PureInsight | July 22, 2017
[PureInsight.org] I would like to share my understanding on how, we as practitioners, can help guide non-practitioners, family members, friends etc., to have better understanding and views of Dafa.
Although my grandmother and mother led me into the practice of Dafa, due to the persecution by CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and the social pressure increased, eventually I was the only one at home still practicing. My parents are good people and agree with the principles of “truthfulness, compassion and forbearance”. However, whenever I told them of the miracles that occurred through cultivation practice and the importance of truth clarification, my parents always disagreed with me by saying, “That’s unrealistic.” Then they told me to consider my career and future marriage. They also believed it was unrealistic to do Dafa projects without getting paid, although they did feel the project was good in their minds.
At the beginning, in my heart I looked down on my parents. I thought people always worried about their own life but ignored the injustices of good people. How could they be good people? I repeatedly asked myself, “Why does Mom think differently about Dafa at this critical moment? When I was a kid, she always told me to put others first.”
Therefore, I never had common language with my parents whenever we talked about Dafa, my career and future marriage on the phone. Once, my Dad became very angry and said, “Don't be silly. You are on a narrow path.” “It is very narrow for practitioner. I didn’t do anything wrong,” I replied. My Mom said in tears, “I can’t count on you anymore.”
I felt so guilty and helpless because I not only couldn’t persuade my parents, but also I hurt them. I felt shameful because I casually used a few of Master’s words as my own words, yet this just made them more confused. Afterwards, I realized I should change my state and find a way to have my family really understand the blessings of cultivating Dafa.
I enlightened to two things during Fa study. In the first chapter of "Zhuan Falun", Master said, “In fact, Shakyamuni was saying that there are different Dharma at different levels, and that the Dharma at each level is not the absolute truth of the universe. Yet the Dharma at a given level assumes a guiding role at that level. That is actually the principle he was talking about.” In the second Chapter of "Zhuan Falun", Master said, “Normally, each person’s essence of qi is different. Perhaps two out of ten thousand people are at the same level." I suddenly realized, my parents were not practitioners. They believed it was good enough to be good people in the human world. This was what they thought to be correct and the principles that guide them at their realm. Didn’t I make it to where I am today by improving my understanding beyond those principles? If someone had told me to leave behind everything and do a Dafa project at that time, I wouldn’t have been able to accept it either. I understood that I was too anxious and hadn’t tolerated or understood them.
The second instance which helped me enlighten was, once a businessman practitioner told me, “Some practitioners don’t do a good job at reading the other party during truth clarification. On one occasion I clarified the truth with another practitioner. At the beginning, the listener was glad to hear about what they were saying. Later, I found that the listener was getting impatient; but the fellow practitioner continued clarifying the truth. I think in that case, we should either change topics or end the conversation.” I then realized that when I clarified the truth to family members, I often did so without minding time or occasion. Sometimes I even repeated the same line of reasoning several times. It’s no wonder my parents couldn’t agree with me.
When I did truth clarification in Chinatown, I had always been talking to people with everything I had prepared to say, whether people wanted to listen or not. I used to think I was good at firmly validating the Fa. Now I know I was only completing the task and had no flexibility.
Last year, after our local Shen Yun performance was over, I actively invited my parents to Australia, without looking down on them and with no barrier in my heart. They came immediately. I talked with them for a long time. They said that not many young people treat others with compassion anymore. What helped them to have a positive image of Falun Dafa was for them to see so many energetic Dafa disciples together.
My Mom was also excited to hear that udumbara flowers blossomed once in 3,000 years. She learned the song, The Udumbara Flower Blossoms.
Later, when my Mom and I listened to Master’s lecture, she would often exclaim in agreement with what Master was talking about. She once told me she thanked Master every day and often silently recited “truthfulness, compassion and forbearance are good.” I knew that although her understanding was limited, her attitude was becoming more positive.
Now I know that patience and compassion are very important. I always remind myself that when clarifying the truth, I shouldn’t just stiffly go through the motions on the surface, instead I should use more heart, deliberation, and thinking.
Thank you Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!
Translated from http://www.zhengjian.org/node/157360
