(Clearwisdom.net) I started to practice Falun Dafa in 1995. During the six years of the persecution I once made a big mistake and lost my determination. It was our benevolent and great Master who helped me to stand up. I would like to share some of my cultivation experiences with practitioners.
Solidify righteous thoughts and save predestined people
I was illegally locked up for two years. After coming back from the forced labor camp, the leaders at my work unit asked me to have a "talk" with them. Their main concern was that during my imprisonment, the job that I had been responsible for stopped for three months. They tried three different people, yet nobody was fit for the job. At last, in order to solve their problem, they had to get two people to share the job. They said that I was the most capable employee and had the best attitude of anyone in the company. However, they didn't want to take too much of a risk with me. They were afraid that I would cause trouble later due to my belief in Falun Gong, and that it would not just have impact on the work production but also on the managers' futures and the situation of all employees in their company. For these reasons they said they were rescinding my work contract.
I told them: "I am not to blame for the impact on the work. I haven't done anything illegal. I was illegally arrested and detained only because of my belief, yet freedom of belief is a human being's most basic right. If it was because I have done something that was illegal, or if it is because I am not fit for the job, I would have no objection to your dismissing me from the job or rescinding my work contract, but you want to rescind my work contract only because of my belief. I don't accept it and will not sign the agreement since it is not good for you. Finally, the chief in charge of Human Resources threatened me, saying: 'If you don't sign it, we will process it as if you were forcibly expelled from work.'"
After returning home, I began to write a letter to the company president. I wrote down in the letter: "I am not concerned about my position or the money. Two years ago when the police arrested me, if I had agreed to give up my belief, I wouldn't have lost anything today. But I couldn't do that. Although you claimed that your actions are the result of a policy made by the higher authorities, you are the ones executing it. You are carrying out the policy of the persecution. This historical period will become the past one day. When you recall this period, can you and I calmly say, "I have a clear conscience?" You managers and all of the other employees are all people who have predestined relationships with me. I heartily hope you will all have a wonderful future."
The next day I went to the company. The president was not in the office, so I left the letter on his desk.
During those days, I was very much concerned about my job, and searched for the relevant laws and policies to protest the injustice. When I studied the Fa, this job problem filled up my mind. I realized that I was seriously stirred by it, so I began to study the Fa with a peaceful mind. I carefully studied all the lectures and articles that I hadn't read over the last two years due to being imprisoned. Gradually my complaints decreased, my worries resolved themselves, and I no longer paid attention to the results. Finally I let go of it.
After a period of time, the manager of another company contacted me and asked me to work in his company. (He once worked at the same department as I did and knew everything about me). I thought that there were a lot of acquaintances of mine in that company and that they were waiting for me to clarify the truth there. I then accepted the job offer.
I worked in that company for one year, and let many people know the truth about Falun Dafa. Then, the leaders from my previous work unit asked a person to "talk" with me. They asked me again to voluntarily rescind my work contract and promised me that they would compensate me. I told them: "No matter how much you pay me, even if you pay me a million yuan, I cannot sign the dismissal agreement, because you are all my co-workers and predestined people of mine. If I were to set my principles aside, I would be pushing you down into a fiery pit while clearly knowing what I was doing.
Master said in "Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. International Fa Conference:"
"So as a cultivator, what is truly remarkable is when you can be steadfast and have righteous thoughts so firm that nothing can sway you. Be solid and firm like diamond, or granite, and then nothing can affect you--evil will be afraid at the mere sight of you. If upon encountering trying circumstances your thinking can be truly righteous, then, when faced with the evil's persecution and when faced with interference, just one sentence of yours fortified with steadfast righteous thoughts can instantly make the evil disintegrate (applause), and it will make those who are being used by the evil turn and flee, it will make the evil's persecution of you dissolve, and it will make the evil's interfering with you disappear without a trace."
Three days later, my original work unit informed me that I could return to work. I knew that it was the compassion of Master, since many people there were still waiting for the truth. Thus I declined my current manager's persuasions trying to get me to stay, and went back to my original work unit.
Let go of qing and treat sentient beings with benevolence
Before I was arrested, I had a boy friend with whom I had gone out with for many years. We had just bought a house, and were going to get married. At that time, my mind was continuously absorbed with this aspect of my life. My Fa study obviously decreased, and even when I studied the Fa, my mind was still not clear. I didn't even pay much attention while doing the exercises. I was greatly influenced by qing. The evil took advantage of my loophole to have me arrested and put into a forced labor camp.
After I was set free, I learned that my boyfriend had already found another girl and was living with her. All of my relatives and friends asked me to keep away from him, saying that he was ruthless. I told my relatives and friends that he had a deep predestined relationship with me and came here for this Dafa. I was a practitioner and should tolerate everything. I shouldn't abandon him and leave him on his own. (Note: He had once studied the Fa and he practiced the exercises with me during 1996 and 1997, but because he had strong human attachments and was afraid of suffering, he gave up. However, he would read Master's new articles whenever I gave them to him).
So I found him and urged him to get married to his girl friend. I told him that the phenomenon of a man and a woman living together without marriage was the product of human beings' declined moral standards. I told him that if he still wanted to cultivate, he shouldn't indulge himself this way. He should be responsible for himself and that girl, and should be more responsible to Dafa. I told him, "Even at the last moment, I won't abandon you. I will hold your hand and we will return home with Master." He was moved. He is now practicing cultivation again. I am really happy for him.
Master said:
You folks can't just go and abandon a person without trying hard enough. No matter what kind of mistakes someone has made, or what kind of a person he is, I still want to give him a chance. Of course, in human society there are, after all, a number of people who aren't good enough anymore, so just let them be. Today I'm mainly saying that our Dafa disciples need to do better, and we should cherish those who have obtained the Fa. ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference")
Next I started to clarify the truth to his parents. His father was deeply poisoned by the CCP culture. He was admitted into the party just before his retirement. Since he had made great efforts to join the party, he regarded it as some sort of a victory. Whoever he ran into, he would tell them his experience. He couldn't understand me at first. He even kicked me out of his home when I first brought truth clarifying materials to him. I didn't lose heart. I still went to visit them every month. Every time, I would send forth righteous thoughts near him to eliminate those evil factors that interfered with him. Then, I clarified the truth to him and his wife. Gradually, the old man changed his mind. He went from refusing to listen to the truth, to listening, then to listening carefully. He went from driving me out at the start to being reluctant to let me leave, and asking me to stay again and again. Now the elderly man understands the truth. His wife even asked for Master's lecture tapes to listen to.
Our relatives and friends all have a deep predestined relationship with us. As long as we have the level of compassion that can melt iron and steel, their knowing side will recognize it. They will know the truth about Dafa and be saved.