(Minghui.org)
When I was at work one afternoon in 2019, my chest, neck, and arms suddenly started to itch. I found a lot of red bumps on them. Some of the bumps had started to blend into each other, and more were appearing. They later spread to my forearms and the backs of my hands. My first thought was: “I am a Dafa disciple and I don’t have any disease. This is eliminating karma.” I realized my colleagues might not understand what it means to eliminate karma from the perspective of a practitioner and it might damage Dafa’s image if they saw what was happening, so I took a leave of absence and went home.
After I got home, I sat cross-legged on the bed and looked inward: Since karma was manifesting on my skin and appearing as an allergic reaction, might it have something to do with eating? The first thing I found was my strong attachment to food, such as to drinking milk every day. Sometimes I’d drink three helpings a day because I thought that it could whiten my skin and improve my health. But does the body of a cultivator improve by drinking milk and eating human food? This obviously showed that I was not clear on the Fa and was attached to food. It also showed my attachment to this body.
As I continued to look inside, I also noticed the attachment of lust. I wanted to be more attractive. When other practitioners and I ate together, they never ordered-strong smelling dishes with raw garlic. I always enjoyed raw garlic with cold noodles when the weather was hot.
Master said:
“A lot of beings that are developed from the human body through cultivation get really bothered by such foul odors. Onions, ginger, and garlic can also stimulate a person’s desires, and when you eat a lot of them you can get hooked. That’s why they were considered taboo.” (The Seventh Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Thinking about this, I suddenly felt that I was not serious about cultivation! If a practitioner doesn’t take Master’s requirements seriously, how could the person say that he or she is a Dafa disciple? It seemed that Master was asking me to get rid of the attachment to food. After I became aware of it, I started to send righteous thoughts to eliminate the attachment. I felt better shortly afterwards; I no longer itched and started to relax.
About that time, my husband came home. He saw a red bump on my face and asked, “What’s wrong with your face?” I replied with a smile, “Since you’ve seen it, I’ll tell you. Otherwise, I would rather not mention it so you won’t worry.” As I was talking, I pulled up my sleeves and showed him. “I’ve got a rash. Look at my lower and upper arms, shoulders—it’s everywhere.” He lifted my clothes and saw that there were lots of red bumps, some as big as my palm. He was startled.
His face turned pale and he said quickly, “So bad! So bad! You have the same skin disease as me! I’ve had it for several years and it hasn’t gone away! What can we do?” He was worried. Because he knew that I would not go to see a doctor, he swallowed the words coming out of his mouth and rubbed his hands. I looked at him and tried to comfort him, “Don’t worry, I will be fine.”
The next morning, right after I finished doing the exercises, my husband came in and checked my arms. I suddenly remembered, “Ah, he is looking for those bumps!” He checked my front and back again. It was amazing—all the bumps were gone! The so-called “allergic” reaction that was so severe the night before was really gone now. My husband was shocked. He left the room without saying a word.
In fact, I know that Master bore the real itching and discomfort. The night before, I’d itched all over. I woke up and told myself, “Dafa disciples don’t have diseases. Itching is a false alarm. My true self isn’t itching.” I simply refused to acknowledge the itching sensation. I felt hot all over. To prevent my main consciousness from getting lost in a dream and actually scratching myself, I interlocked my fingers and made a fist and wouldn’t unlace them all night. I endured and didn’t scratch. I don’t know how long it took. I asked Master to let me fall asleep. Sure enough, when I woke up, it was time to do the morning exercises.
Such a serious condition was completely cured overnight. I didn’t do anything. I just looked inward and got rid of attachments. Master removed it for me!
After reading Zhuan Falun, I learned that, in order to cultivate Dafa, we have to first be a good person. I also understood the principle that Master taught: no loss, no gain.
Once I found more than 1,000 yuan on the side of the road and returned it to the owner. I gave them a truth clarification booklet so that they could learn more about Dafa.
When I applied for a senior position at work, the bureau director told me explicitly and implicitly to bribe him. According to the convention at the time, two thousand yuan would be enough. My husband got the money and put it in an envelope as I watched.
If we come across a test of whether we can let go of fame and fortune, should we be tempted as practitioners? I did hesitate, but as a Dafa disciple, I can only act according to the standard of the Fa. Although I didn’t get the promotion (I didn’t pay the bribe), I didn’t mind because I remembered Master’s words:
“We cultivators always let things happen naturally. If something is yours, nobody will take it away, and if something isn’t yours, you won’t be able to get it even by fighting for it.” (The Seventh Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Whenever I felt lost, I would recite this paragraph.
In fact, I don’t care whether it’s hundreds or thousands of yuan; it is simply not important. Money is exchanged for virtue. As a Dafa disciple who understands the principles of the Fa, I wasn’t willing to use my precious virtue to exchange for things external to this body.
After working in a public institution for decades, I had to hand in all kinds of forms, many of which were perfunctory. I knew no one would look at them. It was just about completing the task and making up the numbers—no one took it seriously. Whatever was submitted was copied and pasted from the Internet. Everyone seemed numb to this kind of fraud and foolishness.
One day when I was studying the Fa, I read:
“I have a habit, you know: if I have a foot, I’ll only say an inch. And it’s even fine if you say I’m bragging.” (The Eighth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I suddenly realized that Master was teaching me to cultivate truthfulness. Not only should I not lie, neither should I exaggerate. According to Dafa’s requirements, I stopped bragging at work and was humble.
I also pay attention to being truthful when I interact with others. I avoid exaggerating and express myself accurately and I am not driven by vanity and saving face.
Following Dafa’s requirements in my daily life makes living every day easy and a pleasure.