(Clearwisdom.net) Ever since I started cultivating in Falun Dafa, Master has guided me, helping me to keep a calm mind and not be weighed down by material concerns, thereby allowing me to live my life with a relaxed attitude.
When I was young, I often thought about the existence of life and wondered whether there were other living beings in the universe and how they lived. I spent every holiday in a bookstore, searching for the answers to these questions. Although I bought many books, none of them were able to fully answer these questions, often referring to them as "unsolved mysteries" that were yet to be discovered.
When my uncle came to visit in January 1997, he told me that he had just read a book called Zhuan Falun. He said that the contents of the book were very good and that it used simple words to explain how everyone should be a good person, follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, elevate his or her xinxing and raise his or her level. At the same time, the book revealed the truth behind many unsolved mysteries that science has not yet unraveled.
I wanted to read the book, so I borrowed it from my uncle. Zhuan Falun has become my guide for life, and I've been reading it every day ever since. The principles described in the book help me guide my xinxing and live happily in this complex world.
When I was in the ninth grade, two years after I started practicing Falun Gong, the schoolwork was very intense. However, I still made time to read Zhuan Falun every day and do the exercises in the morning, which gave me the energy to prepare for the high school entrance exams. The atmosphere in the month prior to the exams was very tense: Some classmates were studying late into the night, some were looking for contacts who could arrange for them to get a good score and/or get into a good school, and some were preparing to cheat on the exam.
I was a good student, so others often came to me with questions that took up much of my time.
In the beginning I felt annoyed, thinking that I also had to study and didn't have enough time to help others, or that I would fall behind. I had good relationships with my classmates, however, and felt bad about not helping them. I did not know what to do: I did not want to offend my classmates, but I did not want to waste my time either.
When I told my mother about my dilemma, her simple words inspired me: "Didn't Master tell us that we have to be good people regardless of the situation, that we have to put others before ourselves? If classmates have difficulties, the right thing to do is to help them." When I told her that sometimes they asked me questions in the middle of my own work, breaking my train of thought, she said: "Then tell your classmates nicely that you need to finish your problem set first and will help them after you are done. I think your classmates will understand. Actually helping others will not affect your own grades. Master taught in Zhuan Falun that what is yours will always be yours, so you will have what you are entitled to in every situation. Worrying too much about loss and gain are all human attachments, we should let them go. You should understand this."
After speaking to my mother and thinking about Master's words, I calmed down and no longer worried about my own interests. I was happy to help my classmates.
During the last few days before the exam, my xinxing was tested again. My good friends saw that I hadn't prepared to cheat on the exam and urged me to cheat so that I would have a better chance of getting into a good high school. Even my teacher told me not to be so stubborn, saying that having a good connection with my classmates would benefit me in the exam room.
My heart was not persuaded by these arguments, however. Considering the issue from the perspective of the Fa, I recognized that the fate of human beings is predetermined and that it would be enough to just do what I ought to do. If I cheated and got what did not belong to me, then I would owe someone a debt, which I would have to repay later. Cultivators should accept what life has planned for them. Since I cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I cannot cheat, as that is a violation of Truthfulness.
Since I overcame my desires, my heart was calm. I concentrated on reviewing my schoolwork and was not influenced by my classmates. In the end, I got into one of the best high schools. My heart was calm when I received the acceptance letter because I understood that this result was predetermined.
It has been thirteen years since that time, and I am now an adult, with my own family and a three- month-old baby. As I've continued to cultivate, I've received many benefits. My family life is harmonious. My husband's parents, brother, and brother's wife, are all Falun Gong practitioners. Under the guidance of Dafa, we care for each other and don't have usual the modern family conflicts regarding material goods or emotions.
Prior to beginning cultivation, I was a very competitive and self-centered person. I did not know how to care about others, and when conflicts arose, I would not yield. My husband also had a short tempter and was very arrogant prior to cultivation. Among ordinary people, two self-centered people like us could easily have conflicts. However, we are both practitioners, so even though we both still have some of our attachments, we respect each other, and do not quarrel or say hurtful things to each other. Instead, we reason with each other, help each other and correct ourselves. When we have disagreements, we each seek the other's opinion and then compromise to do what's best for the situation. Those who have seen the harmony between my husband and I say that we have a predestined marriage.
Master taught us how a husband and wife should behave toward each other. As a wife, I should be considerate of and care for my husband and not try to control him. Therefore, I tend to my husband's daily needs. When my husband is unhappy about something or has lost money in his business, I talk to him, advise him to take gain and loss lightly and remind him not to bicker with ordinary people. Sometimes my husband forgets to pay special attention to his parents, and then I remind him that he should take good care of his parents. With respect to finances, I share my money with both my husband and my brother-in-law if there is a need. Because we care for each other's feelings and take responsibility for each other in every way, we get along very well. Our family is happy because we cultivate Falun Dafa.
We often don't get what we desire in the human world, but the important thing is how we react. If we fight for fame, money, or love, we, ourselves, are eventually harmed. But if we take everything lightly, observe everything with a calm and compassionate heart and let everything run its course, then we won't be dragged down by our attachments, and we will live in peace.