(Minghui.org) Greetings, Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
I’ve practiced Falun Dafa for five and a half years. Thanks to Master’s guidance, my life changed significantly, especially after I became a local coordinator for the Vietnamese group in Melbourne.
Cultivating While Working as a Coordinator
I practiced for a year when a Chinese coordinator contacted me and invited me to be a coordinator. After she explained what my responsibilities would be, I agreed. I was proactive and spoke both English and Vietnamese, and felt I could help Vietnamese practitioners by passing on information.
The first few months I translated messages and did nothing else. A few coordinators later approached me and asked for help with various other projects. I felt a bit overwhelmed when I saw the list. I silently complained, thinking I was so busy with my work—I only had time to translate information into Vietnamese. However, as I cultivated and read Master’s teachings, I realized that coordinating with other groups of practitioners was the path Master arranged for me, and it was part of my cultivation.
I started taking on more projects, and the Vietnamese practitioners cooperated very well. This led to the smooth completion of many projects and practitioners praised me. Time passed, and when I noticed other practitioners did not achieve good results, I had negative thoughts about the other coordinators and even looked down on them. I felt that I could do better than them.
Then I remembered what Master said,
“The coordinators among Dafa disciples are in fact just coordinators, points of contact, and people who relay information. Don’t think of them as Master, and don’t have such high expectations that you rely on them as you cultivate and expect them to handle everything just right. It’s not like that. If the coordinator were really like Master, or able to consider things from all angles and never be wrong, then a lot of people in that area couldn’t cultivate successfully, since with him thinking things through so well there’d be nothing left for you to think about. If he were to do everything just right you wouldn’t have a chance to show your great qualities.’’ (“Fa Teaching Given at the Meeting with Asia-Pacific Practitioners,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World Volume VI)
Master often arranges for practitioners’ sharings or articles for me to read whenever my attachments surface, as a reminder or guide to help me identify them. Thank you Master!
Cultivating in My Family
My family was heavily influenced by Communist Party culture—it was an integral part of our lives. On the surface I seemed calm and polite, but I was often grumpy at home, especially with my husband and children. I had a tendency to dominate my husband, and this behavior persisted even after I began practicing Falun Dafa. I tried to persuade him to study the Fa with me, believing it would be highly beneficial. However, he insisted that if the Fa were genuinely good, I should focus on self-improvement first. He said he needed to see a positive change in my behavior first.
I was a good coordinator for Vietnamese practitioners, but I couldn’t say the same about my role as a family coordinator. I thought that if I did a good job at home, my family members would begin practicing. It wasn’t easy, especially because my husband has a doctorate of science degree and believes in evidence-based reasoning. However, I reminded myself that I must cultivate well in the family environment. With Master’s guidance, I should be able to do it.
I started making changes, even in small things, like refraining from being aggressive or raising my voice to hurry my children in the morning as they got ready for school. I began allowing them an extra 5-10 minutes to put on their shoes. Despite receiving suggestions from fellow practitioners that we might be late for work or school if we didn’t rush them, I realized that impatience was an attachment to being selfish. While we adults often rush to complete tasks, we sometimes lack the patience to give our children the time they need. When practitioners asked Master questions, he always responded with compassion and patience.
My children kept making the same mistakes and required extra time, so I gave them the time they needed. I gently reminded them in a patient and compassionate tone of voice. Gradually, they developed excellent habits, and I no longer had to plan my schedule around them.
My daughter is now 17 years old. When I began practicing five and a half years ago, she listened to Master’s lectures. However, since I didn’t understand the English content and she couldn’t read the Vietnamese version, we couldn’t continue. Over the years, I wished to inspire her to return to Fa study, but she declined.
One day recently, she was feeling overwhelmed and distressed by schoolwork. I shared examples of how Master and the Fa helped me overcome numerous challenges. I know that in most Western countries children don’t readily accept it when their parents tell them what to do. So, instead I gave examples of how I integrate the Fa into my daily life and I emphasized that only Master and the Fa can truly help her. She agreed to resume reading the Fa, and now we read together once a week. Although it might not seem like much, it’s better than nothing. She’s begun telling her friends how wonderful Falun Dafa is.
After I began practicing Falun Dafa, my husband and I noticed a remarkable improvement in our relationship. For a time I urged him to practice Falun Dafa, and he tried three times.
In the beginning, I grappled with harmonizing my understanding of the Fa with the demands of family life. When my husband tried to practice, I found myself going to extremes, and imposed high standards on him. I even dictated his behavior, and was frustrated if he didn’t engage in daily Fa study or practice the exercises every day. Although our relationship seemed amicable on the surface, a rift appeared.
During this period, I was stern and distant towards my husband. My attitude was particularly pronounced during the COVID lockdowns. When my husband said he wanted to go to a park or on family hikes, I felt these activities were pointless and I refused to participate. Because I stubbornly refused to go, my husband and daughters went. Our relationship deteriorated until both of us talked about divorce.
I keep reminding myself of Master’s teachings, “Even though you practice and your spouse might not, it is not permitted for you to get a divorce because of the practice.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)
I resolved to change myself to enhance our family’s relationship. I no longer expressed my unhappiness when my husband did not do the exercises with me in the mornings, or he read the Fa when it suited him. I cultivated my speech, and stopped commenting on his cultivation. I became more open and compassionate towards him. I only encouraged him to participate in activities to tell people about Falun Dafa where he met other practitioners and listened to their experiences. I noticed his improvement when I stopped being domineering.
He’s recently told me that he feels much better because he has the freedom to choose his own way of cultivation. He appreciates that I interfere less and I’ve stopped trying to push him towards a specific path. I’ve finally understood that only Master can truly guide and look after him, not me.
After I improved my cultivation, my mother and two sisters in Vietnam began practicing. My dad hasn’t obtained the Fa yet but he always encourages my mum and my sisters to be more diligent as he’s seen the improvement in their health. The relationship between family members has improved a lot.
Becoming a Better Company Leader
I believe that Master prepared me for my role as a coordinator through various experiences in my life. As a child, I was a leader of a music group. In university, despite being one of only six females in a class of 50 male students, I was the class captain. After I moved to Australia, I opened my own company. I used to be hot-tempered and authoritarian at work. After I began practicing Falun Dafa, my character improved significantly. This has been a tremendous help in running a business, especially in the health industry, where we work with disabled clients. I went from being a hot-tempered boss to being a good listener and an empathetic leader.
Our business provides occupational therapy, speech pathology, and psychology services. Our clinicians left for various reasons. I consider myself fortunate that all our clinicians informed me at least six months to one year before leaving, even though we only require four weeks notice. They often mention that I am very different from other business owners. I never get angry when staff express their concerns or criticize the company. I explain that I practice Falun Dafa, and our company follows the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, which I clearly stated in my public profile on our website.
Like many business owners, I also face numerous challenges. Master said,
“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.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I understand that when staff decide to leave, it’s because they need to find a place that best suits their needs.
Recently, a couple of clinicians left to work for an international company or a company where the leader had over 30 years of experience. However, they later said they wished to come back to work for us because they value the unique principles of our company that they couldn’t find in other companies. I realized that all the roles I had, which Master prepared for me, were intended to help me become a better coordinator. To achieve this, I need to diligently study the Fa and become a compassionate coordinator so we can save more sentient beings.
Thank you, Master. Thank you, fellow practitioners.
(Presented at the 2023 Australia Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference)
Copyright © 2023 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
