(Minghui.org) My parents began to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. I was a young child then, and I did the exercises and listened to the recordings of the lectures given by Master Li (the founder of Falun Dafa) with my parents. I hardly read the teachings. After entering middle school I slacked off and basically stopped practicing.
It was not until the Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival) in 2018 that I came back to Falun Dafa. I realized that the practice is very precious, and I firmly committed myself to cultivating according to Dafa’s principles.
Mind and Body Improvement
Because I was steeped in the big dye vat of the ordinary world for nearly 20 years, I accumulated a lot of karma. My bad habits included smoking, drinking, stealing, and lying. Even though I did so many bad things, I still looked down on others.
In late 2017, I suffered chronic pain in my knees. After walking a short distance, my knees popped with each step. I could not lift heavy items either, due to lower back pain. My complexion became sallow. I looked unhealthy and I was often in a bad mood. I ended up spending most of my time on my cell phone. I had a hard time getting up in the morning and I did not sleep well at night. My life was miserable.
After I resumed the practice, I followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my daily life. I learned to cherish virtue and I was considerate of others, because that was the only way to improve my moral character.
My knees gradually stopped aching no matter how far I walked. The severe ulcers in my mouth also disappeared. My complexion became smooth and rosy. My life was filled with joy.
I used to have a bad temper, but after I resumed practicing I was able to treat others with kindness. Although I still occasionally get into a bad mood, I am working on getting rid of the attachments behind it. The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance have brightened my world.
Becoming Considerate of Others
Sometimes it is difficult to behave like a practitioner at work, but I am doing my best. A customer called about an after-sale service. My manager told me the warranty had expired and we would not provide any support. But the customer was very upset.
“You need to fix it for me! Right now!” he yelled over the phone. If this had happened in the past, I would have argued with him. But I am a Falun Dafa practitioner so I replied, “All right. I will see what I can do.” The customer ended the call.
When I thought about this afterward I felt this customer might be too embarrassed to follow up with me because of his bad attitude. So I reached out to him first and added a smiley emoji in the email. When I compared my behavior to what Master talks about in the teachings, I knew I could have done better. After all, his bad attitude towards me may be related to my karma.
After identifying where I could do better in my cultivation practice I decided to handle the situation with compassion. When I checked with the customer later and helped him solve the problem he was very polite and thankful.
Cutting in line for buses is a norm in my city. People rush forward even before the bus fully stops. People of all ages shove others aside and very few wait their turn. On Minghui I read a story in which a practitioner recalled how Master Li did not get on the bus until everyone else did. I understood that Master was showing us how to be not only a good person, but an even better person.
From then on I waited for the others to board the bus first. Still, my feet sometimes moved subconsciously as if I would rush forward, too. I gradually became patient and waited calmly for others to get on the bus first.
I also did better in other areas such as not littering and staying in the marked crosswalks while crossing a street. One day it was raining and I went to a bank. Noticing the dirty marks I left on the floor, I took a mop which was near the door and cleaned the floor before I left.
“Wow! You are the best customer we ever had,” one staff member said to me. “It is because I practice Falun Dafa,” I replied, “Please remember ‘Falun Dafa is good.’”
Another time I bought a heavy mirror and brought it home by taxi. Most people would ask the taxi driver to drive up to the building. But knowing the alley was too narrow for the driver to back out of, I just asked the driver to stop at the main road. Carrying the heavy mirror down the alley was not easy, but I was happy – this is the way a practitioner should behave.
Helping an Elderly Woman
Because of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) defamatory propaganda many people are poisoned and hostile toward Falun Dafa practitioners. So I try to find opportunities to explain what Falun Dafa really is.
One day, I saw an old woman reading the signs at a bus stop. She looked confused. I asked if she needed help. She told me her destination. Pointing at the bus route numbers, I explained which buses could work for her and which would not. Seeing she was still unsure, I decided to ride with her to her destination.
While we chatted she said she was 80 years old and had poor eyesight. In fact, she was going to a hospital for a checkup. Two buses passed and I told her to get on the third one. A mask was required, but she did not have one. I offered her one and she was pleased. The bus was crowded and no seats were available, so I helped her stand.
As we departed, I briefly told her how practicing Falun Dafa improved my life and asked if she would quit the CCP organizations for a better future. She agreed to renounce her membership in the Young Pioneers, which she joined many years ago. She was very happy and smiled like a child as we said goodbye.
Looking back over these years I am very thankful to Master Li. I feel very fortunate to be a Falun Dafa practitioner.
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