(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, my children and my husband were ill, and I was the only healthy one in my family. I could not help bragging, “Because I have been practicing Falun Dafa for more than ten years, my health has always been excellent and I never need to take medicine. You may not practice Dafa, but you can recite the two phrases 'Falun Dafa is good' and 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good'. That will help you.”

My family members started sincerely reciting the two phrases. However, their conditions did not improve. Instead, they became even worse. My husband's throat ached so badly that he was unable to eat, my son's mouth was covered in sores, and my daughter was so weak that she could not get out of bed. What was wrong? I asked myself. Could these have anything to do with my cultivation state? Was it possible that Master was using this situation to enlighten me? I began to examine my thoughts and see if any attachments of mine might have triggered this situation. As a result, I did find that I was the cause of all the problems.

My husband, an outdoor laborer, works long hours every day. Once, he mentioned wanting to take a day off as a break, but I disagreed, saying that a strong man should not shy away from hard work. For the sake of being a “strong man,” my husband decided not to take a break and continued working. I realized that I pushed him to work just because I did not want to lose one day of his salary. What a strong desire for money I had!

As for my son, I always wanted him to get good marks at school, but I pushed him too hard to study. As his GPA had never been great, I felt I was losing face in front of my friend, who happened to be the chief instructor of my son's class. In retrospect, I realized that my attachment to fame and “face” was persistent.

My daughter has suffered an unusual illness since childhood and she could never carry out basic daily activities on her own. Thus, I stayed home to look after her full-time. I could not seek employment and had limited social interaction, which seriously limited my opportunities to talk to people about Falun Dafa and the persecution. I have been very concerned about my daughter's health. The more I was attached to her, the more serious her condition became. After examining my concern for my daughter, I realized that my emotional attachment was also strong.

I was ashamed of my attachments to fame, money, and emotional ties, which were so persistent, even after more than ten years of cultivation. I felt that I did not deserve Master' compassion and salvation. I made up my mind to eliminate these attachments by cultivating more diligently. I don't want fame, which is a big obstacle on my cultivation path, to make me fall. I don't want money, which is like a tiger that can bite me and hurt me. I don't want emotional attachments, either, which is a rope to tie me up and stop me from returning to my true self. I want “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” I want to follow Master's teachings, melt into the Fa and save people. Fame, money, and emotional attachments are definitely not the things I want for my life.

After I had gone through this process of looking within, the conditions of my family members changed. My son recovered soon after. His complexion became fair and clean, and his hair black and shiny. He told me that he had been reciting the two phrases frequently. I think my letting go of the attachment to fame helped to remove his tribulation. My husband's illness disappeared as well, and he escaped a recent accident at work unscathed. He told me happily, “The two phrases worked!” I think my letting go of the attachment to money led to his good fortune. My daughter's condition also changed for the better, as she became able to take care of herself and even help with some housework. I understood that my letting go of my emotional ties and replacing it with compassion triggered the change for her.

I have experienced the power of looking within; furthermore, I understand better what Master said,

“Ordinary people don’t know that all of this is encompassed by the expression “the appearance stems from the mind.” So, put another way, one’s own factors can in fact change one’s surroundings. “Cultivate yourself” and “search within” are words that I have said in a very straightforward and clear manner. (Laughing) But, there aren’t that many people who give these words due weight. What I was describing holds true for Dafa disciples when they do things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting)

Looking within is a priceless treasure that can benefit us in all respects, and we should cherish it. As we are cultivating in the midst of the secular world, looking within is an effective divine instrument to keep our hearts clean and pure.