(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I am 79, and I began to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. Thinking of my old age and limited education, I did not participate in the China Fahui in previous years. This time, I dismissed that idea and wanted to give an update on my cultivation status.
Supervisor Has “Never Heard of Someone Giving Away a Promotion Opportunity”
The principles of Falun Dafa taught me to pay little interest to fame and material interests. That is, I should treat myself as a practitioner and always be considerate of others.
During a reorganization at my workplace, the senior management of the company planned to promote me from associate director to director. When my supervisor told me about it, I thanked him and suggested that they promote a younger co-worker in her 30s. I explained that, as a practitioner, I should consider my workplace and others ahead of me. Plus, that coworker is very capable, and she has received a good education. If she takes this position, it would benefit the company more.
Senior management discussed it and agreed with me. Later, it turned out my recommendation was a good one. My supervisor thanked me and said, “Other people fight for promotions for both money and power. I have never heard of someone giving away a promotion opportunity.” I told him that Falun Dafa gave me good health and well-being and that I did not want much except for a good future for the company. Plus, I would have retired in a few years anyway.
Many people heard about this and respected me. Nobody mistreated me at my workplace despite the persecution of Falun Dafa. After I retired, many officials came to visit me, and one of them recalled how I had recommended promoting others rather than myself. They also thanked me with a plaque.
Turning Down An Additional Bonus
Although I turned down the director position, senior management trusted me and appointed me as general manager of the company’s labor service subsidiary. Basically, adult children of regular employees could work there in contractual positions before they could find a full-time job elsewhere. I managed the subsidiary well; within three years, not only did this branch operate smoothly, but its profits also grew to more than two million yuan a year.
Seeing my dedication and work ethic, senior management asked me to lead a related branch with diversified services at the same time. There used to be two people covering those two branches, but now I was responsible for all the major decisions and money flow of both subsidiaries.
I had planned to retire soon and was thinking of putting more effort into Fa-study and doing the exercises. But with the wisdom of Dafa, I learned to operate the two branches well, and my supervisors were impressed. They hoped I would stay longer, as they did not want me to leave.
By following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I earned the trust of supervisors, employees, and business partners. They knew I had good ethics, and it was clear that it was a result of my belief in Falun Dafa. During meetings or business-related meals, I always followed policies and never spent money for my own benefit.
Seeing that I received a bonus from both branches at the end of the year, I asked the treasurer in the labor services subsidiary to remove that bonus from my paycheck. But she and people in her office did not agree: “You have contributed so much to the company. Plus, all our salaries and bonuses have increased significantly because of you. You deserve it.” I told them I was doing my work as a Falun Dafa practitioner; I should not have received two bonuses because I did not do two people's work.
From this, employees and staff members in both branches learned about Falun Dafa from me.
Story of a Burglar
In Zhuan Falun, Master said, “If something is yours, you will not lose it. If something is not yours, you will not have it even if you fight for it.” This is indeed true.
My office was burglarized one Saturday. The security office was only 10 yards away, but the burglar came in through the window anyway.
All my drawers were forcibly opened, except for the first one, where I kept all the cash. Police officers who came to the site later did not understand it: how could a thief come and go without taking the money?
One coworker said he knew why: “A good person is always blessed. Even a burglar would not take the money.” These words quickly spread in my company.
Deep in my mind, I knew Master helped and protected me.
A Party Secretary
After the Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Dafa started in July 1999, the police arrested and detained me. My family turned against my belief and did not want me to continue doing the exercises. I had fear in my mind too.
Through studying the Fa and talking with other practitioners, I knew this was wrong, and I decided to go out and tell people about Dafa and the persecution.
To achieve that, I had to create a favorable environment for my family. So, I tried to discipline myself with the Fa principles, and I gradually influenced them. They were impressed by my physical and mental changes. My son said to our relatives, “My father has practiced for over 20 years. He never needs to take medicine or see a doctor. Although he is 80 years old, he walks like a young man and is amazing.” He also gave them examples of how I treated others with kindness.
All these relatives saw Falun Dafa in a positive light. Upon hearing about the persecution in China, they also agreed to quit the Communist Party organizations. Similar things happened to many coworkers at my workplace.
From time to time, I visited my hometown to give Falun Dafa materials to the villagers. To each village official I gave one copy of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party so that they would know why the persecution is wrong. After I talked with the village party secretary, he said, “Whenever I get materials against Falun Dafa from meetings or higher officials, I always kept them there and burned them afterwards—I don’t want other villagers to see them.” As a result, the villagers had a positive attitude towards Falun Dafa.
The party secretary also received blessings for his good deeds. His family is financially stable, and his son was able to find a good position in a bank. Now, he also has a lovely grandson. He said this was because of his support of Falun Dafa and practitioners. I once overheard him saying to someone, “I often recite 'Falun Dafa is good' and 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good'.” Later, his term as the party secretary expired, and he happily left the position.
Secret of Keeping Fit
Once, after returning to my hometown, I met my nephew's mother-in-law. She had injured her leg in an accident and was staying with my nephew to recover. I told her the facts about Falun Dafa, and she liked it very much. Before I left, I said to her that she would be blessed by reciting “Falun Dafa is good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I also gave her a pendant with those words on it. She agreed and gladly accepted it.
My nephew later told me his mother-in-law recited these words often. Her health improved, and she was able to walk around not long after that. One day, my nephew joked with her, “This pendant is from my uncle. Can you give it to me?”
“No way!” said his mother-in-law, “I can’t live without it.” The entire family now has a positive attitude towards Dafa.
A similar thing happened to one of my coworkers. I used to work with her 50 years ago, and she is now close to 80. When I visited her, she was surprised by my health: “How come you look so young and healthy? Look at me, I can barely walk without support from my granddaughter.”
“My secret is Falun Dafa,” I said to her. I explained how the practice improved my mind and body. She listened attentively and nodded.
When we talked with each over the phone later, she said by reciting the phrases I told her, she was able to walk around by herself. People around her asked about it and learned it was Falun Dafa that brought her those positive changes.
Memorizing Zhuan Falun
Memorizing Zhuan Falun was difficult for me. I tried and found it very slow. Even if I recited the book paragraph by paragraph, I barely made any progress. “Maybe I am too old for this,” I thought.
One practitioner's experience later changed me. He is blind, but he was able to recite all four volumes of Hong Yin, as well as portions of Zhuan Falun and Essentials for Further Advancement. He did it this way: when we read one sentence during Fa-study, he would repeat that sentence. He memorized it as he listened. When we noticed sentences he could not remember, we would remind him. For sections that he memorized, he would recite them again and again, which made him remember them very well. He slept very little and spent lots of time reciting the Fa every day.
Seeing his situation, I thought to myself: If we talk about memorizing the Fa, that practitioner may have more difficulty than anyone else. But he has faith in Master and the Fa. His intention is to keep the Fa in his body and inside every cell. That is why he was able to make it.
From then on, I have spent half of each day outside telling people about Falun Dafa and the other half studying the Fa with other practitioners. Then, I spent the rest of the time memorizing and reciting the Fa. About one year has passed, and now I am able to recite the entire book of Zhuan Falun.
