(Minghui.org) I am a 43-year-old businessman who started practicing Falun Dafa in 2008.
The economy in China has been so bad lately that it's difficult for businesses to survive. My business, however, has done well, so I have a steady income that has allowed me to set aside some savings. I believe these positive factors are related to the fact that I practice Falun Dafa.
The Pitfalls of Trading Stocks and Investing in Real Estate
Before practicing Falun Dafa, I was enthusiastic about trading stocks and investing in real estate. I had a house that was my primary residence, but I took out two mortgages to buy two houses from 2004 to 2008. I later took out a home equity loan of several hundred thousand yuan on my primary residence to buy stocks.
When the stock market crashed in 2007 and 2008, I lost most of the money I'd invested in stocks. At the same time, the housing market also declined. I was in such financial straits that I had to sell one investment house to pay back the home equity loan. But it was difficult to sell a house when the market was on the downswing. I was exhausted from all the stress.
Different Viewpoints
During this depressing time, I received an email introducing me to a piece of software that could break through the Chinese regime's internet firewall. I was able to browse foreign websites and could read news and articles from different viewpoints.
The most surprising thing I learned was the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa, including the state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from Falun Dafa practitioners and the staged Tiananmen Square self-immolation that sought to tarnish Falun Dafa.
I learned that Falun Dafa is also called Falun Gong, that it is a high-level cultivation practice of the Buddha School, and that its practitioners must follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to raise one's moral level. And practicing the exercises can help practitioners regain their health quickly.
I was moved by its profound and broad teachings. Falun Dafa also answered many questions that had lingered in my heart for decades, so I decided to practice it.
My Life Improves
About a month into practicing Falun Dafa, I felt my fate had changed and I would get through the crisis soon. Just as expected, I sold a house with no problem.
My health also improved. The arthritis in my neck disappeared. The pain that was due to a previous hepatitis B infection gradually lessened.
I also found a new and more satisfying job. Practicing Falun Dafa was the source of all these positive changes.
Through the practice, I realized that practitioners should only make money honestly, by working, and should not speculate to earn high returns. Easy money usually goes quickly and it can foster bad habits like laziness and vanity.
I understood that borrowing money to invest in real state and the stock market is like gambling. An old Chinese proverb says that nine out of ten gamblers lose. So I quit speculating in real state and the stock market.
Resisting Temptation
In recent years, there's been a new wave of real estate speculation. Many of my friends and relatives took out loans to buy investment houses. Some of them are now a few million yuan in debt and some can hardly pay the monthly mortgage after living expenses. They have put themselves in a very dangerous situation.
I resisted the nationwide fever to flip houses. Also, I resisted the temptation of high reward investment tools of recent years, such as web finance platforms, P2P lending, and domestic or foreign high-reward investments.
The truth is that many of these investment tools are scams, and investors often end up losing both their principle and interest.
I didn't invest in any of them because I am not greedy and don't want to take unnecessary risk. I am fortunate that I obtained Master Li Hongzhi's Falun Dafa. I am very grateful to Falun Dafa and Master Li.
Category: Improving Oneself
