(Minghui.org) I was most fortunate to learn Falun Dafa and step onto the cultivation path in August 2010. With Dafa's teachings I have been able to improve my character and xinxing greatly over the years.
I used to be obsessed with cleanliness. I never allowed others to use any of my things, nor did I use theirs. Whenever I was invited to stay with a friend for a while, I would clean their place as soon as I arrived. I brought my own eating utensils, bed sheets and pillow wherever I went. It was sometimes embarrassing, but I could not help myself.
One of my friends came to visit me with her nine-year-old daughter. Her little girl reached to use my bath towel, but I grabbed it away from her. I told my friend in a stern voice that no one was allowed to use my things.
After practicing Falun Dafa, I began to change. I decided to help a friend take care of her sick father, and so I stayed with them for some time. Her father was nearly blind, deaf, and needed a lot of care, especially at night. My friend had been providing all the care for him, and was clearly exhausted.
The old man also suffered from diabetes, and upon the advice from someone years ago, always ate watery tofu and corn patties for breakfast. It was not easy to get these items every day, especially considering the freezing weather in December. Nevertheless, I took on the daily chore of getting his breakfast in order to help my friend. Lack of sleep and worry had taken their toll on my friend's temper. She often did not appreciate my hard work, and criticized the breakfast as being cold, too watery, and so on.
Sometimes when facing her poor attitude, I wanted to just drop the breakfast and leave. But, I reminded myself that I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and I should behave in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It had been difficult for her to take care of her sick father. None of her siblings helped with his care. She was not intentionally being mean, she was just tired and stressed out. I was okay with her venting her frustration on me.
I would tease her when she glared at me with squinty eyes, saying they were going to stay like that. She would laugh and relax a little.
My friend came to realize that her behavior was unkind and apologized to me saying, “I am sorry. You have helped me a lot, and paid for this and that, and yet I treat you poorly.” I would reply with a smile, “No worries, I am here for you.”
One early morning, her father called for her but she was sleeping soundly. I got up and helped him, as he needed to urinate. I returned to my bed, and was falling asleep when he called again. He had a bowel movement. I thought about waking my friend, but then decided not to disturb her, and helped her father myself.
The old man knew it was not his daughter helping him, and asked who it was. I told him it was me, and he said with gratitude, “I must have accumulated a lot of virtue in my previous life to have your help.”
When my friend woke up, and heard the story from her father, she cried and told me, “I am touched by your kindness.”
That day turned out to be her father’s last day. His condition worsened, so we took him to the hospital. That afternoon he passed away peacefully. Afterwards, my friend’s siblings heard what I'd done for their father and came to express their gratitude. I smiled and said, “I am practicing Falun Dafa. My Teacher taught me to be a better person.”
While my friend went out of town to visit her sister for a month, I took the initiative to clean up her place. Upon returning home, she was pleasantly surprised by a clean and tidy house, and there was fresh bedding. A few days later, she paid me a visit. She sat quietly in front of me, picked up the book Zhuan Falun, and said, “I have to read this book to find out how you became so pure and kind.”
Category: Improving Oneself
