(Minghui.org) I run a small grocery store in a suburban area, and as a Falun Dafa practitioner, I follow the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
One way I uphold Truthfulness is that I do not sell fake goods, a ubiquitous practice in China today. Therefore, I have many return customers. Upholding Compassion means that I smile at customers when I greet them. Forbearance for me is that it does not bother me when I have picky customers.
Helping Others See the Truth
My friend Azhen works at a post office, which is 100 miles away from my store. She still comes to my store to shop when she can. She calls me her godmother and so do her parents.
Azhen once came to me and said, "Godmother, do not practice Falun Gong any more,” she cried. “I just saw on television that a Falun Gong practitioner killed her 12-year-old daughter." She cried so hard that she could hardly speak. "If you still practice Falun Gong and if you kill Xiaolu,” she continued, “what should I do?"
Xiaolu, my daughter, is three years younger than Azhen, and they are very good friends.
"Do not listen to those lies,” I told her. “The person who killed her daughter is not a Falun Gong practitioner. Could you ever imagine that I would kill Xiaolu?" She looked at me and a smile started: "No, you wouldn't do that." She agreed that it was ridiculous and actually sounded funny to say I would harm someone.
I told her how practitioners strive to be better people. I added that Mr. Li Hongzhi, our Master and founder of Falun Gong, requires that we live by the standards of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
She later brought a copy of Zhuan Falun and read some of Master’s other lectures. She came to understand Falun Gong more and more.
Maintaining Righteousness
Azhen once took special note of the salt in my store. She asked why I chose not to sell fake salt. I said, “You know—I am cultivating Truthfulness. How could I sell fake goods?”
Azhen then said very confidently, “Yes, I told them I was right.” She went on to explain what happened.
A group of people were having a loud discussion in the post office one day. They talked about how the city administration division did a random inspection and confiscated a big truck of fake salt. It turned out that fake salt was being sold in all the grocery stores in the area except one. Azhen decided to chime in to their conversation. “That would be my godmother’s store,” she said.
Those people all smoked. They asked, “Does she not sell fake cigars?”
“Of course not,” Azhen replied, “My godmother practices Falun Gong. She practices Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, so she does not sell fake goods. The sales representative of the cigar company even said that only my godmother has a certificate. You can go to check it if you do not believe me.”
After hearing her story, I said, “It's no wonder, then, why a few people came to check my salt a few days ago without saying anything. Plus, the cigars started selling great recently, and now I know the reason.”
Falun Gong—A Pure Land
My husband’s cousin came to visit one day with his two sons and their wives. They needed a bottle opener, but we didn't have one. So I brought the key to open my neighbor’s door and took them over. My husband searched around for a bottle opener and happened to open a drawer, which was full of cash. His cousin saw the money.
When we returned home, the cousin said, “You must have a good relationship with your neighbor. They even gave you their key.”
“The couple who live there also practice Falun Gong,” my husband replied, “as does my wife.”
The cousin had read truth-clarifying materials and Dafa books. Even so, he still said to me, “They put their cash in there, and believe you wouldn't take it. But aren't you afraid that your kids will?” I said, “We trust our kids, since they read Dafa books and cultivate their xinxing according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Falun Gong is a practice of self-discipline.”
The cousin said, “Falun Gong is sure a pure land.”
Another time, before the persecution began in 1999, a colleague asked me about our allowance policy with our children. I said, “They can access money and get whatever they need.”
My colleague was surprised. “Aren't you worried about them doing bad things with the money?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “They study Falun Gong and listen to us very well.” My colleague said, “Falun Gong practitioners are noble. It is truly a top ranking education.”
Raising Children: Adhering to Dafa
My colleague’s comment about “top ranking education” is not exaggerated. Children who practice Falun Gong are generally very popular and highly praised among friends and colleagues.
Even little Dafa disciples' grandparents praise their grandchildren continuously: “My grandson respects us so much. He is very good.”
However, when the persecution started, some grandparents who were initially against their daughter-in-law practicing Falun Gong, changed their minds and supported Falun Gong instead. They said, “My grandson went to Beijing when he was only three months old to appeal for Falun Gong.” (This fellow practitioner went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong bringing her three-month-old son).
When we discipline ourselves with Dafa, educate our children with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, teach them and touch their hearts as role models, they will become polite, compassionate, and noble.
Even if they do not practice Falun Gong later, they are sure to be good people in society.
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Category: Improving Oneself
