(Minghui.org) I have read many articles on Minghui about letting go of material interests. I found some of them a little strange. For example, certain affluent people took advantage of practitioners' compassion by borrowing money from them and then not repaying it. Some employers knew practitioners were easygoing and did not raise their salary for a long time. In these situations, the practitioners involved usually simply accepted the situation.

I think that, had it been personal cultivation, doing that would probably have been all right. But it is the Fa-rectification period now, and I would like to share some understandings on this issue.

Letting go of material interests is an important step in cultivation. In some Minghui articles, there were examples in which practitioners had such an attachment and temporarily gained something that did not belong to them. But they did not keep it for long and eventually lost it.

On the other hand, suppose a practitioner has already forsaken such attachments yet continues to be treated unfairly or asked to do unreasonable things—should we blindly accept that and not do anything?

My Employment

I was imprisoned because I refused to give up practicing Falun Dafa and had to find a job after I was released. I tried some temporary jobs and worked for some small businesses, but they did not go well. Knowing it could be old-force interference to limit a practitioner financially, I knew I needed to make a breakthrough—a stable life would allow me to clarify the truth better as well as help the people I knew to have a positive attitude towards Dafa.

In the most difficult period, I had no income for four years. Although I was able to keep doing the three things, I was bitter and thought things had gone to the extreme. After all, I was well educated but couldn't even get a low-level position such as in security or as a storekeeper, even though I applied many times. I knew it was interference from the old forces, but I could not find a way to resolve it.

Last year, I applied for a position that seemed irrelevant to my background, but I wanted to give it try anyway. The salary while I was being trained was 3,000 yuan per month. After the training was over, my supervisor said he would talk with the business owner to set my salary at 3,500 yuan per month. However, when I first accepted the position, I was told that the pay would be 4,000 yuan after training. So, something was not right.

I went to the business owner, saying I could do well at this position and hoped the salary would be 4,000 a month as promised. The owner agreed.

Pay Raise

Two months passed and I learned a new skill. I was very busy since both responsibilities required technical expertise and hard work. I explained this to the owner and asked if my salary could be 5,000 yuan per month. He agreed two days later, and by then my pay was the same as my peers in this industry.

The owner trusted me and asked me to handle almost everything, including the paychecks. I also became more and more familiar with this profession. I told the owner that my abilities were the same as the previous supervisor and that I was busier than he had been, so I hoped my salary would be the same as his, that is, 100,000 per year. Plus, another company had offered me 80,000 a year plus a bonus. I considered my request reasonable since that was the pay level for my position in the industry.

Two weeks later, the owner agreed. Seeing that I was working hard and bringing in a decent income, my friends and relatives changed their attitude about Dafa.

Sometimes I had doubts about having my pay go from 36,000 yuan per year to 100,000 per year within one year. Did I ask too much? When I thought it over, I knew I had done the right thing.

The Issue of Money

When it involves money, lots of practitioners focus on letting go of material interests. I think this is an important aspect. But if others are taking advantage of our kindness, why just endure it unconditionally? It is true we are not attached to money, but our income is also a resource that can be used for truth-clarification. If someone abuses it, thinking we are vulnerable, isn't that bad for them?

As Dafa disciples, everything we have comes from Master, and we have to make the best use of it. That is, to do our best to save sentient beings and validate the Fa—because that is the vow of a Dafa disciple.