Treat the People Who Create Tribulations for Us with Benevolence

By a Falun Dafa practitioner from Beijing

(Clearwisdom.net) One day in August 2004, I received a phone call from a person at my workplace. He told me that company management had decided to cease paying my salary of 800 yuan a month. I didn't hear anything he said after that.

Since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, I have been illegally detained many times for clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to various government departments. As a result my workplace made several adjustments to my job. They changed my position from the Military Product Research Shop to the Residential Product Production Shop and reduced my salary. In June 2000, there was no way to appeal to the government through regular channels, so I went to Tiananmen Square to unfold a banner saying "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance." Just after that, I was illegally sentenced to a forced labor camp. Management at my workplace announced my dismissal.

I had not studied the Fa enough and still had strong attachments. At the forced labor camp I enlightened along an evil path. I collaborated with the forced labor camp personnel and the 610 Office in committing many wrong deeds. After that, I was allowed to serve the rest of my term outside the camp at my old workplace as a temporary employee. Later, I realized what a big mistake that was and the serious consequences of that decision after studying the Fa with other practitioners. I decided to seize the time to study the Fa, do the exercises, and do my best to keep up with Master's Fa rectification process. I wanted to make up for all the loss incurred through my evil enlightenment. My work issue was still pending. I thought that I was paying back the debt from bad deeds committed during my evil enlightenment and was quietly enduring. My wife didn't agree with this situation. My workplace management consented to allow me to attend the university as a doctoral candidate at my own expense in 2003. Management agreed to provide me with an 800-yuan allowance during my studies. One year passed and things were going well. Then all of a sudden they changed again. Didn't it force me into a dead-end? This reality forced me to seriously look inside.

Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,

"Whenever there is interference of one kind or another in qigong practice, you should look for reasons within yourself and determine what you still have not let go."

We are currently in the Fa-rectification period and assisting Teacher to validate the Fa, and saving sentiment beings has the highest priority. However, I put my personal gain and loss as the priority, which showed my selfish heart.

Teacher said in "Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature" in Essentials in Further Advancement:

"I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. So from now on, whatever you do or whatever you say, you must consider others--or even future generations--along with Dafa's eternal stability."

Those who have caused us tribulations are also the people that we are intended to save. Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America:"

"A God comes down to save people, yet humans nail him to a cross--what a huge sin people have committed! They are still paying for it today."

I have created karma without realizing it due to my own attachments. How much do I have to pay until it is all paid back?

Master said in "Stability" in Essentials for Further Advancement II :

"The things that have transpired in recent times have already done serious harm to the many Falun Dafa students. At the same time, they have also tarnished the nation's image severely. With regard to the information the students have on how the relevant regions or the relevant departments have directly or covertly interfered with and disrupted Falun Gong students' practicing, and with regard to the situation in which some people used their power to stir up a Falun Gong 'incident,' to put a broad segment of the people and government in opposition to one another, and to thereby gain politically, the students can report these cases through the normal channels to different levels of the government or to the country's leaders."

As soon as I thought of this, I made up my mind to fundamentally break away from the evil persecution, so I decided to make use of my story to widely spread the truth and save sentiment beings. My plan was to report my situation to my workplace, the Research Group of the Corporation, the local community management committee, the district office in Beijing City, the local police officers, the district police bureau in Beijing City, the forced labor camp, the juridical bureau, and other departments. My plan was supported by many of my fellow practitioners. First of all, I went to the shop manager, who said that the decision had been made by the Research Group and that no one could intervene. I went to look for the manager of the Research Group, who, unluckily, had been on a business trip for a long time. The matter was turned over to the temporary deputy in charge. He tried to shirk the responsibility by asking me to wait. That was fine. One month passed without me getting paid, and I didn't hear anything from them, either. Therefore, I clearly indicated to the temporary deputy in charge that I had decided to appeal to their upper levels one after another. He didn't believe me and said that I was threatening him.

I started another round of appeals. I talked to the President of the Research Group and other assistants to the President. Then I talked to the Secretary to the Industrial Committee of the local Community Management Committee and the local police officer. Then the Human Resource Manager took the initiative to talk to me. I requested that he solve my salary problem. He said they were going to reinstate my monthly payment of 800 yuan, give me back the money deducted, and support me during my continuing education. My problem was resolved.

I came to realize, through this, that we must treat people who create tribulations for us benevolently. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:

"As practitioners, you will suddenly come across conflicts. What should you do? You should always maintain a heart of compassion and kindness. Then, when you run into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you room to buffer the confrontation. You should always be benevolent and kind to others, and consider others when doing anything. Whenever you encounter a problem, you should first consider whether others can put up with this matter or if it will hurt anyone. In doing so, there will not be any problems. Therefore, in cultivation practice you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself."

The requirements for us during Fa rectification continue to increase. Only if we study the Fa well and do the three things that Teacher asks us to do diligently can we succeed in our sacred mission of being "Fa-rectification period disciples."

The above is only my personal understanding. Fellow practitioners, please benevolently point out anything that falls short.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2005/9/30/111506.html

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