(Minghui.org) I live with my son and daughter-in-law. They adopted a 12-year-old girl in 2017. She was not well behaved and would not listen to any of us. She was quiet most of the time, even anti-social. When she heard something about herself that was unpleasant, she went to her room and cried. I did not know how to handle her.
It occurred to me that she had not come into our family by coincidence. I practice Falun Dafa and should regard this as an opportunity to improve on my cultivation path. When she was in a good mood, I told her about the benefits of Falun Dafa and how one should behave properly.
It is not easy to change someone’s character. Sometimes she would be rude to us, and if she did something wrong she would hide it or lie. She often ignored us when we called her, and she lacked manners. She did not take criticism well and was not easy to get along with.
Her behavior made me very uncomfortable, and I sometimes felt unhappy with my son for adopting her.
However when I looked inside, I discovered that the child's behavior was a mirror of my shortcomings. She argued, covered up, and exhibited denial when others criticized her. I too liked to hear compliments and became defensive when others picked on me.
If I chastised her for not doing things properly, the child refused to admit that she was in the wrong. I have the same shortcoming. I liked to impose my notions onto others. I am stubborn as well and think that I am always right. I was not happy when my daughter-in-law bought her new clothes, but I wondered if this was a hidden attachment to jealousy.
I focused on this child's faults and did not see any of her merits. After further studying the Fa however, I realized that I was judging others with my own criteria. I have a strong attachment to changing others, but not myself. This is a reflection of my selfishness.
I decided I needed to change my thinking, as this was an opportunity to improve my xinxing. So, I often sent righteous thoughts to clear up my field and eliminate my attachments. I subsequently no longer became upset with this child. I discovered the joy of looking within and my heart felt light after letting go of attachments.
The girl's behavior also improved. When she finished her homework, she asked that I tell her stories about cultivation and the popularity of Falun Dafa around the world. I often found her quite endearing.
One day, she said to me, “Grandma, I want to learn Dafa. I think it’s amazing.” I gave her a copy of the book Zhuan Falun.
Everyone in our family was happy to see the changes in this little girl. She now finds time to finish her homework, helps with the housework, and reads the Fa. She is also now polite at all times.
She thinks that Master and Dafa gave her wisdom. When she has problems with a question in school, she thinks of Dafa and knows the answer. She is one of the smartest students in her class.
Her character has also changed. She has become gentle and kind. When her classmate fell off her bicycle and injured her arm, she went to visit her every day and helped her catch up with school work. The classmate and her parents were touched.
In class she told the other students that she believes in Falun Dafa. During a discussion on the evolution theory, she asked her teacher, “Why did the books say humans evolved from apes? How can that be true?”
Through practicing Dafa, this little girl has turned into an exceptionally considerate person. She waits for everyone to be seated before eating meals. When she snacks, she always offers some to her parents and grandmother before she has any. When she arrives home from school she greets her elders and before bed says good-night to them.
Falun Dafa has transformed this child and changed her destiny.
