(Minghui.org) I am 70 years old and have been practicing Falun Dafa for more than 20 years. Here, I would like to share how I persuaded members of my extended family to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations.
Saving Those Closest to Me
I decided to start clarifying the goodness of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) to the people closest to me. Although my husband is always by my side and has witnessed how Falun Gong clearly benefited both my body and mind, he remained deeply poisoned by the Chinese Communist Party’s atheist ideology. My attempts to discuss topics related to Gods and Buddhas were consistently met with anxiety and absolute rejection by him.
During my first attempt to talk to him about Dafa, he angrily yelled, “Stop telling me this! You are just looking for trouble!” Having been scolded by him like this for the first time in my life, I angrily ignored him, thinking “Since you don’t want to quit, so be it.” Yet I soon began having second thoughts, “No, I must save him. Isn’t it my mission to save people? If another opportunity comes by in the future I must seize it to save him. If I can’t even save my own husband, how can I save others? Master has talked about having compassion for all living beings, and I have the greatest predestined relationship with those closest to me. I can’t give up just because he is angry with me.”
After some time, reports about natural disasters and accidents started surfacing on television. While we were watching these reports, I told him about the “Legend of the Red-Eyed Stone Lion.” My husband turned to me with a look of disdain, “You stick to your business and I’ll stick to mine. I am responsible for my own life, so don’t bother me with this.”I knew persuading him was a work in progress and encouraged myself to persevere.
My husband was born in a family with close ties to the CCP. His father was an expert who taught the Communist Party’s theories, while his entire family had been brainwashed by the CCP’s ideology. They self-righteously rejected differing opinions on the basis that they know best. Although my husband’s stubborn defiance evoked my exasperation, I steeled my resolve to save him!
One day, while eating and chatting idly about the recent events around us, I told him, “Because you are closest to me, you are the first person I would warn in the event of impending danger. If you were in my place, I’m sure you would do the same in order to keep me safe. I know the dead-end road you have chosen to take is littered with life-threatening traps. Although you have boarded the train bound for this dangerous path, the train has not yet commenced its journey. How can I not do my best to save you?” As images of the final catastrophe and elimination appeared in my mind, I burst into tears.
I reminded him how my health and character had improved for the better after studying the Fa, and how Dafa had given me hope when I was severely ill and near death. My husband had seen how Master Li (Dafa’s founder) had purified my body and cured my many conditions, including my blood disorders, stomach diseases, gynecological diseases, cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, and pulmonary immune dysfunction.
I then told him how Master taught us to behave in an upright manner according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, to tell the truth, act with honesty and integrity, and not retaliate when being hit or scolded. “On the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party persecutes people who practice Buddhism and Taoism. This goes against natural laws and will result in retribution from heaven. The situation is rapidly changing and those who don’t withdraw from the CCP and its youth organizations will eventually lose their lives.” By the end, my husband’s eyes were also filled with tears. “Okay, okay, I’ll take the name ‘Chang An’ and quit the CCP.”
After I Put Aside My Grudges, My Father-In-Law Withdrew from the Party and My Mother-In-Law Started Practicing Falun Gong
With their status as CCP cadres, my father-in-law and mother-in-law used to look down on my status as a member of a working-class family. Because of our differing statuses, they thought my marriage to their son was inappropriate. My mother-in-law would stir up trouble and speak ill of me in front of my husband for no reason. My husband had to soothe my anger and persuade me to ignore her. Although we never quarreled openly, I continued to feel uncomfortable around my in-laws and resented my mother-in-law for ruining my reputation.
We chose not to live with my in-laws after our marriage, and I became pregnant the year after. My husband was still studying in college then. During my pregnancy, my hemoglobin levels dropped to 3.8 gm/dL, and I was hospitalized for severe anemia. Although this was a life-threatening condition for both me and our child, my husband’s family chose to ignore it. A week before our child was due, my mother-in-law called and urged my husband to go back to school, advising him not to sacrifice his future for this. In her eyes, the lives of his wife and child were of little worth, while her son’s career was of utmost importance. I had previously tolerated everything she threw at me, but with this matter concerning life and death, I found it hard to take and began to nurse a deep resentment in my heart. Falun Gong gave me the impetus to resolve the grievances between us.
Master has said,
“The other day I said something to you all: I said that if you can’t love your enemy then you can’t become a Buddha. How could a divine being or a person who is cultivating see an everyday person as his or her enemy? How could they have enemies? Of course, at present, you can’t achieve this. But you will achieve it gradually. In the end, you will achieve it, as your enemies would [otherwise] be human beings among the crowds of ordinary people. How could humans become the enemies of divine beings? How could they be worthy of being the enemies of divine beings?” (Teachings at the Conference in Houston)
A cultivator must save sentient beings and be compassionate to everyone. Practitioners cannot view ordinary people as their enemies, or have any enemies in the first place. Master’s teachings helped me to let go of the grudges I had harbored in my heart for years.
In 2005, my father-in-law suddenly suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. I printed out the nine-character mantra, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” and advised him to recite it silently. After my father-in-law’s rapid recovery and discharge from the hospital, I moved both my parents-in-law to our home to better care for them. I made sure to treat my parents-in-law kindly, meticulously catering to their every need, including their food, clothing, and daily necessities. I took care of every miscellaneous chore at home without complaint or anger.
My parents-in-law had been aware of my poor health all along. The outstanding improvement in both my body and mind changed my father-in-law and mother-in-law’s beliefs, and they started to believe in the goodness of Falun Dafa. I told them the truth behind the persecution of Dafa and let my father-in-law listen to the audio recording of Master’s Jinan lectures. I lent him a copy of Zhuan Falun to read. When I asked how he felt after reading the book, he replied, “It is very good, very different from what was said on TV.” With persuasion from my mother-in-law, my father-in-law eventually quit the CCP. Because he understood the truth and stood by his words that “Dafa is good,” my father-in-law, who was already dying then, lived another five years before passing away without suffering or pain.
My mother-in-law obtained the Fa and has been practicing for several years. A beautiful woman in her youth, my mother-in-law started to develop a hunchback as she aged. After studying the Fa and practicing the exercises, her spine became straight, and her complexion improved.
How My Older Brother-In-Law, Sister-In-Law and Their Family Quit the CCP
My husband has three brothers. His older brother works in the Municipal Procuratorate, while his wife works in the Municipal Court. Both hold high positions and are loyal to the CCP, and they were thus the most affected and poisoned by the CCP’s propaganda. They denounced anything they viewed as supernatural as “superstitious” and “silly,” including Gods, Buddhas, and ghosts. These mindsets coupled with their occupations made it difficult for them to accept the goodness of Dafa and withdraw from the CCP all at once.
Hence, I employed a step-by-step method to introduce them to the goodness of Falun Dafa. Even after I started practicing Dafa, I did not update them directly. Instead, I described the goodness of Dafa and its magical powers from the perspective of a bystander.
I share a close relationship with my sister-in-law, and we accept each other’s opinions with open minds and get along well. When my sister-in-law worried about my health, I told her, “I’ve started learning a new kind of qigong. It is very good, though I have yet to tell you about it.” She replied, “It doesn’t matter what kind of qigong it is, as long as your health improves.” In this way, I clarified the truth to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. My brother-in-law immediately agreed, “I’ll quit, I’ll quit.” My sister-in-law was more hesitant, “Can one decide so easily?” I told her, “We swore an oath to their flag, dedicating our lives to its cause. We must retract this poisonous oath, otherwise, you will have to bear a share of their sins. Gods and Buddhas look at people’s hearts. If you are sincere about withdrawing, you can declare it using a pen name or pseudonym, and there is no need to send a withdrawal notification to your work unit. Withdrawing will ensure the safety of your life when it is time for the CCP to be eliminated.” My brother-in-law also persuaded her, “This is a big thing, let’s quit as soon as possible.” With that, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law both adopted a pseudonym and quit the CCP.
In July 2006, my brother-in-law’s son came back from Guangzhou to visit his parents. I clarified the truth to him about the persecution of Falun Dafa and advised him to withdraw from the CCP. My nephew told me he was aware of the persecution because someone at school had told him about it. Because this fellow practitioner had previously paved the way, my nephew quickly agreed to quit the CCP.
How My Younger Brother-In-Law, Sister-In-Law, and Their Family Were Saved
My younger brother-in-law is a specialist professor at a university in Guangzhou and often travels abroad for work. When my sister-in-law concluded her visit to our hometown that summer, my husband and I sent her off in our car. During the journey, I told her about the goodness of Dafa and the positive changes I had experienced after practicing cultivation. My sister-in-law had been delighted to see my improved state of health and immediately agreed that Dafa is good. To my regret, the limited time left me unable to broach the issue of quitting the CCP.
In mid-October 2007, my elder brother-in-law and sister-in-law decided to go to Guangzhou to renovate the house for their son. Coincidentally, my husband was relaxing at home after taking a break from work. When he discussed the possibility of visiting Guangzhou with me I was elated. I had been looking for an opportunity to clarify the truth to my younger brother-in-law and his family, and Master must have arranged this.
Soon after our arrival in Guangzhou, my husband and younger brother-in-law went out to settle something. I seized the opportunity and explained the importance of quitting the CCP to ensure one’s safety to my sister-in-law. She readily agreed. “Okay, then just submit the withdrawal for our entire family.” I replied, “Each individual must agree to withdraw, otherwise it is useless.” “But your brother-in-law is very stubborn. I can’t guarantee he will be willing.” My sister-in-law agreed to talk to her son about withdrawing from the CCP, and I inwardly cheered about her decision to quit.
That evening, as my brother-in-law drove us back to our hotel, I told him, “I specially made this trip to see you, to let you know that I owe my recovery to Falun Gong. The media is only reporting false propaganda to frame Falun Gong. Falun Gong has both Buddhist and Taoist elements, and through its teachings of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, one can be a good person. The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has angered the Gods, who are out to destroy it. Those who have joined the CCP organizations must withdraw from it in order to preserve their lives. Your wife has already chosen to withdraw.” Hearing this, my younger brother-in-law’s expression instantly changed. “Are you out to ruin our family? I refuse to listen anymore!”
I tried to persuade him, “What I said is true. With so many natural and man-made disasters occurring, I worry about your safety! If you withdraw, Gods will take care of you.” My brother-in-law’s face tightened as he unhappily replied, “I don’t need you to worry, you just take care of yourself. Moreover, such actions are treason against the government.” My husband attempted to placate my angry brother-in-law, and instead of helping me, he scolded me. “Stop talking about this. Your brother-in-law is an intellectual, not a child. He can tell the difference.”
My brother-in-law had never taken this tone with me before. After practicing Falun Gong, I garnered a good reputation within my family and earned their respect. Even my usually respectful husband was acting uncharacteristically different. At this juncture, a phrase from Master’s teaching surfaced in my mind:
“The old forces don’t dare to oppose our clarifying the truth or saving sentient beings. What’s key is to not let them take advantage of the gaps in your state of mind when you do things.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2002 Conference in Boston, U.S.A.,” Collected Teachings Given Around the Word Volume II)
The process of saving others is also an opportunity for me to cultivate and improve my realm of mind. I calmed down and looked inward. My brother-in-law and husband were treating me this way because I failed to do well and made mistakes. Instead of regarding him as a life to be saved, I had acted based on human sentimentality and affection for him. Because my sister-in-law had agreed to quit the CCP with little effort, I became happy and started thinking of adding to this achievement. The old forces seized these gaps and blocked my attempt to save my brother-in-law. These human thoughts were interfering with my ability to save sentient beings. I immediately sent forth righteous thoughts, “To save others, I want to get rid of these human attachments and emotions. All evil beings and factors blocking the salvation of sentient beings shall be disintegrated. If there are any omissions, I will correct myself. No entity shall hinder me from saving sentient beings. My actions are the most righteous in the universe and no one else, other than Master, can intervene. I only acknowledge Master’s arrangements.”
I started considering the situation from his perspective. My younger brother-in-law’s attitude was likely driven by worry that I would be targeted for persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. My parents-in-law had been persecuted by the CCP for the longest time. Labeled a rightist, my father-in-law had been dismissed from his job, had his salary reduced, and suffered for the next 20 years. His life was only restored to normal in 1977. My mother-in-law was similarly persecuted after the CCP seized control over the country and she had no reprieve until the end of the Cultural Revolution. Their sons were similarly affected. Despite being lauded as geniuses by those around them for their intellectual capabilities, the Cultural Revolution robbed them of the opportunity to receive any higher education.
Because of their family history, my younger brother-in-law held no good feelings toward the evil CCP. With his outstanding abilities, every work unit had tried to persuade him to join the CCP, although each attempt was summarily rebuffed. Despite not joining the CCP, my brother-in-law had in his early years joined the CCP’s Youth League and Young Pioneers, and was still considered a member of the evil organization. His refusal to quit meant the CCP’s mark was still on him, and he would not be saved in the end. Faced with his stubborn refusal, I had no choice but to remain silent and wait for another opportunity.
Toward the end of 2011, my younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law invited our family of three to celebrate the New Year with them in Guangzhou. I sent forth righteous thoughts throughout the entire journey, asking Master for help to save my brother-in-law. With Master’s blessings and help from my mother-in-law, I successfully persuaded my younger brother-in-law to quit. I finally convinced him that quitting the CCP was not to achieve political gain, but a way for people to guarantee their safety from disasters in the future. Moreover, sentient beings had spent thousands of years waiting for this opportunity to clarify their stance. This time, my younger brother-in-law smiled and thanked me. His son and the nanny working for the family also agreed to quit the CCP.
My Cousin’s Family Received Blessings After Learning About the Goodness of Dafa
I also managed to persuade my husband’s cousin and his family of six to quit the CCP. My husband’s cousin owned a pig farm. During a particularly severe outbreak of swine fever, I advised his wife to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Their pigs remained free from swine fever and eventually commanded a high price when they were sold at the end of the year.
His wife suffered from poor health and had to be admitted to hospital each year. This year after quitting the CCP, she found no reason to visit the hospital. Their acts truly enabled them to receive great blessings.
My Family’s Staunch Belief in the Power of Dafa to Save People
In June 2006, I returned to my hometown to spread the goodness of Dafa to my younger brother, younger sister, and three older brothers. I used my own personal experiences to describe the improvements I had experienced in both body and mind and the miracles that Master had wrought while spreading the Fa. I explained why Jiang Zemin wanted to persecute Falun Gong and the truth behind the fabricated “Tiananmen Self-Immolation” incident. I told them that the propaganda being spread by the media is false! The CCP’s attempts to persecute those who practice a righteous way have angered the Gods and Buddhas, who are determined to destroy it. Those who became a member of the CCP had to swear an oath to dedicate their lives to its cause. With the Gods planning its destruction, those who do not withdraw in time will suffer alongside it, so it is in everyone’s best interests to withdraw from the CCP. Gods and Buddhas look at people’s hearts, so there is no need to apply for a formal withdrawal or contact the organization. Those who are willing to quit need only say so in their hearts for it to count.
I leveraged various ancient predictions and the spate of natural and man-made disasters to convince my family of the urgency of withdrawing from the CCP. Because our family had suffered deeply from the CCP’s earlier persecution campaigns, nobody in our family held any goodwill toward the regime. I spent five days traveling and talking to family members in each of the five households. Except for those who were absent, every single one of them agreed to quit the CCP.
My younger brother told me about a narrow escape from danger he had after he quit the CCP. He was dropping a colleague home one night on his motorcycle after having a few drinks. When they reached a large bridge, both passengers and the vehicle crashed into the edge of the bridge’s sidewalk. His helmet was smashed to pieces, though he escaped unscathed. I told him, “That’s because you quit the CCP. Master must have protected you, otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.” My brother agreed with my assessment.
After telling him about my cultivation experiences, my younger brother expressed his desire to pick up the practice as well. I told him, “Cultivation is a serious matter. This decision should not be made frivolously. If you still want to learn, I can help you.” After giving the matter further thought, he told me, “I want to learn.” I agreed to send him some cultivation materials after returning home. A week later, my brother formally obtained the Fa.
My younger sister’s pathway to obtaining the Fa was even more unique. One year after she quit the CCP, her husband took her out on his motorcycle for a leisurely ride. Halfway through, my brother-in-law felt dizzy and fell over at the roadside. The motorcycle handlebar snapped my brother-in-law’s chest and ribs in three areas, causing major internal injuries. His condition was so severe, that the hospital triggered the alarm for those in a critical state at least three times. Only after my sister recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and asked Master for help, did my brother-in-law’s situation improve. As a result, my sister staunchly believes in the goodness of Dafa.
My younger sister also witnessed how our second eldest brother remained pain-free after undergoing surgery, even up until the point when he passed away. When she asked me to explain, I told her, “Falun Dafa’s Master was suffering for him in his place.” My amazed sister then expressed interest in practicing Falun Gong. She asked, “Why didn’t I think of learning the Fa and doing the exercises before?” I replied, “In the past, the predestined time had yet to arrive. Now your desire to cultivate indicates it is time.” Master must have seen her determination and arranged for her to obtain the Fa.
Despite her lack of higher education, my younger sister diligently studies the Fa, even staying up late at night to do so. Coupled with her strong belief, Master soon began cleansing her body. She had been unable to walk long distances, but now my sister can walk for an extended duration without feeling tired. My sister said, “No one can block my cultivation path.”
My sister’s son works in another region. After learning the truth about Falun Gong, he quit the CCP. While he drives around for work, he always recites “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” Master arranged for him to receive a good career and good marriage prospects, and he now enjoys a smooth career and harmonious family life. My sister’s granddaughter enjoys the best academic performance in her class. Despite being laid off, my brother-in-law successfully applied for retirement benefits and has been in good health for the past 10 years. My sister’s family is truly blessed.
My trip helped everyone understand the truth and withdraw from the evil CCP. My gratitude to Master is beyond words. I can only strive to do the three things well and live up to Master’s compassionate salvation.
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