(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings revered Master!
Clarify the Truth of Dafa with Compassion and Save Sentient Beings
For the past year, I have been working alongside fellow practitioners to help edit Dafa truth clarification materials for cities and counties in our province. Our goal isn't really to inform people about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s various organizations like the brainwashing centers and the 610 Office, but rather to clarify the truth to the world's people and enable them to differentiate the righteous from the evil so that they can be saved. In the process of rescuing fellow practitioners who have been persecuted, we have been very mindful about the feedback we've received from ordinary people, as well as their attitude.
Like overseas Dafa practitioners, practitioners in China have also made many phone calls to people in China to help clarify the truth. Some of the people we talked to were unwilling to accept what we said and had a negative reaction. So we studied the Fa and looked inward to see if deep down we lacked compassion in our efforts to rescue fellow practitioners, and didn't actually care much about the feelings of ordinary people. Were they really able to understand the truth? We shared our experiences on this, and came to conclude that our fundamental goal should be to save people. We should take each situation as a chance to clarify the truth of Dafa, through involving the victim's family, relatives, his or her colleagues along with the company to take part in a joint effort.
During that period of time, I invested lots of time and energy on rescue efforts. Fellow practitioners and I had to change our original thinking--instead of doing everything ourselves, we asked local friends and family to help us with the rescue. By participating in truth-clarification, sentient beings had the opportunity to set their own positions anew. This is an act of great compassion.
When one fellow practitioner was arrested, his family didn't want to ask the brainwashing center for his release, saying "There's nothing wrong with that place; they have plenty of food after all." I felt so bad about his family being fooled by the CCP, so I went to see them and told them about the cruelty and viciousness of that place. After hearing me out, his family decided to bring him home.
In the process of talking to friends and family of fellow practitioners who had been arrested, we sometimes came across people who would smear Dafa's name when we told them the truth about what was going on at the brainwashing centers. I didn't get angry or criticize them. I knew that ordinary people don't know the truth about Dafa, and that I have to help them understand. I also thought that maybe my righteous field still had impurities and should be corrected. Every time I sent forth righteous thoughts, I focused on cleansing evil elements which cause disrespect to Teacher and the Fa, and called on sentient beings to wake up and return to their original, good nature.
Every time I returned home after clarifying the truth, I paused to reflect, "In this situation, what do people really need to hear to help them understand the truth? What points are they still confused on? What could we have clarified further? What should we print for the next edition?" As long as Fa-rectification continues, all living beings still have the opportunity to be saved because Dafa gives them the opportunity to be renewed.
Let Go of Human Notions, Cooperate as One Whole Body, be More Diligent
Since Teacher's lecture "Be More Diligent" was published earlier this year, I have come to treasure my time spent editing truth clarification materials even more as it is an opportunity to manifest Dafa's mighty virtue. However, I found cooperation with fellow practitioners difficult because some stubborn human notions of mine were interfering. While reading Minghui Weekly about how the CCP has agents everywhere including mainland China and overseas, I thought of something Teacher had said about the spies in "Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Dafa Practitioners."
I noticed that I frequently had the thought of dismissing fellow practitioners. This bad thought came from a feeling of "I am better than others". I immediately tried to clear myself of such thinking, realizing that such thoughts aren't really coming from me. The thought kept surfacing, but each time I would find a way to get rid of it again. A non-practitioner who knew me complained to me about my behavior a few times, even though in that particular case I had done no wrong. But a Dafa practitioner should always look inward when coming across a problem. How could we blame an everyday person? Looking down upon others is no better than having a combative attitude. How could I work with fellow practitioners with such an ugly, concealed state of mind, even though I didn't actually say anything?!
Recently, when a fellow practitioner was harassed it reminded me of a lesson I had learned some time ago. I had watched the DVD "Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Dafa Practitioners" more than 30 times. What Teacher said to Australian Dafa practitioners then has stayed in my head ever since. I wish I could reach the status Teacher set out for us--to be responsible to Dafa as well as for the well-being of others, treat sentient beings kindly, including fellow practitioners. Whatever situations you come across, calm yourself down first and then solve the problem nicely and peacefully.
Lately I have been sending forth righteous thoughts one additional time in order to eliminate local interference, help strengthen fellow practitioners righteous thoughts, help strengthen the main consciousness of Dafa practitioners assisting Teacher in Fa-rectification, and help strengthen the sacred things that Dafa has bestowed upon Dafa practitioners.
With a Clear Understanding of the Fa, Cultivate Solidly and Achieve Mighty Virtue
As I understand it, according to the principles of the Fa, looking inward and self-cultivation are most important. What does it mean to look inward and cultivate oneself? My understanding is that we must eliminate the bad substances that we carried with us from the old universe in the form of attachments, desires, and human notions.
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:
"What we lose is actually something bad. What is it? It is karma, and it goes hand in hand with different human attachments. For example, everyday people have all kinds of bad thoughts. For self-interest, they commit various wrong deeds and will acquire this black substance, karma. This directly involves our own minds. In order to eliminate this negative thing, you must first change your mind. (Zhuan Falun,Third Translation Edition)
Teacher reminds us again and again to study the Fa and to cultivate ourselves well. I spend about three hours every day studying the Fa. I didn't do well early on because of my human desires and attachments. Gradually I was able to control myself and get rid of my thought karma. When I couldn't focus my mind on studying the Fa, I would recite Teacher's lecture, "You should study with a concentrated mind, and you must really be studying." (To the Australia Fa Conference, November 18, 2006)
I treasure our group Fa study very much, and I try to be there no matter how busy my schedule gets.
Doing the three things well is a major part of Fa-rectification cultivation. After many years of solid cultivation, constantly studying the Fa and assimilating to the Fa, I feel that my body has been strengthened with great energy. When sending forth righteous thoughts, I feel like my inner energy rushes out filling up my body with energy. I truly value my time spent sending forth righteous thoughts every hour on the hour for at least ten minutes or longer each time.
Through solid cultivation, assimilation to the Fa, and saving sentient beings Dafa disciples are fulfilling their prehistoric oaths. Teacher is, we have to be clear about this, rectifying the universe, and reorganizing the heavenly bodies. Teacher is doing everything.
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