(Clearwisdom.net) It has been fifteen years since I read Zhuan Falun for the first time. I stepped on my path of cultivation in July 1996. The Fa rectification began in 1999. Over close to ten years, my cultivation has been connected with my work at The Epoch Times. In retrospect, I knew in my heart, even before stepping on this cultivation path, that practitioners were and are one body. I wish to share my experience and understanding with fellow practitioners, so we can encourage each other.
In late 2000, several practitioners from Sydney met a fellow practitioner from the USA during the Fahui in Taiwan. This was the first time I heard the three Chinese characters “The Epoch Times (Da Ji Yuan).” We wanted to found our own media and were very excited about this thought. I returned to Sydney earlier than my fellow practitioners. On my return I received a copy of The Epoch Times newspaper, which was mailed from the USA by a follow practitioner in that country. I could barely wait to discuss this matter with fellow practitioners. A practitioner and I went to the authorities to register a firm under the name of "The Epoch Times."
I realized that I could not just start the paper based on my wisdom and xinxing. We all had a different take on the matter, but everyone was enthusiastic about starting the newspaper. I was not personally ready to get too deeply involved in the establishment of the newspaper, so I pulled away. There were many Dafa projects, so I didn't see the need to get involved. However in February 2001, when I saw the first issue of The Epoch Times newspaper officially published in Sydney, I felt regret in my heart and experienced a feeling I can’t describe in mere words. I knew that it was wrong to have removed myself from that task, and something I didn't do had to be done by fellow practitioners. I knew that I had shortcomings and had to look within. Alas, I discovered that I still was selfish. I couldn't give up my ordinary job. I was afraid of not being paid, and worried about the difficulty associated with such a move.
I lost my ordinary job in 2002, so I began selling advertisements for The Epoch Times. I sold my first advertisement on the first day! In fact, this was how Master encouraged me, because he saw my cultivation path clearly. After graduating from a college, I had worked in sales in China. In Australia, my first job was the sale of advertisements for a Chinese newspaper in Sydney. I was not a stranger to newspaper advertising sales. I felt that selling advertisements was arranged by the Fa. I should have sold advertising for The Epoch Times from the day the paper was founded.
Because I walked away from an opportunity originally, when I truly sold advertisements for The Epoch Times, I was very tranquil and peaceful in my heart. I felt that I had truly found my calling. My reasoning is as follows: First, work and cultivation practice are very closely connected. Every cent I made from selling advertisements established my mighty virtue. It also solved my need to earn a living. Secondly, the working time was very flexible, so I could attend Dafa activities without having to ask for time off. Thirdly, I could meet so many people, find new clients daily, and make friends with many people. I could chat and clarify the truth about Falun Gong to people from different cultural backgrounds, and who are of different states of mind. Throughout these years, many of my clients established their fate with The Epoch Times and with Dafa through me. Many of them quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliates and saw the Shen Yun Performing Arts show.
For example, I had a client from Hong Kong. He had lost property worth several hundred-million yuan during the 1990s financial meltdown in Hong Kong. He almost committed suicide, but then decided to immigrate to Australia. When I met him, he had a small appliance shop. I asked him to take out an advertisement, but he was hesitant because some of his products were imported from China. I then asked him to give it a try, as it would not affect his returning to China. Thus, he promised to take out a four-week advertisement in The Epoch Times. This decision had no detrimental effect on him visiting China, so he signed a one-year contract.
I then asked him to support one activity on Falun Dafa Day and a show for rescuing orphans. Because of our friendship, he donated several hundred yuan. Immediately afterward he won a land lawsuit, which he had been dealing with in a southeast asian country for a long time. He obtained land worth about ten million yuan. He also arranged for a several tens of billions of yuan in investments in a bank and the local Australian government, earning a commission of tens of million of Australian dollars. He told me that I brought him good fortune, so he would connect with me again and again. I said, “Because you choose to support Dafa when Dafa was being persecuted, even if it was only several hundred yuan, you obtained good fortune.” Our actions look like nothing out of the ordinary, but they greatly influence sentient beings. We can only see what happens on this earth, but we can’t see what is happening in other dimensions. This is beyond our imagination.
Some people said that selling advertisements was very difficult and I must admit that I did have a few bad experiences. But selling advertisements and contacting people is what I'm good at. I'm not a coward, nor do I lack confidence, things an everyday salesperson might be settled with. On the contrary, I treat all that is happening with ease. I do what I can do without being concerned. It all comes naturally. Actually my achievements were just about average.
It is impossible that the road one walks is always smooth. In the beginning, some managers and business owners asked me to work for them. They asked how much I earned at The Epoch Times and suggested how much I could earn working for them. Usually I politely refused. One time the head of a real estate company where I had worked called me. He was contemplating opening a branch in Queensland and hoped to hire me as the branch manager. He offered a large salary, a vehicle, and free lodging. He even promised that I could attend Dafa activities abroad twice a year. Since I had worked for him, he knew I often went abroad for Dafa activities and meetings. My mind was affected, but for just a few minutes. I then thought, "How did everyday people know my wish and read my heart?" I then got over my desire for the job.
Truly touching are the xinxing tests among Dafa practitioners. In 2004, the main coordinator and I were of different opinion on the subject of selling or handing out the newspaper for free, and we argued a lot. One day we had an intense argument. I was very disappointed at that time. I didn't see any hope for us, so I wanted to walk away. I began looking for a job quietly. In Parramatta, I found a real estate agent. After the head of the office saw me, he was very friendly. His partner had just left and he was seeking a new partner. I didn't really have any experience selling houses in Australia, but he thought that I would be an outstanding real estate sales agent. He wanted to hire me, pay me a base salary, and provide a car allowance and shares in the company.
After I returned to The Epoch Times office I calmed down and then found my attachments. I had a strong competitive mentality, so I argued and claimed that I was right and she was wrong. The intense words aggravated the conflicts. If the coordinator truly didn't do well, was there any hope? Where was Master? Where was Dafa’s might? How could I rectify my relationship with the coordinator? Why did the coordinator’s cultivation affect my cultivation? For whom did I practice and cultivate? Who would be glad, Master or the evil spirit, if I left The Epoch Times? When we encounter tests, selfishness and anger sometimes produce wrong thoughts, causing us to walk away from the task at hand. Then, the old evil forces arrange the opportunity to take a different path, making it feel so natural and satisfactory. This desire will then make us walk down the wrong path. The price to return is extremely large, even if we can disentangle ourselves and come back. After I understood all of this, I declined the job offer as a real estate agent and continued to work as a saleswoman for The Epoch Times. My heart had calmed down. From then on, the interference lessened.
No matter how big the tribulation in my personal cultivation, it does not shake my determination to firmly keep going on my cultivation path. Such persistence helps me pass the big tests and tribulations in my cultivation, and improve myself within the Falun Dafa environment.
In September 2009, I heard Master teaching the Fa for The Epoch Times in the United States. One sentence Master said reverberated in my mind like thunder and made many thoughts run through my mind. I asked myself, "Do I put my heart into The Epoch Times?" I understand clearly that working for The Epoch Times is the best choice for my practice cultivation. It is both good for my cultivation and to help me earn a living. Everything is about myself. I didn't consider how to truly make The Epoch Times a good paper. I thought that it had nothing to do with me and it was beyond my scope. Upon returning to Australia, I remembered that another fellow practitioner who worked for The Epoch Times said, "No matter who is the coordinator of The Epoch Times, we must put our hearts into it and work everything out well." This thought was pure. It arose due to Mater's guidance, his profound compassion, and Dafa’s power. However, why do I hold this thought after I have worked for The Epoch Times for so many years? This indicates that my xinxing and enlightenment quality are far from Master’s requirement so that Master had to point me towards my problem.
I have been the sales department manager since last year. In fact, at the beginning, I didn't want to be the sales manager. There were several reasons. First, it had to do with my character, I like to be free and unencumbered with others' problems. I don't like managing others nor being managed. Secondly, I saw that relationships among fellow practitioners are sometimes hard to deal with. No one listened to anyone else. Many Dafa coordinators were ungrateful, and cultivation was easily affected by the conflicts. Thirdly, as a sales manager, I had to spend a lot of time helping other sales people, as well as get involved with management tasks. This affected my sales achievement. But then the thought arose, some coordinators at The Epoch Times headquarters really impressed me. They face very fatiguing coordination work, having to work with so many practitioners worldwide, yet they dare to undertake this task. Why can’t I undertake this too?
In fact, after assuming the sales lead position I realized much I had not seen before. I wanted for things to go my way and didn't want to forgive other people. This made the task more difficult. There wasn't sufficient communication before I made a decision and announced it. This created disagreements and gaps among us. In addition, being irritated and speaking emotionally was hard for fellow practitioners to accept. For a regular practitioner, the poor xinxing level perhaps only affects him. As a coordinator, everyone is watching you. Only then did I realize how important it was to think before you speak or act, and how my desire to "go for it on my own" could bring forth unpleasantness.
When working on a project, the coordinator requires one to do one's part, just the part one was assigned. However, there are always people who are unwilling to get along and do what is asked. This kind of attitude creates problems for others. Sometimes I helped sales people and also took on some management tasks. The workload was much more than before, and I held negative thoughts and was abrupt when fellow practitioners were still not satisfied. However, I realized that this behavior was very bad when meeting clients and trying to sell advertisements. This was another loophole for the evil to taken advantage of. Therefore, I tried my best to suppress any bad attitude. I understood that as a coordinator, a Dafa practitioner shouldn't develop an attachment of satisfaction. It helps improve one's xinxing and wisdom.
During the past year, although I have undertaken more supervisory work, I have found that I can achieve more than during prior years. My narrowness and selfishness had hindered my cultivation improvement. When one improves, one can truly validate Dafa’s might. The Epoch Times will become the world's number one media. So, what we achieve today and in the future will require us to break through many difficulties, but we will succeed.
Thank you, Master!
Thank you, Fellow Practitioners!
