(Minghui.org) I found the article Guiding a Young Practitioner to Do Better in Cultivation that was published on the Minghui website inspiring. Having a young practitioner at home myself, I could not agree more with the author.
My grandson is seven years old. Healthy and happy, he grew up surrounded by Falun Dafa practitioners. Dafa took root in his heart, and those who met him saw him as being well behaved and polite. I would like to share how we guided him in cultivation during the CCP virus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Fa-Study
As the CCP virus became widespread in China, our city was quarantined on January 26, 2020. My grandson’s school was closed until further notice. The boy jumped with joy, as this gave him the opportunity to play as much as he wanted.
Three days after being confined at home, my grandson grew restless. He got angry easily and was very irritable. His parents tried their best to meet his requests. He was still not happy.
One day, after slamming a door, the boy stood on the sofa and shouted: “Homework, homework, are there better things to do?” My husband said: “Baby boy, remember the teaching on Standards for being a Good Pupil and Child, we need to close the door quietly.” The boy argued back. My daughter and son-in-law were also upset with him.
I said to him: “If you refuse to listen, we might have to send you to daycare.” My grandson almost cried: “If I go to daycare, then I wouldn’t have time to study the Fa at home.” He was right! In the past, whenever we did less Fa-study, he would have a tantrum.
We were trying to reason with him with common sense. Instead, we should use this free time to improve our cultivation! So, I told him that we won't send him to daycare, but we will study the Fa – one lecture of Master Li's (Falun Dafa's founder) teaching every morning. I let him choose the time. He was elated and yelled: “Grandpa, mom, dad, we are watching Master’s lecture now!”
After setting up the DVD player, my grandson sat cross-legged on the floor next to his father and watched quietly. Our home returned to harmony again.
When my grandson was born, he experienced severe jaundice. I read Zhuan Falun to him every day, and he recovered from jaundice.
On the day of our grandson’s one-month celebration, udumbara flowers blossomed on our car. I knew Master Li was encouraging me to raise my grandson as a young Dafa practitioner.
Master said in one of his poems:
“I have a dreamThere’ll be a day I will return to heavenThat is life’s true home” (“Realize My Dream,” Hong Yin IV)
Watching the Shen Yun Performance
In the past, my grandson complained that he could not understand the stories in the Shen Yun show. He said the same this year, and I felt I had to do something about it.
One day before nap time, after my grandson and I recited Master’s poem Watching Shen Yun, I told him the storylines of a dance from this year’s Shen Yun show. It was about a warrior’s path to enlightenment. Thus, he became interested and wanted to see Shen Yun that night.
That night, Shen Yun was streaming on the website. Then, the dance I had talked about was shown.
My grandson was so happy: “This is great! Like magic, and just what I wanted to watch.” He was mesmerized by the dance. Waving his little fists cheering for the warrior, and when the warrior made the right choice, he shouted: “I can do that too!”
He wanted to see another show, but we had to tell him that he needed to wait until next year. He recited Master’s poem: “Having to wait for next year's show seems so hard” (“Watching Shen Yun,” Hong Yin III)
Making Brochures
My grandson is curious and enjoys trying new things. During quarantine, he watched my every move when I printed Falun Dafa brochures. He was soon proficient at printing, cutting, and binding the booklet. I showered him with compliments.
However, he soon got bored and stayed away from me when I was printing brochures. I wondered, how should I guide him?
My husband said to me: “He is only seven, a child. You can’t expect too much from him.” I decided to just let him be for the time being, and leave it up to Master.
Several days later, my grandson saw me printing the Minghui Weekly, and thought that I'd made a mistake. He said, “Granny, you are making the old ones.” I told him it was good that he noticed but that a practitioner who had not read Minghui Weekly for a while because of the quarantine had missed a few, so I was printing those for her.”
He wondered why she did not print them herself. “Maybe she can’t,” I said. “You know how to make them even though you are so little, and you can help Master with Fa-rectification already. You are great!”
That made him say, “Oh, making brochures is also cultivation. I want to do it now.” I let him choose one on the pandemic. He found the weekly newsletter on the topic, downloaded it, printed it, cut it, bound the pages, and put the finished product into a small plastic bag. He was careful to press all the air out from the bag so the pamphlet looked well presented.
He did such a great job that my daughter asked him to make 10 sets, which she would take to people that evening.
Just like that, my grandson took over the responsibility of making the weekly newsletter on the pandemic. He also helped me make small banners to hang on trees in our neighborhood.
He confided to me: “Granny, I understand now. We cannot have the attachment to zealotry. One time when I was cutting brochures, I wanted to try cutting more pages at once, and my hands weren't steady, so I ruined two pages. What a pity.”
He was reflecting on his behavior. Looking at his chubby little face, my heart was filled with emotion. Raising a little practitioner is not easy. He needs our constant guidance and supervision.
We also learn from him. He mirrors our own attachments and areas where we need to improve. Our predestined relationship is to be treasured.
