(Clearwisdom.net) Recently I visited Wenbin, a graduate school classmate of mine and now the deputy general manager of a four-star hotel. He gave me a warm welcome.

We talked about a female classmate’s plans to open a luxury coffee bar. She needed an investment of millions of yuan. She sought advice from Wenbin regarding management and investments. Wenbin sighed, "I didn’t say much about her project. It is fine for classmates to have a casual chat. However, to talk about her plans seriously and in detail is business. Although we were once classmates and are still friends, you should run a business following the ways of business. Consultations cost huge sums of money. Everyone is saying that our local merchants are dishonest. I am a local person, but I really depise the dishonest ways of our local people. Business is business; while friends are friends. To make money for yourself through friendship is taking advantage of others. It’s just nasty."

His words made me think a lot.

There is a Chinese saying, "Bandits should follow the Way as well." Although most people do business to make money, there is a saying, "A nobleman treasures wealth, but he makes his fortune in decent ways." People doing business should follow the basic principles of humanity and the heavenly principles.

The use of pyramid schemes in business dealings undermines traditional morality and humanity. They take advantage of people’s friendships and their good will. That person’s only purpose is to satisfy his or her personal interest in either an outstanding career or to gain money. Several days ago, one of my customers came to my city to attend a meeting. He was in the process of reorganizing his enterprise. During the meeting he complained, "I have given so much to my employees. Why can’t I gain their loyalty?"

Why such a complaint? He was not clear about the relationship between money and loyalty.

Loyalty is a moral characteristic endowed in man by heaven. It cannot be bought with money. Loyalty manifests as a result of people’s belief in God or Buddha, heavenly truths, justice, goodness, trust between people, and keeping one’s promise or word. If the principles that heaven bestows on people could be bought with money, we can imagine that human morals would not be moral at all. Only the smell of money would be left. The only exchanges between people would be based on personal interest. Money can even buy temporary loyalty, but it will disappear when the money is gone.

When a person tries to buy trust, friendship, and loyalty with money, salary, or rewards, he goes against human nature. In this way he damages human morality.

In the eyes of God, money can never be equal to trust, friendship, and loyalty, but trust, friendship, and loyalty given can win trust, friendship, and loyalty in return. Therefore, businessmen who follow the heavenly Way and human nature will gain the profits they deserve. This will be the result of abiding by those principles, but not the purpose.

Human society is full of exchanges based on personal interest. Money can be used to buy emotions, friendship, and even lives. This happens even more in the business communities.

The environment during Fa-rectification has improved tremendously through anti-persecution efforts. Many Falun Dafa practitioners who were expelled from their workplaces during the persecution have started their own businesses. Some practioners reopened their previous businesses. They do business among practitioners, providing support for each other during the difficult times.

With the improved environment, however, some practitioners have slacked off in cultivation. We are now seeing some corrupt everyday business practices manifesting in practitioners businesses. This is most notable among practitioners doing business with other practitioners.

Some practitioners pay nonpractitioners on time, but they refuse to pay practitioners on time. They reason that Dafa practitioners should be selfless and not care if they are paid on time or not. This is because they have not gotten rid of their attachment to self-interest!

Some practitioners even skimp on the salaries and benefits they pay their employees. They believe this is the only way they can make money. Some even refuse to sign a contract with their employees. If the employer signs a contract, the labor law requires employers pay their employees the standard wage. The employer’s cost would then increase. Some new practitioners were introduced to such a business run by a practitioner. They were puzzled. They thought it was not right. Such a problem would not occur even in a nonpractitioner’s business. They didn’t know how to address this issue, since the boss was a very ‘famous’ veteran practitioner.

There are other practitioners who always ask fellow practitioners to do this or that for them without payment. They don’t consider whether others need to work or make a living. They only think that they can save money by asking practitioners to help. If they hire a nonpractitioner, it is a business arrangement and they will have to pay the market price. On the other hand, practitioners don’t talk about money and don’t care about personal gains or losses. So asking practitioners to help can save money and reduce costs.

What kind of thought is this? What kind of behavior is this? What you are asking others to do will make money for you! It is not a Dafa job! How can you mix them together? How can you take advantage of practitioners’ kindness and selflessness to reduce your costs or to make money? Even nonpractitioners despise these thoughts and behaviors. How come they occur among Dafa practitioners? It’s high time that we pay attention to this! Aren’t all of these concrete manifestations of the beings of the old cosmos? Don’t they only care about themselves?

We are Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners. During the Fa-rectification, we not only need to rectify ourselves, but also need to shoulder a significant historical mission that will lay a foundation for future humankind.

Teacher stated:

"…figure out how to create a Dafa disciples' path, because everything you do today is of utmost importance. If you do well, mankind will emulate it; if you don't do well, mankind will emulate that as well. So Dafa disciples have to do well. Those artworks of yours that aren't good or aren't upright can't be presented to the public, because it will impact mankind." (from "Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art")

My own understanding is that, although Teacher was teaching the Fa to the practitioners involved in art creation, this Fa was also taught to practitioners in all walks of life. At the same time, Teacher has set a standard for practitioners in all professions regarding how to blaze a righteous path of validating Dafa in our respective professions. There are practitioners in every profession, so the righteous paths of practitioners of every profession will be left for the future.

Cultivation is serious. The trust among practitioners comes from their steadfastness in Dafa. It has been developed through firmly upholding Dafa during the persecution. This trust can be a foundation for practitioners to cooperate in their everyday work but definitely cannot be taken advantage of! Even an everyday person can see the shame in this kind of behavior. As Dafa practitioners, we should be clear about this principle and rectify ourselves in time. We should acquire a clear understanding about what are the correct mentalities and behaviors in business. In this way, we can leave a pure path for the future.

Of course, we are still cultivating, and we still have human attachments and many deviated human notions, some of which we have not realized. These are things that we need to cultivate away. I am writing this article in hopes that Dafa practitioners in every profession can walk a pure path in their respective professions. This paths should be able to lead people in every profession towards godhood!