Cultivating Kindness and Letting Go of Self-Interest

(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 2015 and I’m now 67 years old. I’ve benefited tremendously, and with Master’s protection, I feel truly blessed.

In today’s society, morality is declining, family conflicts are common, and divorce is frequent. My husband and I are both Dafa practitioners, and we are a blended family. Each of us had a son. I have also a daughter, along with elderly parents to care for and younger ones at home. If we did not practice Falun Dafa the conflicts would have been endless. Yet, our relationship is harmonious, all thanks to Falun Dafa. Cultivation has elevated my character. By constantly holding myself to Dafa’s standards and considering others first, we now have a harmonious family. Without Dafa, our family would have fallen apart long ago.

My husband and I did not attend university. To raise three children—his son, my son, and my daughter—we worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk. When we first married we left home to work in other cities, and lived frugally to save money. Over the years, many incidents occurred concerning my husband’s son, Jinjin. Each time, I measured myself against Dafa’s standards, improved my character, put him before myself, and always prioritized his needs. I’d like to share a few of these incidents to illustrate my cultivation journey.

Money for Jinjin’s Engagement

More than 10 years ago, while my son and daughter were in college, my husband’s son Jinjin dropped out after middle school and got a job in Beijing. He met a girl from Hunan Province and said he wanted to marry her. Our finances were very tight because our two children were in school, but I still managed to gather 30,000 yuan so he could travel to Hunan and get engaged.

But things did not turn out as planned. The girl refused to get engaged, but the money was already spent. I thought perhaps this was a debt I owed him from a previous life, and this is how it was repaid. I felt calm, knowing it helped me let go of my attachment to personal gain. Otherwise, how could I have given up my hard-earned money so easily? Master said, “If something is yours, you will not lose it. If something is not yours, you will not have it even if you fight for it.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)

Repaying Jinjin’s Credit Card Debt

A few years ago while my husband and I were still working in another city, he suddenly received a phone call saying his son accumulated large online debts that needed to be paid immediately, otherwise the police would arrest him. Most people in China would probably have ignored this situation. But as a cultivator, I chose compassion. I told my husband to transfer the 40,000–50,000 yuan we saved through our hard work to Jinjin so he could repay his debts. Nothing is accidental. I thanked Master for using this test to help me eliminate my attachment to self-interest and broaden my heart’s capacity.

Spending Over 100,000 Yuan to Build a House

China’s economy recently became sluggish, jobs are hard to find, and it’s hard to earn money. My husband used to work in a mine, but after an accident he was injured and classified as disabled. He received 60,000 yuan in compensation. He saved that money and did not spend it casually.

My husband said he wanted to return to his hometown to build a new house for his son, which would cost at least over 100,000 yuan. My relatives strongly opposed it. They thought I should not allow my husband to build the house but instead save the money for my own son to buy an apartment in the city, since that was no small sum. If I did not practice Falun Dafa, I would have agreed with them. But as a cultivator, I measured myself by Dafa’s standards again. I put my husband’s interests before mine, and I reminded myself to be selfless. Without hesitation, I agreed. Building and furnishing the house cost my husband over 100,000 yuan, which came from our family savings. I knew these repeated “debts” helped wear away my attachment to personal interest.

Helping to Care for My Parents-in-Law

My husband receives a monthly pension of 1,500 yuan. Out of that, 600 yuan must be set aside each month, to support his parents. His younger brother helps care for them. His family was moved by my kindness, which I cultivated because I practice Falun Dafa. My mother-in-law often praised me as a good daughter-in-law. Normally she was rather frugal, but once she insisted on giving me 20,000 yuan of her savings. I was moved to tears. I knew Master helped dissolve the resentment between us. When she passed away last year, I had no regrets. The kindness I developed through Dafa melted her cold heart, awakening her innate nature and allowed her true self to be saved by Master.

Each of these experiences reflects how I learned to cultivate within the Fa, taking the Fa as my guide to improve my xinxing. Step by step, year after year, I have walked a solid path of cultivation, which testifies to the power of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. From now on, I must cherish time, do the three things well, and diligently walk this cultivation path to fulfill my vow and return home with Master.