How I Utilise Business Travel Opportunities to Fulfil My Responsibilities

I started practising Falun Dafa in 1996. During the first five years of my cultivation, I was often required to travel on business. This lasted until my retirement in 2002. During my heaviest travels, I spent over 180 days a year on business trips, with the average being 150 days or a bit more per year. I want to share with fellow practitioners who are also required to travel frequently about how I did the three things while travelling.

1. Studying the Fa
I always started my Fa study, that is study of the Falun Gong teachings, after reaching my destinations because there were not many people around then and it was quiet. I could concentrate on my studying and no others came to interfere. Ordinary people on business trips may take their business objectives as their priorities while I took my doing the three things as my priority. I accomplished my business goals just the same.

I practised the exercises in the morning, studied the Fa during the daytime and sent forth righteous thoughts at the beginning of each hour. I also handed out flyers and clarified the truth with regards to the lies and slander spread by the Chinese Communist Party to try and destroy Falun Gong in the evening. After I finished practising the meditation exercises, I went to bed. The more I read, the more I wanted to read, I could hardly put the book down. I wished that time could be stopped so I could read the Fa more. I felt very light and comfortable. When I clarified the truth there were always people listening and at the same time nodding their heads. I had new understandings of the Fa every day.

Before the persecution began in 1999, I read the Fa on the road. When the others were playing, chatting, or sleeping, I was reading, so I felt that I was better than the others, which was, in fact, using my human notions to compare myself to ordinary people. As a result I could not gain deep understandings of the Fa, and the Fa would also not be revealed to me. After the persecution started, I always wanted to make the best use of my time. I often wish that time could be stopped, so I could study the Fa and assimilate myself into the Fa. Therefore, while I was on business trips, I read at least two lectures of Zhuan Falun every day. Of course, because I did not need to do housework and there were no company meetings interfering with me, I could easily concentrate on my reading.

2. Practising the Exercises
Because I usually did not travel during the night, I could persist in practising the exercises in the morning and evening. My biggest interference was my attachment to fear.

I came to many understandings about practising the exercises. Once I practised in my hotel room, which was shared by three other guests. [Editor's note: it is common in China to share a room with other guests to save money] The individual in the bed opposite mine was from the Procuratorate and watched me practising the whole time. After I finished, he asked me what I had practised. I said it was a type of qigong. He said that I had appeared very comfortable when practising. We then chatted for a while. I told him that I had practised Falun Gong. He said, "Don't be afraid. There is nothing wrong with Falun Gong. Falun Gong does not let people steal, rob, smoke, or drink, and people practising Falun Gong do not need to see doctors. I will practise after I retire. But by that time, Falun Gong may have already been redressed."

A service worker in a boarding house saw me practising the exercises and told the manager. The manager told the worker, "I know this person practising the exercises. You should not bother him!" I learnt this story one year later when I went to the front desk of the same boarding house to chat with the service staff. The person at the service desk told me, "Everyone knows you are practising. So, when we make room arrangements for the guests, we put either those who will stay a long time in your room so you can make friends, or those who come back late in the evening or leave early in the morning so they will not interfere with you. When someone tells the manager about your practising the exercises, she always speaks favourably of you."

While we were chatting, the manager arrived. I expressed my gratitude to her. She replied, "No need to thank us. Your staying in our hotel means you're trusting us. We have a responsibility to take care of you. On the other hand, what is wrong with practising the exercises? There is no need to make a fuss!" I felt that they cared about me very much. Sometimes when I practised the exercises, the wind blew the door open, and the service worker would kindly close the door for me. This has made me see the power of (Falun) Dafa and made me realise that Dafa practitioners' existence, righteous thoughts, and compassion can rescue sentient beings. Those who know the truth also support and encourage Dafa practitioners.

3. Clarifying the Truth
Two to three days after the broadcast of truth-clarification videos in Changchun City, Jilin Province, I was also travelling on business. I stayed in a hotel for several days and felt the tense atmosphere there. On the streets and in the neighbourhoods, the police were everywhere. That day I came out of a building entrance after posting truth-clarification materials and noticed a policeman sitting on the back of a bicycle, staring at me. I also stared at him. I kept sending forth righteous thoughts, thinking to make him go away quickly. After we stared at each other for at least three minutes, he left. I did not feel any fear. I just asked Master to not let him get inside the building to take down my truth-clarification posters.

When I clarified the truth inside the hotel room, once I mentioned Falun Gong, someone would pick up the topic and say, "Falun Gong is good. It is just because there are so many people practising Falun Gong that the government is scared. You do not need to let the government scare you!" There were also people saying, "Falun Gong is indeed very effective. Falun Gong is everywhere and well-received by the people. Falun Gong is closer to people than is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). That is why the Party wants to persecute Falun Gong." There was also someone who was still deceived, saying that as Master has published so many books, he "must have already made a fortune!" I then told him, "When Master Li cures illnesses, he never asks for money. He has 100 million disciples. If each of them had given him one yuan, he would have already made a fortune. There would be no need for him to make money by publishing his books." This person quickly said, "You are right by saying that. He is not out for money. It would be very easy for him to make money. All those who are not out only for money are good people. Now there are few CCP members who have not embezzled public money or made money in unjust ways."

For those who need to travel often, they know much about what is really happening everywhere. It is not easy for these people to believe the CCP propaganda. I went to a certain company on business. When I mentioned Falun Gong, one person beside me quickly said, "You do not need to explain. Everyone in the company knows. If you do not believe me, you can go to the company's apartment building, which is behind this office building and have a look. Each of the apartment building entrances has at least eight or ten lines on the wall saying 'Falun Dafa is good.'" I said I would go there to take a look. Another person said, "I will give you a red piece of chalk so you can also go there and write several lines as a memento." I took the red chalk and went there, seeing seven buildings, each with four entrances. I saw very large characters spelling "Falun Dafa is good" on the walls of six entrances.

After I returned to the office building, I wanted very much to know why the circumstances there were so favourable. One associate business director took me to the outside of a building. We sat by the flowers, and then he told me the situation, "There are many employees who practise Falun Gong, and many of them are exceedingly productive. They enjoy a good reputation. Several of them are mid-level leaders. There are also quite a few who have retired. The company has done very well in finishing its production assignments. It is also a very safe place to work. So, the company's financial situation is very good. We can guarantee the employees' salaries. We can even pay some bonuses. The employees care very much about the working environment here. Nearby there was a company where the leaders followed the government's dictum very closely. They sent Falun Gong practitioners to brainwashing centres and arrested and sentenced several, however, they can never finish their given production quota. In a one-year period, the employees could only get paid 60% of their salaries, with no bonuses. The employees there also are not permitted to leave the company, even if they want to."

He also said, "Our company highly respects those who practise Falun Gong. Every family has accepted and read the flyers and watched the VCDs. When the upper government officials come to learn about what is happening at the company, the company always informs the practitioners ahead of the time or arranges for them to go to the construction sites. Last time, the neighbourhood committee wanted to paint the hallways. Someone asked what the painting would do to the words on the wall. The neighbourhood committee person then said, 'So, let's do it later.'"

This has made me realise that a workplace, like an individual, is governed by the principle that good will be rewarded and bad will receive retribution. What has happened there made me have an even better understanding of Master Li's words,

"Doing all possible of evil beings,
They have made a dead end of their lives."
("Entering the Gate of No-Life" from Hong Yin Volume II, Translation Version A

It was relatively easy for me to clarify the truth when I was on a bus or on the road. I just said loudly, "Falun Dafa is good." During the early days of the persecution, if the person nodded his head, it meant that the person knew the truth, and we then ended the interaction with smiles. If he did not nod his head and still wanted to listen to what I would say, I continued the truth clarification. It was still difficult, though, to have an in-depth conversation, because the different locations presented challenges--there were many people around, it was noisy, and the people would look around and could barely concentrate to listen to my words.

4. About Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts

Initially I just sent forth righteous thoughts superficially. Because I could not see nor feel it, it was difficult for me to concentrate. My sending forth righteous rights was just out of my wish to follow Master's words. One incident during one of my business trips changed my understanding of sending forth righteous thoughts.

During that trip I stayed in a boarding house. Very late in the evening, an elderly person came in and went to the bed opposite mine. Because he came in very late, he just greeted me once and then fell asleep. The next morning, I got up at 4:30 a.m. and started to practise the exercises. When I practised the first set of exercises for the second time, the elderly person got up angrily, opened up all the windows and the door, and returned to bed to continue sleeping. My mind was disturbed--the wind was very strong and there were people walking in the hallway. So, I had no choice but to sit on the bed to send forth righteous thoughts. About five to six minutes later, the elderly person got up again, shut the door and left the window ajar saying, "Now the air is good. You can continue your practising. I will sleep a little longer." I quickly got up and finished practising the first four sets of exercises. I realised that after I had cleaned away the evil behind him, his attitude changed immediately.

When he got up, I then clarified the truth about Dafa to him. He said, "Oh. What you were practising was Falun Gong. The government always curses Falun Gong in the broadcasts. But while I saw you practising I felt very comfortable." When I told him that the CCP persecutes Falun Gong because the regime saw that there were so many people practising it, he said, "The CCP has done a lot of bad things. After each political movement it would redress the movement. But after the redressing, it continues to do bad things. One can therefore say that its true nature can hardly be changed. Over the past several dozens years, I have not had any good feelings about it." This incident let me see that after cleaning away the evil behind a person in other dimensions, the person's compassionate side will be revealed. Remembering that wherever the evil head travelled, overseas practitioners assembled to send forth righteous thoughts in close proximity made me realise the importance of sending forth righteous thoughts. I hope all practitioners will give this some thought.

During the several dozen business trips I made over three years, there was not a single one where my bags were searched. There were two occasions when the luggage of others was searched, while when it was my turn they just touched my bags from the outside and then let me go. This was the power of sending forth righteous thoughts ahead of time. I sent forth righteous thoughts while I was on the road or in a bus, and I recited the Fa-rectification formula's so as to minimise the external interference on me. In hotels I would hold the hand gestures while sending forth righteous thoughts. I sat double cross-legged, erected my hand in front of my chest, straightened up my back, and became energetic. The energy would come out from the palm of my left hand and my right wrist. I felt extremely comfortable. Although I could not see it, I absolutely believed that I was eliminating the evil.

Master said,

"...the way today's Dafa disciples cultivate is one of a 'Great Way without form.'" ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles" on February 25th, 2006)

I think that those practitioners who need to make business trips should make Fa study and practising the exercises their priorities and of course pay attention to sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth. On the road or in a bus, practitioners should take truth clarification and sending forth righteous thoughts as priorities. Of course, they can also study the Fa. The best way is to recite the Fa, Master's articles, and Hong Yin.

These are my understandings at my level. Because of the difference in the nature of the business trips and responsibilities, what I have mentioned might not apply to everyone. It can just serve as a reference to fellow practitioners. Please correct me if my understandings are incorrect.