(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Gong in 1996. My wife, Xuemei, witnessed the positive changes I experienced, and she also began reading Zhuan Falun.
Xuemei thought the practice was good, and would go to Fa-study whenever I asked her to. She also went to Beijing with me to appeal for the right to practice Falun Gong on April 25, 1999.
I didn't realized at the time that my wife did not have a good understanding of cultivation, and that she still held onto atheism. Everything she did – be it going to Fa-study groups or to Beijing – was because I had asked her or she was worried about me.
I should have helped my wife have a better understanding of the Fa, instead of thinking that she was just an average practitioner. I was also busy with truth-clarification projects and did not consider how she was doing in cultivation or put a lot of effort in helping her improve.
I was arrested and detained in a forced labor camp. Fellow practitioners helped my wife while I was imprisoned.
Towards the end of 2012, the police repeatedly ransacked my home. My wife could no longer take the persecution and had a mental breakdown. She completely changed into an angry, violent person, hysterically screaming and hitting things every day. She also cried nonstop.
She stopped studying the Fa and also wanted me to give up the practice. When I refused, she picked up things in the house and threw them on the ground. She also broke my MP3 player that I used to play the Falun Gong exercise music, hid the Falun Gong books and did not allow me to sleep.
My wife later brought home different religious books to read. I carefully put away all the Falun Gong books and Master’s photo so she could not damage them. Master said:
“Even though we don’t acknowledge the old forces’ existence or arrangements, they have done what they’ve done. You play the leading role in this period of history, and the existence of everything at present, whether it be evil or the upright gods, has to do with you.” (“Walk Straight Your Path” in The Essentials Of Diligent Progress Vol. III )
Reading Master’s Fa enabled me to gain more righteous thoughts. I realized that as a practitioner, I did not play the major role in my family and I allowed the evil to interfere.
I took out all of my Falun Gong books and Master’s photo and displayed them in the most obvious places in the house. I said to my wife that the religious books she was reading had lost their original meaning as they have been passed down for many generations and interpreted by modern people. Furthermore, the books were written by people who were at the same level as her, so how could their words help her elevate and become a Buddha.
I seriously told her, “Since you have already obtained the Fa of the universe, how can you still be confused at this critical moment? Come back to Dafa. I hope those religious books do not appear in our house again.” I then threw them out. I could feel it was a battle between good and evil in another dimension.
My wife then went out and bought a copy of the Bible. Although she was going further away from Dafa, I could also tell that she did not truly want to learn Christianity. She just wanted to find a safe haven.
I gradually realized that my wife's condition was connected to my cultivation. One day, she yelled at me, “You think that if you cultivate well, you can achieve consummation? When you're leaving me like this, don’t even think about achieving it!” It was clear that the old forces used my attachments to persecute her, make her oppose Dafa and interfere with my cultivation.
I looked within to find any fundamental attachments I still had not let go of. I thought to myself, “Since she was predestined to be my wife and have the chance to study Dafa, then she must have a good relationship with Master. How could I use human notions to judge her?”
I always felt that my wife was an average practitioner since she did not cultivate solidly and her compassionate nature never surfaced. With that notion and believing she belonged with the next generation of Dafa practitioners, I gave up on her. Master said,“Born into the human world to await the Fa
Don’t let lies block your journey home” (“Spreading Sweet Dew” in Hong Yin III)
No matter how my wife behaved, I should not be fooled by what I saw at the surface, but instead, try my best to awaken her true self.
I truly wanted her to return to Dafa, so I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate all of the evil elements that blocked her from obtaining the Fa. I also looked within unconditionally and paid more attention to what she said.
When she said I was not humble, I searched inward and eliminated that attachment. When she said I did not cultivate my speech, I paid more attention to it, especially when making calls on my cell phone.
My wife then noticed how I was always looking within and eliminating my attachments, so one day she said, “I see that you have really changed!”
Fellow practitioners also took turns visiting her to try to find out the attachments that were blocking her from practicing Dafa again. She did not welcome them in the beginning, but later realized that she could share her insights with them. She eventually agreed to let one practitioner stay with us to study the Fa with her.
After studying Master’s recent articles, my wife finally began practicing Falun Gong again. She asked me, “Where did you find so many practitioners to help me?” I told her that I had not invited them. It was Master who did not want to give up on her, so he arranged for practitioners to come to our house.
My wife is very diligent now and attends Fa-study by herself. We also study the Fa together. She uses every minute to memorize Zhuan Falun.
In the past, I avoided my wife when I planned to visit relatives and friends to tell them about Falun Gong. Now, I ask her to accompany me. She also took the initiative to introduce the practice to more of her relatives.
This year, my wife told me that she wanted to get a cell phone to make truth-clarification calls. She said she wants to follow Master, do the three things well and return home.