(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa is based on the characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It requires practitioners to conduct themselves as good people. Master tells us: “No matter where they are, Dafa disciples glow with a shining light and are playing a role in validating the Fa.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference”)
After I retired from working at a state run high school, I decided to work in a private high school again as a teacher from September 1999 to June 2005. I conducted myself in accordance with the principles of the Fa in my daily life and played an exemplary role among the faculty and students.
Before I practiced Falun Gong, I had an especially strong pursuit of fame and personal gain. But after I began practicing, I quickly got rid of this mentality. To facilitate lessons, some teachers compiled handouts to give to the students. Normally, the author would write their name on the bottom line of the cover page of the handout. However, on the cover page of my handouts, I wrote down, “By the Chinese language department.” The administrator of the school asked me why I don't take ownership of the handout and state that it was compiled by me. I smiled and said: “As a practitioner, I take lightly fame and self-interest, and do not pursue things like this.”
During the 2 nd semester of 2004, the school administrator asked us to hold several seminars out of school hours for students who were interested in poetic composition. The school would then reward us financially for each seminar we gave. However, when I completed seven seminars (21 hours), which equated to over 500 yuan, the school gave me nothing. One of my colleague's grumbled: “They totally forgot about the agreement. You are entitled to the money, so you should talk to the administrator!” I replied: “I don't need to talk to the administrator. If they give me the money, I will take it. If not, I will just consider it as voluntary work.” After hearing this, that colleague said, “You practitioners indeed handle things very differently from everyday people.” I replied, “It is our Master who teaches us to do so.”
I received a phone call from a representative at the city's utility company in May 2004, urging me to pay my heating bill. When I told him that my heating is paid for by the school, the company's representative informed me that the school had not paid mine. I then went to the general affairs office at the school to inquire about the situation. The director of the office quickly apologized and asked if I could pay the bill first and then go back to the office for reimbursement with the receipt. I agreed. After I left the office, I immediately went to the utility company to pay my heating bill. If this incident had occurred before I obtained the Fa, I would not have handled it this way and I would probably have argued with the director of the general affairs office. But I am a practitioner now, and should conduct myself according to the principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.”
When I went back to the general affairs office with my receipt, the director there told me that the person responsible for accounts was away, and that if I left my receipt with him, they would process my reimbursement when the accounts person returns. I went back to the office half a month later and asked the director if my reimbursement been processed. The director had forgotten. He looked on his desk and in his drawers, but couldn’t find my receipt. I noticed that he was sweating and looked anxious. I said to him, “No hurry. Take your time searching for the receipt.” He said, “How could I not worry? It is not a small amount!”
The next day, my wife, also a practitioner, received a call from the director of the general affairs office, who said that they were very worried because they had still not found my receipt. My wife then urged me to go back to school to tell him not to worry too much.
I hurried back to school and told the director not to worry about the money. I said: “Even if I cannot get reimbursed, I will not ask you for compensation! So, please don't be anxious and take your time looking for the receipt.” He smiled and said, “I am really touched by what you said. You are very calm and you also care for others. From you, I have seen the goodness of Falun Dafa!” A few days later, my wife told me that the director had been to the house to personally deliver the reimbursement for the heating bill.
Later, a retired teacher of the school saw me and said, “The school missed your heating payment and asked you to pay it yourself, and you did it. You are way too gullible. My heating bill was also missed, but the director went and paid my bill himself after I shouted at him for a while.” I smiled and told him, “As I am a practitioner who cultivates 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance' and must comply with the requirements of Falun Dafa.”
The director of the general affairs office was deeply touched by the behavior over the heating bill incident that he told people at school that Falun Gong practitioners are really different from others, with a lofty realm of mind and always think of others first! He told others, “Master Li is amazing and has produced such great disciples!”
Shortly before the Dragon Boat Festival in 2005, officials at the school gave out vegetable oil, eggs and other groceries to staff. The director of the general affairs office called my home to ask me to come and fetch my share. Before I left home, I told my wife that I would ask the director to quit the Chinese Communist Party. My wife replied with confidence, “I am sure he will.” When I arrived at school, I requested to talk to the director privately and asked him in a low voice to quit the party. He said, “I believe in you, so you may help me to quit the party and its affiliated organizations!” He then asked me to take down the names of his family members so that they could also quit. I urged him not to forget to tell his family that Falun Dafa is good.
Since my wife and I have been conducting ourselves quite well, my daughter-in-law has felt the goodness of Dafa. She has widely praised my wife and I among her friends and relatives and told them how wonderful we had become after practicing Falun Dafa. In February of last year, she also began to practice.
Category: Improving Oneself
