(Minghui.org) Usually when making a trade deal, money is paid when the goods are taken. If a buyer wants to buy something on credit, the seller would not easily agree to it unless the buyer was known to the seller and they are trustworthy. Especially in today's society, when there are so many swindlers around. Sometimes, even money loaned between family members and friends is not paid back.
However, I witnessed a piece of pure land, where strangers were buying goods on credit. It was the summer of 1996, at a city center square in China. A lot of people went there everyday to do Falun Gong exercises and the numbers increased daily. There was a minimal supply of Falun Dafa books, exercises illustrations and exercise music for sale.
One day, after I finished doing the exercises, I noticed that two practitioners came to sell books and cassettes. People quickly surrounded them. I had not been doing Falun Gong for long and had not learned all of the exercises yet. I overheard people saying that there were illustrations of the exercises in the book. So, I joined the crowd to buy one.
I saw an elderly woman that wanted to buy a book, but she didn't have any money with her. She told the bookseller that she lives in the countryside and didn't have time to go home to get the money, and asked if they would give her the book now, and she would bring the money later. The bookseller looked at the woman, thought for a moment, and then gave the book to her. The elderly woman thanked the bookseller profusely. The bookseller simply replied: “No problem”.
I asked the elderly woman if she knew the bookseller, but she said that she didn't. I was really shocked and said: “She sold you a book on credit and you don't know her?”
The elderly woman smiled and said: “I really don't have the money with me today. I'm afraid I might miss my chance to get a copy if I don't buy it on credit, so she gave me a copy. I met a good person today.” I noticed there were other people that got a book on credit, and the booksellers did not appear to be keeping a record of their transactions. I had money on me, so I quickly bought two copies.
I walked away from the crowd and stood watching the two booksellers busy with customers. I still couldn’t get over it: Letting strangers buy on credit? If the buyers don't come back with the money and the sellers don't know them, how would they get their money back? The sellers aren't making much money anyway, so wouldn't they end up losing money?
After talking to another practitioner, I learned that there was a constant shortage of the books because so many people wanted to buy them, and that the practitioners selling books were volunteers and had probably purchased all of the books themselves. The books all had ISBN numbers and were printed through a publisher.
When I went home, I started reading the book right away. After I finished, I understood the reason why the practitioners let strangers buy the books on credit and why they were not worried about the money. I also understood that the people who bought the book on credit would pay the money back once they read it.
What book am I talking about? Zhuan Falun, the teachings of Falun Gong.
Category: Improving Oneself
