(Minghui.org) Although my story reaches back some time, I feel it is necessary to share it with practitioners at this time.
When Shen Yun was going to perform in our area in 2009, we needed funds for printing brochures. As all of us had just started out in our respective careers, most everyone lacked the credit to pay for the printing cost, except for me. I got the money by using my credit card. I was able to pay the credit card off over a period of time. As a result, the credit card company increased my credit limit and offered me a one percent rebate when I settled the account.
Since everything was paid for and the account was reimbursed by Shen Yun, I thought that the rebate belonged to me. I was quite pleased because I not only helped Shen Yun, but also made a profit. However, some practitioners thought that I should not have kept that money, which did not make any sense to me.
Learning a Profound Lesson
I was given hints of the wrongness of my action, because I started to lose money. First, my car insurance company overcharged me for no apparent reason, and the difference was exactly the amount as the rebate money. Although I thought about it, I did not take it seriously, especially since the insurance company gave me a check for the overcharged money later.
Not long after, I lost exactly the same amount of money on something else. This time, it dawned on me that this had to do with the rebate. Yes, I offered to use my credit card with pure motives, but I should not have taken advantage of this situation. I wrote a check to Shen Yun, although I was low on funds.
Master has taught us the principles of “No loss, no gain” and “However much you sacrifice is the amount you will gain.” (Zhuan Falun)
Master's principles are profound, and we must adhere to them. One cannot take any money unless it is earned. This incident taught me a profound lesson.
Mixing Dafa Resources with Personal Expenditures
The Minghui website published a notice on August 23, 2017, which addressed an issue that came to light and needed to be rectified. However, this notice did not rectify the issue of mixing Dafa funds with personal funds, as there are still quite a number of coordinators who have established different kinds of companies.
A practitioner should only consider how to contribute towards Dafa projects and how to help fellow practitioners to be more diligent in cultivation, instead of using Dafa and other practitioners' resources for one's benefit. Some practitioners now find it difficult to support certain projects because their resources are being used by a particular individual.
Some coordinators lost their jobs and thus were unable to contribute as usual to cover the cost of Shen Yun promotions. They had established a company and asked local practitioners to invest in it. They claimed that any money earned by the company would be used for Shen Yun promotions.
Given Master's directive, one should not mix one's business ventures with the Shen Yun project. In fact this action is an indication that such coordinators had trouble letting go of fame and gain, and they wanted to become rich in the name of supporting Dafa and Shen Yun.
These coordinators should either step down from the Shen Yun promotion coordinating role for the time being, or ask other practitioners to help pay the initial Shen Yun promotion costs.
When a coordinator loses his job, it would benefit that person to look within to identify problems in his or her cultivation state that may have resulted in the loss of the job. It is not a good idea to start a new company in the name of promoting Shen Yun while harboring thoughts of making money for himself or herself.
These coordinators may have assumed that they lost their jobs from putting too much effort into the Shen Yun promotion and that Master would compensate them by helping their companies make money. Such thinking amounts to trying to profit from Dafa.
If other practitioners can afford to invest in those coordinators’ companies, then wouldn't it be better if they lent funds to the Shen Yun promotion project and get paid back later? It appears that these practitioners also have trouble letting go of the attachment to gain. They are not willing to lend money directly to the Shen Yun promotions for fear of not being reimbursed at a later date. Instead, they invest in those coordinators’ companies hoping not only for a gain, but also to be considered to have participated in Shen Yun promotions.
Some practitioners have not cultivated solidly for a long time, and they still do not have a clear understanding that one needs to improve one's xinxing to elevate one's level. It is dangerous to think that by investing in a coordinator's company, they can improve their cultivation levels. Dafa practitioners are cultivators and should not use each other.
I would like to share a poem by Master as a reminder to us all,
Born into suffering.Your pockets were still empty after decades.Upon gaining the Fa, you soared upward.Hurry up,Do well the Three Tasks,Save all beings,Return home and don't slow your steps. (“A Reading Response” from Hong Yin III)
Category: Improving Oneself
