(Minghui.org) After learning Falun Dafa, my daughter and I learned how to give up our attachments and put others first. My daughter's husband was impressed by this and eventually took up the practice as well.
A New Outlook on Family Conflicts
My daughter got married in 1997. While waiting for her company to complete construction of an employee apartment complex, her in-laws leased a small apartment for them.
Both sides of the family agreed to buy my daughter and her husband an apartment, once the construction was complete. The total cost was about 40,000 yuan [US$6,000].
When her in-laws later informed us that they didn't have the required funds, I told them, “I can pay half of the amount or more.”
The first payment of 7,000 yuan [about US$1,000] was paid by my daughter's in-laws. We all agreed on this point and waited for the apartment to be built.
Less than two months later, her in-laws decided not to buy the apartment. They also told their son to get back their first payment. My daughter's company was unhappy about this sudden turn of events.
My daughter and I talked with her in-laws about the situation, but they were very obstinate and refused to negotiate. We were upset to tears and complained to them about their behavior.
We didn't visit each other for over two and a half months and even considered having my daughter file for divorce.
My daughter and I had just started practicing Falun Dafa at that time. So, we decided to calm down and study Master's Fa.
Master said,
“...there are others who say, 'My coming here to the ordinary world is just like staying at a hotel. I’m only going to stay here a few days and then leave in a hurry.' Some people just dread leaving this place, and they’ve forgotten their own homes.” (The Ninth Talk from Zhuan Falun, Translation Edition (Feb. 2003, North America))
When I raised this issue at our local Fa-study group, one practitioner said, “Let it go naturally.”
My daughter replied, “I just enlightened to the fact that an immortal would not deal with this situation like an everyday person. We now understand, and will let the attachment go. I want to deal with the issue of marriage very carefully, not like everyday people who file for divorce at the slightest provocation.”
The next day, she talked to her husband and both of our families resumed normal relations.
Falun Dafa Practitioners Are Different from Everyday People
My daughter was expecting her first child in 1999. Months before her delivery date, her mother-in-law and I agreed to retire in order to help take care of the child, as my daughter's husband had to go to work.
Her mother-in-law changed her mind, after the child was born, and did not want to share in babysitting the child. I found out later that she was not happy that the child was born a girl.
She also requested that I take care of the baby in my son-in-law's home, which was about half a mile from my residence. I not only took care of the baby, but I also did house chores, and all of the cooking from morning till night. Although it was hard work, I didn't have any grievances or complaint.
When the persecution of Falun Gong began in July 1999, I helped raise awareness about the persecution by distributing fliers and posting banners around the city. I took the baby everywhere I went.
Even though I was very busy, I was in high spirits and in good health. Since my daughter and her husband were struggling to make ends meet, I decided to use some of my pension funds to buy food, take care of the child, and buy my daughter and her husband clothes.
My son-in-law saw this and was very touched. “You Falun Dafa practitioners are different from everyday people,” he said.
When my daughter's in-laws retired, they rarely took care of their granddaughter. Instead, they followed a strict regime of healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise to maintain their health. However, they both suffered from several illnesses that required daily injections and medication.
I often chatted with my daughter's in-laws and taught my granddaughter how to greet them. My son-in-law appreciated me and agreed with Master's teachings. He said, “Falun Gong practitioners live according to high moral principles.”
When I was imprisoned for my belief in Falun Dafa, my daughter's in-laws were so afraid of being implicated that they broke off relations with me. They tried to exert pressure on their son, too, but he was not moved.
When my granddaughter grew up, I introduced her to Falun Gong and taught her the five exercises. Her father supported this, despite the persecution.
A Family of Practitioners
My son-in-law had frequent travel in his work. Whenever he would return home from one of his business trips, my daughter and I would chat with him about Dafa and the persecution.
In 2005, my son-in-law renounced his membership in the Chinese Communist Party's Youth League and Young Pioneers. When I had suggested an alias for him, he said that there was nothing to fear and asked me to use his real name.
I gave him a small keepsake with some Dafa-related messages on it. He carried it in his pocket every day for over 10 years. He escaped many accidents including several car crashes.
One night, after leaving Xinjiang, he turned on his TV to find that there had been a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in the area that he had just left. Swatches of houses had collapsed, leading to deaths and injuries. He felt that Master Li had protected him.
My daughter also told him the principle of “no loss, no gain.” Thus, when he filled in his company's travel reimbursement forms, he always listed the exact amount that he had spent on each trip.
His colleagues used fake receipts to add up to 10 times the amount that they had spent on these business trips. Everyone thought my son-in-law was very naive for not doing this. Shortly after, he began practicing Falun Dafa.
When he started looking for a different job last year, a very good position suddenly became available. The company manager felt that he was a very trustworthy person and hired him on the spot.
Whenever vendors tried to bribe him he told them, “I will only buy your materials when they meet my company's requirements.”
My son-in-law's current job calls for a great deal of cooperation and team effort. Those who tried to take his position were jealous of him. Some individuals made trouble for him by intentionally delaying some needed work.
Before practicing Falun Gong, my son-in-law would argue with them and get angry. Now, he follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and tries to view things from the other person's perspective.
When he finally let go of his attachment, he received a call, “The entire issue has been resolved. You can come take a look!”
Category: Improving Oneself
