(Minghui.org) After I received a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, I read it and found the true meaning of life. All the questions I had since childhood were answered – questions such as, do Buddhas and deities exist, what about reincarnation; why do men live, and so on. Because of that, I decided to practice Falun Dafa. It was in the spring of 1998.
Having read Zhuan Falun the first time, my outlook fundamentally changed. I wanted to become a good person. However, the concept of cultivation wasn’t clear to me.
Every time when I wanted to engage in dancing, playing mahjong, cards, chess, pingpong, and other types of games, I tried to stop myself, because I was a cultivator now. These were my attachments, I thought. I needed to get rid of them.
Master Li Hongzhi said,
“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Gradually, I noticed that my desires of wanting to play games were getting less, as well as my hot temper that no longer flared up. I felt great physically and mentally. I stayed home more often, and I read the Fa and joined the various activities to help people understand Falun Dafa.
I had fundamentally changed, which pleased my wife. She said to her friends, “My husband treated our home as a hotel. Ever since he began studying Dafa, he became a role model husband and has stayed home.”
Shortly after I began to cultivate, Master Li (the founder) helped me eliminate karma. I returned to good health and turned into a good person. I no longer swore, said things that I shouldn’t say, or did things I shouldn’t do.
Being a Good Person Despite the Pressure
Master said,
“As a human being, you are a good person only if you can follow this universe’s characteristic of Zhen-Shan-Ren. A person who deviates from this characteristic is truly a bad person. In the workplace or in society, some people may say that you are bad, yet you may not necessarily be bad. Some people may say that you are good, but you may not really be good. As a cultivator, if you assimilate yourself to this characteristic you are one who has attained the Tao---it’s just a simple principle.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Driven by jealousy, Jiang Zemin, the former communist leader, mobilized the whole nation to persecute Falun Dafa beginning on July 20, 1999. Those who truly practiced cultivation didn’t know how to stop the persecution against their faith.
Hearing the lies by the communist media, I asked myself, “Is Falun Dafa good – yes, it’s good. Is Falun Dafa righteous – yes, this is the most righteous cultivation practice. Do I want to continue practicing cultivation – yes, I do.” Nothing could stop me from cultivating in Dafa.
To break away from the evil’s interference and pressure, I went to Zhuhai City and worked at a toy manufacturer as part of a cleaning staff in September 1999. Although the 12-hour work shift was hard, I cultivated diligently.
After some time, everyone in the company knew that I practiced Falun Dafa. I tried my best to follow the Dafa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I was kind, hardworking and helpful. Therefore, no one reported that I practiced Falun Dafa. I was known as someone very good.
One day I saw a stack of money at one of the back doors of the company. My heart wasn’t moved. I knew I was a cultivator and shouldn’t touch it. But then I changed my mind. I thought, “The money must belong to someone who worked very hard for several months. If someone else picked it up and kept it for himself, wouldn’t it be too painful for the person who lost it?” I picked it up and gave it to the manager.
In the afternoon, the manager asked me to meet the owner of the money, a 19-year-old girl. She wanted to kneel down to express her appreciation. I told her not to do that. The manager said, “You met the best person in the world!” Everyone in the firm heard about it and praised me.
Thinking of Others’ Needs First
I went to my home town in November 1999. I was arrested and illegally detained for 15 days. After I was released, I discovered that a lot of construction was going on in my home town. The road system was poor, and because of heavy rain, the road became a muddy road. No one took care of this issue.
The local public security agency, in order to better watch over me, told me to do some small business next to the exit of the town. Given the road condition, it was almost impossible to pull my cart to the designated place.
As a cultivator, I decided to solve the traffic issue. I used my cart to get the soil, sand, and gravel to pave the road. It did not take long to repair the road. People were delighted, and said, “Thanks to a Falun Dafa practitioner we now have a clean road to enter and exit.”
When I really think of it, it is truly a compassionate act to think of other’s needs and follow through. Despite the tremendous pressure and deception by the communist regime, a cultivator still does his best with no complaints or hatred, benefiting the people. Isn’t this a good thing?
Master said,
“With any social status, you can still be a good person. There are different conflicts for people of different social classes. The upper-class society has conflicts of the upper-class society, all of which can be properly dealt with. In any social class, you can be a good person and take the various different desires or attachments more lightly. You can be a good person at different social levels, and you can cultivate at your own social level.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
Improving Xinxing
I was a security guard at a security company in 2016. A few days before the Dragon Boat Festival, the team leader told me to get a holiday gift from the security duty room. When I opened it, there were two red bricks in it.
Master said,
“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.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
My heart moved a little, but immediately, I thought that this was a good opportunity for me to improve my character. I looked within and noticed that I had the attachment to self-interest, competitiveness and showing off.
Master said,
“If the person does not create this situation for you, how could you improve your xinxing? If both you and I are nice to each other and sit there in harmony, how can increasing gong be possible? Precisely because that person created this conflict for you, there is this opportunity to improve your xinxing. If you can make use of it to improve your own xinxing, won’t this xinxing of yours be raised in this way? You have gained in three ways. You are a practitioner, so as your xinxing improves, won’t your gong also increase? You have gained four ways in one shot. Why shouldn’t you thank that person? You should sincerely thank him from the bottom of your heart—it is actually so.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I enlightened that Master was helping me get rid of my attachments, improve my xinxing and increase gong.
Effectively Clarifying the Truth
Two prosecutors said to me in December 2012, “You've been detained for 37 days. Is there anything you want to say?”
“You just carry on with whatever you are doing,” I responded, “I won’t blame you. I am a person cultivating Buddhahood. Since you and I have a predestined relationship, may I take about 20 minutes to tell you some facts? Then you can decide what you want to do.”
I was very rational in my talk. I spoke about how I was wronged. I also told them about the staged self-immolation incident and what Falun Dafa teaches, and how the discipline teaches people to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Then, I explained that they should not be involved in the persecution, and detailed the principle of retribution for doing bad things.
They had listened carefully and said, “Wow! Falun Dafa is so good! Rest assured that we will not persecute Dafa.” Then they took off. By around five in the afternoon, the director of the police station and someone from the 610 Office came and told me to get into their car. I closed my eyes and sent righteous thoughts. Then the car stopped and they said, “No need to send righteous thoughts, as we are already taking you home.”
Master said,
“When disciples have ample righteous thoughtsMaster has the power to turn back the tide”(“The Master-Disciple Bond,” Hong Yin Vol. II, Translation Version A)
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