(Minghui.org) My parents came to visit me in March 1999. My mother always felt the need to swear, but this time she was mindful of her speech and was in good spirits. I also learned that my father, who had tried many times to quit smoking and drinking in the past, had finally succeeded. Bewildered, I asked, “What magic pills did you guys take? You're totally different people!”
My mom said, “Your father and I practice Falun Dafa. It teaches people how to be good and to live according to the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. When you encounter a conflict, you should look within to find out where you need to improve, always think of others first, and be more tolerant. All of our health problems have disappeared. We no longer need to take medicine and our bodies feel light. Dafa is wonderful!”
I was skeptical, so I asked my father, “Is Dafa really that amazing? Can I be cured without taking medicine?”
He replied, “As long as you follow the requirements of Master Li (the founder), look inward, and treat yourself as a practitioner, Master will purify your body.”
He took out the books Zhuan Falun and Essentials for Further Advancement and read several pages. As I was listening, I detected a pleasant scent and felt as though I was floating. I was surprised and told my father about this feeling.
“You have good inborn quality and a predestined relationship with Dafa,” he said. “You should definitely cultivate.”
I couldn’t put the Dafa books down once I began to read them. I’d finally found the answers to all my questions about life. My worldview underwent great changes. It was truly a purification of my soul, and life now had a purpose. I regretted not having started to practice Dafa sooner.
Through Fa study, I understood that Master is offering salvation to humankind. Whoever follows Dafa’s requirements can return to their original, true self. I told my parents that I wanted to practice Dafa and asked them to teach me the exercises.
Gaining a Second Chance
I grew up in the countryside. When I was four years old, a fire broke out in our home and I was severely burned. The doctor said that I had little hope of surviving. My parents were in despair. Fortunately, a kindhearted person helped me. He used his homemade cream on me, and I miraculously recovered.
I am the eldest of five children. I used to enjoy school and did well, always coming in first or second on exams, but my parents didn’t support my education. One year, my tuition was going to cost four yuan, and my mother refused to pay it. I had to drop out of school and was so angry.
Life became boring and meaningless as I grew older. After I got married, my husband didn’t help with anything at home. He wasted his days smoking, drinking, and gambling.
I thought that having kids would make me happy, but having two children only meant more stress. I became more and more irritable. I didn't have any patience when it came to teaching them. If they didn't listen to me, I simply spanked them.
I suffered from stomach and back pain, migraines, and hypotension. I also got easily frightened by loud noises or when someone spoke a little too loud. I caught colds and flu easily, so I was afraid to leave my house during the winter months.
Soon after I began practicing Falun Dafa, all my ailments disappeared and my mood improved immensely. I was no longer easily irritated. I also got rid of my fear of going outside in winter. Now I can go out when my hair is still wet and not even catch a cold.
Ever since I became illness-free, I’ve smiled every day. My neighbors said that I had totally changed—from the inside out.
Cultivating at Work
I began working at a supermarket in November 2015. On the first day of work, I told the manager that I practiced Falun Dafa. The practitioner who told me about the job there hoped that we could cooperate in clarifying the truth.
Initially, I was able to keep up my positive attitude and talked to people about Dafa. After several days of exhausting hard labor, I started to complain. I couldn’t keep up with Fa-study, doing the exercises, and sending righteous thoughts. On top of that, I had to prepare for my driver's license test. I was overwhelmed.
I gradually began to act more like an everyday person instead of a practitioner. I argued or found excuses for myself whenever the manager told me to do something or pointed out what I had done wrong.
One time, the head of the fresh produce team asked, “Who sheaved these chives? How can we sell them like this?”
I thought I was being unfairly treated, because my attachments to self-esteem and saving face were being hit upon. I cried and said, “I'll quit tomorrow!”
The store manager talked to me, and I was touched by her kindness. She was an everyday person, yet she was so kind and forgiving. In contrast, I showed a lack of tolerance as a practitioner. How could I save people with such a state of mind and behavior? I made up my mind to do what a practitioner should do. I shouldn’t disappoint Master and discredit Dafa.
I went to work the next day with the heart to save people. I started by making sure I did my job well, no matter how trivial the task I was assigned. Every day, I did the dirty and tiresome work. When customers had questions, I always spoke to them pleasantly, no matter how busy I was. I told them about our products with enthusiasm and tried my best to meet their needs.
With the change in my attitude, I enjoyed a better relationship with the customers, who even praised me. That made it easier for them to heed what I said later when I told them about Dafa.
An elderly man once made a total mess of a display area in the store. When I told him that the products were too fragile for him to throw them around like that, he yelled at me. The other customers and my coworkers all looked at me.
I remembered Master's words,
“We have said, however, that as a practitioner one should not fight back when being punched or insulted, but should conduct oneself with a high standard.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
I smiled and said to the man, “I'm sorry. It was my fault. Let me help you.” He continued to scold me as he walked away.
I said to a coworker, “That was my fault. I didn't show him enough kindness.”
“If that was me, I would have definitely argued with him,” the coworker replied. “You didn't say or do anything wrong.”
Not Missing Any Opportunity to Clarify the Truth
The store held a commendation conference at the end of the year. Over 100 employees from different stores were to attend. The employees were encouraged to perform on stage.
As the conference was ending, I suddenly thought, “There are so many people here! How many of them knew that Falun Dafa is good? Wasn’t this event arranged by Master for me to save them? I should at least tell them, ‘Falun Dafa is good!’”
I asked Master to reinforce my righteous thoughts to help save my coworkers. I went to the general manager and store manager and told them that I wanted to say a few words on stage. I said, “I am going to say that Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” They were ecstatic and let me do it right away. The general manager said that I could say whatever I wanted.
After a quick introduction and greeting, I said, “I am very grateful to the supermarket corporation. I will cherish the friendships I have developed here. I have been tempered in this environment. When I first started working here, I wasn’t familiar with how things were done. Because everyone helped me, I was able to learn my job quickly. I would like to thank all of you! I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and I will do my best to meet the requirements of my practice. Ladies and gentlemen, if you keep compassion in your hearts, you will be blessed and know peace wherever you go. Don’t forget that the secret to being blessed is remembering, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” May all of you know the truth about Dafa and be safe!”
Master said,
“Also, with those people that you run into by chance, who you run into in daily life, and the people you run into at work, you should all clarify the truth to them. Even when in your daily life you pass by people so quickly that you don't have a chance to talk to them, you should still leave them with your compassion and kindness.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
Everyone started cheering, and some even stood up to applaud. I was very moved. I thanked Master for giving me the courage and wisdom to save people.
I have been tempered little by little every day working at the supermarket. Many of my attachments were exposed, such as being self-centered, thinking too much of myself, not being able to take criticism, and looking down on others. It pushed me to give up many of my personal desires and pushed me forward on the path of returning to my original, true self.
I have been practicing Dafa for 20 years and have experienced many extraordinary, miraculous, and beautiful things. Without Master's compassionate salvation, I wouldn't be here. Thank you, Master!
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Category: Journeys of Cultivation
