(Minghui.org) My coworker Honeysuckle (alias) recently started practicing Falun Dafa. In the past few weeks, I have been dazzled by her dramatic changes one after another.
Honeysuckle and I had known each other for over six years and had a close work relationship. For some reason, she had taken it as her life's mission to monitor me at the workplace and reprimand me whenever she wished, even though we were peers. She had demanded that I return phone calls and emails immediately and would scold me for any delay.
Whenever she'd call me things like “stupid” and “feckless” and I'd talk back to her, she would start to speak ill of Dafa. She would forbid me from speaking at work meetings, saying that I had the tendency to show off.
Her grandfather used to be a minister of public security in the central government. She was a low-profile manager with excellent performance and an excellent reputation among coworkers.
She admitted to me that she would not treat others the same way she treated me, as she knew that they would not be able to put up with it. She thanked me for enduring all of this.
I smiled and told her, “Tolerance is a virtue. Also, Dafa practitioners must cultivate compassion. At home, my husband criticizes me; at work, you do the same. These experiences are arranged by my master to facilitate my cultivation and elevate my level. Therefore, you both play an important role in my cultivation, and I appreciate it very much.”
Through continuous searching within and constant adjusting, I gradually improved my state of mind in dealing with my unique situation. Later, Honeysuckle and I became good friends. She would point out my shortcomings candidly, and sometimes she would tell me she was moved by my conduct and praised me as a true Dafa practitioner.
I wanted to tell her about Dafa. I sent her numerous emails with little response. Initially, she declined to practice Dafa because she thought was unworthy of such a great practice. Later, the excuse became that Dafa practitioners were not as good as she imagined. Eventually, she said she feared the government's surveillance and the harsh environment amid the persecution.
I had a wonderful dream a few years ago where she and I were standing next to magnificent honeysuckle vines filled with beautiful blooming flowers. I told her about the dream and suggested that she use the alias "Honeysuckle" to quit the CCP and its associated organizations. She loved the name but preferred to quit the CCP with her real name. After she did, I did not push her to practice Dafa and said to myself, “I should just leave it to her predestined relationship with Dafa.”
Time flew by. A few weeks ago, she suffered from severe insomnia and tried various remedies without any success. So I brought up the practice of Falun Dafa again. She replied, “I can’t stay focused when I try to read Zhuan Falun. There is something in my head that’s blocking me.”
I suggested we take turns reading the book and that we not stop until the whole book was finished. She agreed. At first, she said that she had all kinds of questions. I told her, “Don't pay them any mind. You will find the answers later while reading the book.” When we reached chapter four, she was able to read by herself. Soon she finished the whole book and said, “This is a book from Heaven.”
She then started learning the exercises by watching the instructional videos. Although she admitted that her purpose for practicing Dafa was to cure her illnesses, just a few days later her concern was focused on whether she could eventually achieve Consummation. She also said, “I really want to see our master.” The change in her mind over the course of these two short weeks astounded me.
One day she called me on the phone and kept crying. She told me that she began crying for no obvious reason while sitting in meditation and kept crying from one to six o'clock. She told me, “This is such a good cultivation practice. It teaches people to cultivate their xinxing and safeguard their virtue.” The next day she told me that Dafa had offered her a life-saving helping hand and she was grateful to Master for it.
She is now clear that a practitioner must focus on improving herself instead of criticizing others. She also apologized to me for being self-righteous and finding fault with me in the past. Apart from working and going about her daily routine, she is totally focused on practicing Dafa and reading Dafa books. She is thinking about how she can achieve the state of true cultivation.
I am so amazed by the power of Dafa and her dramatic transformation. Master has cleansed her body, and her persistent digestive problems are gone. She is now examining various aspects of her life according to the requirements of the Fa. Every day, she calls me and expresses her gratitude to Master. She conducts herself strictly according to Master's teachings.
Her sudden positive changes not only amazed me but also motivated me to cultivate myself diligently, like on the day I obtained the Fa. The experience gave me more confidence to save people in my surroundings. I started to put more time and effort into clarifying the truth to my friends and relatives based on each individual’s situation.
In retrospect, I found that I had been slacking off in my cultivation, sometimes splitting hairs and going down dead ends, and indulging in intense human emotions. Other times I was easily affected by my environment and I'd gossip about others behind their backs. Furthermore, I'd sleep in, spend time watching movies, and indulge in gourmet foods. All of these activities cost a lot of valuable time.
I am so touched by Honeysuckle's pure heart, her cherishing of Dafa, and her endless gratitude to Master. I knew that it was time for me to elevate to a higher level. Although I am not able to get up early every morning, I can do it most days. I can sit in meditation and hold the Falun for longer and suppress my bad habit of gossiping. I also continue to recite the Fa. Through all of this, I'm starting to rediscover the wonderful feeling from the initial days of my practicing Dafa. I have truly obtained tremendous confidence in my cultivation.
Because she often asks me unexpected questions, I have started a new round of reading all the Dafa books. This gives me new understandings of the Fa that are beyond my previous ones.
Master's boundless benevolence has deeply amazed me. I cannot help but share it with fellow practitioners. I hope all of us can cultivate as diligently as we did in the beginning.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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Category: Improving Oneself
