Cultivating Solidly and Eliminating My Attachment to Sentimentality

(Minghui.org) The water was turned off in our building, but we weren’t notified. My husband told me to join the management’s WeChat group, my daughter agreed. I didn’t say anything. When I went to my Fa-study group I discussed the issue with the other practitioners. One said that no one knew where I lived, but if I was added to the management group, people from the local community management office and the police station would know. She also suggested I tell my husband not to join it.

I agreed. The local police harassed practitioners every year, but since I lived on my daughter’s property, they couldn’t find me.

When I returned home, I told my husband a practitioner suggested we shouldn’t add ourselves to that WeChat group. Before I even finished talking he began yelling. He shouted that he’d go there at 8 a.m. tomorrow and do it. When I tried to explain, he began cursing at me. I walked into the bedroom but felt very bitter.

I began to look inward. I was afraid, and also failed to let go of sentimentality for him, so his reaction was my fault. After I read out a few sharing articles on Minghui on my computer, I offered him some ice cream. He refused. I asked him if he was still upset with me. He calmed down. I knew that I should be considerate of him. I said, “You cursed me, but I wasn’t mad. I’m afraid that your blood pressure will shoot up if you get so angry. It’s not good for you to swear.” He replied, “You are so dumb.” What he meant was that he wouldn’t join their WeChat group, but didn’t say it.

Letting Go of My Attachments to My Daughter

My daughter lives in another city. When her child was little, I stayed with her to babysit. Her mother-in-law came to visit when her mother-in-law was getting treatment for leukemia at the hospital near her home. I talked to her mother-in-law about Falun Dafa, and she began to practice. When she went through illness karma elimination, both my daughter and son-in-law asked her to take medicine. She refused, but asked me, “Should I take medicine or not?” I said, “It’s up to you. Master never said not to take medicine when one is ill.” She decided to leave all her medications with me. She recovered within a few days. Before she left for home, I got an MP3 player and loaded Master’s recorded lectures, so she could listen to the Fa.

The following year, I visited my daughter’s home again. Her mother-in-law was ill again. My son-in-law tried to talk to her into taking medication. Remembering my experience from last time, I told her that last year she was really sick, but didn’t take any medicine. I asked her to do the same this time. But, what I didn’t know was that since she left, she had not studied the Fa and was no longer practicing.

She later told my daughter and son-in-law what I said about not taking any medicine. Because of that they stopped inviting me to their home to babysit their child. For ten years they didn’t call me, and only contacted my husband; they bought him clothes, and gave him some money.

I harbored a lot of resentment towards my daughter. When I looked inward, I realized that I was the one who didn’t do well. Both she and her husband had a misunderstanding towards Dafa. One year, they took both my husband and me for a sightseeing trip. When we had a meal, I apologized to my son-in-law.

Shortly after, the COVID pandemic started. I was worried that they would become infected, so I told my son-in-law to remember “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” He replied, “Get out!” I felt greatly pained. After I returned home, for a very long time, I still had his words on my mind. Only through Fa-study, did I stop thinking about it.

My daughter came to visit us in 2023, but she still gave me the cold shoulder. I prepared delicious food for her. She ate but didn’t talk to me. However, I knew I already let go of that attachment.

When she chatted with her dad that night, I just sat beside her. No matter what they said, I didn’t say anything. She told him that I treated her sister better than her, and bought her new clothes. She also said how difficult her life was. I remained quiet.

When I did the morning exercises, her words flashed into my mind, and I felt extremely uncomfortable. I thought: You went to university for four years, who supported you? I took on a labor work and earned 500 yuan a month. I gave all of it to you to cover your tuition. At that time, my husband was sick and made no contribution to the family financially. How hard was my life!? Not only do you not appreciate me, you even complain about me. I felt hurt all day. At night, I came across a sharing article which inspired me. I figured that I probably owed her from a previous lifetime and I had to pay her back in this lifetime. Since then, I completely let go of what she said.

Unmoved by Sentimentality

During the pandemic lock-downs, people from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee called my daughter, asking her to have me write the guarantee statement. They said that they’d give her ten days. If I refused, they threatened to dismiss her from work.

At that time, neither my husband nor I were home. She called my husband, saying, “People from the Political and Legal Affairs Committee called, and told me to have my mother write the ‘guarantee statement’. If she doesn’t, then they’ll dismiss me from work.” So my husband asked me to write one. I refused. He became annoyed, “If you don’t write it, then I’ll have to take you to the police station, where you’ll be held in solitary confinement.”

I said, “I used to be in poor health, but recovered after cultivating. If I hadn’t practiced, I would have died years ago. If I write that statement, my illnesses may return.” He said, “I don’t care. If she loses her job, I’ll divorce you.”

My daughter called me and tearfully said, “If you don’t write the statement, they’ll fire me. Then I’ll have to go begging for food. I’ll have to cut off my relationship with you.” I said, “I won’t write it or sign anything.”

I was mentally anguished: If I didn’t write the statement, my family members wouldn’t stop pressuring me. Since I couldn’t let go of my attachment to sentimentality, I couldn’t eat or sleep. On the other hand, I thought: I’ve cultivated for many years. Master has given me so much. This Dafa is extremely precious. I’m so fortunate to be a practitioner. This is an opportunity to let go of humanness. I firmly made up my mind not to follow their orders.

I then contacted another practitioner, who sent me legal documents. When I shared with our local practitioners, I said, “I want to call the people in the Political and Legal Affairs Committee about this matter.” They agreed.

One Sunday, I asked practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts for me. I asked for Master’s empowerment, then I called people in the Political and Legal Affairs Committee. The person who received the call said, “If you write a guarantee statement to not practice any more, we’ll remove your name from our list.”

I replied, “I can’t. If I do it won’t be good for you or your family, including your children. It’s clearly stipulated that as a Chinese citizen, one has freedom of belief and speech. There is no law that prohibits practicing Falun Gong. The former CCP leader Jiang Zemin and his gang broke the law when they decided to persecute Falun Gong.”

I also told them that Falun Gong teaches people to pursue kindness, and follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It also helps resolve illnesses and keep fit. I explained that I used to suffer from all kinds of illnesses, and recovered. Now my family is harmonious. How could I not practice something so wonderful? I said, “I’m sincerely trying to help you.”

I said, “I’m responsible for my own actions. Please don’t penalize my daughter, as she’s not in good health.”

I also reminded him that our ancestors believed that good deeds are rewarded, but bad deeds are punished. I cited several examples, and as I talked I could feel the negative factors behind him were dismantled.

After I returned home, my husband asked me to write the statement again. I said I no longer had to worry about it. He didn’t believe me. I then shared with him about the call I made. In addition, I also clarified the truth about Dafa to him more deeply.

There are many other things I’d like to mention, but I won’t list them all. I still have many attachments. I see many gaps in my cultivation when I compare myself to other practitioners. I will eliminate as many of them as I can, cultivate diligently, and return home with Master.