(Clearwisdom.net)
1. Meeting a Dead End in Life
I had practiced many different schools of qigong since 1987. I knew a thing or two about Buddhism as well. I always knew that cultivation was good, but I had never really practiced cultivation. In 1997, a classmate gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun, Falun Gong's main text. All of my questions about qigong and Buddhism were answered in the book. I made up my mind to practice Falun Gong. However, my initial understanding of Falun Gong was limited and I thought only of certain benefits such as obtaining good health and improving morality. After the Chinese Communist Party began suppressing Falun Gong, I continued to believe in Falun Gong, but I was busy with developing my business and didn't spend time explaining to people what Falun Gong was about. Nevertheless, my faith in Falun Gong remained the most beautiful thing in my life.
I didn't really understand what it meant to be a Falun Gong practitioner in the Fa-rectification period until the summer of 2007. I was 46 years old that year. In 1989 I had quit my job as a college professor and started my own business. For 18 years I had witnessed the ugly nature of China's economic reform. It was nothing but fighting for self-interest. It killed one's morality and it required power, women, and deceit to excel in the game. I asked myself, "What chips do I have? Do I have what it takes to play the game?" My remaining feeling of shame stopped me from taking any "shortcut." For 18 years I fought a lonely battle to survive in the business world. I had firsthand experience of the cruelty and chaos in an orderless market. In 2007 I carried a large debt of about two million yuan. An old health problem, ankylosing spondylitis, had also developed to the point where I had difficulty walking.
2. Returning to Cultivation and Prevailing Over Adversity
I had always regarded myself as an honest, kind, and diligent man. When I first started practicing Falun Gong, I wanted to become an excellent boss by following Falun Gong's teachings, but I didn't understand the teachings well enough, the nature of cultivation, or my responsibility as a Falun Gong practitioner during the Fa-rectification period. As a result, I had led myself nearly to a dead end. I am no longer young. I was completely exhausted and carried a huge debt. What scared me more was that I suffered from severe sickness karma.
Fortunately, I thought of Teacher and Falun Gong. I had faith that Falun Gong would not watch me complete my life on a sad note after having tried to be an honest, kind and diligent person. I closed my business and focused on studying the Fa. I hoped to find support in the Fa. I knew it was a pursuit, but Teacher helped me overcome pessimism out of His compassion. I came out of a bad place because of my righteous thought of wanting to become a better person. I matured through fulfilling my responsibilities as a Falun Gong practitioner.
In the days that followed, I started a joint venture with a corporation in a real estate development project and obtained investment funds that were enough to pay off all my debts. I didn't send gifts or bribe anyone. I had met the clients for coffee four times in ten days, but they always paid for the coffee. I managed to persuade them to invest in the joint venture. My job was to have the local government fulfill the project, which the client had signed-on, within the agreed budget. However, it took me an entire year to do that, which caused us to exceed our budget. It meant the investor had the right to withdraw their investment and demand two million yuan for failing to fulfill the business agreement on time.
Once again I fell into the depths of despair, and once again a miracle happened. The president of the investment corporation faced a corruption charge. Therefore, the company voided all of its investments. They asked nothing but to get their investment funds back. I approached the local government and asked for a refund of the real estate development deposit of 30 million yuan on the grounds that the government had committed fraud to lure investors using fake real estate development and premium incentives.
Throughout the entire process I followed Teacher's teaching to conduct myself with righteous thoughts and actions. I reminded myself constantly that Teacher wouldn't help me unless I was in compliance with the Fa. In the end I got all the investment funds back and paid my debts in full. I became debt-free.
I knew it was Teacher who had eliminated the obstacle on my path of cultivation practice. It was also a manifestation of Falun Gong's mighty virtue. Imagine how my life would have been if it had not been for Teacher's repeated protection. I would have gained an additional debt of two million yuan even when I had obtained 30 million yuan in investment funds. I would have no way whatsoever to pay a debt of four million yuan.
Teacher has not only eliminated a big obstacle on my path of cultivation, but protected me, despite the fact that I had not cultivated well. On the morning of the second day of the 2008 Chinese New Year, I accidentally stepped on the brake while driving over an icy road, and lost control of my car. It spun-out at a high speed. When the car finally stopped, I really felt again that Teacher had protected me from harm. Cars passed me without hitting my car at all. A large sedan stopped 30 meters behind me. Since I lost control of my car by stepping on the brake, it stood to reason that they should have lost control of their car as well. Had it not been for Teacher, it would have been a major pileup.
I had never wanted to write an article before because I felt that I had not cultivated well. A fellow Falun Gong practitioner then reminded me that I should share my cultivation experiences. Although I still have many attachments to eliminate, I hope that the miracles I have experienced will help reinforce fellow Falun Gong practitioners' righteous thoughts. As long as we continue to cultivate, there is a hope that we will become magnificent lives in the universe for fulfilling our prehistoric promises.
I previously had the same dream often about feeling anxious for an upcoming end-of-semester exam that I had not prepared well for, especially math. I now know that it was a hint from Teacher that I had loopholes in my cultivation practice. I had a new dream on the night of writing this article. Of the class of over 100 students, I was in the top-ten. I know that Teacher was encouraging me. I also know that I will face additional trials and tribulations on my path of cultivation, but I am not afraid. With Teacher, the Fa, and my righteous faith in Falun Gong, I know I shall become a magnificent Falun Gong practitioner in the Fa-rectification period.
