We can all learn something from this.
A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live
with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found
that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of
her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped
arguing and fighting.But what made the situation even worse was that,
according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her
mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in
the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and
dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it!
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She
told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that
she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr.Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you
solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr.
Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a
package of herbs.
He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your
mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious.
Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up
poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a
little of these herbs in her serving.
Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect You.When she dies, you must
be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her,
obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her
plot of murdering her mother-in-law.Weeks went by, and months went by, and
every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated
food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about
avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her
mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.After six months had
passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling
her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset.
She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because
she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.The
mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own
daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best
daughter-in-law one could ever find.Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now
treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was
very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again.She
said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my
mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like
my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry
about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to
improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude
toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave
to her."
HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat
you?
There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be
loved in return