(Minghui.org) I have practiced Falun Dafa for more than two decades, and have persevered throughout the persecution thanks to Master’s protection. I have witnessed Master’s boundless benevolence, and Falun Dafa’s greatness and extraordinary nature. I’d like to share some of my cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners and report them to Master.
Practicing Kindness at Home
We come across all sorts of things in daily life that test our xinxing and arouse our attachments. My words and actions can have a positive or negative impact to my family members. Their behavior may also reveal my cultivation state.
I used to have a strong personality, and spoke whatever I thought, not considering other people’s feelings. I was selfish. My husband was not happy with me. He said that I spoke bluntly. He asked why I couldn’t speak gently. I knew that as a practitioner, I should cultivate kindness. I wanted to be good to him but I couldn’t forget what he had said and done to Falun Dafa and me after the persecution started. I was good to him superficially, but he could sense my resentment. He said from time to time that I was good to him superficially but hated him in my heart.
Master said:
“Under all circumstances, we must be good and kind to others, not to mention to our family members.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
I looked within. Why was I not compassionate to my husband? When I studied the Fa, I read and recited the Fa word by word with my heart. I realized that I wasn’t listening to Master and not treating everyone with kindness in all circumstances. I decided that I would no longer allow myself to resent my husband, and that I would forget his bad behavior. He was indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) propaganda. I should treat him with compassion and righteous thoughts. I hoped that he would be saved by Falun Dafa. Everyone has their knowing side. He might have sensed the kindness coming from my heart, as he gradually stopped saying that I hated him.
My husband likes to eat noodles to an extreme degree. When I asked him what he wanted to eat when he was at home for lunch, his answer was almost inevitably “noodles.” I was not always happy about this and hoped that he would not come home to eat lunch. I knew that I shouldn’t argue with him over such a trivial matter, so I unwillingly put up with it.
I am a practitioner and shouldn’t care about what kind of food I eat, and shouldn’t be picky about food. My husband likes to eat noodles. If he was unhappy about what kind of food he ate at home, it would be my problem because I didn’t do a good job as a wife. I gradually began taking it lightly. When he was at home during lunch, I would offer to cook noodles for him. He noticed that I had changed my attitude, and he asked me what I would like to eat for lunch: rice, fried pancakes, or fried noodles? He started to go buy groceries to cook lunch for me, and he ate lunch with me after I sent forth righteous thoughts.
As I gradually cultivated myself and let go of resentment and competitiveness, my husband started to talk to me calmly. I then clarified the truth to him during our conversations. He happily accepted the truth. During the pandemic when everyone contracted COVID-19, he only had a fever for two days, and had no other symptoms.
His mother stayed with us during the pandemic. She contracted COVID-19 and had a severe cough. She couldn’t eat or sleep well and asked to be taken to the hospital at midnight one night. I slept on the sofa in the hospital and took good care of her day and night. My husband was very touched. He cared about me and asked me to take breaks from time to time.
My mother-in-law had no appetite and didn’t want to eat anything. I tried to cook the food she liked, such as eggs, congee, steamed pumpkin, and sweet potato. I went to the clinic to buy special medicine for her cough. I encouraged her to be positive, and said that she would get better.
I had a firm thought in my mind, “Family members of a Falun Dafa practitioners have a predestined connection with Falun Dafa. They believe that Falun Dafa is good and will benefit from Falun Dafa.” I went out every day and clarified the truth to people while I was out shopping or buying medicine. I stayed healthy. Thanks to Master’s compassionate protection, my mother-in-law finally recovered. She is in her nineties and in good health. People think she is only seventy years old.
My husband once said to me, “I admire you! You have done what I could not do for my mother.” I asked him why. He said, “That day my mom vomited and made a mess on the floor, you didn’t complain or back off. Instead you cleaned the floor calmly.” I told him that I could do that because I practiced Falun Dafa, and Master told us to be good to everyone, especially our family members. He looked satisfied and praised me.
He has completely changed. When I came home late from clarifying the truth to people or doing other Dafa projects, he didn’t get angry but cooked dinner and waited for me to eat with him. I told him not to wait for me and eat first.
Cultivating Kindness While Looking After My Mother
My mother, who is also a practitioner, is in her eighties. She has been bedridden for more than two years. We hired a housemaid to look after her. When the housemaid took some leave, I asked for leave from work and went over to look after her, since my brother had to work.
My parents are in their eighties. I hoped that they would come stay with me in the city so that I could look after them. But they were very traditional and insisted on staying with their son. They didn’t want to come and stay with me. My brother and his wife have full time jobs and cannot look after them, so we hired a housemaid. My parents have pensions and don’t need us to contribute any money. The housemaid was good at cooking and looked after them very well. They were happy with the housemaid.
I went back to look after my mother another time. I washed her face and feet with warm water before she went to bed. She was moved, and said, “I often spanked you when you were a child. I didn’t expect that you would forgive me and take good care of me. I have indeed benefited from you.” I said, “Let’s forget what happened before. Actually I am able to do this because I practice Falun Dafa. If I hadn’t practiced Falun Dafa, I can’t imagine how bad my health would have been, let alone being able to take care of you. I had back pain, headaches, and stomach pain since I was young. I also had conflicts with my husband and mother-in-law. If I didn’t practice Falun Dafa, I wouldn’t have lived to today. You’d better thank Master and Falun Dafa.”
My mother understood, and said with tears in her eyes, “Yes, thank you, Master! Thank you, Falun Dafa! If I didn’t practice Falun Dafa, I would have died from resentment and anger and wouldn’t have lived to today.”
My brother was unable to take leave from work due to his busy schedule when the housemaid was on leave, so I needed to go look after my mother. This sometimes made me angry, and I complained that my brother lacked filial piety. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and am very healthy. Though I am nearly sixty years old, I feel like I am in my thirties or forties, and I feel energetic. As a practitioner, I must do better and look after my parents well. I shouldn’t look at what my brother is doing. My mother often complained to me that my brother was not good to her. I said, “Don’t get angry. You have practiced Falun Dafa for many years and know that there is a causal relationship. Whether he is filial or not, you cannot complain.”
My father called me one day and said that the housemaid was going to take a break, and my brother had injured his back and was not able to look after my mother. I said, “I will come. Don’t worry.” My brother is one year younger than me, but he had so many health problems, such as back pain and injured arms and legs due to doing physical labor.
After I went to my parent’s home, I called my brother and asked him how he felt, and asked him to rest a lot. He said, “No worries. I am working now.” I said with concern, “Please don’t get too tired. Pay attention to your health. Making money is not that important. Good health is more important.” He laughed, and said, “Yes, I know.” I felt very calm after getting off the phone. I didn’t have any complaints toward my brother. His whole family knows the truth and have withdrawn from the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
I reminded myself to treat my mother’s sickness with righteous thoughts. I tried my best to study the Fa with her. I encouraged her to send forth righteous thoughts more and look within. While I was looking after her, I could find my own attachments, let go of them, and make improvements.
During the process of looking after my mother, I could also improve my patience and my ability to bear hardships, and through this I became more tolerant. While I was bearing the physical tiredness and hardships, I was dissolving karma and purifying my body. It was a very good thing. I can understand my mother’s suffering and uneasiness more now. I no longer complain about her. I am more patient, kind, and respectful to her.
Clarifying the Truth to People with Compassion
I studied the Fa in the office when I was not busy, and I went out to clarify the truth to people after work. I came across all sorts of people, most of whom were predestined with Falun Dafa and seemed to be waiting to hear the truth.
Every time I went out to clarify the truth to people, I maintained my righteous thoughts and had compassion and few selfish thoughts. I considered other people’s feelings when I talked to them or did something for them. My every thought was to save sentient beings and clarify the truth to them with a pure heart. Many predestined people came over to talk to me. I easily persuaded them to withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Master has arranged everything for us. We need to go out and talk to people.
When I give out informational materials, I sincerely hope that people will cherish the opportunity to learn the truth and be saved. I hope that every piece of truth-clarification material plays its maximum role in saving sentient beings, and that people will pass the material to the next person, and the next person will pass it on to many more people. I wish everyone to be saved.
I was very impressed by one woman. She came to my office and walked over to my colleague and asked who in our company was in charge of their company’s business. I looked at her with a smile and thought to myself that she came to hear the truth, and that I must save her.
She came over to my desk after a while. She had tears in her eyes and said sincerely, “I don’t know why I want to cry when I see you.” I finished the business for her with a smile on my face. I looked directly into her eyes and told her about Falun Dafa and why people should quit the CCP. She understood and happily withdrew from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. She said she remembered our first meeting all the time and thanked me whenever we met for business. She said that everything has gone smoothly for her since.
I understand that cultivation in Falun Dafa is to assimilate myself into the Fa and be strict with myself according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, to improve myself in the Fa, validate the Fa, and save sentient beings. That is my life’s purpose.
I have practiced Falun Dafa for so many years, and I clearly understand the mission and responsibility I shoulder as a Falun Dafa practitioner in the Fa-rectification period. It is a sacred mission and a serious responsibility. Thank you, Master, for changing me from a person seeking fame, personal interest, and being emotional, to a person being compassionate and calm and taking personal interest lightly. My wish is to help Master save predestined people so they can have a bright future.
Category: Improving Oneself
