(Clearwisdom.net) I began Falun Dafa cultivation in March 1998. Prior to this I suffered from many illnesses, the most serious of which was heart disease. A month after I started practicing, all of the illnesses vanished without a trace. The miracle of Dafa won the admiration of everyone in my family, so they all supported me in my cultivation, until 1999.
Due to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) fabrications and deceit after the persecution began on July 20, 1999, my family then opposed my cultivation. In March 2001, local police officials arrested me for distributing truth-clarifying information and sent me to a forced labor camp. Since my cultivation was not yet based on a solid foundation, I was influenced by the collaborators. I signed the so-called three statements, which I subsequently publicly retracted. I returned home in May 2001.
Once at home, my husband and mother-in-law went out of their way to create difficulties for me. My husband beat me, and he even destroyed Dafa books and blasphemed Dafa. At first I thought this happened because of my attachment of fear-- of being beaten in the labor camp. That is why I assumed I should remain tolerant of my husband and mother-in-law. I did not realize that I should have denied the arrangement of the old forces. Thus I accepted the old forces' persecution in my home. The situation escalated to the point where my husband threatened me with divorce if I did not give up cultivation.
At first, due to my sentimentality, I considered this incident as one of a human being harassing another human being, and I remained tolerant. I practiced in private. Subsequently, after some agonizing reflections, I agreed to my husband's proposition of divorce. But then he changed his mind, though he still would not let me practice cultivation. While studying Master's lectures I eventually realized that the old forces were controlling my husband, which manifested in his showing disrespect toward Dafa and abusing me and causing interference. My so-called "tolerance" was precisely something taken advantage of by the evils.
Outside the family, I was afraid that the supervisors at work might become aware of my practice at home, which was my further acceptance of this form of persecution by the old forces, when instead I should have openly and righteously clarified the truth and exposed the evil persecution to the sentient beings at work. During this time, the local police station often sent police officers to "talk" to me or make harassing phone calls. At that time, I was very scared and I tried to hide from them. The more scared I was, the more aggressive they became. They increasingly caused more trouble for me and fellow practitioners.
Through intensive Fa study and reading fellow practitioners' articles on the Minghui/Clearwisdom web site, I finally found and overcame the attachment of fear. With bruises all over my face due to beatings by my husband, I went to see the supervisors at work, and asked them to come and stop the outrages that my husband was committing. I took truth clarification materials wherever I went, and in the process overcame my preoccupation with thoughts about my reputation. When the supervisors became aware of the persecution facts, they showed understanding and support. They went to talk with my husband and made him promise not to interfere with my cultivation and freedom of belief. My husband eventually did agree to this. After that I finally created a preliminary and basic cultivation environment in my home, which laid the foundation for further clarifying the truth to my family.
A few days later, the local police station again sent police officers to visit me. I did not hide from them. Instead, I told them of the benefits I received from Dafa, and about the CCP's fabrication and persecution of Dafa. I clearly indicated to them that it was impossible for me to give up the cultivation. Even a verbal pledge [to abandon cultivation] was out of the question. I warned them sternly not to harass fellow practitioners or me, otherwise they would have to take full responsibility for any consequences. They had feared I might go to Beijing to validate the Fa. Thereafter they never bothered us again, not even on sensitive days.
On the other hand, I also realized that I harbored only belligerence and bitterness toward my husband and mother-in-law, and had none of the compassion a practitioner should have. I did truth clarification and Fa validation openly outside the home, but still did it without their knowledge. In face-to-face truth clarification, I could basically talk in any situation, and the rate of success in urging people to quit the CCP was fairly high. But I just could not pass the test at home. In spite of the fact tht I studied the Fa all the time, I simply could not show them compassion. Eventually I followed what Master said: to treat all sentient beings with the mindset and heart that can melt iron and steel. I tried to align myself with the Fa and gradually conveyed the magnificence of Dafa to them.
Whether in daily life, at home or at work, or in daily contact with people in society, I have since conducted myself like a true practitioner. It showed my husband and mother-in-law and everyone I come into contact with that Falun Gong practitioners are not like the CCP have said, and that we do not deserve to be unfairly treated, as we have been.
Slowly, my family members changed.
In December 2006 my mother-in-law was suffering from hip-bone necrosis and was paralyzed, bedridden, and in excruciating pain. I persuaded her to accept Dafa by reminding her of my own experiences of being healed.
In March 2008 my husband also declared the "three-withdrawals" [quitting all his affiliations with the CCP organizations] and publicly announced that all disrespectful words or deeds he had said or done relating to Dafa were invalid. I am truly delighted they can now have good futures.
Reminiscing over my cultivation path these past years, it is clear to me that the key for success in cultivation is fundamentally having faith in Master and Dafa. If we can't study the Fa well, we won't be clear about the principles. When we are faced with tribulations, we would be unable to look at them from the standpoint of the Fa, and we would then consider tribulations from the standpoint of human notions, which is exactly the kind of loopholes the old forces are looking for. Furthermore, I want to say this to fellow practitioners who are still troubled by family tribulations: You shouldn't treat family members with a different mentality. Instead, treat them as if they are just like other sentient beings, and never give up the thought of saving them. Hold on to this one thought--that one should use compassion to melt their minds and hearts: "I just don't believe their consciences are irretrievably lost." ("For the Good of the World")
