(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
People often say that the paths we miss cannot be retraced. However, the path I missed due to the persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was offered to me again by Master. Every time I think of this, I’m filled with indescribable gratitude to Master and to Dafa.
In 1997, at the age of 18, I was fortunate to begin practicing Falun Dafa. It has been 27 years, and I went from being a teenager into a middle-aged man. Looking back on every step I’ve taken, it’s been filled with Master’s immense sacrifices and compassionate care.
Due of the CCP’s persecution, I was forced out of my job shortly after I graduated from college, and I lost a promising career. I was tortured and subjected to brainwashing by the CCP’s police and was sentenced to a lengthy imprisonment. As a result, my life’s trajectory after graduating from college and entering society was completely altered.
From a cultivation perspective, I understood that it was because I had shortcomings in my xinxing as well as karmic debts. Thus, no matter what I had to endure, I never lost my firm faith in Master and Dafa. I also knew that my personal suffering was a small matter compared to the potential impact on saving sentient beings. While I was persecuted I made every effort to show a positive mindset in order to validate the goodness of Dafa. Even in the dark prisons of the CCP, I still held my head high and faced everyone with dignity.
However, I always carried a wish in my heart: How could I make up for the losses caused by the persecution I suffered? When I was released from prison, I was already middle-aged. From an ordinary person’s perspective, the prime time of my life had passed. I was very clear in my heart that I did not come to this world to gain material things, and I was no longer attached to them. However, I still needed to live in the human world and cultivate in a way that conformed to ordinary human society to the greatest extent. Only by doing so could I validate Dafa and save sentient beings. Seeing I had this thought, compassionate Master prepared a new path for me.
Reintegrating into Society on My Cultivation Path
I quickly found a job at a small private store to make a living and this reassured my family. The work was physical labor. I adhered to the standards of a cultivator, and I worked hard and did not complain about the difficulties. I worked there for two months without a single day off. But in the end, the owner, burdened by debts, only gave me a few hundred yuan instead of a proper salary. I thought that since he was also struggling, I wouldn’t make things harder for him. I couldn’t earn a living there, and I didn’t have much time to study the Fa or do the exercises, so I decided to leave.
By what seemed like an accidental opportunity, a friend told me about a medical job which was related to my undergraduate major. I had one and a half days off per week, regular holidays, and a light workload. I mostly worked in the morning, which allowed me ample time in the afternoons to study the Fa. The work environment was pleasant, and the workplace provided free lunches. I knew this was Master’s compassionate arrangement, enabling me to both work and cultivate, and I cherished it greatly.
I worked hard every day, got along well with my coworkers, and treated every patient with kindness. When I faced unreasonable demands from supervisors, intentional exclusions from colleagues, or difficult patients, I used these as opportunities to improve my xinxing. It felt like every day there were opportunities for me to improve.
One morning, after finishing my work, I was ventilating the operating room and I saw something shiny on the ground. It was a heavy, solid gold pendant the size of a plum. I later learned it was worth nearly 10,000 yuan. I immediately reported it to my supervisor. At that moment, the patient who lost it was in the supervisor’s office, anxiously discussing what happened with her family. People told her that since so many people came and went that morning, the chance of recovering it was very slim. When she heard I found it and returned it, she and her family were deeply moved. They later returned to present me with a banner of appreciation.
Applying for My Professional Certification 20 Years After I Graduated
Since I was forced out of work by the CCP shortly after I started my career, I never obtained a professional qualification in my field. As a result, I initially could only do some low level assistant work. A year later, I quickly earned a lower-level certification, which impressed many people given my circumstances. However, my bachelor’s degree corresponded to a higher-level certificate, and I knew I was capable of getting it. I thought, why not aim for it? This would also validate Dafa.
When I shared my thoughts, some friends advised against it, citing my age and two-decade absence from the field. They doubted I could compete with young graduates and postgraduate students.
After reflecting on this feedback, I carefully considered my situation. While I was indeed older and had been away from the field for over 20 years, I knew my mind was sharp and my health was excellent. In fact, I looked and felt about ten years younger than my actual age. Moreover, my motivation for pursuing this certification was not personal ambition, but a desire to validate Dafa. I wanted my friends and family to see hope and the beauty of Dafa.
Our compassionate Master arranged everything for me. Throughout the entire process, from registration to preparation, different people appeared at just the right moments to assist me with challenges. For example, I met a young woman who took the same exam the year before and enthusiastically shared her experiences. She walked me through every step of the registration process, explained how to study effectively, and even gave me detailed tips on how to prepare for the exam.
Another person helped me secure a quiet, comfortable study space, which was crucial for my preparation. Near the final month before the exam, I found an online crash course offering intensive exam preparation for a very low fee of just 400 yuan. The course was well-structured, and the teachers provided excellent guidance.
During this final stretch, I devoted myself to studying while maintaining my daily routine of studying the Fa and doing the exercises. Many young students who were preparing for the exam were overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, and physical exhaustion as the deadline approached. Some had to rely on sleeping pills to rest, while others were prescribed anti-depressants to cope with the pressure. The exam took two days, and both days were extremely warm. During the exam, I saw some people taking energy drinks, chocolate, and even oxygen to endure the grueling test schedule. Each day involved sitting for three consecutive tests. On the second day, the tests lasted from around 1 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Some people were so overwhelmed that they collapsed; I even saw one person taken away in an ambulance before the third test.
My experience was very different. I approached the exam with the mindset of a cultivator. When I felt tired or anxious during preparation, I would do the exercises or send forth righteous thoughts. On the exam days, aside from feeling a bit hot, I didn’t experience fatigue or discomfort, and I completed all the tests smoothly. When I walked out of the exam hall, I felt very confident that I would pass.
Normally, the exam results are released at least 30 days after the test. During the waiting period, I reminded myself to maintain a calm mindset, believe in Master and Dafa, do what I was supposed to do well, and avoid becoming overly attached to the outcome.
One morning, about 20 days after the exam, I was following my usual routine of presenting fruit as an offering to Master. I invited my mother, a fellow practitioner, and my father, who had not yet fully practiced cultivation, to join me in paying respects to Master. My father, in his eighties, bowed before Master’s image, and said, “Greetings, Master Li. Please accept this fruit, which our child prepared. I ask for your blessings to help my child pass the certification exam, find a suitable job, and live a normal life. Thank you, Master. You’ve worked so hard to help us.” I was deeply moved by my father’s sincerity.
To my surprise, that very evening, the exam results were released, much sooner than in previous years. Not only had I passed, but I had also exceeded the passing score by more than 40 points. I truly had a superb performance.
Upon seeing the results, I did not feel overwhelmed with excitement or joy. Instead, my heart was filled with an even deeper sense of gratitude and faith in Master and Dafa. I also felt a deep appreciation for the fellow practitioners who supported and encouraged me throughout this process. At that moment, I was determined to transform these blessings into renewed diligence in my cultivation and to do the three things well.
The next morning, I shared the results with my parents. The three of us again thanked Master for his compassion and care. My relatives and friends were also delighted to hear about my success. For me, however, I knew that all of this was the result of Master’s arrangements. What seemed impossible to others had become a reality for me.
Being able to encounter Falun Dafa’s grand spread and Master’s salvation in this lifetime is the greatest blessing among all blessings. I want to once again express my deepest gratitude to Master and to Dafa. As a disciple, I can only repay Master’s immense grace by cultivating diligently, doing the three things well, and save more sentient beings.
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