(Minghui.org) While visiting my parents in 1995, I was introduced to Falun Gong by my mother, who also took me to watch Master’s Fa-teaching videos in an auditorium. After I returned to my own city, I carried Zhuan Falun with me everywhere I went.
The following year I paid another visit to my parents, and this time my mother took me to her local Fa-study group and showed me some experience sharing articles. Only then did I gain a deeper understanding of Falun Gong and realize that it was exactly what I had been looking for my entire life. I was overjoyed at discovering Dafa and felt like a lost child stumbling on her way back home. My happiness was beyond description.
I read Zhuan Falun and practiced the exercises every day and soon felt the Falun Master installed in me. Upon returning home, I joined my local Fa-study group. Every morning I did the exercises with other practitioners before going off to work. After dinner, I joined everyone again for Fa-study and experience sharing. Those few years were so happy and fulfilling.
“Those That Practice Falun Gong Are All of High Caliber”
Ever since I became a practitioner, I made it a point to strictly follow Master’s teachings at every moment.
When I was still with my first employer, I worked hard at my job and never complained about anything. I also took the initiative to clean up our company's public space. Once a colleague caught me removing a child’s waste from the ground, she said, “Only you guys that practice Falun Gong would volunteer to do such a dirty job!”
When a new leader assumed his post at our company, he came to chat with me after learning of the positive changes I experienced after I began to practice. I introduced Falun Dafa to him and suggested he read Zhuan Falun. He indeed read the whole book and later told me, “Those that practice Falun Gong are all of high caliber.” After the persecution began, he never tried to stop me from practicing.
I joined a new company in 2001. After finding my way around, I introduced Dafa and clarified the facts of the persecution to my supervisor. She asked to read Zhuan Falun. Since this company was a start-up and manpower was limited, the boss asked me to handle both accounting and cashier out of his trust in me. Every month I made sure all the finances were recorded correctly and clearly. Later, for many reasons, I had to leave this company, and the HR manager kept begging me to stay. When she realized there was no chance I would stay, she said, “Please know that you’re welcome back any time you want. The door is always open to you.”
In 2003, I was hired by a third company. Again I treated everything from a cultivator’s perspective, working hard and never fighting for personal interests. The CEO assigned me to take care of both accounting and advertisement. When I reminded him it was not appropriate for an accounting person like me to do marketing, he said, “I have a good understanding of your character. Since we are understaffed, you have all my support to do whatever you think is right.”
Our marketing budget was around several hundreds of thousands of yuan every year, and a lot of advertising companies fought hard for our business. In order to gain an upper hand, many companies offered to give me money, which I declined each and every time. Because the business climate in China is so corrupt, they couldn’t understand, so I told them Falun Gong teaches us to be good people, that I could not take any extra money, and that the company already paid me. I assured them that I would never make any trouble for them just because I didn’t take their money. As long as they submitted their ad proposals in line with our requirements, I’d consider them. Once an ad saleswoman left some jewelry on my desk after I refused her offer, and I sent it back via express mail the very next day. She was very moved.
I can’t even remember how many times I turned down favors from how many people. Later when some ad companies were investigated over money problems, my company was never implicated. Our manager said, “It was a good thing that the CEO asked you to take care of the marketing business.” He also knew about my being a Falun Dafa practitioner.
Becoming Tolerant of My Family Members and Treating Them with Kindness
I didn’t have a cordial relationship with my mother-in-law before I began cultivating. After I began practicing, I realized I must resolve our issues. Using the principles of Falun Dafa, I looked inward to identify my shortcomings. No matter how unreasonable my mother-in-law was, I knew I had to meet a cultivator’s standards and that I should be tolerant of everyone, including my family members.
But I was a person who never allowed herself to fall behind others, be it study or work. How could I take the initiative to apologize to my mother-in-law? It was so hard, but I was determined to let go of my attachment to saving face. The instant my mother-in-law opened her door for me, I saw surprise and then elation written on her face.
Though I tried my best to smooth over the relationship with my mother-in-law, it took her much longer to change her attitude towards me. After I was detained for going to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa, she did something that even angered outsiders.
At the time of my detention, I had an apartment that someone was renting. The lease hadn’t expired, but my mother-in-law took the liberty of driving away the tenant without my knowledge. She then asked her younger son to move in.
Two weeks after I returned home, I learned of this. Many colleagues and friends who lived in the same complex all felt I had been wronged, so they informed me that my mother-in-law intended for my husband to divorce me and thus had her younger son take possession of the rental property before I was released. I brushed the whole thing off with a smile. As a matter of fact, my brother-in-law has now lived there for 11 years.
In front of me, my mother-in-law always complained how her younger son never knew to show filial piety to her and her husband, but instead always demanded their financial support. I smiled, “Mom, if your financial situation allows, I have no problem at all with your supporting my brother-in-law. But know that I will always take good care of you when you are old and need assistance.” My mother-in-law was very moved, and even her daughter’s family commented that she had a good sister-in-law.
I always made certain to follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and to treat my husband’s family with tolerance and kindness. One year my parents-in-law told us that their entire family of 11 people, including they, their younger son, their younger daughter, and their respective families, were going to vacation in our city. I welcomed their visit without hesitation and said to my husband, “It’s not easy for the whole family to get together. Let’s not worry too much about money. We should be generous and good hosts.”
Since there were too many people to stay in our place, I booked some hotel rooms for them. On the weekends we drove several cars and showed them around. Whenever I had the opportunity, I clarified the facts of the persecution to them and explained why withdrawing from the CCP and its subordinate organizations would bring them safety and hope. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law both cried as they left.
I Guided My Husband Out of His Extra-marital Affair with Dafa Principles
Last year when I discovered my husband was having an extra-marital affair, I was extremely pained. After all, I’ve done so much for his family. When our child was young and in poor health, I took care of him. My husband never contributed financially to the family--it was always I that supported the three of us.
I then remembered that I had to handle everything from a cultivator’s perspective. I told my husband how a person should conduct himself and assured him that this affair was just like taking a fall in the long journey of his life. I offered to help him get up so we could continue our journey together. He was very moved and later often introduced Dafa to his friends and gave them truth-clarification DVDs to watch.
I often shared with my extended family the wonderfulness of Dafa and explained to them why reciting “Falun Dafa is good” would bring them good fortune. I said, "There are gods and Buddhas three feet above people’s heads. Falun Dafa is the Buddha Law. When Falun Dafa is being attacked in the human world, anyone who shows support for Dafa is harboring the most precious thought and will be protected by gods and Buddhas."
There are so many instances where my family benefited from Dafa that I won't list them all here.
Just like Master said, “…with one person practicing, the whole family benefits…” (“Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia” 1999)
I again thank Master for everything!
Category: Improving Oneself
