(Clearwisdom.net) I am 58 years old and I was a department director in the provincial government. Qigong practice was very popular in the 1990's and many of my colleagues practiced qigong. In March 1999, a colleague introduced me to Falun Gong. During that time, the practice was everywhere in the city. One morning, I went to a park near my house, where a practitioner offered to teach me the exercises. On the very first time that I practiced, a strong energy current flowed through my body and I felt so good.
I had practiced several other types of qigong before, but when I read Zhuan Falun, I found the book to be very unique and different from other qigong books. Other qigong books could not answer many of the questions that I had. Neither could religious books answer my questions on the universe and life. However, Zhuan Falun had answered them all. The simple, plain words had embodied profound principles. I was totally in awe of this incredible practice.
When I began to read Zhuan Falun, the following sentence caught my attention:
"In ordinary human society, people compete with, deceive, and harm each other for a little personal gain. All of these mentalities must be given up."
Looking back, my life was wasted on competing with others. As a government employee, I became accustomed to corruption and enjoyed many special privileges.
Early on in my career, someone told me, "To avoid trouble, never tell others your true thoughts." It became natural to use government money on meals and to accept bribes. Whenever my colleagues were promoted, I would feel jealous.
Many bad habits became a norm. Whenever we entertained friends in restaurants, we always used public funds to pay for meals. All my colleagues and superiors were the same way. One day after I began to practice Falun Gong, I was at a restaurant with some friends. When the check came, I knew that I must cover the meal with my own money. However, when I pulled out my wallet, a feeling of uneasiness overcame me. Indeed, for all those years, I completely forgot how to pay for a meal with my own money. It was agonizing, but I forced myself to pay with my own money.
After I returned home, I felt so good and relaxed. I was brought up in a very poor family. My mother suffered from iodine deficiency syndrome, and she had a swollen neck. I also suffered from poor health, had insomnia and chronic fatigue. After practicing Falun Gong for three months, I became completely healthy, my body was totally relaxed and I never felt tired any longer.
Later on, I got used to spending my own money. I divided my wallet into two sections, one for personal money and the other for public money. I would never spend a penny of public money on personal use again. It felt so good from inside out. For more than ten years, I have never taken any medicine. Many women liked to have beauty treatments, but I never had one. When old acquaintances from many years ago saw me, they were amazed at my youthful look and remarked, "You look much younger, what happened to your wrinkles?"
In China, public holidays are the best time for government officials to receive gifts. When I conducted annual surveys for my subordinate companies, the officials usually gave me money and goods for preferential treatment. Some also gave me money when they applied for project approval. After I became a Falun Gong practitioner, I stopped taking money and gifts. One day a company at the coastal region gave me some fresh fish. It was hard to refuse them, so I paid them for the fish. I also tried not to use government vehicles for personal use. Sometimes, I could not avoid this, so I would donate the correct amount of money to help people in poorer areas. After people saw me refusing to take gifts, they tried to avoid me and worried that I would give them a hard time. One person told me, "If all other leaders behave like you Falun Gong people, society would be a great place!"
The provincial government normally gives rewards to "outstanding public servants" every year. Before I was retired, I received this honor for six consecutive years. Upon the year of my retirement, with only six months left, my colleagues gave me the award of that year ahead of time.
Where am I from and where will I go? What is the purpose of life? For thousands of years, people wondered about these questions. After I practiced Falun Gong, I became a healthy and better person, and I have also come to understand the profound principles of Dafa cultivation. I hope that everyone will spend time learning about Falun Gong.
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Category: Improving Oneself
