(Clearwisdom.net) In "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference" Master Li said,
"So looking at things from this perspective, you still need to step up your clarifying the facts some, and still need to do it in greater depth, do it better, and do it more solidly; you absolutely can't just go through the motions. Only when you do it earnestly can you save that many people."
Looking back at myself during the recent period, I have been going through the motions when clarifying the truth.
For example, when I clarified the truth to my relatives, friends, and colleagues, I just casually talked about it, and then I gave them a book and a few VCD's. I even felt complacent and pleased with myself. I calculated that I had clarified the truth to this many people yesterday and that many today. I didn't know whether they understood or not and whether they had read the book or not, or even watched the VCD's. I didn't know whether they had any misunderstandings that couldn't be resolved. When I asked them after a long time, I found out that they neither read the book nor watched the VCD's. I didn't achieve the effect of saving the sentient beings at all.
This result shook me a great deal. I calmed my mind and looked at myself. Why did I take this matter so lightly? In doing everyday people's jobs, many supervisors and colleagues recognized my dedication. Why, then, did I make so many mistakes so often when doing Dafa work? Searching down to the root, I found I have the following mentality: when I was doing my job as an everyday person, I viewed it as my work. If I didn't do it well, it would affect my reputation, and it would affect what technical tasks were assigned to me. In cultivation, studying the Fa and practicing the exercises were only my matters; if I did not do them well, I could not reach consummation. Sending forth righteous thoughts was my responsibility because it eliminated the bad things from my body. If I sent forth righteous thoughts often, the evil dared not to persecute me. However, clarifying the truth was something I did for others, and it was something to be done on the side when cultivating. I would do whatever amount I could, and I just passed on the message to people. Whether or not they understood it was their problem. Since Master Li asked us to clarify the truth, we had to do it. I just casually did it when my safety was guaranteed. Searching down to the root, I realized it was my selfishness that had caused all this.
The principle of the old cosmos is based on selfishness, and the standard of the new cosmos involves selfishlessness. Actually clarifying the truth is also my own thing. Through studying Master Li's "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference," I realized that each period of time has each period's cultivation method. Through the process of accomplishing one thing, we are able to improve our xinxing and finally reach the standard of consummation. In the story "Journey to the West," which is known by almost every household in China, Tathagata asked Tang Monk to accomplish the task of retrieving the scriptures from the Western Paradise. The process involved going through eighty-one tribulations and improving xinxing through these tribulations. Finally, Tang Monk completed his mission and also reached the standard of Buddha. We are Dafa practitioners during the Fa rectification period. During this special period, we need to complete the mighty mission of validating Dafa, clarifying the truth and saving the sentient beings, and finally reach consummation and become the kings and lords at different levels of the universe. Therefore, failing to seriously clarify the truth is the same as not cultivating seriously. How can we reach consummation, then? Those who hide at home to study and practice the exercises without coming out to clarify the truth cannot be considered cultivators under this special period. The reason is that this period has its own cultivation way.
When clarifying the truth to others, you need to understand the listener's situation and see what he is attached to. For example, when clarifying the truth to someone who does not have good health, his health is what he most concerned with. If you tell him how bad the devil is, he would say, "I know he is bad but that has nothing to do with me." You need to tell him that Falun Gong has the effect of curing illnesses and improving one's health. He would immediately be interested. At every moment, we need to remember that the purpose of clarifying the truth is to save sentient beings. We need to check whether or not we have reached this goal. If we have not, we need to change the way we do it.
Saving sentient beings is very difficult. Maybe we need to use different methods on different people. It will definitely not be any easier than conducting an everyday people's research project. Something as mighty and great as clarifying the truth is worth our time to seriously follow through to the end. We can no longer just go through the motions in clarifying the truth.