(Minghui.org) I used to work at a textile production factory. My salary was a little more than 7,000 yuan a month [about US $1,000], which is considered a large amount in China.
The designs of the clothes were demonic, with pictures of snakes, skeletons, and so on. I told the boss that such designs would bring harm to the workers and customers, but he didn’t believe me.
“This is the fashion,” he said. “It makes money. If we don’t make it, other people still will.” Then, I found that this industry produces severe water pollution, so I decided to quit. My husband and other people didn’t understand and said: “you are already over 40. Where else can you find such a good job and earn a high salary.”
Proving the Value of Practitioners
A few days after I quit the job, my sister-in-law, a manager at a machinery factory, told me that they had a position available. Since it required heavy labor, but the salary was only 140 yuan a day [roughly 20 U.S. dollars], few people were interested in it. Three guys quit after working there for 2 or 3 months. However, the working schedule allowed me to do the practitioner’s three things, so I decided to give it a try.
There were seven workers. Most of the time, I worked alone on the 4th floor. My job is to assemble machine parts. The assembled product weighs more than 10 pounds, which is far higher than the textile materials that I used to deal with. Many tools were foreign to me. My first assignment was packing 1,200 different products. I needed to make 6 boxes with 200 products in each of them. My sister-in-law showed me how to make the box, and left.
At lunchtime, a worker named Xiaochen came to my workshop. He counted the products that I had packed, and asked: “Are you a Falun Gong practitioner?” I said yes. He said: “your sister-in-law just had a fight with the boss. The boss wants to hire a man for this position because the products are too heavy for a woman. But, your sister-in-law told him that you are a responsible Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, practitioner, so you work hard, and don’t mind hardships. She made a bet with the boss—we will see if you can do this job or not in about a week. When they fought, everybody was watching, and we didn’t believe your sister-in-law.”
He continued: “but so far it seems you are doing well. There were two guys before you. They played on their phones while working and were very inefficient. What you have finished this morning would have taken them two days
He added: “You see, there is no surveillance camera in your room. Nobody is watching you. So you don’t have to work so fast. You have 1,200 products to pack. The boss will be happy if you can finish the job in 7 days. Do you understand?”
Xiaochen is my age. He started to work in all kinds of environments from when he was 15 years old. He had suffered a lot and became very crafty. He is a trouble maker in the factory and often takes advantage of others. Since he is skillful the boss won't fire him. I found out that Xiaochen is a good son, and takes care of his parents.
Eliminating Misunderstanding about Falun Gong
In the afternoon, my sister-in-law sent a senior worker, Uncle Shun, to help me finalize the box-making. Obviously, Uncle Shun had a hostile attitude towards me. He murmured: “Falun Gong set themselves on fire. There are no good people in Falun Gong,” and so on. I said: “Uncle Shun, you are holding a misunderstanding of Falun Gong. Let me tell you the truth.” He shook his head and said: “My niece is a Falun Gong practitioner. She was well educated and went to college. But when my brother passed away, she didn’t even show up at the funeral. She has no conscience.”
“She must have had reasons that she could not tell you guys,” I said. “I was sentenced to two years because of my belief. My parents suffered a lot during that time. My mother cried every day, and my father missed me every day. If they had some emergency, I would not be able to be with them either. It is not because Falun Gong practitioners have no conscience; it is because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is too evil – persecuting good people. Think about it, was there any sign that shows your niece is not a good daughter?”
He looked serious and recalled: “My niece has always been a good girl since very little. We all like her. But we have lost contact with her. It has been a few years since we last heard from her. We want to know how she has been doing.”
I then told him some details of the brutal persecution, which made him think. He finally said: “I know that the CCP is evil. My grandfather was a landlord. He was persecuted by the CCP too. The CCP confiscated all his money so that my siblings and I could not go to school. We were always starving, and had no shoes.”
I said to him: “You are smart, and you know right from wrong. Today you learned the truth of Falun Gong. Please don’t attack Falun Gong anymore. If you sincerely recite Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good, you will be blessed.” He kept nodding. Upon leaving, he said to me: “Just let me know if you need any help. My workshop is on the third floor, right below yours.”
I finished the packing job within two days. Since I was not used to heavy physical work, my whole body was in pain after that. I could not even turn over when in bed. I had a few blisters on my hands. My husband said: “Quit the job. You are exhausted, and make so little.” I said that I would be fine after I get used to it.
On the third day, all the coworkers and the boss came to my workshop. They didn’t believe that I finished the task in two days. The boss checked the boxes and appreciated it. My sister-in-law was very proud. Uncle Shun said: “Last year, it took two men three days to finish the same job. Falun Gong is awesome..” I replied: “It is exhausting, but doing the Falun Gong exercises help to recover soon.” Everyone smiled.
Abilities and Wisdom Given by Master to Practitioners
After the packing, I learned how to assemble the parts. Xiaochen was my instructor. He was not willing to show me everything, and purposely made simple procedures complex. He kept saying: “This job is not easy. You need to modify many parts. Do you know how to use this tool? Can you hold up that tool?” I said no. He laughed: “This job is not easy, and our customers are picky. You gave up the high paying job for this?! Why don’t you tell the boss that you cannot grasp the skill and have to quit.”
“You have been working here for more than 10 years,” I asked. “Why don’t you want the factory to do well?” He said: “This factory has no future. It has been this small for so many years. The reason I didn’t quit is that I am paid by the piece. The schedule is flexible. If I damage a tool or a part, I simply throw it into the trash pile. Nobody watches me. The management here is chaotic. If you plan to stay here, let me tell you a trick. In the daytime, you do everything slowly. Then you come at night for the overtime pay.”
He showed me the assembly process and then asked me to assemble the machine. The product made a strange noise. He told me to figure out the problem myself, and left. I took the machine apart, and soon found the problem, which was easy to solve.
By lunchtime, I finished 36 machines. Xiaocheng tested a few and praised me. My sister-in-law was happy too. She said: “What you have done is worth more than your paycheck. The previous workers were so slow. They played on the phone all the time.” Actually I just simply followed Master’s teachings—measuring everything against the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance – working hard so that I deserve the salary.
In the afternoon, my sister-in-law took me to the boss’s office asking for a raise. The boss agreed to raise my pay by 20 yuan a day. He said: “After you finish your daily assignment, if there is nothing else, you can just take a break. Xiaochen will teach you other skills.”
Losing Virtue: Jealousy Attachment
Xiaochen learned about my raise and got jealous. “I have worked here for so many years, but the boss never raised my salary unless I put up a fight,” he said, “you came only three days ago, yet you got a raise.” Because of jealousy, he didn’t want to show me everything. When I had questions, he also didn’t answer me directly. He often said: “why don’t you sit somewhere, and figure this out on your own?”
I felt bad because of his attitude, and behavior, as he lost precious virtue, although he might have gained some personal interest. I told myself that Xiaochen is a good son, so deep in his heart, he has compassion. I should give him positive influence, and change him by showing him the value of good speech and actions. This is the best help I can offer him.
I worked hard and efficiently every day. After I finished the assigned tasks, I cleaned up the rooms, organized the tools, and walked around to see if anyone needed help. If there was nothing for me to do, I went home to study the Fa, so that the boss didn’t have to pay me.
One day Xiaochen said to me: “You are a fool. The previous workers at this position played on the phone all the time. They assembled a couple of machines during the day time but came at night for the overtime pay. Every month they made several thousand yuan from the overtime work. You have lost a lot. Even if you don’t want the overtime pay, you can still come during the daytime. Why do you stay home when there is no task? Why don’t you come, and hide somewhere playing on your phone?”
Teaching About Loss and Gain
“My Master asked us to be good people,” I said, “and always put others' needs first. I just follow his teachings. Also, as a Falun Gong practitioner, I don’t waste time on the smartphone. I don’t even have WeChat. Whenever I have time, I read the Falun Gong books. We are the lotus flowers living in the muddy world.”
I then recited a sentence of Master Li's Fa:
“There is a principle in this universe called “no loss, no gain.” To gain, one has to lose. If you do not want to lose, you will be forced to lose. Who plays such a role? It is precisely the characteristic of the universe that assumes this role.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Xiaochen kept quiet and obviously gave some thought to what I had said.
Later, I recited the Fa to him many times. I could tell that he accepted the teachings. I also played many videos that tell the truth of Dafa. Gradually, I saw some positive changes in him. He became respectful towards me, and his tone was not so harsh anymore. Also, after finishing a task, he put the tools where they belonged. Before he wasted a lot of small parts, such as drill bits and screws. If they dropped on the ground, he would kick them to the trash, but now he picked them up.
Quitting the CCP
I tried to convince him to quit the CCP Youth League and the Young Pioneers. I also told him many stories published on the Minghui website, in which people were blessed after quitting the Party. But, he refused to quit. But, I didn’t give up. One day, we worked together again. I said to him: “You are a nice guy. We, Dafa disciples, are genuinely saving people. My Master does not want to leave out anybody who has a predestined relationship with Dafa. We are colleagues, and you have heard me telling you about Falun Gong. So, we have a predestined relationship. So, it is my responsibility to save you from danger. If you quit the CCP youth leagues, you will be the luckiest person in the world. Countless lives will cheer for you.”
Xiaohen looked at me seriously, and said: “Haven’t you helped me quit the CCP youth leagues?” I asked: “do you want to announce it with your real name?” He said yes. I was very surprised. I swear he never agreed to quit before. After that, we became friends. Every day he comes to my room to check if I need his help. He also teaches me all kinds of skills without any reservation.
Skillfully Eliminating Demon Nature
Xiaowen, a welder, is another coworker. As a skillful worker, he makes big money. He dresses nicely all the time. His wife lives in a different town with his child, and he had an affair. I accidentally overheard his secret. One day at the lunch break, I sat behind a machine in a room that few people would visit, sending forth righteous thoughts. To my surprise, Xiaowen came. He didn’t see me and started to talk to the woman he had the affair with. I didn’t want to embarrass him, so I kept quiet.
When he works, he likes to play heavy metal music. He usually works on the first floor, and I am on the fourth. But every month he needs to work in my room for a few days. I usually listen to the audio recordings of the articles by practitioners that I downloaded from the Minghui website. To avoid being interfered with by his demonic music, I had to wear headphones.
But the situation worsened. One day, Xiaowen bought a large speaker, two feet tall. He tunes the volume to the maximum. The floor seems to shake when he plays the heavy metal. He often dances with the music. To me, a person who enjoys peacefulness, it is hard to tolerate. I tried to ask him to turn it down a little bit. He said: “no way. I would fall asleep.” I had no choice, but to forbear it.
As time went by, I found that I could not keep calm in such an environment. I felt pity—he was controlled by the demonic music, yet enjoyed it. One day, before he turned on the speaker, I asked him if he was willing to listen to the stuff I play. He agreed. I then played the recording of the articles about traditional Chinese culture. When the background classical music was on, I saw that Xiaowen was attracted. His soul was cleansed by the articles that tell people to cultivate and back to one’s true self.
The whole morning, he didn’t dance. At the end of the day, he asked me: “those articles are really educational. Where did you find them?” I told him that they were written and recorded by Dafa disciples, and their goal is to help people appreciate the genuine traditional Chinese culture. He was first surprised, and then expressed his respect for Dafa disciples.
He said: “I know a college professor, who was imprisoned and fired because he refused to renounce his belief. His friends and family members were shocked. Many people thought that Falun Gong practitioners were stubborn, and get involved in politics. But now I understand what Falun Gong is all about.”
I then talked about the evil nature of the CCP. He said: “The CCP is violent. No matter you are good or bad, as long as you don’t agree with it, it will suppress you.”
I tried to convince him to quit the Party. He told me that he is not a member of any communist organization. I said: “that is great. Gods are watching us. You should treat your wife nicely. You are the leader in the family, and you provide financial support. You have two sons, and you should be a character model for them.” He quickly realized what I meant, and nodded.
After this conversation, he got rid of the large speaker. Instead, he bought an MP3 player for the radio. He also checks with me every time if the volume is OK.
Changing Coworkers Attitude
Uncle Zhong and his son Xiaobing are senior workers at this factory. Uncle Zhong is honest, easy-going, and hard working. Xiaobing, 30, is skillful. Two of them do the jobs that usually take five people. So, the boss really appreciates them.
Xiaobing feels pride. Every time I greeted them, uncle Zhong greeted me back, but Xiaobing always looked like he hated me, and never said a word to me. Once I looked for a tool in their workshop. Uncle Zhong helped me and asked Xiaobing if he knew where it was. Xiaobing didn’t even raise his head. Uncle Zhong asked twice, but Xiaobing played on his phone and didn’t respond.
Uncle Zhong complained about Xiaobing to me. “He has been a trouble maker since very little. I spanked him countless times, but no use. Now he himself has two kids, but he still doesn’t behave.”
“That is history,” I said. “Look at him. He is so skillful and is the major driving force of the factory. The boss likes him, and consults him all the time on everything.” Uncle Zhong was happy to hear it. Xiaobing overheard it too. He then pointed to a corner, indicating the tool I was looking for was there.
When I am free I often visit their room and ask if I can help with something. But even if I offer help, Xiaobing’s attitude towards me didn’t change. I didn’t mind and tried my best to help them. I also helped to clean their room and organize the tools.
One day, Uncle Zhong asked me why I came to work so early. I told him that the boss just took a big order, and the assembling work needed to be done in a few days. He asked me if I was paid by the piece. I said no. He then said: “why do you care about the deadline, and come so early then? If you come at night, you will get the overtime pay.” I said: “No need. If I work harder, I would be able to finish it by the deadline.”
Uncle Zhong was surprised: “I am almost 70. I have never met a woman like you. It is hard to find a person like you in today’s society. You are patient and smart. You learn things fast. Your husband is lucky. My oldest son is your age. You are much better than my daughter-in-law.” I said: “I’m just following my Master’s teachings. Actually, I am far below the Falun Gong requirement.” He murmured: “Falun Gong. I heard about it,” and left.
Clarifying the Truth with Wisdom
I always wanted to clarify the truth about Dafa to them, and help them quit the Party. But I never had a chance. Moreover, Xiaobeing’s negative attitude towards me was the roadblock.
At the end of the year, we tried to finish the last batch before the new year. Uncle Zhong and Xiaobing had worked overtime for a few nights. When they finally finished the batch, the boss informed them that there was another urgent order, which must be done in one day, otherwise, the factory would lose big. That meant that their workload would be doubled. Uncle Zhong was very angry and cursed the boss with very bad words.
The boss then asked every employee, even including the accountant, to help Uncle Zhong and Xiaobing. The boss’s wife came to help too. The boss kept encouraging and apologizing to everybody. Uncle Zhong asked me to tighten the screws on a machine, standing on a small but tall stool. It was difficult to keep the balance while tightening the screws.
People worked hard at the beginning, but soon some slacked off. The boss’s wife and the accountant stopped working after lunch. My sister-in-law soon stopped too. Other people slowed down, except uncle Zhong, Xiaobing, and me. I was exhausted too. Reciting “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good,” I kept working with uncle Zhong. At 5 p.m., everybody left. I worked until 8 p.m. with uncle Zhong and Xiaobing.
The second morning, the oldest son of uncle Zhong came to help too. When Xiaobing saw me, his attitude was completely opposite, calling me “Sister Li” with smiles. At the lunch break, he said to me: “Sister Li, my family had belief too. My whole family used to go to a Christian church for two years. However, one year when we tried to build a new house, several church members said to us that there was no need to build houses because we would have everything when arriving in heaven. They even told us that it was unnecessary to work because everything has already been arranged. My dad was very angry and had a big fight with the church members. After that, we were no longer Christians.”
Everybody around laughed. Xiaobeing then said: “when you first came here, I heard that you are a Falun Gong practitioner, so I have been watching you to see if you are normal. It has been a few months. You are more normal than all of us. You understand what life is about. But I was told that Falun Gong practitioners set themselves on fire. What is that about.”
I was so happy to have such a chance to clarify the truth, because almost every employee in the factory was there. I told them the details of how the CCP has made up lies to frame Falun Gong, and incite hatred towards Falun Gong. I analyzed the details of the so-called self-immolation case. Xiaobing said: “you are right. I cannot believe that I, such a smart person, was deceived by them. Many people are deceived by the CCP.”
Xiaobing’s brother said: “I heard that Falun Gong has spread to many countries in the world. Your Master is in the U.S.A. Why doesn’t he come back to China.” I answered: “it is because the evil party and its leaders cannot tolerate good people. They are jealous of my Master. My Master came here to save people. He cares about everybody. That is why He asked us to clarify the truth to the public, and save people from the lies so that they will not go down with the CCP.”
I continued: “We Chinese have a long history and a great traditional culture. We should not follow the evil communism. More than 300 million Chinese people have quit the Party and its youth organizations. You guys should quit too for a bright future of your own.”
Uncle Zhong quit the communist young pioneer. Xiaobing said: “I have never been polluted. I am clean because I have never joined them. My wife is clean too.” He then pushed Xiaochen and Xiaowen to quit: “you should hurry up. The time given by the heavens is limited.” Xiaochen and Xiaowen laughed: “we quit it a long time ago.” Xiaobing then said to me: “When I visit my relatives during the Chinese New Year break, I will tell everyone to quit, and tell them about the evilness of the CCP.”
We all went out for lunch. On the street, we saw a few police cars. Everybody then talked about how violent and cruel the CCP officials are. I took the chance to tell them more facts of the CCP’s evil history. I then gave each of them a Falun Gong amulet. I said: “the amulet will bring blessings, and you will have a good and safe trip during the New Year break.” They were all happy. Uncle Zhong said: “This is priceless. Good. Good. This is really good.”
On the last day before the New Year, the boss’s wife said to me: “when we first heard that you are a vegetarian, we thought that you would not have strength to do this work. But actually you are healthier than anyone of us who eat meat and other good stuff every day. Looking at you being so energetic, even I want to learn the Falun Gong exercises with you.”
“Falun Gong improves one’s physical and mental health,” I said. “This is what you can see at the surface level. My Master has given us even more, which you cannot see unless you cultivate yourself.”
The boss’s wife said with a smile: “We envy you. I guess health does not depend on diet. It comes from cultivation. You should work here forever. Next ear, we will pay you by piece, so your monthly salary will be at least 6,000 yuan. Also, we will pay for your social security. We must keep you, such a good worker.”
Master said:
“Present, but the heart elsewhere—Perfectly reconciled with the world.Looking, but caring not to see—Free of delusion and doubt.Listening, but caring not to hear—A mind so hard to disturb.Eating, but caring not to taste—The palate’s attachments severed.Doing, but without pursuit—So constant, abiding in the Dao.Calm, but without strain of thought—The truly wondrous can be seen.”
(“Abiding in the Dao,” Hong Yin, English translation Version A)
I follow Master’s teachings. My life is simple and relaxed. I don’t really lose any material things in everyday society. However, this “doing without pursuit” attitude has gained people’s trust and respect.
