Looking Inward When Feeling Mistreated

(Minghui.org) My aunt is 52 years old. She is slim and a little impatient. Since she is the youngest in her family, everyone would listen to her, including her older brothers and sisters. After she married, everyone in her immediate family would also listen to her. I am only five years younger than her, and we are good friends. She took good care of me, and I am very close to her and would rely heavily on her.

Since cultivating Dafa, I understand from the Fa principles that I need to let go of attachments such as fame, fortune, and sentimentality. Therefore I gradually let go of my dependence on my aunt, and of my familial sentimentality towards her. Before I began to cultivate, when we talked, I would often listen to her suggestions, follow her thinking, and I would also agree with her ideas on how to deal with things. After starting cultivation, I gradually stopped being influenced by her, and use the principles of the Fa to distinguish between right and wrong. I thought I had let go of my sentimentality towards her.

In November, I lost my job, and my aunt invited me to work for her in the cafeteria where she works.

On my first day at work, she explained the work flow to me, what to do first, what time to cook, what time to prepare vegetables, what time to stir-fry, and what time to serve the meal. After a day of doing the actual work, everything seemed fine. I remembered everything.

On the second day, after the staff had breakfast, we cleaned up and started preparing for lunch. When I was picking and washing vegetables, my aunt said: “You are working too slow, this won’t work!” After hearing her words, I sped up my work. When I turned on the steamer to cook rice at 9:40 a.m., she said it’s too early and asked me to wait five more minutes. At 10:30, she was cooking, and I was making soup and preparing containers for the food. My aunt was done cooking, but I hadn’t finished yet. She shouted at me, saying that I was too slow.

I was stunned by her shouting. I had never heard her talking to me in such a tone, and it was hard for me to take it at that time. I couldn’t stay calm and peaceful like a cultivator should. I tried to calm down, but she was still complaining about me.It was only the second day, and I was still learning. How could she be so mad and treat a newcomer like this? Just when I was thinking this, she said again: “You can’t do such a simple job well. You are really incompetent.” I tried not to defend myself, and asked her not to be mad, and that I can do better. She was still mad and wouldn’t talk to me.

I felt really bad. Although she has a bad temper, she wouldn’t normally get angry because I was slow. As a cultivator, I need to look within to find what attachment caused such a situation all of a sudden. I spent the second day of my work in shock, however, I tried to cheer myself up and smile at my aunt.

After I got home that evening, I calmed down and studied the Fa. Looking within, I thought I had already let go of my attachment to sentimentality for family. But now it seemed I actually did not. I must get rid of it. Master had arranged this opportunity for me to eliminate my attachment to family sentiment. I knew I needed to seize the opportunity.

On the third day, when I arrived at the cafeteria, I saw that my aunt’s expression was still very serious. I felt pressure. I greeted her with a smile: “Good morning!” She ignored me. I asked, “What food are you cooking today?” After hearing me, she exploded: “Can’t you think about it yourself? Do you need to ask me everything? Why do you want to come bother me? It’s your business to prepare the food, don’t ask me.” My heart was trembling again. I endured it and didn’t say a word. As a result, I spent the third day in agony.

I studied the Fa when I got home and continued to look inward.

On the fourth day, my aunt told me to turn on the steamer at 9:45 a.m. But, at 9:40 a.m., she suddenly shouted: “Look what time it is, why don’t you turn on the steamer?” I said, “You said to turn it on at 9:45 a.m.” She said, “That’s what I said, and why did you believe it?” I was speechless. Since cultivating Dafa, I had been trying to follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance in my daily life. I was speechless when faced with such inconsistent statements, but I knew that improving myself was the key.

My aunt was cooking with a stern face. At this time, the manager came to the cafeteria and walked behind my aunt. Because the range hood was very loud, my aunt couldn’t hear well. I said, “The manager is here.” She didn’t hear what I said clearly, and turned around angry at me. When she saw it was the manager, she immediately put a smile on her face. At this time, seeing the changes in her expression, I understood that her behavior was all for me to improve.

Master said, “Instead of being angry with him, you should thank him in your heart and thank him sincerely.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun) I spent the fourth day at ease.

On the fifth day, we had a three-and-a-half-hour break after lunch and were cleaning the area. But, as I was washing the dishes, my aunt came over and said, “I’ve finished cleaning up the front, but you haven’t finished washing the dishes yet. You don’t have to cook when you go home, and I have to cook for my family when I go home. You are so slow. I would fire you today if you were someone else.” I was not moved and said, “You can go home, and I’ll finish the rest of the cleaning.” She said, “No, if the manager sees me leave first, he would think that I bully newcomers and make you work more.” Ordinary people are controlled by the concept of karma and acquired notions. It’s not surprising that they can say anything, and that’s not her innate self.

If you are not driven by emotion, you can clearly see the cause and purpose of the whole thing. When she was angry with me, she was targeting the emotion that I had not gotten rid of. This emotion would move my heart, and the negative things would appear with what she said. My attachments of resentment, hurt feelings, and jealousy would appear.

Master said, “Every test or every tribulation is related to the matter of either progression or regression in cultivation.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun) Cultivation is serious. I spent the fifth day in relief.

On the morning of the sixth day, as soon as I opened my eyes, my heart suddenly returned to a calm state. At work my aunt’s attitude was better. Her tone was calm, and her communication was normal. I calmly noted the changes in her. She said, “You can take a day off tomorrow. You have been working tirelessly for a week. I will take a different day off next week.” I saw that everything had returned to normal.

This xinxing test lasted for six days. During these six days, I experienced shock, suffering, relief, and finally returned to a calm mind. Dafa’s principles guided me through this process. I studied the Fa calmly, and my state of mind was no longer upset. Only then could I truly understand and let go of everything. Thank you, Master!