(Minghui.org) The 2017 Singapore Experience-Sharing Conference took place on December 10. Twenty Falun Dafa practitioners talked about how they applied the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily life as well as how they talked to people about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
Some practitioners from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam also attended the conference. Mr. Meng, who began to practice last year, said he felt that the conference was sacred. “Everyone is so sincere and compassionate. The sharing is very touching,” he said.
Ms. Xu from Malaysia said she was moved to tears upon hearing experiences from others. “I saw the strong righteous thoughts in others and the gaps that I had. I think I will do better from now on,” she explained.
A practitioner shares his experiences at the conference.
Story of a Convenience Store Owner
Mr. and Mrs. Guo own a convenience store. “I suffered from headaches, anemia, constipation, and back pain for 19 years,” recalled Mr. Guo. He tried doctors of both Chinese and Western medicine, but there was no improvement.
He started to practice Falun Dafa in April 1996 and kept doing the exercises every day. “Within a year, all my illnesses disappeared. In the past 20 years, I haven’t needed to see doctors or take any medicine,” he said.
The couple wanted to introduce the practice to more people after seeing its physical and spiritual benefits. In addition to inviting other practitioners to read Falun Dafa books in their home, they also set up two group exercise sites near their home and have voluntarily maintained it for twenty years.
By following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in their daily lives, the couple conducted their retail business with integrity. For example, they often told parents not to waste money buying too many toys for their children. “Our business has been running well,” said Mr. Guo, “The customers know we are practitioners, and they trust us. In fact, from how we do things they can understand what Falun Dafa is about.”
Influenced by propaganda from the communist regime, some people they met had some initial resistance to Falun Dafa. Instead of becoming upset or giving up, the couple continued talking with them with compassion. This way, one woman turned from misunderstanding to supporting Dafa, and an older man changed from disbelief to having a full understanding. When temporary Chinese workers visited the store, they learned about the persecution of Dafa, and the majority agreed to quit the communist party organizations.
“There are still a large number of Chinese people who have been misled by the propaganda. We have no reason for complacency and need to do even better,” said Mr. Guo.
New Practitioners
When Mr. Meng picked up a copy of the Epoch Times newspaper last year, he did not know that it would change his life. “In one of the newspapers, there was a story about a Falun Dafa event. Out of curiosity, I looked it up on the internet and later read Zhuan Falun online,” he said.
From the book, he gained new understandings about life and found that the exercises improved his health. The arthritis and rhinitis that bothered him for years disappeared. “When my friends saw the positive changes in me, they were all very impressed,” said Mr. Meng.
Those who saw the changes in him included Mrs. Meng. The couple watched Master Li Hongzhi's video lecture together over the course of nine days and did the exercises every day. “Falun Dafa is something we had been searching for. We are glad to have finally found it,” she added.
Mrs. Meng, who works in a hospital, said she used to have a stressful work environment with pressure from supervisors and patients' families. As a result, she was nervous, depressed, and angry. “After beginning to practice Falun Dafa, I came to understand that all these experiences were not accidental, and they were opportunities for me to improve my moral character. I can now handle it with a peaceful mind,” she explained.
Relationship with Mother-in-Law
Jingluan, 68, has been living with her mother-in-law for the past 35 years. They had conflicts from the very beginning, and she felt she was being criticized for everything she did. “She often told me, ‘You cannot dry clothes this way,’ and many things like that. That made me really upset. I thought, why do I have to suffer this after working, taking care of the children, and doing the chores?” she said.
From the teachings of Falun Dafa, she came to understand these interactions as chances for her to improve her character. “Without eliminating karma through these conflicts, how can I succeed in cultivation?” said Jingluan.
But it was easier said than done. One day, her mother-in-law took a bucket to get water. The bucket was full, but she still did not close the faucet. When Jingluan saw it and turned it off, her mother-in-law was upset and poured the water down the drain. This annoyed Jingluan, who shouted, “Mom, do you know the water price has recently gone up?”
Right after that, Jingluan accidentally hit her forehead on the wall as she walked into the bathroom. “I had a big bump on my head. This alerted me that I had done things wrong. I considered it a hint from Master and no longer felt bad about the conflicts, no matter how much my mother-in-law blamed me,” recalled Jingluan.
In fact, Jingluan did lots of things to help her elderly mother-in-law. “Nonetheless, I should not have resentment. Otherwise, I am not doing well in my cultivation,” she said.
A Financial Expert
Ms. Li taught at several universities and later conducted market research at a public trading company after earning a Ph.D. in economics.
The first time she read the Falun Dafa teachings was in 1998. However, she did not take up the practice until 2005. “One day, I read an article in the Epoch Times about Falun Dafa and had many questions. They led me to the websites of Minghui and Falun Dafa,” she said. In the next two months, she read all the books by Master Li as well as experience-sharing articles by practitioners.
They helped her understand what cultivation practice is and the importance of improving one’s mind and heart. Despite encountering tribulations in the early days of her cultivation, she was able to discipline herself as a practitioner. “Every day I could see myself improving. So I was very happy. And Udumbara flowers (said to bloom only every three thousand years) appeared on my window,” she said.
She later changed to a new job, which was much more intense. “I was always busy at work. Without enough time for sleep, I was exhausted and had little time to do the exercises and study the Dafa books,” she said. This, in turn, brought more fatigue, making her unable to concentrate on work, let alone do the exercises or study the books.
She said her slacking off in cultivation practice resulted in lots of conflicts and shook her confidence in cultivation. She was depressed and cried for a long time.
Nonetheless, she returned to studying Dafa and saw her attachments. “I felt I was connected to Falun Dafa and was able to witness Master Li’s compassion,” she said.
A Well-Trusted Janitor
Mr. Huang has worked as a janitor for many years. When he encountered conflicts with supervisors or coworkers, he was able to handle them well by holding himself to the behavioral standard of a Dafa practitioner.
About three years ago, the apartment complex hired a new manager, and the ownership of the janitorial company also changed. Because the janitorial contract was renewed yearly, the new supervisor accepted all requests from the manager and added more work for the workers.
Once after a rainstorm, Mr. Huang had to work very hard to clean up tree leaves. It took a long time since there were so many of them. After receiving a complaint from residents, the manager pressed Mr. Huang and contacted his supervisor, who arrived immediately and blamed him.
“Facing so much pressure, my first thought was to quit the job and work somewhere else,” said Mr. Huang, “Then, I looked within myself for shortcomings and became more considerate of others. Thinking the manager and my supervisor also had their challenges and pressure, I no longer felt bad and instead began to consider things from their angle,” he continued.
Since then, Mr. Huang has worked hard and without complaint. The manager changed his attitude and sometimes offered him breakfast. His supervisor was also satisfied with his job. “I wish all my workers were like you—Falun Dafa practitioners,” he once said.
For Mr. Huang, he was also happy because many of his attachments were removed this way. “They include competition, fame, and not being able to take criticism. I felt as if Master Li had removed a mountain from me,” he said.
Talking with Tourists
Mr. Lan has been going to tourist attractions and telling Chinese visitors about Falun Dafa and its persecution in their home country. “In the beginning, some people who had been influenced by the communist party's propaganda turned away. When that happened, I would look inward to see where I could do better, or if I lacked compassion when talking with people,” he said. This way, he found he was able to further let go of selfishness.
Based on his experience, Mr. Lan said it is better to talk with tourists personally when they do not read or accept literature. Such conversations would help clarify their confusion and misunderstandings. “I also learned to listen to people patiently and try to find out what is on their mind. Even if they don’t take materials this time, this will leave them with a good impression so they are more likely to listen next time,” he said.
Feedback from Practitioners
Ms. Han was in tears when she read her experience-sharing article. “When I think about how much Master has sacrificed for us, I felt that no matter what I do, there is no way for me to repay him,” she explained. Upon hearing that people have learned about Falun Dafa through the Epoch Times, she said she should do better in distributing the newspaper.
Ms. Yu, a new practitioner, said she was glad to hear that some practitioners who grew up in Singapore have not been influenced by the communist party culture. “They are very responsible and pay attention to details. Compared to them, I need to do better and be more diligent,” she said.
Mr. Yang from Bintan Island in Indonesia took a ferry to Singapore. “Every practitioner's experience was very touching. I will go back and share what I’ve learned with other Indonesian practitioners,” he said.
Peiyun from Malaysia said she could tell that the practitioners were speaking from their heart. “From the couple in the convenience store to the janitor, all of them take cultivation seriously and improve their character through different situations. From them, I have learned what to do, and I will be more diligent from now on,” she said.
