(Minghui.org) “Thank you, ma'am. Now I know Falun Dafa is good. But if I were to live by its principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I wouldn't be able to achieve anything in today's society,” a young man told my mother frankly after she talked to him about the meditation practice.
When she told me about this, I had a flashback of myself having the same thought 20 years ago. I was in my early twenties then and had just graduated from college. Full of ambition, I focused on my career and worked hard to achieve my goals. Though Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance sounded like a great idea, I was convinced that being honest and kind would only set me back in a society where most people were willing to do just about anything to get ahead—aboveboard or not.
After years of putting up with the corruption and immorality that are rampant in society today, I realized that having clarity of purpose and a clear conscience is far more important than anything material that I could possibly achieve. Such clarity came only after I started to cultivate in Dafa.
I Passed Up Dafa as a Young Person
I was in my early twenties when I was first introduced to Falun Dafa in 1996. My mother had started practicing only a few months before. She had already regained her health and become a much more considerate person.
Amazed by the changes that I saw in her, I was curious and picked up a copy of Zhuan Falun, Dafa's main text, and read it. Though I was drawn to Dafa's principles, I decided that it was not for me.
The moral standards of Chinese society had gone downhill so rapidly that people would do whatever they had to do to make money fast. Bribery and scamming others were normal and considered the ways to get ahead.
Knowing how competitive and challenging it would be to get ahead, I thought that being an honest and kind person could only hold me back.
There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A docile horse will be ridden; a nice person will get the short end of the stick.”
That was truly how I thought back then.
I Came Around to Cultivate in Dafa
As I gained some life experience over the next eight years, I witnessed many tricks people used to gain the upper hand over others. I was confused and hurt. I thought about how wonderful it would be if everyone made an effort to be a good person and conducted themselves according to Dafa's principles.
I would read Dafa books whenever I encountered problems and always found guidance in Teacher's words:
“If you have obtained this Law, then keep up your cultivation. It won’t affect your job, and when you’re in the midst of a busy schedule, try to fit it in and see what happens. If it’s not like I said, then you don’t have to do it, since you won’t lose anything. If you know that it is good, then keep cultivating; the truth of the Buddha Law will gradually be displayed to you.” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Houston)
One day, it hit me: This is such a wonderful practice. Why haven't I given it a try? I finally started to practice Dafa in 2004.
Taking Personal Gain Lightly
By striving to live up to the standards of Dafa and being an honest, kind, and patient person over the last ten years, I have achieved more in my career and gained peace and clarity in life. Teacher has said:
“As practitioners, you will suddenly come across conflicts. What should you do? You should always maintain a compassionate and calm heart. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you some room as a buffer. You should always be benevolent and kind to others and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.” (“Improving Xinxing” from Lecture Four of Zhuan Falun)
In dealing with others, I would never let the other person have the shorter end of the stick and usually did not care about my own losses. It was sometimes very difficult to watch others take what was supposed to be mine; after all, I, too, have to provide for my family. However, with Dafa's guidance, I have always been able to let it go in the end.
When the owner of my company sold the business, as a shareholder, I was supposed to get two percent of the purchase price according to the equity transfer agreement. However, the former owner never mentioned anything about this as the company changed hands and avoided me afterwards.
When another shareholder called the former owner and pressured him, he was paid in full. The former owner told me that he was having financial difficulties and would pay me as soon as he could. Three years have passed, and I still have not been paid.
When the other shareholder asked me if I needed his help to get the money, I thanked him and declined his offer. I did not know the previous owner's financial situation and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt instead of pressuring him.
Dafa Gives Me Clarity
Under the new owner's management, the company attracted a group of new investors, including me. The new shareholders could not work together at first. Driven by personal gain, most did not care about the other shareholders. Their behavior aggravated conflicts and created serious disagreements.
As a practitioner, I conducted myself according to Dafa's standards. I remained calm when conflicts erupted to avoid further complicating the problem and creating more misunderstandings.
I was kind to others regardless of the circumstances and never fought to benefit myself. I tried to guide things in a positive direction through my work and my conduct. Eventually the new owner noticed everything I did and trusted me with more responsibility.
It suddenly became clear to me that kindness and following one's conscience is the best course of action in the long run. Without inner peace and clarity in life, success and money can bring only anxiety and trouble.
Simply following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance saved me much worry and headaches, and freed me in a way that I had never imagined possible. It is such a great feeling.
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