(Minghui.org) I’ve practiced cultivation for more than twenty years. Looking back on my cultivation journey, I have experienced the dramatic improvement of physical health and moral values after living by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.
In my daily life, when I encountered tribulations and personal conflicts, I struggled to live and breathe these principles, and quite often, after I successfully went through the experience, I witnessed the joy and excitement that cultivation brought. Sometimes the tribulations were heart-wrenching. But I always managed to calm myself down by looking for my shortcomings and considered others first. In that process, I would then change my behavior, overcome difficulties and surpass my former self.
Dafa has transformed me from a selfish and narrow-minded person into a person who is selfless and broad-minded. Dafa has not only changed me, but also hundreds and thousands of Dafa disciples who practice the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance, into good people and morally noble people.
Below are some cultivation stories that I would like to share.
I Was the Only Person Left
It was the spring of 1997. A friend who didn’t practice Dafa lent me three books: Zhuan Falun, Zhuan Falun Volume II, and Falun Gong. He said he got the books from his son who went to a university in Lanzhou.
I opened the book Zhuan Falun. Immediately, I was attracted to the title of the first section “Truly Taking You to Greater Spiritual Heights” (Zhuan Falun, the First Talk). At that time, I was not even 30. A lad at such a young age, I was already very busy with work and in and out of the temple for several years, mingling with people who often went there to worship and healing some of them.
I became well known for what I did. But some phenomena in the cultivation community were foreign to me. I was confused and could not explain what “Spiritual Bodies” and “The Blessing of Sacred Images” and so on, meant. Yet I found all the answers in Zhuan Falun. I lamented the decline in moral standards in today's society and wondered how such a good book still existed!
I finished reading all of Zhuan Falun in one sitting until it was past midnight. The truths in the book got me so excited that I couldn’t sleep. However, I felt that I couldn’t follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and be truly good like the book says. But I still loved the book. So for a long period of time, I kept reading it over and over again. I was very eager to read it because it made me feel good when I read it.
As I continued to read Zhuan Falun, I discovered that my perspective of the world had undergone a radical change. In the absence of having any contact with Dafa disciples, I have unknowingly conducted myself according to Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance and learned how to be a good person.
At that time I worked at a gas station which was affiliated with a local refinery. At the gas station, the customers were often cheated, paying more money for less fuel. Every station employee did the same. But after I read Zhuan Falun, I understood the principle of loss and gain and didn’t want to do that anymore. I started to hold myself to the standards and gradually, I completely stopped doing it. Just like how Teacher teaches us,
“…whether you are self-employed and work alone, or have a business to run, or do any type of business: the key is to deal fairly and act with integrity.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Falun Dafa has transformed me from a profit-seeking, self-serving person into someone who is open and selfless. Because I no longer do bad things, I feel light and fresh! Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance makes me feel radiant! At the time, I felt that fame, worries, conflicts, grief and so on could not block me anymore because I understood the true meaning of life. It is great to practice Falun Dafa! It’s great to be a good person!
Somehow, someone at the management level finally discovered the employees’ improper behavior and decided to lay off the staff. All the employees of the company were dismissed. It was my shift on the day of the dismissal. I was responsible for collecting, invoicing and doing accounting. When I checked out at noon, I found that we were fifty dollars short. I double checked several times but couldn't find the money. The team leader said, “Just leave it. It’s okay.” I said, “No, we can’t. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner now and I need to conduct myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. If we still can’t find the money by tonight, I’ll make it up.” Then I went off for lunch. When I got to the dining room, the minute I saw the cook, I remembered that it was he who came to me to take the fifty dollars. But I was very busy at the moment and then forgot all about it. The team leader laughed.
All the staff members were dismissed at the end of the day. The team leader told me to come to his office. He said, “I don’t want to have any of the staff. You’re the only one I will keep.”
Once I fell from a motorcycle and my right wrist was dislocated. The bones of the wrist were swollen and it was extremely painful. I couldn’t sit still so I walked back and forth so that I felt less pain in the wrist. My wife, who doesn't practice cultivation, wanted me to see a doctor but he wasn’t available. She said, “Why not do the exercises? Don't you usually say Dafa is omnipotent?”
Her reminder woke me up. Yes, I should have thought of Dafa when I didn’t know what to do! I forced myself to calm down and reflected on things I didn’t do well. Then I began to do the exercises. Yet I couldn't perform the exercises with a full range of motion, as the acute pain in my wrist caused lots of discomfort, but I persisted. By the time I did exercise number three, as I moved my arm downwards, I heard some “click click” sound from the wrist. The pain got worse. So I did the exercises very slowly to ease the pain.
By the time I did it on the third round, there was a loud “crack”! By then, my wrist felt very comfortable. No more pain; the dislocation of my wrist automatically healed while I was doing the exercises! The acute pain instantly disappeared! I became very emotional and tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks. The appreciation could be only summed up in a few words: “Practicing Falun Dafa is truly amazing!”
There are four people in my family: my son, my daughter, my wife, and me. Although they don’t practice, they support me. My son is already over twenty but hasn’t started a family yet. Nowadays, because of the imbalance of males and females in China, it is difficult for males to find a spouse. In January 2017, someone introduced a female friend to my son but half a year went by and nothing came of it. My wife got worried.
Then it was about the time that the Chinese Communist Party had its national conference. One day in August 2017, the police came knocking on my door. I was at work and my wife happened to be home. They asked where I was. My wife said I was at work. They asked if I was still practicing Falun Dafa. Instead of answering their question, my wife asked, “What’s wrong with practicing Falun Dafa? Isn’t it good to conduct oneself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance?” They didn’t speak a word and took off.
When I arrived home, my wife told me what happened. I said that when she tried to be fair and just in the Falun Dafa matter, she would be blessed. I told her that my Teacher said,
“Even when an ordinary person shouts out 'Falun Dafa is good' today, Master will protect him.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference”)
One day later, my son called my wife from work and said, “Mom, my wedding is happening. Please get prepared!”
There are many more good stories to tell about practicing Falun Dafa. Mine is just one of them!