(Minghui.org) I have lived with my in-laws since I got married several decades ago. We all cultivate Falun Dafa. Although we have never had any major disputes, there were times when I got annoyed and was impatient with them. But they were good opportunities to look within and cultivate myself.
My mother-in-law was frugal and therefore reluctant to throw anything away. She often piled random items wherever there was an open space in the house, such as under the dining table, under the chairs, or next to the stove. When I cleaned the house, I had to put the items away, only to see them piling up again a few days later.
One morning, staring at one of her heaps of miscellaneous items as we were eating breakfast, I suddenly felt irritated. But just as quickly, I became alert and asked myself why I was upset and if a Dafa practitioner should have such a negative mindset. Those piles did not look nice to me, but what was it in my heart that was being triggered? These questions helped me realize that I had a disdainful attitude toward my mother-in-law, not because she did something wrong, but because she had failed to align with my standards. I did not always appreciate her habits because I was too attached to my own opinions, so the root cause of the problem was in me.
The Ancient Wisdom of Filial Piety
The people of ancient China emphasized filial piety above all else; daughters-in-law woke up early every morning to help their parents-in-law with their morning routines. In modern China, however, everything is reversed, and the elderly are expected to serve the young. Instead of caring for their in-laws, many people often justify their lack of filial piety by claiming that their parents-in-law did not provide much financial support when they married or helped them when they were in need. I have even met fellow practitioners who held this distorted view.
My Parents-in-law
Although both my parents-in-law are in their 80s, they get up at around three every morning to do all five exercises seamlessly. They are much more disciplined in this regard than my husband and I.
Dafa cultivation helps them to be healthy, and the occasional discomfort is quickly gotten over. My father-in-law is very diligent about his cultivation. He frequently rides his electric bike to connect with fellow practitioners, including those who have slacked off, both in the city and rural areas. My mother-in-law also frequently clarifies the truth to help people understand Falun Dafa and the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Dafa practitioners.
My mother-in-law always helps me with the household chores despite her age. She never lets me wash her clothes. When I’m not at home, she cooks, cleans, tends to the yard, and manages the household. Even though I sometimes have not done the household chores or taken care of them daily, especially when I went out early and returned home late for Dafa activities, she has never said anything or complained. When I was absent from home, she took care of everything for the family, and we never had any conflicts.
Being Grateful for My Mother-in-law
After pondering why I had ill feelings about my mother-in-law, I one day realized that it was my own shortcomings and mistakes that were to blame. I was embarrassed about the negative thoughts I had about her. I had no reason to look down on the way she did things!
I remember one morning while I was waiting for a fellow practitioner to pick me up to work on a Dafa project together, I was about to empty a basin of water. Just as I lifted the basin, the practitioner called, so I put it down to answer the phone. After the call, I saw that my mother-in-law had already emptied the basin and asked if there was anything else I needed help with. I was deeply touched and felt very grateful for her support.
Sometimes I invited fellow practitioners who were going through illness karma to my home to read the Dafa teachings together and share our experiences to help them through their challenges. My mother-in-law would study and send righteous thoughts with us. She would also help with the cooking and cleaning.
Those days, my heart was filled with gratitude, and this feeling even expanded to other things and people around me. Whenever I saw or thought of someone, I immediately felt a sense of gratitude. When I thought about those who treated me disrespectfully in the past, I thanked them for helping me to improve my character.
When I saw fellow practitioners, I was so grateful for their selfless understanding and tolerance and their repeated and unconditional cooperation, which led to many positive results in our truth-clarification projects and contributed to our overall elevation in Dafa cultivation. There are no barriers between me and my family or fellow practitioners.
Having Compassion for Sentient Beings
When my heart is filled with gratitude, my compassion for sentient beings grows stronger and my heart expands. It is a genuine feeling of gratitude from a heart that has no room for negativity. Things that I used to be attached to or couldn’t let go of seem so trivial now and are not even worth mentioning.
I remember one time when I was sending righteous thoughts in front of a police station, I saw officers coming and going through the front gate. I suddenly felt sad for them when a thought emerged in my mind that very few of them would be saved. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I had a genuine desire to save them. When my compassion arose, my heart seemed to expand to encompass the entire building of over a dozen stories tall. At that moment, I didn’t see them as evil police officers but as sentient beings who hadn’t been saved yet. I asked Master to give me a chance to save them and to give them a chance to be saved.
Everything in my life comes from Dafa. The atmosphere in my family is always very positive because we have Master and Dafa. We are Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, the most magnificent title in the cosmos. My heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for Master and Dafa.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to share my limited understandings with fellow practitioners.
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