(Minghui.org)
Greetings esteemed Master! Greetings fellow practitioners!
I was the youngest child in my family. I had four older brothers and was doted on by my parents and brothers. I was admitted to a university in 1978 when China had restarted the college system after the Cultural Revolution. When I graduated, I was the only female honor student in my department. I was sent to the U.S. for training in 1985. I went to Singapore in 1995 and landed a good job with an American insurance firm.
Before cultivation, I was filled with self-pride and complacency. I was fixated on my reputation and liked to show off. These attachments were often exposed while working on truth-clarification projects.
It has been 17 years since I obtained the Fa in Singapore in May 1998. Since then, I participated in many truth-clarification projects, such as a reporter for NTDTV, a salesperson for the Epoch Times, and I played the flute in the Divine Land Marching Band. While in Singapore, I raised awareness about Falun Dafa at tourist sites, and after I emigrated to North America. In Singapore I testified in court for fellow practitioners. Actually, my cultivation in Singapore involved mainly eliminating my fear and strengthening my firm belief in Dafa.
Because the Chinese Embassy in Singapore refused to extend my Chinese passport in August 2010, I had to quit my job at an American insurance group, a job I held for 12 years. I moved to Vancouver, Canada. During my five years of cultivation in Vancouver, I gradually understood what cultivation entailed and why looking within is a magical tool for cultivators. I learned how to look within.
Soon after I arrived in Vancouver, I joined a practitioner whom I call Ms. Rui for security reasons, the owner of a magazine on high-end lifestyle, and used this business opportunity to clarify the truth about Dafa to mainstream society.
Ms. Rui was a highly efficient person who had a sharp eye for marketing. She was very frank and always shared her opinions openly. I admired her ability and hard work. She actually was like Westerners. However, I was a reserved person and I had not really made the transition to Western society. Sometimes we had different ideas on how to handle things.
I was reserved and rarely expressed my unhappiness. However I could no longer hold back during a group Fa study and let it all out. I had no compassion, and this lady refused to listen.
Then, she pointed out my problems. I felt uncomfortable, but my knowing side knew that she was right. After I calmed down I realized where I went wrong. It was the first time I noticed how beneficial a good open communication session can be.
Master said:
“When you meet with a conflict, it doesn’t matter whether you are in the right. You should be asking yourself, “What on my part isn’t right in this situation? Might it really be that there is something wrong on my part?” You should all be thinking this way, with your first thought being to scrutinize yourself to try to find the problem. Whoever is not like this is not in fact a true cultivator of Dafa.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
Since then, when I disagreed with someone, I tried to find the good side of the other person, and my own shortcomings. In the end, our magazine team had a very good cultivation environment. We coordinated better and improved together.
My main job is marketing to local Chinese people. By using the magazine as a bridge, I have encountered various types of people, including immigrants who make investments, major business owners, and successful people in various industries. They liked our magazine and the high-end events we organize. Therefore, we could invite them to Shen Yun shows and clarify the truth about Dafa face-to-face.
Actually, I thought I was experienced since I had talked about Dafa to people door-to-door and at tourist sites in Singapore. I used my old method and did not pay attention to whether the other party could accept it.
Once I contacted a very successful real estate agent after seeing her advertisements in many different media. I wanted to introduce her to our fairly new magazine. I called her and she said she was not interested. I then left a letter and a copy of the magazine with her secretary. Several days later she called and said she liked the magazine very much and she would be happy to stay in touch. Afterwards she attended our event and enjoyed it too. We felt it was time to talk to her about Dafa.
Ms. Rui and I invited her for a meal. When we were on the topic of Falun Dafa, I used the method I used in Singapore. However, it was inappropriate especially since this person grew up in Western society. Ms. Rui talked to me about it and I realized that I did not look within carefully. I just thought that I would use different methods for different people. Alas, I had not let go of my attachment.
After a jewelry business sponsored one of our events, I went to their shop and bought a piece of jewelry. The manager, a Westerner, helped me choose something. After I paid, I thought, I had spent quite some money, thus I could talk to her about Dafa.
Several days later, Ms. Rui asked me what I said when I visited that shop. I said I bought something and then talked about Dafa. Apparently, the manager felt it strange that I said so much about Dafa. This felt like a pot of cold water had been poured over me. Despite feeling bad, I knew I should look within.
After I studied the Fa and shared with fellow practitioners, I found my attachment to self-pride and complacency, which prevented me from considering others feelings. I came to understand that looking within means to look for all attachments. I made up my mind to eliminate my attachments. Therefore, I often asked Master to strengthen me and eliminate my bad thoughts when I sent righteous thoughts.
From then on, I summarized in my mind when I talked about Dafa. I realized I had to consider how the other party could understand what I said and the truth clarification was strongly related to my cultivation status. When my heart was not pure, the result would not be very good. When I was compassionate and truly thought of saving others, the field of compassion would dissolve the evil elements behind the other party. Thus, the person could easily understand and accept what I said.
When I attended social events, I often brought the magazine with me. Many people loved it when they saw it. Some were very glad and even felt proud that there was such a beautifully designed English-Chinese bilingual magazine in Canada. Some attended various events we organized and enjoyed themselves. After that we talked to them about Dafa, and they became fans of the magazine. They sometimes brought friends to our events or even volunteered to help. Very often the magazine cover featured Shen Yun artists. If we did not clarify the truth quickly enough, some would say this is a Dafa magazine, and cut off contact with us out of fear.
When I just began to work for the magazine, I contacted a successful commercial real estate agent, who was Taiwanese and asked her to put an advertisement in our magazine. She immediately signed a one-year contract and paid six months in advance. She told me later that she was not certain whether our magazine would succeed, but she decided to support us because she was touched by our sincerity. She was very supportive of one of our home design exhibitions and her husband, mother, and three children volunteered to help us. Canadian CTV reported on the very successful exhibition in the evening news and she was shown in that news release.
She invited Ms. Rui and I to a fancy restaurant. We clarified the truth to her, but not in depth because she was from Taiwan, not China. Later she visited Mainland China several times. All her clients were business owners in China. After a while, she stopped being in contact with us. We learned that it is very important to fully seize opportunities to clarify the truth.
While I worked for the magazine, I gradually learned to look within for my hidden attachments, which was not easy. Sometimes, an attachment I had let go reappeared. Sometimes, it was painful when conflicts occurred and I looked at other people’s wrongdoing and forgot to look within. It was really not easy to achieve the state of looking inward unconditionally. Master told us clearly:
“When a person feels hurt, or when he encounters misfortune, it’s really difficult for him to still examine himself and see if he’s done something wrong. If a person can do that, then I’d say that on this path, on this path of cultivation, and for the eternity of his existence, nothing can stop him. ” (Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Singapore)
Whenever there is any uncomfortable feeling in my heart, I know that the Fa has set a higher standard for me than before. Nothing is accidental, and I should always find what I did wrong.
We started the magazine from scratch. It went from Chinese language only to bilingual. Now all the top fashion brands, jewelry, furniture, cosmetics, and real estate development advertise with us. We truly felt that every step forward for the magazine was a step forward in our cultivation. When our business is booming, more high-end people are willing to associate with us. Once they see the kindness practitioners emanate, it is easier to clarify the truth to them.
In May of this year, our magazine held a Luxury Home & Design Show, called “The Dream Home,” at the Vancouver Convention Center. Together with 16 award-winning designers in Vancouver, we turned the 45,000 square foot exhibition hall into dream homes.
Our team was less than 10 people. It would be impossible for ordinary people to hold such a large-scale exhibition with such a small team. However, we are cultivators. In order to make the show successful, our cultivation had to have reached a certain level.
Last year a Chinese construction association was formed in Vancouver. I knew the director of the association. He liked our magazine, and he knew I was a practitioner. I hoped the association would sponsor us. He knew that Falun Dafa is good, that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecuted Chinese people, and he hated the CCP. But he was afraid that if he participated in our show, the Chinese Embassy might make trouble for him. I told him that one can be trouble-free only when Gods protect you, and I gave him many examples. He agreed with what I said. However, he did not participate in our event this time.
I was not affected by this and continued to introduce the show directly to several successful local Chinese businesses. Three of them sponsored advertisements in “The Dream Home Guide.” Among them was a lady who was in the tile business whom I met at a gathering of the Construction Association. When she was ready to sign the contract, she asked me if I practiced Dafa. I told her that I started to practice in Singapore.
“Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance is my belief,” I said. “The magazine is my job. Because we cultivate Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, we treat everyone sincerely and kindly, and this is the reason our business developed so fast.” She said that she would sign the contract.
Another lady, who was in the stone business asked for a discount. We told her that we are building a name brand which does not offer discounts. This is a high-end design exhibition which will showcase various designers’ living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. No one in Canada had done this before. We became friends and she signed a contract, and also sold many admission tickets. Her husband won the biggest award, a gem worth $20,000. After the show, their business continued to grow. She told her friends that our magazine brought her good luck.
One very successful Chinese Canadian finance company sponsored the show. They had a lot of powerful clients including the richest person in Canada. Before signing the contract, I was unsure if I should clarify the truth to them.
In general, it is easier for people to accept our truth clarification after they attended some of our events. However we were going to give them some tickets since they were a sponsor. If we did not clarify the truth and their guests asked them if this is a Dafa magazine, it would be awkward and we could lose the contract. We thought that every life came for the Fa; their knowing side will know what to choose.
“We are practitioners,” I said to the company secretary. “Some of your guests may say the magazine is a Falun Dafa magazine. I would like to let you know that Dafa is our belief, and the magazine is our business.” I then told her the truth about Falun Dafa. She was nervous and said this is a big thing. She said they used to have a client who was a practitioner and because of this the Chinese Embassy harassed them. I sent righteous thoughts for 30 minutes. Then the secretary called me to confirm that they would attend. Her boss loved the beautiful exhibitions and so did many of the other people at the exhibition.
Master said: “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Zhuan Falun)
Everything is done by Master. During the two months before the show, we felt it was too difficult or impossible. Just three weeks before the show, two big exhibitors withdrew. We could not let the space be empty. But how could we find suitable exhibitors in such a short time?
We studied the Fa, and then shared based on the Fa. A practitioner shared that her major was fashion design and she never thought it could be related to saving people until she saw this magazine. She immediately knew that was the path Master arranged for her. In order to come to Vancouver to work for the magazine, she gave up everything and overcame many difficulties.
I shared that whenever I faced big difficulties, the scene of gods descending from heaven in the opening program of Shen Yun, “Following the Creator to Renew All Things,” would appear in my head. We came for the Fa, and to fulfill our vows is the purpose of our lives. Even the gods in heaven envy us. Another practitioner said: “We must believe in Master and believe in the Fa. Our Master can do anything.”
After the sharing we understood that lack of confidence in the exhibition was a lack of confidence in the Fa. Looking at the exhibition design plan on the desk, each booth is like a new universe. Making the show successful itself is clarifying the truth and saving people. We were confident that we would succeed.
During the last month before the show, I lost count how many times we had problems and how many obstacles we broke through. The problems and conflicts appeared more frequently the closer it was to the exhibition date. We solved a problem in the morning, then a new one appeared in the evening. When facing difficulties, our solution was to study the Fa and look within and every one of us got rid of many human attachments.
Every day we did the exercises at 5:20 a.m., after which we studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts. Then we started a day of hard work. Finally, we successfully brought 3,000 people to the beautiful “Dream Home” show.
During the show, a total of 45 members of the Canadian Chinese Construction Association came. The vice president said to me he will come again next time.
A boss of a luxury home building company liked the show very much. “Vancouver will become higher quality because of you,” he said.
Seeing that in three days, the 45,000 square foot empty hall became a place with beautiful homes, the boss of the company that contracted to set up the place was really surprised. I met him on the closing day. When he saw me, the first sentence he said was: “Am I now qualified to practice Dafa?”
Now our magazine’s database has accumulated thousands of entries. Many people who have not known the truth still wait for us. I deeply feel the urgency. Although I have improved, I still have many human attachments. I believe as long as I look within unconditionally, I will become more and more pure.Only when we cultivate ourselves well, can we save sentient beings more effectively.
Thank you Master! Thank you all!
(Presented at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference)