(Clearwisdom.net) In the book Zhuan Falun, Master teaches us,
"This characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren, is the criterion for measuring good and bad in the universe. What's good or bad? It is judged by this."
"No matter how the human moral standard changes, this characteristic of the universe remains unchanged, and it is the sole criterion that distinguishes good people from bad people. As a practitioner, one must then conduct oneself by following this characteristic of the universe rather than the standards of everyday people. If you want to return to the original, true self and move up in cultivation practice, you must conduct yourself according to this criterion."
I want to be a good person, so I keep Master's Fa above in my heart. I strictly discipline myself whether I'm at home, at work, or in any social environments, and make sure that I steadily make real changes in myself.
I am a teacher by profession. Besides doing a good job of teaching, I take it upon myself to also clean the office. There are over ten people in the office. I am the only person who cleans, and I have been doing it every day for many years. My conduct in the office helps create a good foundation for subsequent truth-clarification and saving sentient beings.
I treat all students equally well and do my best in teaching. The students feel that I am a serious and responsible teacher. Work in itself may not be cultivation, but one can cultivate in his or her work.
In today's Chinese society, it is customary for parents to give gifts to teachers. I also have had parents offering gifts and money. I have declined all of them. Sometimes I directly clarify the truth to the parents and tell them that I am a Dafa practitioner.
My moral behavior has won praise from students and parents. A student came back from vacation and brought a jade bracelet for me. I declined. The second day, the student gave me a note and told me it was from her mother. The note read, "Your lack of corruption is admirable." These words are truly valuable.
My parents divorced when I was small and my mother raised me. My father was impoverished in his old age. His second wife and youngest son didn't think much of him. His circumstances were quite miserable. My father came to me and asked me for help. I thought to myself, "I'm a Dafa disciple," and I paid for my father's medical expenses as well as his daily living expenses, which amounted to tens of thousands of yuan over several years. My father's second wife not only refused to bear any expenses, but behind my back she claimed that my filial piety was actually motivated by bad intentions, in order to obtain their property. I forbore and didn't answer her back or try to defend myself. Dafa teaches me to treat people with compassion and tolerance. Thus my older brother and I had no arguments on the matter of treating my father's illnesses. Since I spent more on my father's daily life, influenced by my actions, my brother and sister-in-law voluntarily bore all the funeral expenses for my father. Thanks to my cultivation in Dafa, many family conflicts and arguments have been avoided.
During the past ten or more years, I've helped my relatives with my meager income and at the same time done my best to validate Dafa. I helped my older brother pay off all his debts, and bought many things for his home, which amounted to tens of thousands of yuan in total. My mother and I went to Beijing to validate Dafa in 1999. In addition to our own expenses, the local police also extorted money from us. Later, because we clarified the truth, distributed literature, and so on, the local police again extorted money totaling nearly ten thousand yuan from us. I live a frugal life, but I always donate money to fellow practitioners for production of informational literature. Saving sentient beings is of utmost importance.
In summary, through cultivating in Dafa, I look at money with much reduced interest. I know whatever money I have is given by Dafa and Master, and I know I shouldn't pursue money in the human world.
I try my best to conduct myself as a Dafa disciple in various public situations, leaving the impression that Dafa practitioners are surely different than everyday people. Most people aren't going to read Dafa books and won't go out of their way to find out about Falun Gong, but they will notice the conduct of Dafa practitioners. If they think the words and actions of Dafa practitioners are good and righteous, they will agree that Falun Dafa is good. The conduct of every Dafa disciple in society is validating and promoting Dafa.
I have been cultivating in Dafa for eleven years. I have changed a lot compared with how I was in the past. Before I became a practitioner, I considered myself to be an ill-fated person. I now feel I am a most fortunate person, because I have found the righteous and grand path to return to my true origin.
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Category: Improving Oneself
