(Minghui.org) I first heard about Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) as early as 2004, but it wasn’t until May 2018 that I truly started to practice it. I am grateful to Master Li for opening the door to the practice for me once again. At first, I only wanted to get my illnesses cured and treated cultivating like an ordinary class or homework. After stumbling time and time again, I came to understand what the true purpose of cultivation in the Fa-rectification period is. Only then did I begin walking on the path of returning to my original, true self and helping Master to save sentient beings.
I would like to share experiences of joyfully beginning to practice, letting go of attachments, and of elevating myself.
Transforming My Relationships with My Relatives
I never cared much about personal gain or loss, even from a young age. My family wasn’t well-off, and I saw how hard my parents worked to support the family, so when I first started working, I handed over almost all of my salary and bonuses to my parents, keeping only a very small amount for myself. I didn’t think much of it, nor did I ever calculate or argue over anything. This went on for four or five years, until I got married.
My husband’s family wasn’t well-off either, and the financial situations of my three sisters-in-law were even worse than ours. After lending money to all three of them, only the youngest sister-in-law repaid a significant portion. The other two never returned anything, and they didn’t even want to bring up the topic again.
Many years later, my husband told me that he had told the two sisters-in-law they didn’t need to repay it. I thought, “I lent them that money. How could you decide on your own that they didn’t have to pay it back?” On the surface, I acted indifferent, but inside, I was upset.
After I began to practice Falun Dafa, I came to understand the principle that debts we might not even be aware of should be repaid. Whether they return the money to me or not, it no longer weighs on my mind.
When I had just started practicing Falun Gong, my sisters-in-law heard about it and reacted with rejection. They refused to listen to anything I said. Especially when I mentioned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), they became hostile.
Only this year, I began to notice they were treating me better. When they came to my home and saw something they could help with, they would take the initiative without me saying a word. For example, in the mountain area where we live, the weather changes constantly. If I hung the laundry outside in the sunny morning, and the sky turned cloudy by noon, they would hurry to bring the clothes in for me without a moment’s hesitation.
In July, my husband told me that his sisters had started to accept the fact that I practice Falun Gong. It was clear that they had seen the positive changes in me and how much I had benefited from Dafa. As a result, they now respect me even more.
Not to Compete for Benefits
My two brothers, older sister, and brother-in-law were in business together running a car garage, but they fought intensely over money and power. In the end, their partnership collapsed, and they stopped working together. My father later sold the garage and the land and gave each of them five to six million Taiwan dollars. I didn’t get a single cent.
A couple of years ago, my elderly father lost a lot in the stock market. He was going to sell his house to pay off the loan and then rent a place to live for the rest of his life. I firmly opposed that idea. Instead, I suggested that my older brother take out a loan, and I would cover the interest payments. Earlier this year, my father told me that he had money again and that I no longer needed to pay the interest.
I wondered where that money had come from until a few months later when he finally told me that our ancestors had left more land that could be sold. After our relatives discussed it, they decided to sell the land and divide the proceeds among everyone. Not only that, there was an additional compensation payout.
My father received several hundred thousand from the sale of the land, and my two brothers each received over a million from the compensation payout. But none of this had anything to do with me. I didn’t receive a single cent this time, either.
But I wasn’t affected by it at all, because I felt that the money didn't belong to me in the first place. If something isn’t mine, there was nothing worth fighting over. They now have money, and their lives have improved. Our family relationships have become harmonious. That is truly a good thing for me.
Gaining Greater Support from My Husband
My husband, who is not a practitioner, has an interest in music. He loves playing pop songs, often really loudly. He enjoys it immensely, but I am surrounded by those negative substances every day, which causes me great distress.
He interfered with me the most when I was making truth-clarification phone calls. Even though I closed all the doors and windows, I could still hear it. It unsettled me, and I became resentful, irritated, and impatient.
It was harder when the phone calls couldn’t get through. At those times, I felt completely overwhelmed by his music, and it became even more difficult to keep my mind unmoved. I talked to him about it, but it was hard for him to change. He simply carried on as usual. Sometimes he would turn the volume down a little. I often felt exhausted trying to deal with this situation.
At the same time, I didn’t always control myself very well. When my main consciousness relaxed, I would start humming along with those tunes. That made me realize how easily negative thoughts can penetrate every nook and cranny. And if one is not vigilant, it is very easy to fall into their traps.
I thought it over and realized that this is his life. So I decided to adjust my mindset and focus on doing what I needed to do. With one righteous thought based on the Fa, the music no longer affected me. After letting go of my resentment, I gained even greater support from my husband for my cultivation.
My Relationship with My Daughter-in-Law Changed
After my son got married, it took some time for him and his wife to adjust to each other’s personalities. My husband and I never intervened. One day, they even had a big quarrel right in front of us. Later, when my daughter-in-law was alone, I gave her a gentle hug and asked her not to be upset. To my surprise, later that night, she hired a car and went back to her parents’ home with their child. Even so, we didn’t say much and just comforted our son.
Whenever they visited us on their days off, my daughter-in-law called me “Mom” and then kept quiet the rest of the time. After sitting down, she would stare at her phone. After meals, she did help a little, but she only washed the bowls before walking away, leaving the dirty plates, frying pans, and messy cupboard behind. Sometimes, as soon as the meal was over, she and my son would go out to visit relatives or friends, and come back very late.
Over the past few years, although there hasn’t been much interaction or conversation between my daughter-in-law and me, I have always kept a caring heart toward her. For example, she originally didn’t plan to have a second child, but by the end of last year, she welcomed another one. On Mother’s Day this year, I sent her a message, saying, “Thank you for giving me such a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. You’ve worked so hard. Happy Mother’s Day!” I expressed my love to her through these small, thoughtful gestures.
In the past, whenever my son went out, she would always insist on going with him. After the baby was born, she installed a baby monitor and asked us to help take care of the child. But this time, when my son took our older granddaughter to visit relatives, she decided to stay home to look after her five-month-old baby. She was very happy to show me a video call of our granddaughter playing in the mud at a relative’s home.
When my older granddaughter got her clothes dirty playing in the mud, I took one of my own, smaller outfits and suggested she be allowed to change into it. This time my daughter-in-law agreed and let my granddaughter put it on. In the past, she would have refused, choosing to borrow clothes from a nearby relative instead.
After they went home, my husband said that he noticed his son’s wife had behaved differently this time, then added, “That’s because you’ve cultivated well.”
Since I began to practice Falun Gong, my husband has often laughed at me, saying, “Where have you cultivated to?” or frequently reminded me, “You’re a cultivator.” But the words “you’ve cultivated well” coming from his mouth this time were different. At that moment, my heart was filled with boundless gratitude for Master, and I truly experienced the meaning of Master’s words, “The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and harmonizes everything.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun)
Making Phone Calls to China
Being able to participate in the project to make truth-clarification phone calls to China is a path Master arranged for me. I had never liked making phone calls, yet, of all the many Dafa projects, that is the one I joined. At the end of November 2019, I joined the RTC platform and began making truth-clarification phone calls to save people in China.
During that time, there was a sharp decline in tourists from China at many of our truth-clarification sites. In order to make full use of Dafa’s resources, the third training session on making phone calls to China began, and I decided to take part in this project. I am deeply grateful to the training team, the writing team, the technical staff, and all the practitioners who contribute to this project. Their dedication helped me improve steadily and to fulfill my vow to help save sentient beings.
Soon after I began making phone calls, I encountered two false phenomena of sickness karma. One was that whenever I made phone calls, dirty substances would constantly come out of my mouth and nose. At its worst, I could use a whole pack of tissues in a short time. This sickness karma has not completely disappeared even now, but only very little is left, and it only appears occasionally.
The other sickness karma was severely ulcerated skin that oozed pus. I had to use several towels each day to clean it. This condition would come on in the winter and ease up in the spring and summer. It lasted for three years and was extremely painful. I had to wrap myself in layers of clothes, afraid of startling anyone who saw it. Especially the ulcerated skin on my hands, which looked particularly bad.
At first, I looked at it from an ordinary person’s perspective, unable to understand why it was happening. One day, I suddenly awakened to the realization that Master was helping me purify my body, and these experiences were also exposing major loopholes in my cultivation. It was a wake-up call, reminding me that I could not merely do things on the surface, that I needed to truly cultivate my inner self.
Now this tribulation has passed. Both fellow practitioners and ordinary people commented that my complexion looks healthier and brighter. My face has become smoother and finer.
I have been making phone calls on the platform for more than five years now, and it has provided an excellent environment for self-improvement. The people I come across are from all walks of life. It’s as if I were going out to wander about.
When I talk to kind people who have predestined relationships with Dafa, they usually quit the CCP. Some are willing to share their own situations and hardships, and after understanding the evil nature of the CCP, they openly express their anger and resentment.
Some, however, found it hard to understand the facts of the persecution and the true nature of the CCP. At times, I felt sad that people in China have been so misled and are unaware. It breaks my heart and also deepens my compassion for them.
There are also those who are afraid and unwilling to listen to the truth. They often hang up quickly or remain silent and unresponsive. The worst are those who oppose Falun Gong and respond with harsh or malicious words.
I encountered one person who left a particularly deep impression on me. After I had just finished introducing the key points and began talking about quitting the CCP, he asked, “What is your level of education?” When I told him that I have a master’s degree, he responded, “How could you possibly have a master’s degree? I don’t think you have the ability of someone with a master’s degree.”
He went on to criticize me, saying things like, “The methodology you learned taught you how to do things and how to handle problems. But the way you deal with issues is wrong.”
It was like a wake-up call. I realized that my usual way of talking about quitting the CCP had become rote. Although I made some adjustments in my scripts for different people, I had never carefully considered what kind of mindset or wording would be more appropriate for people like him.
By looking inward, I realized that I had developed human attachments, such as pride, complacency, and self-satisfaction, especially after frequently hearing fellow practitioners praise me for doing well in helping people quit the CCP. My xinxing had not truly improved, and, as a result, I was unable to help save people effectively.
A cultivator’s goal is to achieve consummation, and in every aspect ,one must measure oneself against the Fa. When one truly does this and cultivates oneself well, everything will turn in a positive direction. Through the phone-call project, I have learned a lot from other practitioners’ experiences and sharings, which has helped improve my ability to make calls and save more people.
The above are my personal experiences in cultivation. If there is anything not in line with the Fa, please kindly point it out and correct it with compassion.
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Category: Clarifying the Truth
