(Minghui.org) I started to practice Falun Dafa in 1995 after I witnessed that my aunt looked 20 years younger and how her bow legs straightened after she practiced Falun Dafa.
Dream Exposes Extent of Karma
I had a high fever shortly after I began to practice Dafa. So, for three days, I hardly ate anything and mainly drank water. On the third day, I had a dream, in which I heard Master's voice, “You can reach consummation after you let go of fame, self-interest, and emotion.”
The characters for fame, self-interest, and emotion were bright red and were embedded in a cactus. When I woke up, the fever was gone. I realized that the attachments of fame, self-interest, and emotion were very dominant in me. I knew I had to remove them, so I could reach consummation.
I again had a fever, which also lasted three days. I had another dream, in which I saw things I had done in previous lifetimes. I had killed pigeons and beat a horse. I saw that I had too much karma. If Master did not bear karma for me, there would be no way I could consummate.
Removing Fame
I worked at a large company where the relationship among coworkers was very complicated. As a site supervisor and a very competitive person, I tried to make everything perfect.
My boss could rely on me, and I was chosen as a role model each year. My attachment to fame was strong. I knew I had to let it go, since it was a large obstacle.
One day, the chairman of the worker's union said that he recommended me for his replacement after he accepted another position. However, he said that I would need to do some things I may not like. I knew that as a cultivator I definitely would not give bribes. Soon after, I learned that I was not awarded that promotion. It did not bother me, so I passed this test.
After the persecution of Falun Dafa started, all my supervisors spoke with me. I refused to write a guarantee statement to give up practicing Falun Dafa. I replied by telling them how I benefited from the practice. Thus they forced me to retire. So I retired and had to live on a small monthly retirement pay.
Thus, I had to find work to make a living. I fell behind in studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. I worried about that.
I ran into conflicts with practitioners and my family members. I began to feel hatred and started fighting with others. My xinxing dropped below that of an ordinary person.
After I calmed down, I studied Master’s Fa,. I realized that the conflicts were to help me eliminate karma. I should have been thanking these practitioners, instead of resenting them.
I had already passed some of the tribulations, because they did not affect me deeply inside. However, when real tribulations came, I felt hurt. I realized that I had not studied the Fa well and did not apply the Fa to guide myself. When I studied the Fa well, I was a cultivator. However, when I had conflicts with others, I forgot that I was a cultivator.
Master said:
“Why do you run into these problems? It’s all caused by your own karmic debts. We’ve already decreased it by countless portions for you, and there’s only a little bit left, which is distributed across different levels so that you can improve your character. The tribulations are set up to temper your mind and get rid of your different attachments. They’re your own tribulations, and we use them to improve your character. You should be able to overcome all of them.” (Zhuan Falun)
Master showed me (in a dream) that a fellow practitioner and my daughter-in-law had conflicts with me in previous lives. It was then that I understood that I had to repay what I owed them from a previous lifetime.
I learned to look within through this incident and realized that cultivation was very serious. I eliminated the hatred.
Casting Off Attachments to Profit
As a site supervisor, I had the power to give bonuses. Conflicts used to occur often due to unfair allocation or corruption. As a practitioner I took the unfair component out of the issue.
I provided a monthly report on how much total bonus money our site received, how much each group leader received, how much each member received, and why someone received extra or someone received less. No one had any complaints. Whenever my supervisors came to check on me, they all approved my work, saying there would be no conflict if everyone behaved like me.
When there was an issue with salary increases for group leaders, one leader did not receive a bonus because of not meeting the quota. He complained to many supervisors. I gave up my bonus for this group leader. After the company president heard about it he allocated an extra allowance, which raised my salary.
Master could change everything for cultivators if one can let go of human notions.
Compassion
I had a troubled relationship with my husband. He had a bad temper and was addicted to alcohol. I looked down on him even after I practiced Falun Dafa.
He had a stroke one day and was taken to the hospital. I took care of him remembering his many good qualities, such as taking care of his parents until they died.
He supported my cultivation in many ways. When the police came to our home, he hid all my Dafa books and Master’s photos. He protected me whenever I was harassed.
After he recovered and checked out of the hospital, we had an honest conversation. It was our only heart to heart talk in 30 years of marriage. I apologized for my coldness towards him, which caused him to drink heavily. He suffered a lot for a dozen years because I did not cultivate compassion and forbearance.
Our relationship became more harmonious and we can communicate better with each other. Now, I use the Fa to guide my speech and behavior. For anything I do wrong, I find a way to do it better next time.
Only by studying the Fa well and removing human notions, can one properly respond to conflicts in daily life.
Category: Improving Oneself