(Minghui.org) Since its publication in 1994, the book Zhuan Falun has transformed the lives of tens of millions. Below is the story of Yan, a restaurant owner living in Taiwan.
As a kind and cordial woman, Yan has always been hardworking since childhood. However, she had poor health and often got sick. One day, while playing with her sister, she was pushed over and fractured her foot. She also had a mouth tumor, for which she had to carry medication with her wherever she went.
These problems made Yan curious about life, and she started to look for ways to improve her health. She couldn’t find anything that worked. One day in 2005, she fell severely ill again. In the hospital, she heard about Falun Dafa and decided to take up the practice.
Looking back, Yan is very grateful: “Falun Dafa saved my life and gave me much more.”
Yan E started practicing Falun Dafa when she was seriously ill.
Learning to Practice
Before she joined the restaurant business, Yan worked as a nurse for six years. After that, she worked with her husband and younger sister to run a restaurant. Three years later, she could not withstand the intense physical labor and was hospitalized. Her elder sister visited her and recommended that she learn Falun Dafa. She told her, “You cannot live like this all the time. If you try Falun Dafa, things will get better. It is a practice for self-cultivation.”
Curious about the words “cultivation” and “practice,” Yan decided to find out what Falun Dafa is. On the following day, she listened to all nine audio lectures her elder sister brought her. Impressed by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance taught by Falun Dafa, she obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun upon returning home. She thus started practicing Dafa.
At the restaurant, her husband usually greets customers while she works in the kitchen. Interestingly, her cooking skills improved dramatically since she started practicing Falun Dafa. “I was not a good cook back then,” she said, “but now my customers all like my dishes and say good things about them.”
Yan said she now has a better understanding of each ingredient and knows how to blend them together for better flavor. The customers like it and come back often. When she looked at recipes, Yan could always find ways to improve them. “I think these inspirations come from my cultivation practice,” she said, “Falun Dafa teaches people to be compassionate. I found that when I really put my heart into cooking, my heart is calm, and my mind is clear.”
A Harmonious Environment
Yan said the positive energy from Dafa also affected employees, who worked in two shifts. In the beginning, the turnover was high, and lots of effort was spent on recruiting and training. Yan tried to apply Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in her daily work. “When some workers need to switch shifts or ask for leave due to illness, family issues, or personal reasons, they receive permission most of the time,” she explained. If she had to, Yan would do the work herself in the worker’s place.
Moved by her consideration for them, the workers also treated each other better and stayed with the restaurant longer. The restaurant was like a big, happy family. As the service improved, more and more customers came.
Yan works from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day with no breaks. She said doing the Falun Dafa exercises early in the morning keeps her strong and energetic through the day. The practice also opened her mind, making her more sincere and happy.
Seeing her always smiling, one customer asked, “What's your secret to happiness?”
“It’s because I practice Falun Dafa,” Yan replied without hesitation.
“I want to be a practitioner too!” exclaimed another customer.
To balance her time among work, life, and cultivation, Yan and her husband sold the restaurant about five years ago. “Falun Dafa is so good. I really want to spend more time on it,” she said, “Plus, now I have more time to tell others about it so they can all benefit.” Her husband joined her parents-in-law's family business, which fits his expertise very well.
Yan is glad that things around her worked out well. More importantly, she is happy to find her destiny: “It is Falun Dafa that provides me guidance and leads me home.”
