her sons and other daughters-in-law didn’t do. My mother-in-law asked me why I was so nice to her. I told her, “I practice Falun Dafa, and my Master told me to be like this.” My mother-in-law changed. She no longer resisted Dafa and was willing to listen to me talk about the miraculous things I experienced in Dafa. However, when I asked her to recite, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” she still refused to do so. She said that she believed in Christianity, and so could not recite it. She could not believe in other gods.
The necrosis of my mother-in-law’s lungs subsequently worsened. She told me that she could no longer go down stairs, and could only stay in the building, on supplementary oxygen. Since she constantly coughed, she had to take hormones and anti-inflammatory drugs all year round, which was very harmful to her.
In 2016, my mother-in-law had a fever and was hospitalized again. This time it was more serious, and she stayed in the hospital for a longer time. She spent the New Year in the hospital.
Everyone else was busy with work, so I took care of her during the day, helping her receive injections and take her medicine, and also attending to her daily needs. After she got an injection I accompanied her when she strolled in the hospital corridor for a while. This time, my mother-in-law’s health was not as good as before. Her legs were weak. I was afraid that she would fall, so I supported her. I asked her to sincerely recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” again, which would be good for her physical recovery. I said, “I have no objection to your belief in Christianity. But your health is getting worse. Your sons are all very filial, but who can suffer this for you? If I were you, I would try anything that would make me healthier.” My mother-in-law didn’t say anything, but it seemed that she was a little tempted.
After she was discharged from the hospital, we discussed taking turns to stay with her at her home at night to take care of her. My father-in-law was almost 80 years old, and it was difficult for him to take care of her during the day as well as watch her at night. My mother-in-law had four daughters-in-law, but caring for an older parent was a voluntary task. In the end, my mother-in-law’s youngest daughter-in-law and I took on the task of caring for her at night, and we took turns. I told my mother-in-law that I could stay at her house, but I would need to study the Fa and do the exercises at night. She agreed immediately.
Because the apartment was small, my mother-in-law slept on the bed in the living room, and I slept on the floor beside her. Thus, I could quickly know when she needed to get up at night. I often bought food and daily necessities for her, washed her hair, feet, and clothes, and chatted with her. I told her about the miraculous effects of Dafa in curing diseases and improving health. I shared with her the benefits I gained physically and mentally from practicing Dafa.
Before I started practicing, I had suffered from a herniated disc in the bottom of my spine, causing frequent back pain and the inability to stand straight. My mother-in-law knew it. One day, she told me, “I have been reciting the words you told me every day these days. When I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep, I sit up and recite it. When I get up in the morning, I sit there and recite it. It has become a habit for me. I recite it when I think of it or when I have nothing to do.” Upon hearing this, I was very happy for her.
My mother-in-law’s health was gradually improving. It was drafty on the back balcony, and she didn’t dare to go there for several years. Now she dares to lean on the balcony windowsill, reciting “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” while looking at the scenery outside the window. She didn’t feel uncomfortable for several hours without oxygen (Usually, patients with lung necrosis have low blood oxygen, and can’t be without oxygen for a long time). My mother-in-law said to her sister, “Do you know why I don’t cough now?” She told her sister she had been chanting the words I taught her. Her sister replied positively, saying that if she thought it was good for her health, then she should just continue saying the words.
My mother-in-law didn’t start practicing Falun Dafa because she believed in Christianity. She passed away exactly six years after the hospital issued a critical illness notice, which was in 2012. My family members said that my mother-in-law’s life had been extended for six more years. I know that Master gave her six more years of life. In those years, I took the opportunity to practice Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance in the family environment.
My mother-in-law had a strong personality and was very picky. When taking care of her, my sister-in-law was so angry that she burst into tears. She complained to my mother-in-law’s sister several times, saying, “I can’t take care of my mother-in-law any longer, please find someone else.” Since I practiced Falun Dafa, I understood the connotation and standards of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. My family has seen my kindness and tolerance towards my mother-in-law. Many people in my family are Christian, and some believe in other religions. Over the years, they have seen the beauty of Dafa through my behavior, and at the same time, they have also dispelled the CCPs lies about Falun Dafa. Even my sister-in-law, who believes in Christianity, said, “I don’t have the mentality of my sister-in-law [me] when taking care of my mother-in-law.”
My husband strongly opposed my cultivation, and beat and scolded me. I had argued with him because I couldn’t let go of my competitive mentality, and was not able to overcome this tribulation for a long time. While taking care of my mother-in-law, I told my husband I could do well because I practiced Falun Dafa. Otherwise, I couldn’t do it either. Of course, many bad thoughts also appeared during the process, including jealousy, a competitive mentality, resentment, impatience, and seeking rewards. I gradually corrected myself during the cultivation process, and I acted according to the requirements of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. After that, my husband also changed. He no longer bothers me when I study the Fa, do the exercises, and visit the Minghui website.
I sincerely thank my family for helping me succeed along my path of cultivation.
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
