(Minghui.org) Since I started practicing Falun Dafa in 2009, I have lived by its principles of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” I keep raising my moral standards and strive to be a truly good person. People around me have witnessed the changes in me.
Master has explained that this will happen to practitioners:
“Because you’re a cultivator, the high standards you hold yourself to will be reflected in your work, in society, at home, and in different social environments. In other words, you’re always a good person no matter where you are, and others will all say that you’re a good person. That’s how they go together.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Switzerland”)
‘I Never Imagined You Would Become Such a Wonderful Wife and Mother’
I had a good heart but also a very short temper before I started practicing Dafa. I would easily blow up if someone did something that I disliked, and I continually tried to prove to others that I was right.
I changed in 2009 when I started practicing Falun Dafa. The first thing l learned was to be tolerant.
Master told us:
“As a practitioner, the first thing you should be able to do is to not fight back when you are beaten or sworn at—you must be tolerant. Otherwise, what kind of practitioner will you be? Someone says, 'It’s really hard to be tolerant, and I’ve got a bad temper.' If your temper is not good, you should change, for a practitioner must be tolerant.” (Lecture Nine, “People with Great Inborn Quality,” Zhuan Falun)
Our family was so miserable that I wanted a divorce, but gradually I was able to control my temper. I no longer threw tantrums at my husband, nor did I give long lectures to our son for little mistakes. When I changed, my family became harmonious.
A classmate said to me many times, “I could never have imagined that someone like you with such a strong temper could have become such a wonderful wife and mother.”
‘You Are the Best Cashier in This Supermarket’
I worked as a cashier at a supermarket that had 200 to 300 employees. We were all trained to be well-mannered to customers. The customers liked me the most because I was truly pleasant to them from my heart and not because it was required.
At times, customers would forget to pick up a few items after bringing their shopping cart up to pay. It was inconvenient at that time for them to check in all their bags, so I would offer to temporarily watch their bags for them.
Sometimes, I had to say no to the customers. The supermarket might set a limit on how many discounted items one person could buy. Some wanted to buy more. I normally told customers that I understood what they wanted and would like to help, but I had to follow the store's policy since I worked for the store. They would understand and would remove the extra items.
A customer once gave me a thumb up and said, “You are the number one employee in this supermarket! You are the best!”
An elderly lady brought me a flower and told me to plant it in my yard. The store manager said, “These old people just like you.”
A lady gave me a bracelet as a gift after finding out that I was about to change jobs.
I went to a store to buy bread one day and ran into a customer whom I had told about Falun Dafa and helped quit the Communist Party. She took out some bread that she just bought and put them in my hands.
‘Teacher, We Voted for You’
I later worked as a boarding school teacher. My duty was to inspect the dormitories after curfew and record whoever still spoke. They would then be punished.
I was not at ease at first. I thought that, as a cultivator, I should be kind to people. This job seemed to be against people.
Gradually, I figured out what I should do. I should not be a school clerk to record students' violations, but rather I should help to manage students. Recording students' violations was not the goal, but helping them develop good sleep habits was.
I tried to help students whenever I could. When I heard a student cough, I suggested they raise their pillow higher to minimize their cough or just get some water. When they needed to mend their clothes, I brought needles and thread from my home. When they needed some items that their parents couldn't get for them immediately, I bought them. When they cursed others, especially teachers, I told them to think of others and handle conflicts with a positive attitude.
I became a friend to many students. Some students called me “teacher with a loving heart,” “China's best teacher,” or “angel with a loving heart.”
A student asked me, “Why are you so nice while that other teacher is so mean?”
“Please do not think that way,” I said. “That teacher is very responsible. Please try to look for problems in yourself instead of blaming teachers.”
When students violated the school's rules—perhaps they talked too much past the curfew—I made a record of their violation and explained to them, “It was not me who tried to get you in trouble. You broke the rules. I didn't want you to get punished, but you have to follow the school rules.”
Students voted for the best teachers at end of each year. Some students asked for my employee ID so that they could vote for me.
I told them that, as a cultivator, I didn't need the award. “Your course teachers have worked hard with you for a whole year. Please vote for them.”
After the vote, some students said sadly, “Why was your name not on the ballot? We couldn't vote for you.” Others said, “We wrote your name in!”
I sometimes make mistakes, but with Falun Dafa and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” I can figure out what I did wrong. Then, I would look for my gaps to improve myself the next time.
I can truly feel that I have improved myself and am becoming a better person.
I am very grateful to Dafa. I have felt lost for so many years and didn't know the right thing to do. Now, I have found my path and the real meaning of life. I cannot describe the joy deep in my heart!