(Minghui.org) I have been cultivating in Falun Dafa for over 20 years. Master has given us cultivators the best and has purified our minds with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
At the beginning of 1998, after I had practiced Falun Dafa for one year, my husband committed a crime and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. I was only 28 and stayed up all night thinking about how things had changed.
As a cultivator, I understood clearly that I must believe in Master and the Fa and walk straight on my cultivation path. I knew I had strong attachments to dependency on others and to self-interests. My husband had no bad habits. He did not drink or smoke and took care of everything in our family. All I needed to do was the laundry and take care of our child.
From having studied the Fa, I understood the principle that everything happens because of a karmic relationship. Now, I had to make a life without my husband. Then I lost my job and had to take on odd jobs to support myself and our three-year-old son.
In winter, my husband's brother split the firewood, but I had to chop it into smaller pieces. It was very difficult, but I still appreciated his help.
Once in a while, I visited my mother-in-law while I was unemployed. I noticed the blankets were dirty so I bought detergent and washed all the comforters and blankets for my in-laws.
My sister-in-law suggested that I divorce my husband. I told her: “I will not get a divorce. We will still be a family when my husband returns home.”
Why did I make such a decision? Dafa and Master tell us to be kind and tolerant. Everyone makes mistakes, some big and some are small. We should forgive them. Dafa practitioners are cultivating among ordinary people. We should not be attached to sentiment and we should improve our cultivation state during hardships.
Not many people believed me, but I conscientiously will fulfill my commitments as I cultivate in Dafa and follow its principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
I could only afford to visit my husband twice a year. My husband felt as if every time I visited him it would be the last time, so I said, “My master told us to be kind to everyone and think of others first. There is not just love but also goodwill between husband and wife. We are still one family. This will not change.”
My husband was very conflicted because he had heard a lot of stories while in prison. He said, “I don't mind if you find someone to live with, as long as you return to me after I get out of the prison.”
“You are ruining me,” I said, “as this is undermining a sacred human relationship. I cultivate Dafa and will not be attached to such things. Everything I am facing is for my cultivation. I have already been waiting for you for a few years. Do you think I am still not clear about this? I picked the most difficult path, which is the best for everyone but myself.
“When you were sentenced, I could have given our son to your mother, sold the house, and taken the money to live a happy life by myself. It’s also your hope that I keep everything at home. When this hardship is over, we will still be a family. I know you will cherish everything after the storm.”
Keeping Master's Teachings in Mind
We live in a morally corrupt society. I am a Dafa practitioner, and I follow Master’s teachings and insist on acting in an upright manner.
Every time I visited my husband, I would bring a lot of things. I was several hours on the bus and then had to take a taxi to the prison. One taxi driver asked me to call him, so he would be waiting for me at the bus station. That taxi driver was very kind and helped me carry everything into the prison meeting room.
He told me that I was different from other women who are visiting their husbands as they would bring their boyfriends, while I was always alone.
As the persecution of Dafa was rampant, I did not tell him that I was a practitioner. I just told him that I followed beliefs that were being persecuted. I told him some stories about karmic retribution, moral standards, and keeping a good conscience. I also told him that kind people will be blessed by gods.
My husband’s brother also helped me a lot. He was very impressed and told me, “I will do anything for you because you have been waiting for my bother for so many years. People who have beliefs are so nice.”
I was very diligent and displayed a practitioner's demeanor at work. I worked hard and never took anything that did not belong to me.
My friends saw me change from a spoiled lady to a capable and optimistic person. They all admire the strong will of a practitioner. A co-worker listed my phone number under the name Golden Sunshine. She told me that's how she thought of me in her heart, as I was always optimistic.
I cleaned in a company for over 10 years. Everyone, from the manager to the employees knew that I practiced Dafa. Some also knew what had happened in my family.
Some people claim that they believe in Buddhism, but they do not truly cultivate. They fight for fame and profit at work. I set myself apart by following Master's teachings and being very strict with myself.
I never complained about how my supervisor distributed the workload. I did the work quickly, no matter how tired I was, and did not see it as hardship.
Supervision of the cleaners wasn't very strict. As long as someone did the work, it was acceptable. Thus, many people took care of personal business during working hours. I often had to do the work by myself and did not complain. For that, I was awarded 500 yuan as a lower-paid county level worker. I know Master was encouraging me.
Thank you, Master, for teaching me to be a person who benefits others. I am truly content because I have Master's protection and can face the pressures of life and the persecution. I have become broadminded and very optimistic.