(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings, revered Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I would like to tell Master and fellow practitioners some of my cultivation experiences from the past year, as well as how I validated the Fa and saved sentient beings.
I. Cultivating Diligently and Saving Sentient Beings
I am a middle-aged Falun Dafa practitioner. Most of the time my true cultivation takes place at work. By following the Falun Dafa principles, I behave properly in all respects, get along well with my coworkers, and treat everyone well. I perform more dirty and tiring work than anyone else. I often offer to help and provide coworkers with conveniences. Whenever I get the chance, I speak of the importance of being a good person. My colleagues think that I am a good person and trustworthy. They easily accept whatever I say about Falun Gong and about the need to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. They say, “You are the best person in this world.” Gradually my work place became congenial, just as Teacher said, “The Buddha-light illuminates everywhere and rectifies all abnormalities.” (Zhuan Falun)
Meals are prepared at 9:00 p.m. daily for the nightshift workers, and we take turns eating. I'm the last one to eat. I often eat the leftovers and sometimes there is nothing left. My coworkers were very touched. No one likes to do the tough work the supervisor assigned, so I took on the work while they took a break. In winter our boss didn't rent a boiler for the heater, so we had to boil water to have heat. No one liked to do such heavy work. I did the work during my shift, which in the long run turned into one of my assigned tasks. Some spoke up for me and said that that was unfair. I always smiled and didn't complain. During the winter holiday season, I was always assigned to boil the water. When it was my turn, there were no coals in the stove, only ash. But before I left, I removed the ash and prepared the coals for the next shift. Everyone witnessed this. One day a coworker asked me, “What made you become such a good person, so easygoing and a hard worker?” I said “It's Falun Dafa that taught me to follow the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to be a good person.” She believed that Falun Dafa was good.
From time to time, there are new or part-time workers. I know that Teacher has arranged for them to be saved. I offer my help, treat them equitably, take every chance to tell them the facts about Falun Gong, and encourage them to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. One elderly man said, “The Fa your Teacher taught you is the most righteous Fa. Your Teacher is the only one who brings the truth to China. If everyone behaved according to the principles of Falun Gong, we won't need any police. Look at the CCP corruption and disregard for the law. No one listens to it. There are so many corrupt officials. China's regime is on its last legs.”
Teacher said,
“If you are to do well at the task of saving sentient beings, you first must cultivate yourselves well.” ("To the Brazil Fa Conference")
I was enlightened that a Dafa practitioner must cultivate well and have high standards. Only by doing so can we do well in saving sentient beings.
II. Looking Within and Rectifying What Is Not Righteous
Nowadays many people do degenerate things. On payday many workers meet in restaurants, dance halls, mahjong centers, and entertainment places. Sometimes they play obscene jokes. Some coworkers bad mouth others and report them to their superior, creating mistrust among coworkers.
Teacher said,
“Ordinary people don’t know that all of this is encompassed by the expression 'the appearance stems from the mind.' So, put another way, one’s own factors can in fact change one’s surroundings. 'Cultivate yourself' and 'search within' are words that I have said in a very straightforward and clear manner. (Laughing) But, there aren’t that many people who give these words due weight.” ("Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting")
Fellow practitioners shared with me, “We are here to save sentient beings. We should rectify all abnormal things and not drift with the tide. Look inside to figure out your attachments and remove those not consistent with the Fa.” I found that I had still held attachments to eating and entertaining, the ones I indulged in before I practiced Falun Gong. However, I had fewer opportunities for such things after the persecution started, so these attachments were covered up. I also had the attachment of lust and loved to look at beautiful ladies. Sometimes, I had thought karma that governed my actions. Sometimes I didn't say anything, but my heart was filled with jealousy. When I became aware of these attachments, I immediately eliminated them.
Soon the environment at work got better and better. My coworkers said, “We cannot behave like this. Each of us has a wife and children. If we spend all our income on eating, how will they survive?” Those who often held parties at the restaurants felt ashamed. No one arranged anymore such gatherings. Those that badmouthed others were fired. One coworker who liked playing obscene jokes said, “My wife found the obscene pictures on my cell phone.” She threatened him, so he deleted those pictures and stopped playing obscene jokes. The environment in my workplace changed for the better. I was enlightened to Teacher's Fa,
“There is a lot of hidden meaning contained in [China’s] semi-divine culture, and that also holds true for the old expression 'the appearance stems from the mind.' Because each person covers a certain expanse of his own in the world around him, his emotional state will have a bearing on his affairs. That’s even more the case for Dafa disciples, for they shoulder the mission of saving sentient beings, and their expanse is even greater. The Dafa disciples of the world together encompass the whole earth, with each person having a certain reach. All of what you encounter and meet with owes to factors that are present within your expanse. If you can have sufficient righteous thoughts, you can then be towering and massive within your expanse and suppress any bad things that might exist there.” ("Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting")
For a period of time I had some conflicts with coworkers. We had a new team leader. He was not familiar with our work practices. I tried my best to help him. However, he often met with my coworkers at restaurants, trying to establish a good relationship. Within some time they formed a clique. Since I didn't join them, I became an outsider and no one was willing to cooperate when I assigned work. The team leader also sided with them. One time the team leader wanted to reduce the workload of two coworkers, but didn't follow the procedure. I tried to tell him, but he ignored my advice. Because of that, production couldn't proceed as normal. The next day, the boss criticized me because I was responsible for overseeing the work. He asked me to explain, and I lost my temper because all the complaints had been bottled up inside me. I said, “They all acted spitefully and didn't listen to me.” As soon as I finished, I realized that I had made a mistake. I admitted my faults immediately. When I returned home, I shared with fellow practitioners and looked inside. I figured out my attachments of being sensitive to reputation, not liking to be criticized, showing offm and vanity. I rectified myself in Dafa and removed those attachments because they would prevent me from saving people. As a result, the team leader changed. He admitted his mistakes to me. Those who had conflicts with me also changed their attitude towards me. The atmosphere became as congenial as before.
III. Putting Dafa in First Place and Harmonizing the Environment
I lost a job during the unprecedented persecution of Falun Dafa, because I refused to renounce the practice. When I was looking for a job, I wanted short working hours. I had enlightened that having enough time to do three things is the priority and Teacher has the final say in other respects, such as salary and other benefits. I had such a wish, so Teacher helped me find a job that required only 15 nightshifts a month. My salary also gradually increased from 800 yuan to 1,500 yuan. Every time local practitioners needed my help, I put Dafa in the first place. No matter how busy I was or the circumstances, I would ask for leave. My boss and coworkers never complained. According to the factory rules, taking a leave meant a salary deduction. However, they never deducted anything from my salary. Many times after I cooperated with practitioners to save sentient beings, I received a raise after returning to work.
One practitioner in our local area was persecuted to death in a forced labor camp. Our local practitioners had a sharing and decided that, to save sentient beings and stop the persecution, we would launch a court action and hire a lawyer. To cooperate as one body, I visited the family of the practitioner who had died and clarified the truth about Falun Gong to them. They lived in the countryside and worked during the day, so I had to visit them at night. It took me several hours for the round trip. They hadn't learned the facts about Falun Gong, so I had to visit them several times. Finally they were convinced and felt in their hearts that they had to hire a lawyer.
One time I asked my boss for a leave so I could talk to the lawyer. I was given leave from only one shift because of the workload. Due to interference from evil factors, the investigation ran into problems and we spent three days sorting out everything. On my way back to the factory, I thought that I would be reprimanded because I had been granted only one day's leave but was gone for three days. I immediately changed my thought: “I am doing Dafa work, so it's worthwhile even if I am criticized.”
The above thought wasn't consistent with the Fa. I am now enlightened that all sentient beings should support Dafa practitioners. They all come for Dafa. People from all walks of life are waiting to be saved. They will receive blessings if they help practitioners. But, when I arrived at the factory, I saw only one person on duty. He said that the factory had been closed for a couple of days and would open again the next day. I was astounded, but, at the same time, I sensed Teacher's infinite grace.
Another time our local practitioners were going to share with fellow practitioners in another city. The day before the sharing, the team leader told me, “We are short of workers during the day; you don't have to work tonight, but you have to come back tomorrow morning.” When I heard this, I realized that it was interference, so I replied, “I will be out of town tomorrow, so I cannot take day shift.” He responded, “Then you have to ask the boss for permission. He made the schedule.” I sent righteous thoughts to eliminate all interference and then talked to my boss. Finally, he gave me several days of leave, but he said that I would have to take on the day shift after I returned. This again was interference. My daytime schedule was very tight. because I had to cooperate and coordinate with other practitioners to save sentient beings. I continued sending righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil. In the meanwhile, I looked within and realized that I still held the attachment to comfort. I slept too much, but Teacher wanted me to save sentient beings. Two hours later, the team leader went to the boss and asked that I continue the nightshifts. The boss agreed. The next day I went to the cultivation experience sharing.
Because of the economic meltdown, the factory didn't receive many orders, so we closed from time to time. Many workers wanted to do more work for more pay. My boss sometimes preferred that I work overtime. I could identify the evil interference and worked nightshifts. My income was never affected. When the factory was closed for the holidays, my boss asked me to work at night, which wasn't hard work, so I could spend time studying the Fa, practicing the exercises, and sending righteous thoughts. Once I had a dream: The section leader in my previous workplace told me, “Everyone wants to have your job, but no one could take it on. You have a special mission, so I assigned the work to you.” Since last year, I have seldom had a heavy workload. Whenever it's time to cooperate with other practitioners as one body, I have nothing to do at work. Teacher gave me enough energy and time to be responsible to Dafa. Teacher has paved the path and arranged everything for us. The only thing is for us to take action. As long as we are within the Fa and put Dafa in first place, everything will be arranged perfectly.
Nothing but cultivating diligently can show my gratitude towards Teacher! Sometimes I wasn't doing too well and attachments to fame, lust, and comfort surfaced. However, I firmly believe that I will be able to let go of all these attachments by following Master's directive and doing the three things: studying the Fa diligently, clarifying the truth about Falun Gong, and saving sentient beings. As a true practitioner, I will honor my mission, achieve consummation, and return home with Teacher.
Thank you, Master!
Thank you fellow practitioners!
Heshi.