(Minghui.org) I'm 37 years old, and I grew up in a rural area. I started practicing Falun Gong in 1997. Looking back at my path of cultivation, I cannot help but feel excited.
After I began practicing Falun Gong, I learned the purpose of life and why people came to this world. I participated in group practice and activities to promote Falun Gong and read Zhuan Falun every day.
1. Managing My Business According to Dafa's Requirements and Prospering
I used to work as an apprentice in a restaurant to learn how to be a chef. Since my boss was always behind in paying my wages, I decided to quit and open my own restaurant. I married a girl that my friend introduced me to, and we managed to open a small restaurant on our own.
We were hardworking and the business was going well. However, I did not have time to read the Falun Gong books or study the teachings. I said to Master in my heart, “Master, if I could open a bigger restaurant, I could afford to hire someone so that I could have time to study the Fa."
Before long, someone showed me a bigger place and we opened a bigger restaurant. I was so busy that I still did not have time to study. Every night when I picked up a Falun Gong book to read after work, I soon fell asleep. I said to myself, “The purpose of my life is to practice Falun Gong. How can I continue like this?! If I could open yet a bigger business, I would be able to fully hire others to take care of the restaurant. Then I would have time to study the Fa.”
Soon, I rented a retail shop of 180 square meters and opened an even bigger restaurant. The first day we opened, two groups of customers came in and said, “What kind of restaurant is this? So empty and desolate inside.” Then they walked away. Since my business wasn't doing well, I decided to study the Fa with a tranquil mind while sending righteous thoughts. I realized that we should not focus on making big money. We should be happy as long as we can make a living and have an environment to practice Falun Gong.
After two days of intense Fa-study, my mind became clear, and I felt the field in our restaurant also was cleansed. On the fourth day, some customers came in and said, “This restaurant is so clean. Let's sit down and eat here.” I knew that after I let go of my attachment, Master helped me.
In the following years, our restaurant became more and more prosperous and well-known. My wife's health deteriorated due to the heavy workload. But fortunately soon afterwards, she started practicing Falun Gong, too.
Master said:
“For those who practice cultivation among everyday persons, what type of business you are in does not matter. Regardless of how much money you have, how high your position ranks, or what kind of private enterprise or company you run, it makes no difference, as you should trade fairly and maintain a righteous mind.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
“There was a saying in the old days: “Nine out of ten merchants are fraudulent.” That is a saying made by everyday people. I would say that it is a matter of the human heart. As long as your heart is righteous and you trade fairly, you deserve to earn more money if you make more effort. That is because you are rewarded for the effort you have put in among everyday people. No loss, no gain. You have worked for it.” (Lecture Four in Zhuan Falun)
I thought, “Since managing a restaurant is my job, I should incorporate the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my daily work, and let my customers see how wonderful Falun Gong is. I want them to feel comfortable eating at my restaurant.” My wife and I managed our restaurant based strictly on putting the customers first. We used the best quality ingredients to cook the best quality food.
One day a customer booked 15 tables for a banquet, but so many guests showed up that we needed 10 more tables. The customer did not know what to do. I calmed and comforted him first. Then I called four major supermarkets in town and bought several of their brand name deli items to cater all the additional guests.
In the end, the customer was very happy and kept thanking us for the big favor because the level and quality of the banquet was beyond what he paid for. Although we had less profit due to the unexpectedly higher cost, this customer told everyone about our restaurant.
Despite the fact that our restaurant was in a remote location, we gained more and more loyal customers because we conducted ourselves and managed our business according to Master's teachings. With the increasing number of customers, we stayed true to our principle and kept the quality of service high. For example, when there was leftover meat from large scale banquets, we would never save the meat for future use as other restaurants did. Instead, we gave the leftover food to our employees to take home.
Our banquet business became so popular that we had a fully filled schedule all year round. Last year, we expanded another 500 square meters to 1,300 square meters in all. Sometimes when we could not meet all our banquet requests, we had to recommend other restaurants in town to our customers.
2. It Is Each Practitioner's Responsibility To Do the Three Things Well
At the many banquets in our restaurant, we always played music composed by Falun Gong practitioners. One day a customer asked our waitress what the songs were. When he learned who composed the songs, he asked that the songs be played at the wedding reception he planned to host at our restaurant.
Neighbors from my hometown saw how successful we were, and came to realize that Falun Dafa is good and naturally agreed to quit the CCP and its associated organizations. Some of them started practicing Falun Gong, too. Five employees in our restaurant started to practice Falun Gong.
When I talked to government officials about Falun Gong, they easily understood and agreed with what I said. One of them said, “Look at his restaurant. So clean, well managed, good quality for reasonable prices. I feel comfortable and at home eating at his restaurant.” Whenever he enters our restaurant, he always loudly says, “Falun Dafa is good!”
In retrospect, I know it is due to our great Master's benevolent help that our business is successful. Every time we faced difficulty, it was Master who helped us overcome it. Once we had two banquet orders accidentally booked on the same day. We were worried as the date drew closer. We calmed down and started reading Zhuan Falun. Afterward, one of the two customers called and canceled his order, even though it meant he would have to forfeit his down payment. We knew it was Master helping us with the situation. He was very grateful when we returned all of his money.
Another time one of my relatives was arrested and taken to the local police station for fighting with a neighbor over his vegetable garden. He called me from the police station and asked me to come help him. I was reading the book at the moment with a dozen pages to go, so I did not go immediately. A few moments later, he called again and told me he was being transferred to the detention center. I still did not go. A third and a fourth call came saying he was being taken to the police department. I still did not go until I had completed the portion of the book I had planned to finish. As I finished reading, the local authorities drove my relative in a police vehicle to my restaurant. I knew Master helped me again.
Practitioners' funds are part of Dafa's resources. In the past several years, I have provided financial assistance to material production centers, practitioners detained in prisons, and other practitioners in need. Last year, several practitioners in my area were arrested, and their families wanted to hire lawyers to defend them in court. I donated 30,000 yuan, as some families could not afford it.
My four-year-old can now recite almost all of Hong Yin. Whenever my wife and I say something that is not in line with the Falun Gong teachings, our child reminds us, “You should not speak as an ordinary person.”
Dafa is responsible for my successful career. I must conduct myself according to Dafa's requirements at all times, act like a practitioner, advance diligently, achieve consummation, and return home with Master.
