My Little Store Is Filled with Peace

(Minghui.org) My husband (also a Falun Dafa practitioner) and I opened a store where we sell daily necessities. Because it’s a new career, everything is new to us. Facing complicated merchandise and different kinds of people, it’s really affecting our hearts every day.

All kinds of customers come into the store every day. Some people follow the rules, while others don't. Some complain about the price without considering the quality. There are those who damage an item and then quietly put it back. Also, people want to return an item after purchasing it due to damaged packaging. There are those that ask a lot of questions and wander around without buying anything. Then, some decide to buy online after looking at everything, while some leave their footprints all over the floor that we just mopped. Even though I did not argue with these customers, I still felt disturbed about their behavior or complained to my husband to get it off my chest.

I knew that I still had not let it go in my mind and had not truly followed the Dafa principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. I read Master’s lectures again and again and enlightened from the Fa principles that we should look inward when we encounter anything, instead of looking at other people’s flaws, because those issues arise to help us cultivate. When I looked within after seeing their issues, I surprisingly found that there were reflections of me in all of them. I then said to myself, “I am wrong.” Seeing people’s bad behaviors reminds and awakens me to see my own shortcomings so I can let go of them.

Master taught us to be “full of great aspirations while minding minor details.” (“Sage” in Essentials for Further Advancement). If we don’t pay attention to these small issues, how could we cultivate ourselves well, and how would people evaluate every word and act of ours?

When I looked at these people’s behaviors again, I realized that they behaved in that way because of their living environment, experience, and personal factors. Additionally, with the indoctrination of atheism, they became distant from traditions, and their thoughts and behaviors also deviated from the righteous path. These sentient beings create karma without realizing it and will have to repay it during reincarnation. I’m very lucky that I had the predestined relationship to obtain the Fa in this life. Given these sentient beings and their actions, how could I still complain about and criticize them? I really felt sympathetic after watching them.

There are also customers that steal things. When we checked the surveillance footage, we saw that the people that took things were dressed neatly and would put the merchandise in their pockets in a natural manner. Some even took more than one thing. I felt a bit angry so we discussed preparing the footage clip and repeatedly playing it in the store to deter those with bad intentions. However, on second thought, I realized doing so would be improper. We are cultivators and should not use vice to stop vice. But we can’t let this keep happening. What should we do? I then opened my eyes widely and stared at every customer that walked in. This made me very nervous, so I thought that was not right either. Treating every customer as a suspect is also disrespectful to the customer.

Master spoke about the principle of “loss and gain.” I enlightened: people that steal things will exchange them with their virtue; or we had a karmic relationship, where I might have owed them during reincarnation. I understood this principle taught by Master, but my heart was not compassionate. I kept studying the Fa and comparing it to myself. When I got rid of some of my attachments to fame and gain and stopped concentrating on my own loss and gain, I suddenly felt sympathy toward the people that would steal, as they seemed to have obtained something on the surface but they did not know that they lost something more precious; their conduct could also bring about negative things onto themselves, as well as impact the education of their next generations – truly harming others and themselves.

When I again saw missing merchandise on the shelf, I thought maybe my husband sold it or a customer misplaced it. I no longer first wondered if someone took it, as thinking like this was first of all disrespectful toward the customers, as I did not consider that I could’ve lost it myself.

After I let go of my attachment to self-interest, stopped concentrating on my own gain and loss, stopped using my own gain and loss expectations to evaluate the right and wrong in things, and thought of others first when I encountered issues, I discovered that I no longer held the resentment toward the people that stole things. What replaced it was feeling pity and sympathy for them.

Falun Dafa is continuously rectifying me. As I gradually get rid of various kinds of bad human notions and selfish human attachments, when I face all kinds of people, I’m no longer moved and am able to face customers very sincerely and calmly. From complaining about, criticizing, and resenting customers, to having sympathy, empathy, and pity for them, I underwent great changes in my heart and mind – actually finding the attachments I had deep inside. My heart became broad and tolerant. Dafa has changed me. My smile comes from the heart. Some customers said, “It feels very comfortable to come to your place. The environment is good, tidy, and clean. It makes my shopping mood good as well.” Some said, “I just like to shop at your place. Your family members all have a great attitude.”

Our changes also affected the little store, making it filled with peace. I know this is the power of Dafa. I hope to pass on the goodness of Dafa to people through my words and actions, so more people can benefit from it.