(Minghui.org) I am sixty years old and I have been practicing Falun Dafa since 1997. Before my practice, I had become bitter over an unfair demotion at work and my health declined. Thankfully, I found Falun Dafa, and it healed me physically and improved my attitude. I was then able to resolve a long-term conflict with my supervisor, who ended up supporting and helping me after the persecution began.
From a Highly Regarded Supervisor to a Troublemaker
I was a factory worker at a mid-sized company in China in the 90's. The company installed a new production line to manufacture car bumpers. Our parts had to pass quality inspection for us to be qualified as a supplier to a large car manufacturer. My department's job was to spray paint the bumpers. Our production line was partly automated, but the painting itself was a manual operation. The job required highly skilled spray painters.
The company invited an experienced technician from Taiwan to train us. Three workers were selected to be trained by this expert and to be the main technicians. I was one of the three. After a period of training, I became the best among the three. Before the expert left, he told our manager that I should be in charge of all paint operations.
Our manager decided to have me paint all the samples for the inspection. I carefully spray painted 100 bumpers and they all passed inspection. Our factory qualified to be a supplier. I became the first supervisor in our department and my technical skill was recognized by everyone. I worked hard and diligently, and was well regarded by managers and coworkers.
As time went by, the management started to pay more attention to personal connections than to work ethic and technical skill. I was transferred to another team and was no longer a supervisor. I felt dejected, believing this was unfair.
The supervisor of the new team did not have any technical skills and she got the position through connections, so most team members did not think she was qualified. She also had a loud voice. I, on the other hand, had the technical background and good relationships with my coworkers. So I took every opportunity to make life hard for her.
I was always the last to pick up any work. I chose the easiest job whenever I could. I encouraged others to give the supervisor the cold shoulder. I made fun of her. I also kept a record of all the mistakes and wrongdoings of the supervisor and managers, just to wait for my chance to make my revenge.
One time, everyone was asked to clean up the workshop. I was the last to arrive. Others had already done quite a bit of work. The part that was left and assigned to me was the hardest part to clean. I became very angry and yelled at her, “Why do I have to work on this part? Don't you know how many people we have? Don't you know who ought to work on what? What are you thinking?”
The supervisor knew I was picking a fight. She turned around and went to talk to the manager. I thought my chance had come. I could use this opportunity to make a big scene. I made up my mind and was ready to embarrass them in front of everyone with all their mistakes and wrongdoings. I followed her to the manager's office.
The manager knew that I was about to make trouble. He smiled and said to me, "Take it easy, let's talk it over." He then turned around and scolded the supervisor. The supervisor did not expect that. She stood there speechless. Since then, I became the most difficult person to work with in her team, and she avoided me whenever she could.
Heart Trouble Disappears
I don't remember when I started to suffer heart disease and nephritis. I began suffering episodes that would cause me to to suddenly pass out. Just when I felt my life was at its end, someone introduced me to Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong).
In less than three months of practicing Falun Gong, all my symptoms disappeared. I was a changed person. Not only did I improve physically and mentally, but my attitudes and world views changed as well. Master said,
“If we encounter these problems, we should not compete and fight like others. If you do what that person did, aren’t you an ordinary person? Not only should you not compete and fight like him, but also you should not resent that person in your heart. Really, you should not hate that person. If you hate that person, aren’t you upset? You have not followed forbearance. We practice Zhen-Shan-Ren, and you would have even less compassion so to speak of.” (Zhuan Falun)
I understood that everything had a reason. I changed my attitude toward my supervisor. At work, I stopped making fun of her; I quietly did my work the best I could. At first, my coworkers were surprised. My supervisor suspected I was playing a trick on her. But I just followed Master's teachings and tried to be a good person.
One time, a coworker made fun of me. In the past, I would have fought back. But this time, I said, “I practice Falun Gong now. I am not going to argue with you.” She then mocked and insulted me further. But I just listened with a smile. In the end, she said, “You HAVE changed!”
My supervisor, on the other hand, started to pick on me. When she called out everyone to start working in the morning, she was always looking at me. Whenever there was a problem, she blamed me. I thought it was because I had caused so many troubles for her in the past, so I just listened and took in without a complaint.
Master said,
“Everyday people take little tensions and minor problems really seriously. They live for their ego and tolerate nothing. They will dare to do anything when they are angered to an unbearable point. Yet as a practitioner you will find the things that people take seriously to be very, very trivial” (Falun Gong)
One time, I was changing my shoes when she called everyone to assemble for a meeting. I couldn't get up immediately. She walked over and threw my shoes into a sink. Everyone was shocked and ready for me to jump on her. But I simply walked to the sink and picked up my shoes.
Work Conflicts Resolved
My supervisor often left her post during working hours, and the other workers would seize the chance to duck out early. This is common in China. Oftentimes when she came back to work, I was the only one who was still there working.
One time, she went out for a drink. When she came back to check on everyone, she saw that I was the only one still at my post and I was sweating from doing all the work. She was a little embarrassed and said, “I, I had something to take care of...”
I replied calmly, "It's okay. Your face is red. You should get some rest and you will feel better." She was obviously moved.
Slowly our relationship improved. When the persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999, I was taken to a detention center for 15 days. It was breaking news at work. Everyone asked what Falun Gong was and why I was arrested.
My supervisor went to the company management and said, “Falun Gong is good! Xinran is a good person, the best person I know.” She told them the changes in me before and after I started practicing Falun Gong and how our relationship had changed. When I was finally back at work, her eyes were filled with warmth. She said in her usual loud voice, “You are back, I missed you! I told everyone that Falun Gong is good and you are good!”
Nobody at work reported me to the authorities for practicing Falun Gong. I told people about what Falun Gong really was and about the persecution. However, the police kept harassing me and my family. I was forced to quit my job. My child was forced to quit school. For a period of time, we moved around a lot to avoid persecution. It was a tough time.
Supervisor Helps My Family During Persecution
One day as I was walking on the street, I heard a loud voice calling my name. It was my supervisor. “How have you been? I have been thinking about you!” she said in a hurry. I told her about the persecution my family and I had suffered. I told her that my child was forced to leave her high school right before graduation and she may not able to get into a college.
She said anxiously, “How can she get into a college when she doesn't have a school to go to?! The Communist Party is terrible to persecute a person like you. Let me help you. I will help you to get your child into a school.” She continued, “They [the government and media] say Falun Gong [practitioners] killed themselves on Tiananmen Square. I knew it was not true. I told everyone that Falun Gong is good and you are a good person.” Tears flowed from my eyes.
A few years later we met again. I told her that my child got into a good college because of her help, and our family is doing better. She was very happy for me. "I remember what you told me, 'Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good'" she said. We talked and laughed together like old friends.
It has been few years since our last encounter. I'm still touched when I remember her declare in a loud voice, “Falun Dafa is good, you are a good person!”
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Category: Improving Oneself
