(Minghui.org) A practitioner named Ailing (alias) found me a job as a storekeeper that paid 1,500 yuan (USD$245) a month in May 2024. Ailing was a classmate of the owner and had worked there a few years ago. She mentioned that the store wasn’t busy, and there wasn’t a lot of work to do. She also said that after completing assigned tasks, I could study the Fa.
I had been resting at home for over a year due to “sickness karma,” and was looking for a job that was not too demanding. I wanted to make sure that I had time to study the Fa and do the exercises. I didn’t want my “sickness karma” to worsen. When Ailing said the store wasn’t too busy, I found it perfect. The wage was a little low, but what mattered most was having time to study the Fa.
The next day, I went to the store, and the store manager immediately put me to work. My first task was to inventory the goods in the warehouse and to familiarize myself with them. Seeing the variety of bearings they had, I felt nervous. After barely finishing one shelf, I wondered when I would ever finish counting all of those bearings. I even considered quitting.
During a break, I sat in a chair and a thought came to my mind: The job must have been arranged by Master. I had previously asked Master to help me find a job, and just two days later, Ailing approached me with this opportunity. I gathered my resolve and told myself: don’t be afraid of difficulties, just persevere. A week later, I finished counting all the goods.
I realized the job required constant cooperation with others: helping to inspect goods, allocate goods, write orders, return goods, clean the bearings, and so on.
At first I was often blamed and criticized because I was inexperienced and unfamiliar with the process. Moreover, I didn’t fully understand what they were saying, but I felt too embarrassed to ask. In my heart, I blamed them for not providing clear instructions. I felt upset, wronged, and sad. My attachments to avoiding criticism, saving face, and not wanting to feel inferior all surfaced, and I found myself once again thinking about quitting.
After I calmed down, I thought, “I am a practitioner -- how can I be defeated by such small things? Dafa practitioners are strong, and I must persevere. Whenever conflicts arise, I should look within myself for the reason. No matter how others treat me, I shouldn’t get upset or try to run away. Aren’t these great opportunities to improve my xinxing?”
A month passed quickly, and it was payday. I was working on the second floor when the accountant called me downstairs to receive my wages. The owner’s wife was on the phone and pointed to the cash on her desk. I picked it up and counted it. Huh? Why is it 1,700 yuan instead of 1,500? I wasn’t sure if it was because they had miscounted or if they had paid me extra for cooking lunch once a week.
At first, I thought, “Don’t worry, just take whatever they gave me.” But, then I had a second thought, “I am a Dafa practitioner. I must do everything openly and honorably.”
After the owner’s wife finished her phone call, I said to her, “When I started here, I was told my wage was 1,500 yuan, but now there’s an extra 200 yuan. What’s going on?”
She stuttered, “Uh, so you’re still on probation.” She then asked me if I had been cooking, and I told her I had cooked once a week. Her expression became very awkward, and she didn’t know what to say.
I said, “Please take it back for now and get the situation sorted out.”
She replied, “Alright, I’ll take it back and check with my husband.”
I felt something was not right. The next day, the owner couple acted as if nothing happened and didn’t mention the 200 yuan at all. After they left, the accountant asked me how much I was paid. I told her it was 1,500 yuan. She then revealed that my wages were actually raised to 1,700 yuan. She added that the owner couple was stingy, and suggested that I ask them to return the extra money.
I felt upset upon hearing this, and felt a sense of injustice. I also considered asking for the money back. But, then I thought, “If I ask for the money, won’t I be selling the accountant out?” I took a deep breath, adjusted my mindset, and remembered that Master teaches us to treat everything we encounter as an opportunity for improvement.
I realized I needed to look inward when situations arise, and that my cultivation is about letting go of human attachments. So, what human thoughts were exposed through this incident? I asked myself, “Was your heart moved? Yes, it was. Were you upset? Yes, I was. Did you feel it was unfair? Yes, I did. Did you resent it? Yes, I did.” After reflecting on this, I gradually calmed down and was able to get over it.
But cultivation is not so easy. When I wasn’t busy and I was able to study the Fa, I felt a sense of peace in my heart. However, when I became busy—such as when a large shipment of goods arrived and my workload increased—or when I faced conflicts and difficulties, I again felt it was unfair.
The thought would pop into my mind: “This is all your fault. You didn’t have to return the 200 yuan. Ask them to raise your wages, or just quit.” I even calculated how much money the owner would take from me over the course of a year. Resentment and feelings of injustice resurfaced, and I couldn’t let go of my attachment to personal interests.
Fortunately, I knew I am a practitioner, and since I had been studying the Fa regularly, I understood that when problems arise, I should consider them from the perspective of the Fa. And I came to understand that a standard of the Fa is that one’s heart should not be moved. Weren’t those thoughts that popped into my mind just disturbances that were urging me to fight against the situation, trying to prevent me from cultivating?
Moreover, this is the Fa-rectification period, and we are practicing Dafa today to validate Dafa and save sentient beings—including the owner couple. They knew I am a Dafa practitioner and still hired me, and they allowed me to study the Fa at work. I should be grateful.
In this matter, even though I took a loss in terms of my personal interests, I showed them that Dafa practitioners are different from everyday people, and this couple felt the righteousness of Dafa practitioners. I made up my mind that I must completely let go of this upset mindset that’s tied to personal interests, and I must let go of it once and for all!
A few months later, the accountant quit her job, and the task of cooking lunch naturally fell on me. The owner gave me a 500 yuan raise for cooking lunch.
There were four employees in the company, and I started to make lunch for them every day. I did my best to consider their needs, and they could feel the kindness of a Dafa practitioner. The kitchen, the bathroom, the floor tiles, the dining table, and the pots and pans were all greasy and dirty, but I scrubbed everything clean.
The sales guy used to treat me poorly, calling me clumsy. But now, he has changed. They all say that the lunches have improved since I started cooking daily for them.
In the past, I did not know how to look inward when problems arose, which caused a lot of trouble. I now deeply feel that only by studying the Fa diligently and being determined to remove my human attachments can I truly align with the requirements of Dafa.
It was through studying the Fa well that I could identify my true self and prevent interference. Only by studying the Fa could I cultivate compassion for all beings and treat them with kindness, thus validating Dafa and saving sentient beings.
I am grateful to Master for guiding me forward. Given this Fahui, I realized that I would become more diligent, cultivate myself diligently, and fulfill my mission!
Thank you, Master!
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Category: Improving Oneself
