(Minghui.org) I used to care deeply about personal gain, and I never suffered any losses. I also held grudges against those who tried to take advantage of me. After I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1997, I’ve tried to be a good person by following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and I always put others’ interests first. I am happy when others gain, and because I no longer care how much I lose I’m always happy. Others noticed I changed and, in their eyes, I’d become “stupid.” But they also felt that I was a better person. Influenced by Dafa’s principles my husband also experienced positive changes.
Refusing Gifts
My husband is a well-known specialist at a large hospital and holds a key leadership position. Under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the moral standards in China continue to deteriorate, and people focus on making money. Driven by greed, officials are involved in corruption. Bribery is the way to get things done, and people are accustomed to it. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I cannot drift along with the current, so I often advise my husband to behave according to Dafa’s principles and explained to him the universal principle—that good deeds are rewarded but people face consequences when they do bad deeds. I encouraged him to maintain his integrity and morality when handling things, and not to take anything that does not belong to us. My husband does not practice Falun Dafa, but he is kind-hearted, thoughtful, and is very devoted to his career. He agrees with Dafa’s principles, and refuses to go along with the current, corrupt trends.
Many people resort to bribing family members. Some patients’ families tried many ways to bring money or other gifts to my home in the hope of getting my husband to operate on their loved ones. In China, accessing medical treatment is quite challenging. Some patients’ families have to sell their property or borrow money to pay for medical treatment. They feel pressured to bribe doctors and nurses, and this has unfortunately become a social norm. I empathize with their struggles and feel sorry for them. Whoever comes to my home to seek my husband’s help, I’m nice to them and let them know I’m a Falun Dafa practitioner. I pass on their requests to my husband, but I never accept their gifts or money. Some leave money or gifts anyway, but we always return them.
I was outside one day when a man came to look for my husband. I let him in and asked how I could help. He told me that his mother had cancer, and he sold his house to pay for her treatment. He said that he was willing to spend whatever it took to ensure her recovery. He learned that my husband was a highly skilled surgeon so he came to ask him to operate on her. He then handed me an envelope containing money. I responded, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. My Master asks us to be good people. The illness is already a burden for you, and you have to spend a lot on treatment. We cannot take your money. Don’t worry. I’ll let my husband know your situation.” I asked him to leave his mom’s name and bed number.
When my husband returned home, I told him about this young man. My husband agreed to help his mother. He performed the surgery, and the result was very successful. The patient and his family were extremely happy. On the second day, the patient’s son came again. Without saying much, he threw the envelope filled with money on the floor and left. When I visited his mom at the hospital and I quietly placed the envelope under her comforter. Then I called the son and notified him what I had done.
Another time, a young woman came to my home and said she was a patient’s family member. She wanted my husband to operate on this patient. While she was talking to me, she pulled out a beautiful necklace and handed it to me, saying, “You look very young and have beautiful skin. It would look lovely on you.” Before I could respond, she turned around and left. I tried to catch up with her, but I couldn’t.
When my husband returned, I told him what happened. I said I hoped he could help this patient and also return the necklace to her. My husband replied, “There’s no rush. Let’s wait until after the surgery. If we return it immediately, the patient may feel nervous during surgery, so it won’t be good for them.”
I was delighted to hear his thoughtful response, and complimented him, saying, “You’ve thought things through more carefully than I have. Let’s do as you said.”
The surgery went very well. Afterward, my husband returned the necklace to the patient and his family members. They were very touched, and repeatedly said, “Thank you! Thank you! We’ve met a good person!”
My husband is on the board that evaluates professional licensure titles at his hospital. To get promoted to a higher professional rank, some people give board members money and gifts. One day, a person from his hospital approached me and said he needed my husband’s help to get promoted. He handed me an envelope containing 10,000 yuan, saying it was a token of thanks. I told him that I practice Falun Dafa and I could not take his money, but I would pass on his wish to my husband. Despite my objections, he left the money without me noticing.
When my husband returned home, I told him what happened. I said I hoped he would evaluate his person fairly based on his abilities. Later on, this person was indeed promoted to a higher rank. My husband returned the money and encouraged him to work diligently and not do this anymore.
The Housing Allocation Is a Cultivation Opportunity
Before the housing reform, school employees were assigned apartments based on their seniority, title, and contributions. Our school built new apartments, and was ready to allocate them. According to the requirements, I should have received one, but I did not receive anything. I didn’t think much of it but a friend felt it was unfair. She encouraged me to take action against the person in charge of allocating apartments and offered to accompany me to confront them.
However, I thought as a Falun Dafa practitioner, I could not handle the issue like an ordinary person. I told her, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. My Master teaches us to take personal gain lightly, not to fight with others, and always consider others first. Other people need an apartment, so let them have it.” My friend said that I became foolish after practicing Falun Dafa. My calm regarding the housing allocation issue caused quite a stir throughout the school. Many people were impressed by a Falun Dafa practitioner’s high moral character in the face of personal gain.
On July 20, 1999, the CCP started the persecution of Falun Dafa. Lies and propaganda were spread in the newspapers and on television, slandering Falun Dafa and Master. Under the CCP’s tyranny, many people stopped practicing. I believe Falun Dafa is a high-level Buddhist practice, and being a good person following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is not wrong. I was determined to cultivate Falun Dafa.
In the past 28 years I’ve cultivated I experienced many tribulations and suffered greatly, yet I consider myself the luckiest person in the world. I have come to understand the true meaning of life, and I experienced the pleasure of being a good person who follows the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. I’m proud to be a Falun Dafa practitioner.
I know I still have many attachments and fall short of the requirements for practitioners. I will seize the time to do the three things practitioners should do—study the Fa well, cultivate myself, and let go of human notions. I will keep clarifying the truth about the persecution to help Master save more people, fulfill my prehistoric vows, and repay Master for his compassionate salvation.
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