(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I started practicing Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) in 1996, and I’m 81 years old. I’d like to take this opportunity of the 23rd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org to report my cultivation experiences to Master and share them with practitioners.
Looking Inward Amid Conflicts and Letting Go of My Attachment to Feeling Wronged
My youngest daughter once strongly supported my cultivation practice. However, for the past two years, she began causing trouble for me for no apparent reason. At the time, I was living with my son at his company in the county seat. One morning, my youngest daughter drove her son and me to my house in the township to clean it. As soon as we opened the door, she noticed a musty smell and accused me of not keeping the house clean.
I explained, “It smells like this because no one has lived here for several months, and the doors and windows have been kept closed.”
As I briefly stepped out to get something from my neighbor’s house, I overheard my grandson saying, “Mom, stop complaining about grandma.” A moment later, I heard a loud slap as my daughter struck his thigh.
With his feelings hurt, my grandson refused to get in the car when we left at noon. My daughter said, “Your grandma isn’t even upset, so why are you!” I persuaded him to get in the car.
We went back and joined everyone for lunch. My youngest daughter complained to the others that I hadn’t kept my house clean.
I felt resentful and said, “I can get along with everybody, including the door guards and the cook.”
She angrily added, “Except for me!” and threw her rice bowl to the floor, smashing it into pieces.
No one made a sound. She went to her room and brought out the MP3 player that I had given my grandson to listen to truth-clarification stories. She smashed it on the floor. Still angry, she picked it up and threw it down two more times, shouting, “You’re trying to get my son to practice! I’ll report you!”
I knew she wasn’t really going to report me, but I was upset. I got up, grabbed her arm, and said, “Go ahead and report me!” She did not move or say anything else.
The next day was Mother’s Day and I was hosting a group study at my place. My youngest daughter handed me 600 yuan, saying, “This is my compensation for the MP3 player.”
I said, “The player doesn’t cost much, but your actions were very disrespectful to Master. Please apologize to Master.”
With all the practitioners present, she stood in front of Master’s portrait and said, “Master. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
I looked inward. Compared with my elder sister who also lived in the township, my house was always clean and much tidier. Even my neighbors often praised me for keeping it clean. I had gotten used to their praise and felt good about myself.
I came to realize that Master was using my youngest daughter’s actions to point out my attachment to seeking praise and being unable to bear feeling wronged.
I resolved to let go of these attachments, so I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate them. I could clearly feel that my xinxing had improved.
The “Extra Diners” Episode
One day, my son’s company cook told me, “There are extra diners every day,” referring to people who showed up unexpectedly for meals, such as family members of employees, who were not included in the meal arrangements, causing the total number of diners to fluctuate and making things difficult for the kitchen to manage.
After some time, my daughter-in-law returned from Shenzhen to take over a new line of business. While dinner was being prepared, she asked me, “How many people are included in the daily meal arrangements?”
I replied, “Thirteen people are on the regular schedule, plus extra diners.”
My youngest daughter overheard this conversation and felt hurt because she thought I was referring to her family of three as the “extra diners.” After my daughter-in-law left, she said, “You talk too much. You tell her everything.”
I realized that this situation was a test of my xinxing and that I shouldn’t argue with her. I calmly returned to my room to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all the evil elements that tried to interfere with my cultivation environment. After that, I studied the Fa.
After studying the Fa, I went to see my youngest daughter’s husband to clear up any misunderstanding. At first, he looked stone-faced when he saw me. With my youngest daughter present, I explained to him what I meant by “extra diners.”
My son-in-law understood and told me, “If she [referring to my daughter-in-law] asks about it, of course you should tell her; otherwise, there’s no need to tell her.”
He then explained to my youngest daughter, “Our mom told our sister-in-law because she asked about it.”
Because I handled the matter with the rationality and kindness guided by the Fa, a potential family conflict was avoided.
I looked inward and realized that I should have paid more attention to cultivating my speech. I shouldn’t speak casually as an everyday person would, because the term “extra diners” could be hurtful and was humiliating to others.
I reminded myself to be more careful in the future and to follow Master’s teaching of being “...full of great aspirations while minding minor details.” (“Sage,” Essentials for Further Advancement).
Conducting Myself Well
Every day, I study two lectures of Zhuan Falun, send forth righteous thoughts four times on the hour, and look for opportunities to clarify the truth and persuade people to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations.
One winter, four years ago, I bought pork trotters to cook for everyone. On the first day, I bought 20 yuan’s worth, which filled an entire pot. The next day, I bought another 20 yuan’s worth, but this time I received much more than I had the day before. I knew the seller had given me more than 20 yuan’s worth, so I went back to pay the difference.
I explained the situation and asked, “How much should three pork trotters cost?” He weighed them and told me they were worth 40 yuan. I told him, “I bought three a little while ago, but you only charged me 20 yuan. Here’s the remaining 20 yuan.”
The vendor’s niece was the new cashier. Not wanting to embarrass her, the vendor said, “It’s understandable that a new cashier might make some mistakes.” The vendor had already learned about Dafa and withdrawn from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. He also has great respect for Dafa.
Facing Harassment with Righteous Thoughts
The neighborhood committee is located across the street from my son’s company. One day, a group of staff members came to my son’s company and tried to take a picture of me. My son told me about it, so I went downstairs to meet them in the yard. I said, “Do not take my picture.”
They smiled and said, “You look so healthy and fit!” and began to take my picture as they spoke.
I shouted to my grandson, “Quick! Bring me your cell phone and take pictures of them!”
They quickly turned around and started to leave. I said to them, “I hope you don’t come back.”
One of the assistant police turned around and replied, “We all know Falun Dafa is good. Your kindness and good health speak for themselves. But we have to do our jobs, which is to look after you once a month.”
I knew that their so-called “look after” was actually a form of harassment. Every day, I sent forth righteous thoughts to prevent the neighborhood committee authorities from interfering with my cultivation using my children. I also resolved that if they showed up again, I would persuade them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. They have not shown up for several months.
I went to the neighborhood committee office to obtain my senior citizen’s public transportation pass. Many young women were preparing for a fan dance in the courtyard. One of them came over to say hello to me. She was a community official who visited my home a few times.
During our conversation, I leaned close to her ear and said, “If you agree, just think in your heart that you no longer wish to be part of the CCP. I will help you quit the Party, the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers. This way, you can avoid disasters and stay safe.”
She replied, “Okay.”
There is a cleaning lady at my son’s company who came from another town. One day, her two elementary school aged daughters visited her. I helped them quit the Young Pioneers.
Helping Save People During My Vacation in Nanchang
My daughter-in-law’s parents live in the City of Nanchang. I had visited them before and tried to persuade her mother to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. However, her mother did not want to quit. My son brought his wife’s younger brother and his wife to me and asked me to help them quit, and they both agreed.
In September of last year, my daughter-in-law’s younger brother’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told that she had only three months to live. She had four major chemotherapy treatments and eight lesser ones. This spring, my youngest daughter and I visited her. She was recovering and looked a little better.
I gave her an amulet, and she happily put it around her neck. My daughter-in-law said sincerely, “My mother [referring to me] is here to help save people.” She smiled hopefully.
I stayed at my oldest daughter’s home in Nanchang for two days. During those two days, Master arranged opportunities for me to help save others.
My eldest son-in-law was taking the family out to dinner and waiting for my grandson and me in the underground garage. I had left my cell phone behind because I planned to clarify the truth to people. By accident, I got on the elevator before my grandson and got off on the wrong floor.
I wanted to look for them at the intersection nearby, so I left the building and went to the community gate. I didn’t have a pass, so I asked a student for help and helped him quit the Young Pioneers.
I didn’t find my daughter’s family at the intersection, so I decided to return to the residential building and wait until they found me. At the community gate, I asked another student for help and helped him quit the Young Pioneers, too.
I waited in front of the building. My son-in-law and grandson found me with the help of the building security office, which used the security camera to locate me. We eventually went to dinner together.
Seizing Opportunities to Save People While Touring Yueyang
On my birthday in May this year, my children took me on a vacation to Yueyang, Hunan Province. While there my son brought me to a luxury goods store to buy me a silver cup which cost 1,000 yuan as a birthday gift. Although I gently declined, he insisted and bought three of them.
As we were leaving, the owner escorted us out of the store and told us about the tourist attractions in the city. I took the opportunity to help her quit the Youth League and the Young Pioneers.
My children also help people make the three withdrawals. For example, my oldest daughter stayed in Guizhou Province for 9 months this year. When she returned, she brought me a list of nine names of people who quit the CCP.
Along my cultivation journey, I have experienced the magnificence and wonder of practicing Falun Dafa. I will follow Master’s teachings, cultivate myself well, help save more sentient beings, and follow Master home.
Thank you, Master, for your merciful salvation!
Thank you, my fellow practitioners!
(Selected submission for the 23rd China Fa Conference on Minghui.org)
