(Minghui.org) Two years ago my employer had someone take over my assignment because I planned to take a test for a new job. Jobs were scarce at that time due to an economic downturn. So I decided to stay at home for a year and prepare for the test. Without any income, I lived frugally in a quiet environment, which gave me more time to study the Fa and practice the exercises.
To prepare for the test, I got up at six or seven each day. I spent an hour memorizing two paragraphs of a lecture in Zhuan Falun and then I read the rest of the lecture. After three or four months I only memorized three lectures. Although it wasn’t much I noticed an improvement in my understanding of the Fa principles. When I studied the test materials some of the Fa I memorized came to mind and helped guide my thinking. As a result, I wasn’t as trapped in ordinary thinking and I could recall the Fa I memorized. This was something I hadn’t previously experienced.
A family member, who is also a practitioner, previously mentioned that doing the exercises in the morning was more effective. I read this suggestion in Minghui Weekly but ignored it. She brought it up again one day, and I decided to try it. I got up at 3:30 a.m. to do the exercises. It was so quiet and the air was so fresh in the early hours. My mind was clear of all the thoughts that distracted me the night before. I was not tired after I did the exercises—instead I felt wonderful.
I used to do the exercises after dinner. As I did them I heard children playing outside, and all sorts of random thoughts popped into my mind. There were none of these distractions when I did the exercises in the morning.
About a month before the test, I started to feel anxious. I often sat at my desk wishing I could pass the test because this job would give me more free time after work to do the three things. In reality, I was worried about the stiff competition from countless new graduates who had prepared for the examination long before they even graduated from university. Some of them spent exorbitant sums on classes so they could get a steady job. I reassured myself that I could find another job if I failed the exam.
Two weeks before the test, my coworker and I booked several hotels hoping that we would be able to stay at one of them where the written test was held. Luckily, I was assigned to a testing center right next to my hotel, while my coworker had to take the test at a distant site.
I was in a fairly stable state when I took the test. The questions were not difficult, so I expected everyone to do well. When the test results were released one month later, I was top of the class. I was surprised, but I knew that Master must have given me this high score and would help me prepare for the upcoming interview.
Four days before the interview, I sought advice from an acquaintance who was just interviewed and did well. She offered to tutor me at my home. After reviewing my interview materials, she said that everything was wrong and needed to be changed. She also advised me to replace my interview outfit with a nicer one. I panicked and wondered why her advice indicated that everything was wrong. I felt a little disappointed, but I still followed her suggestions. I revised my draft overnight and bought a new outfit.
Because I did not prepare well for the interview, I was nervous and did not sleep well the night before. I thought, “I’ll be satisfied if I can score one and a half points better than my written test score.” When the results came out, I got the exact score I hoped for. No words can describe my feelings!
Looking back on my interview, I felt that Master meticulously planned everything for me. He arranged for me to be mentored, and he also organized the interview results. Everything went so smoothly, like a natural progression.
When it was time to select a work unit, a woman and I chose one closest to the city. It was an incredibly popular site that many people tried to get into using their influential connections. We were informed that the site had no vacancies. Instead, both of us were assigned to a remote site. We voiced our dissatisfaction to those in charge, but nothing could be changed. Since nothing in cultivation happens by chance, I felt that Master must have arranged for me to go there.
The next day, I received a call informing me that I had been reassigned to the site I wanted. I later learned that the assignment was revised late that night after the leaders discussed it. The other woman ended up going to the remote location.
From the job application, test, interview, and work unit selection, I’ve been filled with emotions and gratitude for Master. Ordinary people often talk about happiness, but do they truly understand what it is? For cultivators, it is when they constantly bask in Master’s immense grace. Master protects us, often creating a cultivation environment for us, and also arranging our paths. There is no reason not to cultivate diligently.
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Category: Improving Oneself
