(Minghui.org) I was born in rural China. When I was two years old, my mother died in a car accident, leaving behind my sister (6 yrs), my brother (4 yrs), and me. My father had to take care of us and work in the fields. It was very difficult for him.
Because we misbehaved and did poorly in school, our father felt ashamed and started drinking, sometimes staying out very late. The three of us would make dinner and go to bed on our own.
One night, he came home drunk, pulled my brother out of bed, and whipped him with his belt for no apparent reason. My sister and I cried and begged him to stop. My brother ran out into the rain completely naked and didn't come home until the next day. My father scolded us for letting him down and blamed us for his not being able to remarry.
Another time, he came home drunk in the middle of the night and told us to get dressed. He gave us some money and told us to leave home and make our own living. He cried and laughed hysterically, throwing dishes, pots, and pans on the floor as we watched and cried.
My sister and I often felt sorry for our father. But after being scolded and beaten so often when he got drunk, we felt more resentment toward him than pity.
Our New Mother
When I was eleven, we were introduced to our new mother. She brought with her a little boy who was younger than us.
My new mother practices Falun Dafa. She treats the three of us just like her own children. We didn't accept our new brother at first, and often argued and fought with him. My father didn't like him, either, which made my new mother very sad. But she still treated us kindly and said, “I am a Dafa disciple. I cultivate truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. My teacher told us not to fight back when we are beaten or sworn at.”
According to our neighbor, who is also my new mother's sister, “Your new mother used to get sick all the time and couldn't do any laborious work. She is much healthier after she started practicing Falun Dafa. Your father is really fortunate.”
My new mother worked very hard for our family. She usually came home after a busy day in the fields and made us dinner. She took care of the children and put the house in order.
“These children finally have a good mother now,” the villagers would say.
Because of her thrift and good management, our family was able to build a new house in few years. People in the village praised her for being a good wife and a good mother.
Learning Dafa and Resolving Conflicts
When my older sister got married and had a child, my new mother went to her home and took care of them for the first month. She cooked for them and washed clothes and diapers. She often stayed up late into the night to take care of the newborn so that my sister could get some rest. She never complained.
When I had personal issues, my new mother could always tell. She told me to read Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa. “If you read it with a calm mind, you'll figure it out,” she said.
My sister was the first to start practicing Falun Dafa among us. I also started to read Zhuan Falun. In the past, I would speak whatever came to my mind, sometimes without even realizing that my words had hurt other people. Now I can remember Master's teaching when conflicts arise:
“As practitioners, you will suddenly come across conflicts. What should you do? You should always maintain a heart of compassion and kindness. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you room to buffer the confrontation. You should always be benevolent and kind to others, and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation practice you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.”
“In cultivation practice, there may be two scenarios when dealing with specific conflicts or when others treat you badly. One is that you might have treated this person badly in your previous life. You feel in your heart that it is unfair, "How can this person treat me like this?" Then why did you treat this person that way in the past? You might claim that you actually did not know it at that time, and this life has nothing to do with the other life. That does not work.” (Zhuan Falun)
I no longer resent my father for the past. My father rarely gets drunk now, and a smile has returned to his face. He is very supportive of our practicing Falun Dafa.
My family is grateful to Dafa, because it helps us live in harmony. It gives us principles to follow in this degenerated society. Every day I recite, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!”
