(Minghui.org) I would like to to share with fellow practitioners two stories regarding changing my human notions and my family environment last year.
Although my husband did not object to my cultivation, due to fear that my cultivation would impact our family, neither did he support me. He was always unwelcoming towards practitioners who came to our home.
Because of his attitude, I had been doing the three things for a long time and let him know as little as possible. I used ordinary people's thinking, which brought some interference to my cultivation.
One time I attended a cultivation experience sharing conference and closed our shop for half a day. This caused a big fight between my husband and me.
At that time, I didn't apply the principles of Dafa to my behavior. I only reminded myself to be more careful when doing similar things in the future.
Last year I changed my notions. I started to guide my thinking, words, and deeds, with Dafa, and thus my family environment changed a lot.
Just before May 13 (World Falun Dafa Day) last year, I went to a rural area with four practitioners to post truth-clarification materials; we planned to cover five villages.
Because my husband and I didn't live in our shop, I needed to meet him there so I would have a ride back home.
My husband told me before my departure, “You need to be back at the shop before 9:30 p.m.” I replied, “I can't guarantee the exact time since I will be with other people.”
He said in a firm tone, “No later than 9:30 pm!” So I headed out on the road with an uneasy heart.
We went to the farthest village first and planned on going backward. It was already 9:00 p.m. when we finished the first village. I thought, “It will be impossible to make it back to the shop by 9:30 pm. What should I do?”
At that time, I remembered Master's Fa: “...staying unmoved you would be able to handle all situations.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference”)
I needed to have righteous thoughts no matter how late it got. We needed to completely finish our task for the five villages as planned.
Master said:“...as you know, the majority of the people on this earth came here from the heavens, with many in fact having been sent down here as representatives of the cosmic body they hail from, of that universe’s sentient beings, with their purpose of coming being to ultimately gain salvation. Whether or not salvation will be gained rests on how this person responds, while in this world, once Dafa has been imparted. That is because a person’s actions here reflect the state of the sentient beings, during Fa-rectification, in the cosmic body that he represents and that lies behind him.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2010 New York Fa Conference” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
As I understand it, my husband and I have a predestined relationship, and that is why we became a family. If he interfered with me doing the three things because of my human attachments, it would be a great pity for him.
Therefore, not letting him interfere with my validation of Dafa is being compassionate towards him and the sentient beings he represents. This principle of the Fa was clear to me, and my heart calmed down.
With a pure heart, I finished distributing the truth materials with my fellow practitioners to all the five villages. We did what Dafa disciples should do and I felt very happy.
On the ride back home, I checked my watch and seeing that it was after 11 pm, I became uneasy again: “It was really late. What would my husband be doing at the shop?”
I immediately realized that I was being moved by my human notions again, and I needed righteous thoughts to suppress it. After all, my husband also came for the Fa.
I thought, “The better I do in clarifying the truth to save people, the happier his true self will be; and he won’t be so angry with me.”
This was a righteous thought. I held this thought firmly all the way back to the shop.
When I walked in the door of the shop, my husband was on the motorcycle. I sat on his motorcycle without saying anything to him on the way back home.
I sat behind my husband and my mind was still uneasy. He did not say anything.
I used my mind to communicate with his true self, the part of him that understood the truth. I said, “You also came for the Fa. As long as you don't interfere with Dafa disciples work to save people, your future will be wonderful.”
I kept sending forth righteous thoughts towards him. After returning home, I asked him how long he had waited outside.
He said, “I was about to leave and go home without waiting for you.” I said. “I don't believe it. You wouldn't leave me alone there.”
He smiled. I could tell that he was not angry at all.
I realized that the righteous thoughts and the power of compassion that Dafa disciples have cultivated in the Fa can disintegrate all evil factors, and can change the environment around them.
As Master said:
"...the Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and rectifies all abnormalities." (Lecture Six in Zhuan Falun)
A practitioner proposed to study the Fa together with me, and then later another practitioner joined us. Thus, a three-person Fa study group was established in my shop.
At first I didn't dare to let my husband know it. When he came to our shop occasionally, we put Dafa books away and didn't let him see them.
The other practitioners discussed this situation with me, and suggested that I tell my husband. I didn’t think it was right either, but I just didn’t dare to let him know.
Looking inward I thought, “Why don't I dare to tell him? It is because my husband often blames me for not focusing on doing business, and only spending time doing Dafa exercises.”
I asked myself, “Am I conducting business with my heart?” Indeed, I have put cultivation first since I began, neglecting our business, with the counters and shelves often a mess.
It was time to correct myself. It’s correct to put cultivation in first place, but I also need to be responsible for other things as well.
As a cultivator, I must first be a good person, a person who is responsible for family and society. Doing a good job is part of cultivation.
After discovering this loophole in my cultivation, I decided that I should take care of our business well, and thought that then my husband wouldn't have anything to complain about.
The next day I spent half the day sorting out the shelves and counters. This time, sorting out the goods was very different from the past.
I used to think that doing this was a waste of my time. This time, I regarded it as part of my cultivation, and my heart was calm.
It was the state that a cultivator should have. I also told my husband that we had group Fa study in the store.
He didn't object to it at all. It would have been impossible if I had told him before.
I also realized the seriousness, and the merits of cultivation. When you encounter difficulties that are difficult to overcome, you can look inward unconditionally in accordance with the requirements of Dafa.
And, when you correct yourself and meet the requirements of the Fa at your level, you will find that, “'After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!'” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)
We know from the Fa that everything that happens to Dafa disciples is a result of the mindset of Dafa disciples. So it is very important to cultivate ourselves well.
The positive energy we have cultivated from the Fa can correct all incorrect states. Under the control of this positive energy field, the family environment, work environment, and social environment will be corrected, and the sentient beings we are in contact with will benefit from Dafa.
Only if we clearly understand the principles of the Fa, cultivate ourselves well, and live up to the expectation of all beings, then can we save sentient beings.