(Minghui.org) Rheumatoid arthritis, which I suffered from a few years ago, is a painful condition. My hands and feet were numb and hurt, and I could barely walk after my limbs and joints became deformed.
I knew I should look inward to get rid of my attachments. I found competitiveness, jealousy, pursuits, fear, showing off, zealotry, and so on. However, my condition did not improve.
One night, I woke up and suddenly recalled my late father. After my mother passed away, he married a widow in our neighborhood, and they started a new life together. His new wife created a lot of problems in our family and destroyed the peace in our household. My father seemed to have become a different person and paid no attention to what happened in the house.
One time, our stepmother secretly stole things from the house, but my father blamed my husband and me. After a fierce quarrel, my stepmother distracted everyone's attention to cover up her wrongdoings by cursing us in front of the Kitchen God. Her behavior was very difficult to endure and made living in such a repressive environment nearly intolerable. We cried often and grew resentful of them both.
If I hadn’t practiced Falun Dafa, I never would have forgiven them.
Until that night, I had never looked inward very deeply when it came to facing my family issues. The unpleasant memories reminded me of all the times they hurt us and were unfair to us. I looked at the situation from their perspective but continued to hold a grudge, believing I was in the right.
In truth, my words and behavior in the midst of those conflicts deviated from the Fa. I retaliated by irritating and hurting them as well.
Upon realizing all of this, I finally used a different perspective to evaluate myself. I recognized that I did not behave in accordance with the Fa's requirements. I regarded myself as a victim and totally lost sight of my unkind words and deeds, which stemmed from resentment. My poor behavior escalated these conflicts.
I began to look at the situation from the perspective of my late father and stepmother. It must have been very difficult to lose their spouses and then get married again. I judged the situation on the surface, without thinking deeply. When there were disputes, I often considered things based on my own notions and never wondered how they felt. I continued to think things were unfair and grew even more resentful.
When I realized my fault of not looking inward and not cultivating solidly, I cried with regret that it took me so long to recognize my problem. I sincerely apologized to my late father and stepmother and asked for their forgiveness. I also thought about the karmic relationships in my family.
From a cultivation perspective, people’s lives are influenced by their historically complicated relationships. Although my late father and stepmother harmed us and made things difficult for us, that could have been karmic relationships at play. I might have harmed them even more in our previous lifetimes.
Nevertheless, people should be grateful to their parents for raising them. If my father and stepmother were still alive, I would start anew and consider things from their perspective. I would sympathize with them using my pure heart and kindness, and support them in their declining years.
After I changed my perspective about my father and stepmother, I suddenly became immersed in a compassionate and peaceful field. I felt comfortable and warm inside and out. My heart was filled with ease, peace, and tranquility, something I had never experienced before.
My resentment for my father melted away instantly—and so did the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. My hands and feet recovered nicely.
Because I truly wished to cultivate, I believe Master helped me recall these family conflicts so I could remove my resentment and resolve my long-term issues. I then experienced the magical power of looking inward and true kindness.
The magnificent Fa-rectification will demonstrate its mighty power soon. The remaining time is extremely precious. As Falun Dafa practitioners, we must double our efforts to do the three things, save more people, and fulfill our mission.
If we do things well, Master will be pleased with the results.