(Minghui.org) My grandmother was a devoted Buddhist. She followed a Buddhist routine of not eating meat at a specific time every year, and she burned incense at Buddha statues in many locations. When I was little, she told me many stories that illustrated her Buddhist beliefs.
She used to travel to Mulan Mountain with several friends to burn incense in a temple. Before the trip, the ladies ate only vegetarian food for days and bathed the day before the journey. They left before dawn and returned after dark.
Mulan Mountain was about 15 miles from her village. There was no paved road. With bound feet, my grandmother walked 30 miles in one day to burn incense before a Buddha statue on the mountain. It was a very difficult journey.
The Chinese Communist Party banned spiritual practices as superstition after they seized power. But Grandma and her friends maintained their beliefs and rituals.
She told me that, after the Great Leap Forward (one of the Party’s “campaigns” that took place in 1958), food became scarce and all they had to eat was rice soup. One day when planning for a Mulan Mountain trip, Grandma’s friend Mrs. Gong asked my grandma where she could find a toilet on their trip because eating only rice soup led to more bathroom visits.
Grandma told her not to think about such things when they were going to burn incense before a Buddha statue. On their way to Mulan Mountain, Mrs. Gong had to relieve herself often, but Grandma did not need to go for the entire day. Afterwards, Mrs. Gong asked my grandma to explain how she did it. Grandma said, “When people have faith, gods help.”
Years later, I still remember Grandma’s experience. Although I was little, her words left a deep impression on me.
Although Grandma never attended school, she often told me expressions that had profound meaning, such as, “See no evil, your mind is clean” and “losing an argument gives you a stronger character.” Her strong faith deeply benefited my young mind.
People in the past were very sincere when it came to serving their gods. They regularly restricted their diet, bathed, and burned incense to show their respect. Their faith was demonstrated in their daily lives. Stories like “Waiting for Teacher Cheng in a Snow Storm,” “Liu Bei’s Three Visits to Zhuge Liang,” and “Zhang Liang Waited for Master Huang Shi at Night” are all examples of their sincerity.
Master said,
“When people show the appropriate respect and reverence toward Dafa as it manifests here in this world, they, their race, or their nation will enjoy blessings or honor.” (“On Dafa”)
We as Dafa disciples are not pursuing blessings or honor. We want to follow Master. Thus, we ought to show more respect and reverence toward Dafa.
However, due to Party indoctrination, some practitioners lack the basic respect for Master and cultivation.
I remember when I was a new practitioner years ago, I gave a copy of a new lecture to a fellow practitioner. He took it, briefly glanced at it, and put it in his pocket before resuming his work.
I was shocked at his casual attitude and thought, “How could you do that?”
Some practitioners are suffering from setbacks in cultivation. Their attitude shows that they are not being truly faithful.
Category: Improving Oneself
