(Minghui.org) I’ve spent years selling daily necessities in a bustling market. The stalls are crammed together, with each vendor hawking similar goods. Conflicts often arise. Vendors steal customers, fight, and curse. For a long time, I was right in the thick of it, doing whatever it took to protect my profits.
But that was before I began practicing Falun Dafa.
One day, not long after I took up this ancient spiritual discipline, a customer came up to my stall, pointed at my goods, and asked about the price. Before I could even respond, the vendor next to me quickly shoved his own goods forward and made the sale. He glanced at me, waiting for the inevitable confrontation. But I didn’t lash out like I would have in the past. I simply looked at him with calm eyes, remembering the words of Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa:
“Compassion can harmonize Heaven and Earth,ushering in springRighteous thoughts can save the peoplein this world”(“The Fa Rectifies the Cosmos,” Hong Yin II)
Perhaps a single kind thought from me touched his heart. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I took your customer. Let me give you the money I earned.”
I smiled and shook my head. “You don’t have to do that. We’re all just trying to make a living. It isn’t easy for you, either.”
From that day on, something changed between us. He stopped trying to steal my customers. In fact, when I wasn’t around, he helped sell my goods. The other vendors noticed I’d changed, too. They saw that I wasn’t as competitive as I used to be, and they began to trust me more. They asked me to watch their stalls or help with sales when they had to step away, and I did so willingly, and always honestly.
One quiet morning before the market got busy, a man came in to buy some thread. He handed me one yuan, and I put it on the counter. Ten minutes later, he stormed back, shouting that I hadn’t given him his change. He claimed he had given me ten yuan and that I owed him nine. I calmly pointed to the single yuan still sitting on the counter. “You gave me this,” I said. The others standing around began to get angry, calling him out for trying to scam me. Things were about to get physical. I quickly handed the man nine yuan and said, “Take it and go. But remember, if I owed you this from a past life, then we’re even now. If I didn’t, then you’re making a terrible mistake that will bring you bad karma. Please, don’t do this again—it’s not good for you.”
The people around me were taken aback by my response. They’d seen the change in me since I started practicing Falun Dafa, and they could tell it was more than just skin deep. I had changed, including my temper, my health, and my entire outlook on life. Some of them even began to practice Falun Dafa themselves, and others, seeing the truth through my actions, chose to distance themselves from the Chinese Communist Party. I told them all to remember, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” It was clear to me that they were choosing a brighter future for themselves.
Then something happened in 2013 that tested my newfound peace of mind. There was a two-story structure with storefronts, just seven or eight meters from my place. The owner, however, illegally added another floor, completely blocking the view from three of my windows. Our neighbors were furious and wanted to report him for the illegal construction.
One day, the owner came to see me. He looked uneasy, almost apologetic. “My building isn’t blocking anyone else, just you. How much money would make this right?”
I could have demanded compensation, but then I thought of the teachings of Falun Dafa. “I don’t want any money,” I told him. “If I didn’t practice Falun Dafa, I would have reported you long ago, and your building would have to be torn down. But Master Li teaches us to be compassionate and always consider others.”
Master said:
“You should always be benevolent and kind to others and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I told him, “Tearing down your building would cause you great loss, and that’s not something I want to be responsible for.”
The owner was stunned, and I could see the gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you so much,” he said. But I wasn’t looking for thanks. “Don’t thank me,” I told him. “Thank Master Li. It’s Falun Dafa that teaches us to be good people. And remember that the stories you hear about Falun Gong put out by the Chinese Communist Party are not true—they’re lies created to deceive people. The Party has done terrible things, and heaven will ensure that justice is done. If you’ve joined the Party or its affiliated organizations, I suggest you withdraw.”
He nodded and asked me to help him quit the Party. I told him to remember, “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” and that knowing the truth would bring him blessings.
That day, I may have given up a chance for personal gain, but I gained something much more valuable. By letting go of my attachment to profit, I was able to help another soul find his way to the truth. And that, to me, was worth everything.