(Minghui.org) I was the head of the finance department in my company. My friend gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun. I finished reading it right away. I noticed that it was different from other books and taught people to be good. I told my friend that I could live according to the requirements outlined in the book. Several days later, he brought me a copy of Zhuan Falun (Volume II). I finished it in several nights.
During that time, miracles began to happen, and my Celestial Eye opened four times. On the first night, I read the book with my back leaning against my bed. I closed my eyes and instantly saw a bright light. Colorful, hexagonal geometrical forms appeared before my eyes. They were static, and layers upon layers of them spread far into the distance.
The second night, I saw the setting of a fairy land. Rows of flowers and trees flashed before my eyes like in a movie; it was dynamic. The third night, I saw Buddhas, and on the fourth night, I saw a lotus flower.
I cannot describe the way I felt at the time. It looked like an ordinary book, but showed so much wonder! I realized that it was not a simple book; it was a heavenly book!
Master said:
“People's different grasps of and comprehension of the Fa lead to different perceptions of the current situation, and all that's happening is targeting different human thoughts. Those who do well will change the environments around them, and those who do poorly will make the environments around them change according to their states of mind. Dafa disciples have different states of mind, so they have different perceptions of the environment, and that's why the way each person acts is different.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference” from Teaching the Fa at the Conference II)
Dismissing Temptation
When I was the head of the finance department, our company was in a period of expansion and reinvestment in fixed capital. I had the authority to make decisions concerning payments.
A beautiful young girl came to my office one day in 1998. Before I had the chance to ask her, she opened my desk drawer and put a bunch of 100 yuan notes in it. I returned them to her with a smile and said: “I am a Falun Gong practitioner. Falun Gong requires us to be good people. I will not accept the money. I will not take advantage of my position to inconvenience you, and neither will I give you an unauthorized favor. I will make the payment according to the contract and progress of the work.” She was very surprised and lingered there for quite a while before leaving.
One day, I was about to go out after dinner. Someone was beeping the car horn, and before I realized it, a person brought in a bag of fish, walked into my kitchen and released the fish into the kitchen sink. I asked my daughter to stop that person and tell him about Falun Gong and its requirements for practitioners. Finally, he took back the fish, thanked me and left.
I came across such occasions many times. Though they seemed like small things, my colleagues were extremely impressed with how I handled these matters. Two of them asked me for a copy of Zhuan Falun and wanted to learn the Falun Gong exercises. All of my colleagues, from management to regular staff, praised Falun Gong highly. They gave me the nickname: demigod.
Our company appointed a new director in 2000. One day, a new bank held an opening ceremony. Our director, his driver and I were invited. After the ceremony, the driver was given four gifts. He offered me one of them, but I didn't take it. The director tried to persuade me to take it. I explained to them the strict requirements of Falun Gong and told them that a genuine practitioner must live by these principles. They were very impressed. This laid a good foundation for me to create a new cultivation environment in my company.
Remaining Calm Amidst Shifting Seas
Our company was divided in 2001. The previous director was seeking a position in the bureau one level above. My position was in limbo. The new leadership required that employees submit applications for any position and they would decide whom to hire. One new director announced publicly in his inaugural speech that he would not hire anyone who practices Falun Gong. Thus, I faced the possibility of unemployment.
I remained very calm. My colleagues were busy with applications and used connections and other such means to try to get a position. I was given an application form as well, but I didn't fill it out and returned it to the finance department. I realized that this was interference from the old forces, which were trying to test me. I had no other thoughts, remained unmoved and didn't worry about the future.
The head of the finance department passed my blank application to the director of the upper-level bureau and said that I might seek a position elsewhere. The director immediately held a meeting to deal with my situation, because my leaving would cause instability in the operation of the finance departments of the two companies.
One of the leaders in the bureau and I had worked together at the former company for a long time. He stood up for me and asked the bureau to make a decision immediately.
The next day, the bureau issued a notice to the new company, whose director had said that he would not accept Falun Gong practitioners. I was appointed the head of the finance department in that company. By having strong righteous thoughts and letting go of human attachments, with Master's compassionate protection I passed this test.
In the new company, I strictly followed the criteria of a cultivator and considered others first. The new director was deeply touched and said that I was precious, because I treated others' problems as my own and didn't seek fame or self-interest. In 2002, he warned me in advance that the 610 Office planned to “visit” me at home, so that I could avoid arrest.
Rectifying the Environment
When we cultivators rectify an environment, we can turn it to be favorable for our cultivation. Coming to this realization has helped me to understand the Fa more.
When Jiang Zemin's regime started to persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I was put on the city's black list. Because my company protected me, however, I was not ordered to attend any brainwashing sessions. On the politically sensitive days, my company answered telephone inquiries from above with, “No problems here.”
A female practitioner got caught while hanging informational materials about Falun Gong on the door of a security guard at my company. When he learned that she was a Falun Gong practitioner, he released her.
The above are just a few examples of how the situation changes when our environment is opened up.
With the escalation of the persecution, our local environment was not as good as before, but our Fa-study group was still up and running. Previously, we had 30 practitioners in the northern area of the city, and we studied the Fa and practiced the exercises together.
After the persecution started, we divided the big group into smaller ones, with 2-3 or 4-5 practitioners in each. We have been studying the Fa and doing the exercises together without any disruption.
Practitioners in the southern area of the city did the same. This was the situation from 2000 to 2002 when the persecution was very severe.
From 2003, practitioners started to study the Fa in a bigger group and gradually went back to normal. We thus created a good cultivation environment for ourselves.
During Beijing Olympics in 2008, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued arrest quotas for Falun Gong practitioners to maintain their so-called “stability.” Officers from the 610 Office and Domestic Security Division broke into a practitioner's home and arrested her. They planned to sentence her to one year in prison.
Practitioners took various actions to rescue her. Some practitioners accompanied her family members to demand her release. Some put up posters to expose the persecution, and some sent letters to the judges to explain the facts about Falun Gong to them. Practitioners also constantly sent forth righteous thoughts to clear the evil's interference.
We clarified the truth thoroughly and cleared away the evil elements that controlled people. The judge and the court clerk in charge of the case received our materials. Finally, the Procuratorate withdrew the case and the Domestic Security Division had to release the practitioner.
One day, I thought of a retired deputy mayor from my hometown. People at his level had problems getting our informational materials. I sent forth righteous thoughts and was determined to deliver the materials to him.
When I arrived at his home on my bicycle, he was waiting for the bus to send his granddaughter to school. I gave him DVDs and booklets, and he accepted them happily. Later, another practitioner helped him withdraw from the CCP.
One night, I wanted to deliver a Shen Yun Performing Arts DVD to a colleague in the neighborhood. As it happened, I met him on my way downstairs. He accepted the DVD and thanked me.
When I clarify the truth about Falun Gong to people, I try to keep my thoughts and mind pure and consider others first, like a true practitioner should do. Whenever any interference happened, I remained calm, thought of others and looked within. I tried to ponder over the situation from a comprehensive perspective. In this way, I could normally handle things well.
As long as we do things according to the cultivation requirements with righteous thoughts and righteous actions, the old forces will not dare to oppose us. When we do not regard ourselves as cultivators, do not require ourselves to behave according to the Fa criteria, and show all sorts of human attachments, however, we will walk the way arranged by the old forces. The evil elements will then play their role and interfere with us.
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