Cultivating Solidly at Home and Work

(Minghui.org) While attending Junior High School in 1998, my mother introduced me to Falun Dafa. We both had serious hereditary liver disease. In addition, she also had tuberculosis. She tired easily and often took medications, went to hospitals, and had IV injections. After studying the Fa, doing the Dafa exercises, and cultivating xinxing, her mind and body improved a lot, and our family became harmonious.

I became immersed in popular culture and having fun. My willpower was weak, and I did not want to be restricted. Academically, I performed poorly. Along with being a poor student, I developed many bad habits, which annoyed my teachers.

But I had an unexplainable affinity for Dafa. I could sense its goodness, as well as Master Li’s compassionate and amiable nature. But my Fa study habits were weak. While watching Master’s video lecture series or listening to the audio version, I often stopped to do other things. I rarely did the exercises, and my mind was not calm. I simply did not want to endure discomfort, so I was not a true Dafa disciple.

Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader, began to persecute Falun Dafa on July 20, 1999. The atmosphere at home became tense. My father objected to my mother’s cultivation. He would beat or scold her whenever she came back from telling people the facts about Dafa, putting up posters, or distributing flyers. He even wanted to divorce her.

Drifting Away from Dafa

Overwhelming defamatory propaganda by the CCP saturated the schools and society and deceived millions of Chinese citizens. The evilness horrified me when the Communist regime staged the Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident. I lived in a dormitory in high school and college, which took me away from my home environment of Fa study and doing the exercises.

When I went home for summer vacation, my mother had me read Master’s new articles. I understand that we are now living in a time in which karma is surging and demons are degrading people’s minds. These bad notions are pulling them toward hell. And without Dafa as a guide, one cannot be true and righteous. I also sank into this mundane world and was even inferior to ordinary people. I felt sorry and ashamed.

But “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” were like seeds that had been planted in my heart. The school tried to pressure me to sign banners that denounced Dafa, but I refused. I hated to hear the hollow school slogans that praised the evil party.

When I went home for the Chinese New Year, my relatives ridiculed me, “Have you watched TV? Are you still practicing Falun Dafa?” I replied, “Sure I do!” Although I said so, my unrighteous thoughts were getting stronger and I drifted away from Dafa. It was not until April 2021 that I finally returned to cultivation practice. It had been 23 years!

Master’s grace made me cry when I read Zhuan Falun. I felt joy for having another opportunity to learn Dafa. I was also the grateful to Master for not giving up on me, despite the fact that I wasted 23 precious years.

Elevating My Character

My wife did not understand my cultivation practice and initially opposed it. But she could not do anything about my insistence. Once, when I was ready to go to another practitioner’s house to study the Fa, she lost control and became verbally abusive. I did not maintain my xinxing and started an argument with her: “Since I learned Dafa, I don’t drink or gamble and have been faithful to you. Dafa teaches people to be good.” But she said those are things I should have done anyway.

She picked up a vase and threw it to the floor. She then held a jagged piece in her hand, and I tried to stop her from hurting herself. She yelled, “Either you give up Falun Dafa, or we get a divorce. You have only two paths.”

I said, “We can get a divorce. You need to let go. Don’t hurt yourself.” She was adamant, “Let’s go now, right away!”

On our way to the Civil Court Office, I said to Master in my heart, “Master, I was wrong. I was unable to control my xinxing. I cannot divorce her. Many people around me don’t know the truth of Dafa. It may have an adverse impact. Please help me.”

Perhaps it was because Master saw my willingness to correct myself, the court clerk told us that our documents were insufficient, and we needed to come back. So we ended up not getting a divorce.

In reflection, I found that every time I had a conflict with my wife, it was because I did not adhere to the Fa’s standards, and my xinxing was lacking. I was using ordinary qing to react and was not calm and considerate of her. Some of my hidden attachments were not easy to detect.

When I argued with my wife, I thought that if Dafa is so good and righteous, why did she not understand? I felt bad but didn’t know I was already deviating from the Fa. I wanted to demonstrate good character, but it was all my attachments that were being demonstrated. I will eliminate my zealotry, competitiveness, jealousy, and resentment from now on. I will be tolerant, understanding, and kind to my wife so she will see that Dafa is wonderful.

I truly feel the seriousness of cultivation. It is not done for oneself, but is for putting others first. Master wants us to be selfless people! I did not just talk about it, but tried to actually follow the Fa’s standards to do this. Only by actually letting go of my attachments will I fulfill my cultivation path. With my continuing to study the Fa and temper myself, my wife never attempted to stop my practice again.

My father-in-law always misunderstood and bad-mouthed Dafa because he was poisoned by the CCP’s slander and propaganda. This past summer he passed out and was taken to the hospital. My wife and mother-in-law recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” all night. He woke up the next morning. My wife exclaimed, “Dafa is just miraculous!”

The doctor found my father-in-law had a brain tumor. He was transferred to the provisional hospital and then to Beijing for surgery. When he returned home, he said that he felt he was lying in a coffin when he was transferred to Beijing in the ambulance. When he was pushed into the operating room, my wife communicated with me through a video chat. I told my father-in-law to recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” He gave me an “ok” sign. He fell into a coma on the third day of the operation and did not wake up for a number of days.

My father-in-law has since recovered very well. My mother-in-law said, “He’s like a new person. I put the protective talisman that you gave me in the back of his cell phone cover.” My wife and in-laws all believe Dafa is good and have quit the CCP and its affiliates.

My mother-in-law read Zhuan Falun before, so she knows Dafa is good. A fellow practitioner suggested she watch Master’s video lecture series. She readily agreed. My son also studies the Fa and does the exercises with me. He requires himself to follow Dafa’s standards. This practitioner said my son has changed so much after he began cultivation; he is like a new person, understanding and polite. Everyone feels that he is warm and likable.

Remolding Myself According to the Fa

I’m an art teacher in a college. I corrected my irresponsible, unconstrained, and relaxed attitude which most teachers nowadays display. I found modern art theories and many modern, anti-traditional art styles have distorted people’s understanding of beauty. This causes great damage to the tradition of divine culture.

The displays of such irrationality are called liberation of individuality. Such arrogance prevents people from recognizing traditional artistic beauty and its deeper content. As a practitioner, I need to use Dafa as the standard and fulfill my responsibility of conveying the orthodox art style of traditional culture to my students.

There are 30 students in my class, and most of them have had no basic training in art. It’s difficult to completely grasp fundamental art theories and the basics of color, shape, and structure in half a semester. One needs to learn through repeated practice to gain these skills.

I first reduce the painting paper to 21 cm x 28.5 cm. I require that each painting be somewhat complete, so it’s easier in a smaller format. In the beginning, I strengthened the students’ confidence and encouraged them to pay attention to details. I come to the classroom 15 minutes before each class and talk about instructions beforehand, so that the students have more time to paint.

My serious and strict attitude of teaching affects everyone. Students all come early to prepare. Every student’s painting needs adjustment. Each person has their own unique strengths and deficiencies. I correct the students individually and follow up as needed until they finish the piece.

A small painting needs to be adjusted several times during a four-hour class. I don’t take breaks and neither do the students. Nobody plays with their cell phone. The students often comment, “This is not a college classroom. It’s a boot camp!”

There are no shortcuts to learning things. When the semester ends, students’ paintings are framed and hung on the walls. When we look at our work together; the joy is indescribable. I believe their parents will also feel happy upon seeing their children’s compositions.

Aside from my teaching job, I also correct myself constantly according to the Fa in every setting. I understand that “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) It’s Master’s support that helps me to do well. I should not have the attachment of zealotry.

Falun Dafa has fundamentally changed me. Master is taking care of me at every moment. He scooped me up from hell and washed me clean. I’ll continue to tell people about Dafa and the persecution, save sentient beings, and fulfill my prehistoric vow.