(Minghui.org) I live in the countryside and have practiced Falun Dafa since 1997. In the beginning, my husband opposed my practice, and we frequently argued. As a new practitioner with only a limited understanding of the Fa, I suffered greatly over family conflicts.
At one point, I began to doubt whether I could continue cultivating—it felt too hard for me. However, when I opened Zhuan Falun and saw Master’s portrait, my heart was deeply moved. Master Li chose me to be his disciple and has watched over me through countless lifetimes. This is an immeasurable honor. I became determined to continue my cultivation to the very end.
Once, after another conflict with my husband, he said, “Do you still call yourself a Dafa practitioner?” I was stunned and speechless. After a moment, I realized that Master was using his words to enlighten me.
To be honest, I was doing my best to care for his needs, but he was hard to please. I complained that he did not know how to appreciate what he had, since he grew up without a mother. I realized that my behavior was no different from that of everyday people, who always expect something in return. What he did was unintentional—it was helping me improve my character. I had practiced Dafa for so many years, yet I still had not learned to recognize my own faults during conflicts.
One day, I left home to attend group Fa study without telling my husband. When he realized where I was going, he chased after me, shouting, “Do you think I don’t know where you’re going? I’m not going to look for you even if you stay out all night!” I turned around and looked at him calmly, saying nothing. A voice in my heart said, “It’s alright. Go study the Fa.” My husband then turned around and quietly walked back home. When I returned home after group study, everything was normal, as if nothing had happened.
When I let go of my own interests and truly considered my husband, we got along better and he smiled more. Sometimes he even reminded me to send forth righteous thoughts. At noon, when our little grandson refused to sleep, he volunteered to watch him so I could focus on sending righteous thoughts.
I came to view conflicts between practitioners and family members with a new understanding. Often, we practitioners forget to look within and demonstrate our kindness. In many ways, our family members can reflect our own shortcomings.
In contemporary China, Communist ideology has damaged people’s morals and manners. Three neighboring families in our area did not get along, and a woman in the third family liked to stir up trouble. One day she said to me, “Look, those two families put their garbage bins in front of your house. How dirty!” One of the families had several renters, so they placed their garbage bins outside our entrance. I simply smiled at her and said nothing.
Perhaps I still had some resentment about the situation, since the trash bins attracted mosquitoes to our yard. Not long afterward, the woman brought up the issue again. I told myself that this must be another test of my character. I said, “If they want to put them there, let them. That is their decision.”
She replied, “You really are a fool! You let people walk all over you.”
Master taught us to hold ourselves to a high standard. I need to look at others’ strengths, be tolerant and understanding, and view things with a positive mindset.
When a neighbor was building a house next door, the woman again tried to stir things up by speaking badly of them. It was true that the construction workers sometimes stepped onto my roof. She urged me to have it out with them. I said, “It’s alright. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner.” She then silently walked away.
From studying the Fa, I have come to understand that cultivation is not about giving up all material things. It is about letting go of selfishness, greed, and desire. Selflessness and kindness are what endure forever. They are the standards for entering the future universe. I hope to pass on Master’s compassion to all sentient beings.