(Minghui.org) As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I must be a good person and consider others first. I have to follow the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.
After it snows, I clear the snow from the long slope at the entrance of our village. This sloping road is five hundred meters long and a dozen meters wide. During bad weather conditions, pedestrians often slip, which is very inconvenient for villagers.
This activity has been a process of removing my attachments. I went from my being fearful of being seen to openly telling passersby about Falun Dafa.
At the beginning, I got up at 3:00 a.m. and cleared the snow for about five hours. I didn't want people to see that it was me who was sweeping the snow, out of embarrassment. After I finished sweeping the snow, I went home. This went on for two years.
If it stopped snowing later in the day, and I was sweeping the snow when others were outside, I felt embarrassed being seen sweeping the snow.
This kind of thinking belongs to the mentality indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is being concerned about saving face. Actually, it was my own attachment hindering me from validating Dafa.
Having listened to Master’s teachings, I understand that we are good people. I asked myself, “Why am I afraid of being seen doing a good deed? Why should I do it sneakily? Don’t we want to validate the Fa? Don’t we want people to know that practitioners are good people and that we put others' needs first?”
My next thought was, “We practitioners do things, like shoveling the snow, in an open and dignified manner without pursing fame and profit. It's for others, for the safety of passing vehicles and pedestrians. Why do I feel embarrassed or fearful of being seen doing a good deed?”
With this thought in mind, I started to shovel the snow at 6:00 a.m. When a child asked me why was I sweeping the snow, I answered, “I practice Falun Dafa, and practitioners should think of others' needs first. I am not tired as long as other people are safe when walking on the road.” Thus, I removed my attachment to being concerned about saving face.
During the day, the road was very busy, with cars passing by and people coming and going. I used to introduce Falun Dafa to staff in nearby workplaces as I became familiar with them. They all know that I practice Falun Dafa.
“Look at the lady who practices Falun Dafa,” they say. “She volunteers to sweep the snow by herself. She's not afraid of the cold weather, either. You see, we Party members wouldn’t do it even if we're paid!” From how they were dressed, I knew that they were high-ranking officials.
Having heard what they said, I thought to myself, “How important it is to cultivate myself well! Only by walking the path and validating the Fa will the world's people accept Falun Dafa. And only when conditions are ripe would clarifying the truth be successful.”
A few people came to my restaurant for farm food. Upon seeing a variety of vegetables growing well in my backyard, they ordered seven or eight dishes. I talked to them while they were eating.
Starting with the topic of sweeping the snow, I said, “If you want to see the scenery of snow here, please don’t be afraid of this long, slippery slope. Falun Dafa practitioners will clear the path every time it snows.”
One man among them opened his eyes wide, made a long face, and said, “How many people here practice Falun Dafa?”
“Many people are practicing,” I answered, “and trying to be good people. They follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Unlike what the TV says, those people who went to Beijing and were involved in the 'self-immolation' on Tiananmen Square were not Falun Dafa practitioners. The pictures on TV are fake.”
Someone else gave the man a nudge and said, “They're trying to be good people. What else do you want?” The man started to smile.