(Minghui.org) I began practicing Falun Dafa in 1994. Six years ago I moved overseas. I would like to share my recent cultivation experiences.
Cultivating Myself at Work
I am an intern in a nursing home cafeteria. We serve elderly people who have trouble with mobility.
It is a rule that when the staff eats, they pay for their food and are not allowed to eat while on duty. Many ignore this rule and do not pay for their food. They eat a little here and there when they are preparing it until they are full.
I am a Dafa practitioner, so if I take something that is not permitted, it means I am stealing. Because of this, I only eat at home, and when my co-workers asked me why they never saw me eating at work, I just made excuses. Then I realized that I needed to tell the truth. So I told them how I practice Falun Dafa and how we are taught not to take anything that we do not pay for. They still felt it was okay simply to “taste” the food that we were preparing. Yet I continued to abstain from eating at work.
Another cafeteria rule was that we were allowed one free piece of fruit and one drink per day. I noticed we were often short on fruit, so in order for there to be enough for the others, I did not eat any. I then got a stomachache after drinking a chocolate milk at work and decided it meant I should not take the free drinks permitted. I only drank water or tea from home after that.
I no longer have any attachments to food or drink. I spend my break time studying the Fa and sending righteous thoughts.
My previous job was in an office. It was easy to be lazy there. I then realized that if I did less, someone else would have to pick up the slack. So I became a diligent employee. I also worked at eliminating the mentality of watching others and not becoming upset when they snuck out for a break while I worked hard. I would remind myself that it was okay for cultivators to suffer losses. We are not to take advantage of others. I thus remained calm under such circumstances.
I am not skilled in the language here, but I try my best to treat everyone politely. I strive to remember the names of Westerners and their habits. My work performance seems satisfying. One Easter Sunday, an elderly lady who appreciated my care gave me some chocolates. I told her I was only doing my job, so a gift was not necessary.
I never joined in the conversations of my co-workers if they were gossiping. I tried to get along with everyone. One colleague was particularly opinionated and bossy. She often told me to do this and that. When she did not agree with how I did something, she would lose her temper. I did not develop any negative thoughts about her and continued to be kind and friendly. Eventually, her behavior improved towards me.
All of my colleagues liked to work the same shift with me because I was pleasant to be with and worked hard.
Teacher said:
“Everyone knows that our school of cultivation does not shun ordinary people society in cultivation, and neither does it avoid or run away from conflicts. In this complicated environment of everyday people, you should be clear-minded and knowingly lose in terms of interests. When your vested interest is snatched away by others, you will not compete or fight for it like others. With different xinxing interference, you will suffer losses. In this difficult environment, you will temper your will and improve your xinxing. Under the influence of different ill thoughts from different people, you will be able to reach above and beyond.” (Zhuan Falun)
Recently when I studied the Fa and read the above paragraph, I had a deeper understanding.
In the past, I was afraid of hardships and fatigue. This notion was on my mind for a long time. My work became a great opportunity to work on this notion and get rid of it. Now, when I am tired, I remember that it is a good thing to suffer hardships to transform my karma.
Of course, the mission of Dafa disciples is to save all people. Whether it is a guest or a colleague, I always remember to tell them about Falun Dafa. I also tell them about the awful things that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does. I’ve said that one day the CCP will end. I understand that when we act according to the Fa principles, our righteous acts are also a good way to spread the goodness of Dafa.
Studying the Fa to Strengthen Righteous Thoughts and Save Others
Recently, I had slacked off in my studying the Fa. So I thought I would like to memorize it. I checked into the “Reciting the Fa” room of an Internet program, which we use to make phone calls to rescue practitioners, hoping to do it together with others.
I got in, and after studying one paragraph, my mind became calm. I was able to enlighten to each and every single word in the Fa, which was a truly extraordinary feeling. Previously, I memorized poems in Hong Yin and some short articles. I tried to recite some parts in Zhuan Falun, but I had not persisted. Some team members have been reciting the Fa together for quite some time now, and they have said it was beneficial. Their consistent efforts are inspiring and particularly helpful to me.
Teacher said:
“In fact, let me tell everyone that matter and mind are one thing. In scientific research of the human body, today’s scientists hold that a thought generated by the human brain is a substance.” (Zhuan Falun)
Teacher also said, “It is quite reasonable that the Tao School regards the human body as a small universe.” (Zhuan Falun)
I enlightened that every thought of ours is a substance, and when our thoughts are enlarged, they become a very large substance. They could be like mountains or planets. Only when we study the Fa, and with Dafa’s power, can our deeply rooted notions be changed, and the bad elements, such as thought karma that does not conform to the Fa, can be eliminated. It is also through studying the Fa that we can change our improper states, such as sickness karma.
Since I did not have a permanent schedule at my job, I did not take shifts on the telephoning team. Then one day a practitioner asked me if I wanted to take a regular shift. I said I preferred to wait and just fill in when I could. But I thought I was just thinking of myself and not others: If I did not take on my duty, others would have to do more. They also had other Dafa projects and had their own matters to take care of. Therefore, I joined in with a set shift, and when necessary I decided I would trade with others to fit my work schedule.
As such, I joined the telephone team and have been working with them for more than three years. My cultivation state had a great impact on the way I made phone calls. When there were a lot of no-answer calls or when people did not want to talk on the phone for long, I would look within to find the reasons. It was usually because I lacked compassion, or because my desire of wanting to save people was not strong. So I corrected my mentality and made sure that my actions of making phone calls were to save people and not merely to fulfill a duty. I told myself that I was trying to save people and to give them a chance to make a decision for their future.
When I was being compassionate, I felt that Teacher was there to support me when I made phone calls. I spoke with wisdom and I always had an answer to the challenging questions. I clarified the truth, and when confronted with questions not related to Dafa, I could redirect them. Any of the truth-clarification topics could be used as a starting point to help them understand.
I am now assisting in the training of new people to make phone calls. We all need to have righteous thoughts. When I see that we have some issues, we use the Fa as a base to solve problems. Once they become confident, phoning strategies or technical difficulties can be resolved easily. This process strengthened my righteous thoughts too. Many times I was touched by the newly trained practitioners. I felt that we improved together as I was looking for ways to sort and simplify things that we need for making phone calls.
Recently, when I was attending a training session, I learned a great deal when I saw how different practitioners made phone calls. They were peaceful, steady, and kind. I especially benefited from how different people responded to questions and dealt with challenges compassionately. Through these practitioners, I was able to see my own shortcomings.
I have cultivated for more than 20 years now. There are still many things I have not done well and areas where I have not met Teacher’s requirements. I often remind myself of the following Fa teaching,
“What’s going to become of you practitioners who haven’t done well? You all like to see me smile at you, but you should know that I do that to encourage you and express my hopes for you. Given how time is so extremely pressing, have you thought about what’s going to become of those who haven’t cultivated well? Some people still have a chance, but some no longer do. For some there is still time left, and for some their only hope is to sprint. But if the person hasn’t laid an adequate foundation, and if the person’s understanding of the Fa is limited, how could he have the drive to persist? Have you been diligent? If you haven’t laid a solid foundation that’s built on the Fa, you won’t be able to do that. That kind of determination and firm sense of conviction come from the Fa.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”)
Category: Improving Oneself
