(Minghui.org) When I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1998 I had two degrees, taught in a secondary school where I was a mid-level leader. As a practitioner, I conducted myself according to the Fa’s principles. I was hardworking, and I was always willing to take on difficult tasks with no complaints.
Consequently, I made consistent achievements both in teaching and other areas, and I was well-known in our area. I was young and everyone said my future was bright.
Everything changed in July 1999 when former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin launched an unprecedented, cruel persecution of Falun Dafa and its practitioners, largely out of jealousy because the practice was so popular.
I went to Beijing the following year to speak up for Falun Dafa. When I returned, I also encouraged other practitioners to take similar actions to safeguard the Fa.
Because of what I did, I was sentenced to jail, then demoted, and my salary was cut to the basic living allowance. I was no longer taught, instead I assigned to work as a security guard in the school’s kindergarten.
Many people pitied me and said I was treated unfairly. I also found the change hard to take—I felt I lost face. I also harbored anger and grievances.
I was unwilling to work as a security guard, and tried to delay taking up the position.
Through more Fa study my mindset changed. I thought: This is a good opportunity for me to let go of my attachment to saving face and vanity.
I calmed down and arrived at work on time. I also took Dafa books with me, and recited and copied them in my spare time.
Still, I could not completely let go of my grievances, especially when I saw how some children’s parents looked at me. I sensed that they felt it was such a waste of my talents, a great pity, yet there was nothing they could do in view of the brutal persecution, and even though many of them knew how evil the CCP is, they dared not speak up in order to protect themselves.
It was truly an agonizing and soul-crushing process while I tried to let go of my attachment to saving face and vanity. I know in my heart that as a Dafa practitioner, I must be a good person and show kindness to others in all circumstances, and take responsibility to uphold Falun Dafa—because assisting Master in Fa-rectification and saving people is practitioners’ sole mission.
I would never act against the fundamental principles for Dafa practitioners or do anything that would have a negative impact on Falun Dafa, as that would undermine our efforts to save sentient beings.
I rectified my way of thinking and I was resolved to truly let go of those human attachments that had been bothering me. I understood that merely suppressing my feelings and forcing myself to endure hardship is not genuine cultivation; to cultivate myself solidly, I should truly view adversity as a good opportunity for self-improvement through cultivation.
There was a patch of land within the kindergarten grounds, which had not been cleaned for years, where there were heaps of fallen tree leaves, wild grass, and some animal droppings. The area was an eyesore.
Cleaning up the area was supposed to be done by cleaners, but none of them were willing to do it—thinking it’s too much trouble, and the tree leaves would keep falling anyway. Year in and year out, the area was left unattended and was filled with rubbish.
I decided to take action—I’m a Dafa practitioner, and I must conduct myself by the Fa principles.
In my spare time, I went to the area with a spade and big rubbish baskets, and started clearing the area. I filled up the baskets with rotten leaves and other rubbish, then carried them to the rubbish area outside the kindergarten.
There was a cedar tree in the area, which shed heaps of needles. To make the area look nice, I used some leftover bricks from the construction work in the school to build a square enclosure. I then raked the fallen cedar needles into it, where they could decompose and eventually function as fertilizer, achieving two things.
I also cleaned up the entire area around the gatehouse, as well as other areas that needed cleaning within the school campus. As a result, our school looked very nice and clean.
When school leaders came for inspection, they found that the environment of the kindergarten had improved dramatically, and people felt very pleasant and comfortable.
The school principal came to the kindergarten and when he saw me cleaning up the fallen leaves, he would say, “Thank you for all your hard work.” He also praised me during a teaching staff meeting.
I was doing something outside my role as a security guard, with no extra pay, and yet I felt really happy inside, because I was following Master’s teachings to be a good person and be considerate of others.
I often recited Master’s teachings and poems in Hong Yin while I cleaned the long neglected area. Sometimes, tears would well up in my eyes and my heart was filled with happiness and peace, without any feeling of losing face or being inferior.
Instead, my heart was filled with immense gratitude for being able to obtain the universal Fa, and to be a Falun Dafa practitioner in this lifetime. I sometimes talked to trees and the plants, telling them to remember Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, so they would also have a bright future.
What I did for the school campus was very worthwhile, as it not only showed the kindness of a practitioner, but also validated the beauty of Falun Dafa, which would help people take a positive view of the practice for their own future.
I felt very sorry for my colleagues who didn’t dare to practice Falun Dafa because they were afraid they’d be persecuted by the CCP. They lost this precious opportunity that comes only once in millions of years!
During the year when I was working as a security guard, I let go of much of my sense of superiority, concern about saving face, vanity, and attachment to fame and personal gain.
As a Dafa practitioner, I must always take a positive view of whatever I encounter in life, because everything happens to help us improve in cultivation. We cannot succeed in cultivation without tribulations. It is indeed a good thing to endure hardship, especially those that temper our xinxing. Going through hardship and tribulations is a great opportunity to eliminate karma and increase our gong.
The Fa-rectification has arrived at its very last stage. I lag far behind in comparison with other fellow practitioners who have done well in cultivation, and I still have many shortcomings and attachments to let go of, such as those to fame and personal gain, lust, family affection, desire for comfort, impatience, grievances, selfishness, craving for food, and a tendency to be suspicious.
I’m determined to cultivate diligently, and let go of my human attachments, so that I can return to my true home with Master!
Category: Cultivation Insights
