(Minghui.org) I was sent to jail because I refused to give up my faith in Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. When I was released, I had reached retirement age, but was deprived of my pension. I had no source of income.
I applied for various jobs and was accepted by a property management service company. Although the position I applied for was customer service, unlike my previous job where each worker only focused on his/her position, I had to work in multiple roles in this private company.
After a one-month probationary period, my boss, the company owner, and my manager thought that I was capable and responsible, and they assigned me more work, including collecting fees, inventory management, and daily clerical writing. To be honest, I was reluctant to deal with money, not only because I knew nothing about accounting but also because I was concerned that others might think I would take the opportunity to pocket some of the money.
However, as a practitioner, I knew I should think of others. The boss and manager trusted me by making this arrangement, so I decided to take over these jobs. I learned from scratch with an open mind about things that I previously knew nothing about.
I have now worked for this company for over two years. I would like to share my experience of cultivating myself in this company.
Our company serves a large residential area with a complex mix of diverse residents. The resident’s committee was autonomous for a year after the previous property management company discontinued their contract. During the pandemic, the situation got worse. When my company took over managing the area, there were a lot of remaining issues and problems, and most of the residents watched us with a critical attitude.
One of my jobs is collecting monthly fees. I did my job with openness and fairness, and strived to be transparent and treat everyone the same. When collecting fees, I always clearly explained every charge to each resident.
I didn’t like my job in the beginning. I was not a talkative person, but I had to talk a lot every day to make sure that each resident was clear about every penny they paid. I believe that the relationship between my company and the residents is serving and being served, not a relationship of interest or hostility. Gradually, the residents felt my sincereness and my co-workers were also affected by my work ethics, and my company got back on track.
The residential area we serve is not an old one. It was built ten years ago, but the quality of the buildings was not good. There are many problems and issues. I believe that every issue reported by a resident is important. When they report problems, such as a leaking pipe, broken lights in the hallway, clogged pipes, etc., I always deal with it immediately. If it is something I can’t deal with on the spot, such as disputes between neighbors or roof leaks, I report it to the manager. In most cases, the residents are satisfied with our service.
During the pandemic, the community was often on lockdown for the slightest problem. The residents were angry and cursed us over the phone. I understood how frustrated they were. I listened to their concerns and complaints and never hung up on them. Considering that many residents couldn’t step out of their apartments, I purchased daily necessities for them and sent them to their homes.
In two years, the residents were slowly impressed by my sincerity and kindness, and gave me their full respect.
There are many old and rural workers in our cleaning and security departments. They think the work they do is inferior, and have a low self-esteem. I believe that every life is equal, and that no one is superior or inferior to others. Different people just work in different positions. Every hard worker deserves respect. Therefore I always care for and treat them well. In my spare time, I tell them about the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa and how the Chinese Communist Party persecute Falun Dafa practitioners. They all get along with me.
Through Falun Dafa practice, I have become well aware of the relationship between gain and loss. I make a clear distinction between company and private money, and I won’t touch a single penny of the company’s money.
There was extra money three times after I did the monthly income summary, which I gave to the company owner and explained the situation to him, and never kept any of it. He trusts me very much.
There were two of us workers in the office when I began. However, a year later, my boss transferred the other person out of the office, and I was the only one left. That meant I had to do all the work by myself. I accepted it without complaint, and I believed that it was a sign of trust.
Among all the property fees, the parking fee is a major one. Many residents often came in a hurry, paid the money, then left, and said, “No receipt, please simply renew it in the computer system.” I always replied, “I will still issue a receipt.” I save the receipts that the residents don’t want, in the security room. Without a second person on the spot, one can easily put the money into their pocket without giving a receipt.
Another company helps us do advertising. Twice when I gave the manager payment, he tried to give me a red envelope (with money inside). I didn’t accept it since I know how hard it is for them to collect payments on time. The second time when he insisted on giving me the red envelope, I told him, “I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. I will not accept your money. You earn every penny with your hard-work. I would have done the same for any person. I just hope that you run an honest business.” The advertising manager admired me, and later on he always got our job done at his first convenience and never charges extra.
After a while, most residents knew that I was a kind person, and easy to get along with. So some of them made excessive requests. For example, they asked me to give them a few days for free when they renewed their parking. Sometimes I would satisfy them and I sometimes even gave a few more days to the residents I liked without being asked.
At the beginning, I didn’t think it was a problem. I felt I was flexible and got along with the residents.
One day a friend of my boss came to renew his parking, and asked me to give him a couple of months for free. I did accordingly. However, after giving it some thought, I felt something was wrong. I looked within and realized that my goodness was based on the loss of the company’s interests, and I subconsciously had the desire to be recognized by the residents, and the desire to make the residents think well of me. Essentially it was a strong desire for fame, and this attachment was hiding behind superficial kindness.
I soon started to send forth righteous thought to eliminate the bad thoughts. I knew I should be kind to the residents, but I shouldn’t damage the company’s interest. I have since not given any free days, and I always kindly explain to the residents, “Our fees are already very low. I am unable to grant your request. I appreciate your understanding and support.”
A while after I took over all the work in the office by myself, I became unhappy about it. I was doing the job of two people but my salary was the same. I felt the boss was taking advantage of me.
As soon as I felt I was being taken advantage of, I realized that it stemmed from my attachment to money. I tried to eliminate it, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get rid of it. It became worse when I learned that other workers got a raise but not me. Finally I decided that I would no longer think about my salary, and just do my job well.
Gradually, no matter how busy and tired I was, I didn’t feel the need to complain. After I stopped obsessing about my salary, my boss raised my salary twice in a short time period. Practicing cultivation is an amazing thing. I will be rewarded when I meet the standards.