(Minghui.org) Master teaches practitioners to be good people at all times. I began practicing Falun Dafa more than 20 years ago. No matter whether it’s at home, at work, or in society, I try my best to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I seemed to meet these principles on the surface, but I still felt unbalanced. With time, and under Dafa’s guidance and Master’s protection, my heart remained unmoved.
Master said,
“Our practice aims squarely at your attachments. What’s key is to try to worry little about your own self-interest and the disputes that might arise with other people.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
The Persecution Brings Family Tribulations
My wife was a kind and hard-working person. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched the persecution against Falun Dafa, I was thrown into forced labor camps twice, arrested a few times, and my home was ransacked multiple times. The persecution also caused great harm to my wife and child. They suffered needlessly. Practitioners have extraordinary willpower and endurance, but our families are regular people. Facing the CCP’s nation-wide campaign against Falun Dafa, they felt tremendous pressure, darkness, and pain. It exceeded what they could endure.
My wife gradually changed. She became irritable and scolded me. I sympathized, understood, and felt for her. I repeatedly explained what Falun Dafa is. However, being an atheist, combined with fear for our child, she refused to listen. I looked beyond her attitude, and through caring more about her and our child, showed her that practitioners are good people. I took good care of the family, did my work well, did the three things well, and studied the Fa well. I decided to clarify the facts to her at the right time.
My wife retired a few years ago. In China, many state-owned enterprise leaders retire five years earlier than regular employees. Even though they do not go to work, they still retain the benefits that they received while they worked. My wife suddenly had free time. She practiced calligraphy, read ancient poems, traveled, and engaged in photography, but ignored household chores. After I came home from work every day, I was the one who cooked and cleaned the house.
Both my colleagues and neighbors praised me as a “model husband.” My wife and child constantly vented their anger at me but I never fought back or talked back.
Master said,
“That doesn’t mean she is just fighting with you outwardly, though, while still feeling good toward you inside. Her anger truly comes from within. You can be sure that whoever your karma is distributed to will feel upset about it.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I often felt pity for my wife because she could not seem to control her temper. She didn’t want to listen or believe in anything. Perhaps this situation happened because I hadn’t done well in my cultivation. However, we have to try to save everyone regardless of who they are.
Validating Dafa at Work
I was a trainer in my company and I lectured and trained employees. I had a good grasp of technologies, and a meticulous teaching method and attitude. Since I was patient and enthusiastic I was the most popular trainer. My colleagues admired me and said I was a good person. I thought, “Master arranged this so I could save more sentient beings.” I clarified the facts to the people I trained.
When I attended the university, I didn’t learn mechanical drawing. In my spare time I studied Solidworks (R&D mechanical design software). In the beginning, it was solely for the purpose of designing and reporting on my technological innovation at the end of the year. Many colleagues who designed tools and spare parts came to me to help draw the designs, instead of going to the colleagues who specialized in manual drawing. I was gradually regarded as an expert in design and processing in our company. Any leader who had ideas or wanted to process anything, came to me, or sought my opinion.
People in the processing factory admired the drawings I designed, as I gave them both engineering and 3D drawings. Some were footnoted with hints and illustrations. Out of their gratitude, some people from the factories offered me gifts, but I declined them firmly. I said, “I practice Falun Dafa. As a practitioner, doing well at work and helping others is what I’m supposed to do.”
When they expressed their gratitude I used the opportunity to clarify the facts to them and help them quit the CCP. I thought, “If I do well, it will help eliminate the poisonous factors in their minds infused by the CCP. They may tell their families and friends that Falun Dafa is good.”
Master said,
“We wouldn’t use the term “enlightened” for this kind of person, naturally. We would consider people who are “foolish”—to use his term for it—to be more enlightened than he is. But of course, there is nothing actually foolish about how we are. Rather, it’s just that we worry little about the worldly things that people usually can’t go without and take to be so significant; meanwhile, we are still very astute with other things. We’re very much conscientious and attentive with the things we do, be it scientific research or the tasks assigned at work, and we do them well. It’s the trivial things like worldly gain or interpersonal stuff that we take lightly. You should rest assured that no one worthwhile is going to see you as being foolish for this.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Master opened up my wisdom. At work, I could always see shortcomings in processes, tools, or equipment, so I made suggestions on how to improve them. When others couldn’t make any innovations no matter how hard they tried, I could make about ten technical innovations every year.
I treated things seriously and worked very diligently, so the technology I created was comprehensive. My manager trusted me. He had me lead a few coworkers to make use of their spare time to repair the old and make use of the waste, to minimize costs and create benefits for the company.
Last year, a few coworkers and I jointly repaired items worth over six million yuan. This matter was reported at the end of the year by the media, including TV and newspapers. Upper management was very happy and admired me even more. They felt that what I did greatly exceeded their expectations.
As a result, I had more contact with the upper management team. When I clarified the truth about Falun Dafa and the persecution, most of them sincerely accepted it.
Clarifying the Truth During the CCP’s “Zero-Out” Campaign
The CCP launched their “zero-out” campaign at the end of last year. I was told I had to sign the guarantee statement promising to give up Falun Dafa practice. The situation made it difficult for upper management. They all knew my excellent work performance, and that my personality and reputation were impeccable, especially the benefits I created for the company. They were unwilling to pressure me to sign.
Because of my outstanding performance, I was rated as a “model worker.” My unit reported me as No. 1 to the company’s higher-level leaders. Facing my achievements, character, and prestige, the management could not cancel my model worker status, so they reported me to the company. The company leaders were worried and afraid of making a “political mistake,” so they canceled my model worker status. Some colleagues jokingly said, “Someone is nominated every year and canceled every year.”
Different levels of management, one group after another, came to talk to me. I enjoyed a cordial relationship with most of them, but they didn’t understand why Falun Dafa was being persecuted. Their first words almost was always, “We are not asking you to give up your faith, you can just practice privately. But the request from above...”
Every time they came, I smiled and said, “I understand and sympathize with your difficulties. Outside of China, Falun Dafa is practiced in more than 100 countries and regions worldwide. It has been well received by the public. Only the CCP persecutes Falun Dafa. But actually, Falun Dafa is also legal under Chinese law.”
Another practitioner and I from my company clarified the facts to them. In the end we told them, “We won’t sign the guarantee statement. This is not just for ourselves, but also for you. If you help the CCP persecute us then aren’t you committing a crime? If you force us to sign it, when the CCP collapses, you’ll be implicated because you forced us to do this.”
Every time we talked, I always treated it as an opportunity to clarify the facts and save them. I knew Master was empowering and protecting me, and that the surface phenomenon was just a test. When some colleagues heard that I was being pressured they said that if I didn’t sign, I’d be dismissed from work.
Master said,
“Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations.” (Teachings at the Midwestern U.S. Conference)
These coworkers thought I was stupid. I told them, “A man’s belief is very important. If he betrays his belief he no longer has the foundation for being a human.” After I said this they became thoughtful. Some swore at the CCP. Others offered to sign the guarantee statement for me.
One manager later called me and apologized. He said that I talked so peacefully, which was totally contrary to the CCP’s propaganda. Another manager said to me, “I admire your remaining steadfast. I hate the CCP.”
Before that, my understanding of “Being a good person all at times” was that if we did well, other people would feel it. Only now did I realize what it meant to be a truly good person—one should validate that Falun Dafa is good, no matter the circumstances. If we can remain steadfast, our tribulations will be resolved and we can save more sentient beings.
Master said,
“The Daoist sage Lao-tzu wrote that, ‘When the superior man hears the Way, he will practice it with diligence.’ A superior person will realize how hard a true teaching is to come by, and know to seize the opportunity and start practicing. A complicated setting like today’s world turns out to be a good thing, as I see it, for this is what it takes to produce someone really outstanding. You have to be truly solid in your practice to rise above others in a setting like this.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
On our cultivation path and amid the tribulations, people around us have different attitudes and understandings. I feel this is arranged to see how we handle various situations. Especially during the persecution, if we can do well no matter what people say or how we’re treated, and firm up our faith in Master and Dafa, we’ll be able to save the people around us.
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