Compassion Changes Everything

(Minghui.org) I used to have a short temper and spoke up whenever I saw injustice.

I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1997. At first I did not realize that the conflicts I encountered were cultivation opportunities. Not only did I not control my temper, I got into a confrontation with my daughter’s in-laws. I later learned to search within and be considerate. My temper gradually mellowed, and my family got to see the goodness of Falun Dafa through me.

I did not approve of my daughter’s husband, even when they began dating. My daughter is attractive, gentle, and kind. She passed the entrance exam and worked at a government agency after college.

My son-in-law worked with her. He was dull and not a good speaker. He was also eight years older. Even their friends agreed that he was not good enough for her.

After they got married, my daughter and her husband lived with us. When he was upset with his own family, he verbally abused us. He was not attentive to my daughter and fought with her. Little things added up over time, but I did not understand that these were meant to help me with my cultivation—and that I should look inward. Instead, I asked my daughter to confront her in-laws. I even called her in-laws and warned them, “My daughter is heading over. She is not going to put up with your son anymore," hinting at an impending divorce.

Her mother-in-law started sobbing. The old couple called their other two children and their family to help calm things down. In the end, my daughter did not divorce him, but the grudge was there. They knew I was a Falun Dafa practitioner, so they did not have a positive opinion of Dafa. I later understood I'd made a mistake.

After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Dafa, I was sentenced to labor camps three times for a total of five years. While I was imprisoned, I did forced labor and was physically abused. However, nothing shook my belief in Dafa.

When I was released from prison, my relatives and my daughter’s in-law’s side of the family did not yet know the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa. Since they are my closest relatives, I knew I must save them by showing the goodness of Dafa through my behavior.

I knew I had to fix my bad temper, so I tried my best to cultivate my xinxing. One time I could not hold back my anger and argued with my son-in-law. I immediately remembered that I was a cultivator and I should not analyze the situation with ordinary people’s standards. Instead, I knew I needed to use the Fa as my guide.

I went to my room to send righteous thoughts and told myself that my son-in-law was good and that I didn’t want any conflicts or resentment between us. I stopped being angry. It was like magic. When I saw my son-in-law again, he acted as if nothing had happened.

I showed concern for my daughter’s in-laws’ needs and sometimes sent them food. After a time, they warmed up to me. I visited my siblings every month, bringing them groceries and helping them cook. They were quite touched. We all get along well now, and I've even had opportunities to tell them about Falun Dafa.

During this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, my daughter’s sisters-in-law got a large order of zongzi (a food traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival). The two women were so busy that they had to hire more helpers. Because they had so much to do, they did not have time to make lunch for themselves. I volunteered to cook for them. I made enough food for a dozen people and had my son-in-law bring it over. The women were moved by my gesture and later visited me.

I told Master in my heart, “Master, I did this to validate the Fa, not to validate myself.”

We recently had a large family gathering. At the dinner table, my daughter’s sister-in-law said, “Aunty is so nice to us.”

“We are family, which is a predestined relationship,” I replied.

My nephew suddenly stood up and said, “My aunt is nice, but she would not have been this nice if she did not practice Falun Dafa.”

I was shocked. My nephew never mentioned Falun Dafa in public, and he even tried to persuade me to not talk about Falun Dafa outside the house. I thanked Master for helping my family see the goodness of Falun Dafa.

I've stumbled many times in my 20 years of cultivation, but my belief in Dafa is unshakable. I will do well in the final stretch of my cultivation journey.

Thank you, Master! Heshi.