(Minghui.org) I used to be aggressive and bad tempered, which got me into trouble. I was jailed for committing a crime when I became acquainted with Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practitioners in 2000. They were such good people that even I could see the beauty of Falun Dafa and the greatness of its Master, who had such wonderful disciples.
The practitioners were imprisoned as part of the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong, but I learned that the negative propaganda spread by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was false. I was so drawn to the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that Falun Gong teaches, that I also began practicing, even though I was in jail.
I was released in 2004. When my family learned that I was practicing Falun Gong, they were very confused. Like myself, they had been deceived by the news fed to the newspapers and TV by the CCP. Submitting to the CCP's despotic authority, they vehemently opposed my involvement in Falun Gong.
Inspired by the principles, I knew that as long as I acted like a genuine practitioner and always conducted myself in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, my family would surely acknowledge the practice. So I became determined to cultivate myself well, from my actions to my speech, and genuinely manifest the grace and elegance of a Falun Gong practitioner.
I Was a “Shrew” and No One Dared to Challenge Me
I am the only daughter, with four older brothers and three younger brothers. Because I was spoiled, I was the boss at home. I was straightforward, harsh, and impatient, and I would beat up anyone I didn't like. No one in my family, including my sisters-in-law, dared to challenge me. If they did, I gave them a hard fist. I had beaten almost everyone in my family. For a little bit of vested interest, I fought with one of my sisters-in-law, and bit off her ring finger.
My uncle also had a hot temper, and no one dared to challenge him, except me. I cursed people non-stop like a machine gun. One day, my uncle got so angry with me that he started chasing me up the mountain. I was running uphill, stopped, and picked up a stone from the ground. I threatened him, “If you dare come any closer, I swear I'll smash your head with this stone.”
He was terrified. In a burst of helpless anger, he called out, “You shrew!” That became my nickname.
I have completely transformed myself after taking up the practice of Falun Gong.
Falun Dafa Taught Me How to “Forbear”
My father passed away in 2004. To bury him, my brothers had to pitch in their shares. They gave me the money to take care of the funeral. My eldest brother got very upset with me. He said, “You are just a married woman. Who gives you the right to manage our family's affairs?” I didn't argue with him or hold any resentment against him. After this incident, I treated him as if nothing had happened.
One day, my eldest brother's buffalo got out of the stable, went to the field, and started eating one of the villagers' crops. My eldest brother wasn't home, so my neighbor went to ask my (fifth) younger brother to restrain the buffalo. Because my younger brother didn't get along well with my eldest brother, he didn't go. When my eldest sister-in-law found out, she said I intentionally told my younger brother not to take the buffalo home, trying to provoke conflict between me and my younger brother. Remembering that I was a Falun Gong practitioner, I didn't defend myself.
A few days later, my eldest brother wanted to slaughter a pig. He phoned my younger brother for help. Seeing who the call was from, he didn't pick up. I said to my younger brother, “No matter what, he is our brother. How can you treat him like that?” I took his phone and called him back.
My eldest sister-in-law answered the phone and accused me of stealing the phone that my mother gave to my younger brother. Not only that, she went around and badmouthed me in front of my neighbors. Since I was a Falun Dafa disciple, I didn't take revenge. Not only did I not resent her, I also helped feed her family's buffalos, pigs, and chickens.
My niece (my eldest brother's daughter) came home from school one summer, and I went to see her. My eldest sister-in-law started picking on me. My niece got annoyed at her mother. After she finished, I calmly said, “Now I practice Falun Gong. My master has taught me the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. That's why I am able to tolerate you when you make trouble for me. If I didn't practice Falun Gong, do you think it would be possible for me to treat you this way? In the past, who dared to challenge me? Falun Gong has changed me completely.” They listened quietly. My third elder brother said, “We can tell the practice is good by observing how our little sister has changed.”
In 2009, I gave my eldest brother an MP3 that contained Master Li's lectures. He listened to the lectures and loved them, so he also became a Falun Gong practitioner. He used to have widespread psoriasis. For two decades, he'd spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to find a cure, but to no avail. Now, after listening to Master's lectures, the psoriasis miraculously disappeared. He also quit smoking and drinking. He apologized for the misunderstandings he had about my practice. He promised he would practice to the very end.
My Husband's Family Thinks I Am the Best Person in the Family
After I divorced my first husband, I had custody of our two daughters. I later re-married. My new husband's family knew I was a Falun Dafa practitioner. In 2012, my mother-in-law had a cerebellar atrophy and emphysema, and was admitted to the hospital. She was coughing, had dizziness and asthma, and couldn't take care of herself.
My mother-in-law has three sons and four daughters. After sending her to the hospital, her children didn't go to see her. I was the main person taking care of her. I spent over-nights and bought porridge, fruit, desserts, and nutritious food for her. I also changed her diapers and kept her clean.
Some people in the hospital asked if I was her daughter or daughter-in-law. She proudly said, “She is my daughter-in-law.” They admired my mother-in-law and said there aren't a lot of people like me in the world nowadays. I told them, “It's because I practice Falun Gong. My master teaches me to be a good person and live up to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance no matter what.”
When my mother-in-law was in the hospital, I let her listen to Master's lectures, and asked her to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” She recovered quickly and was discharged from the hospital three months later. Her health has since been good. Many people have said it's very hard to balance the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but I don't have this problem. My mother-in-law loves to stay with me, and we talk endlessly.
My husband and his family are extremely pleased to have me in the family and say I am the best person in the family. They acknowledge Falun Gong, and I convinced his entire family, 30 people, to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Bringing “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” into My Business
I have a tailor shop and serve all kinds of customers. Whoever they are, I always hold myself to the standard of Dafa. I don't cheat or take advantage of them, and treat them with respect, integrity, and fairness.
Oftentimes, customers' clothes and bedsheets come with forgotten money tucked inside. If I find money, I save it until the customer returns. One day, a man brought a shirt in for alteration. There was over $100 cash in one of the pockets. When he came back for his shirt, I gave him the money. He was deeply moved and said, “You are a living Lei Feng.” (a Chinese character in the 1960s known for his honesty and generosity) I smiled and said, “I am not Lei Feng. I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner. I cultivate Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. This is your money. I have to return it to you. No need to thank me.”
He was astounded to hear this and said, “There's nobody like that nowadays.” I started clarifying the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong to him. I discussed how wicked the CCP is, and asked him the quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. He readily agreed.
On another occasion, a female customer started yelling at me in the store because she didn't like the way I altered her clothing. A few other customers were present. I tried to explain the situation to her, but she didn't listen and got even more furious. She knew I practiced Falun Gong, so she threatened to report me to the police and have my store shut down.
As a Dafa practitioner, I knew I shouldn't fight with her. I waited until she calmed down a bit and said to her with a smile, “Anger is not good for your health. It's just a piece of clothing. Please put it on. I want to take another look and see how I can make it look better on you.” She calmed down and put it on. I looked at it and pinned it to be altered.
When she came back to pick it up, I told her, “As a Falun Gong practitioner, I always try to look inward when a conflict arises. Otherwise I would find fault in others.” I further clarified the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong to her. She listened attentively and, on my recommendation, quit the CCP. She also asked me for more fact-clarification materials. Since that day, she has often stopped by my shop to say hello, and brought me fruit and candy. This is the power of Falun Dafa.
A woman came to me for alterations. I would usually charge at least $30 for such a job, but since she was elderly, I charged her only $20. I clarified the facts of the persecution of Falun Gong to her. She enjoyed listening to me and said I was the kindest person she had ever met. She later introduced me to her daughters, who also thought I was very kind. I told them that it was all because I practiced Falun Gong. I shared with them the beauty of the practice and how it changed me. After learning the facts of the persecution, they all quit the CCP.
Everyone in the neighborhood knows that I practice Falun Gong. Through me, they see the beauty and greatness of the practice, and believe that Falun Gong practitioners are kind. I take every opportunity to clarify the facts to them. Sometimes they see that I am very busy, and they bring me food.
I have flocks of customers coming to my shop, and my business is booming. They like to come here even though they have to wait in a long line. We are very close to each other, like a family. There's another tailor shop in the neighborhood, but it's very quiet. No one likes to go there. Even their relatives choose to come to my shop instead.
I have forgotten how many customers I've clarified the facts to. One day I went to the market to buy some food. One of the vendors selling vegetables called to me and said, “You are the one who taught me to recite 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.'” I smiled at her, and said, “I am very sorry, I can't recall and don't recognize your face. But as long as you remember 'Falun Dafa is good' it is good enough.”
