(Minghui.org) I was busy doing things. While it appeared that I was quite diligent, in actuality I was not. I replaced cultivation with doing things and did not remove my human substance. I lacked the guidance of the Fa and developed more attachments, to the point of not being able to control and get rid of them. I felt that I may not be able to go on cultivating.
Many fellow practitioners praised me for my righteous thoughts. It appeared that I was cultivating smoothly. Over the years I had been running a material production site. Numerous fellow practitioners were persecuted, but I wasn't and felt fortunate. That thought itself was already dangerous. No matter what form the evil uses to persecute us, its purpose is to separate us from the Fa, in order to ruin us. When I realized that, I felt the seriousness of cultivation even more.
In actuality, I slacked off for years and did not persevere in my cultivation. I was not cultivating as if I were just starting and felt that my state was not right. I felt tired and muddleheaded. I slept less, but did not achieve the result that I desired. I became drowsy when I studied the Fa and was not able to understand the Fa on the basis of the Fa. I was easily distracted while sending forth righteous thoughts and felt that my attachments had gotten out of hand.
Reaching a Breakthrough
Being distressed by my state, I began studying the Fa. I read “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa” several times in a row. When I read it the fifth time with a calm mind, it touched my true self, and tears ran down my face.
I finally understood: The reason I had not been able to understand the Fa from the basis of the Fa was because I had not studied the Fa with a calm mind. I was only going through the motion and did it as a formality. As time went on, the evil seized upon my loophole of disrespect toward the Fa and Master. It was Master's compassionate salvation, he rescues disciples from danger.
I began to study the Fa calmly and let each word enter my heart. I no longer pursued how much I studied, but attentively studied the Fa with due respect to the Fa and Master. When occasional thought karma surfaced, I immediately send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate it.
I spent a lot of time studing the Fa, paid close attention to sending forth righteous thoughts, and quickly improved my cultivation state. I no longer felt drowsy when I studied the Fa, my anxiety was gone, my feelings of estrangement from fellow practitioners were gone, and I felt harmonious with everyone again.
When I studied the Fa well, making truth-clarification materials and clarifying the facts to people face to face became much easier and more effective. I was able to calm down when I sent forth righteous thoughts and felt enveloped by energy. I truly felt that I was an enlightened being standing between heaven and earth, truly helping Master with Fa-rectification and eliminating the evil.
Improving Myself While Rescuing Other Practitioners
I participated in the efforts to rescue fellow practitioners in our city. During the process, many of my attachments were exposed, some of which were deeply rooted. When I helped to rescue a fellow practitioner, I felt that I was wholeheartedly involved, whether it was exposing the evil or going to relevant organizations to clarify the facts. However, other practitioners often blamed or complained about me.
Once, I was involved in rescuing an elderly couple. I went with their daughter to various police departments, where we clarified the facts and requested their release. I also went to the detention center to learn more about their case. When I asked the husband what kind of persecution he had suffered, he denied any abuse (in fear of retribution by the authorities). However, his wife told their daughter that he had been beaten severely; the guards had striped off his clothes and brutally beaten him.
His daughter wanted me to expose this, so I asked her again to make sure that it was true. She told me that her mother never lied, and that her father did not want to admit it because he was afraid of being beaten again.
When my article was published, fellow practitioners blamed me for not being truthful. They said that the husband had denied being beaten so I shouldn't have written it down. Several days later, a female practitioner was released and thanked me for exposing the facts. She had personally witnessed the beating. However, other practitioners still continued complaining about me.
My attachments quickly surfaced: resentment, the heart of wanting to validate myself, grievance, and more. I realized that nothing was accidental on our path of cultivation, so I calmed down and searched within. I discovered that I indeed had a problem with truthfulness in my cultivation. I did things sloppily at times, did not pay close enough attention to things, carried the Party culture, wrote articles with exaggeration, etc.
I remembered how once I had written an experience-sharing article about clarifying the truth face to face. I did not recall some specifics while writing, so I made something up. Suddenly, four Chinese characters appeared on the paper, spelling out, “Don't speak unless it is the truth.” I immediately understood that Master was reminding me to cultivate truthfulness.
I deleted the words that were not truthful. From that point on, no matter what articles I wrote, I paid particular attention to the truth, and also to doing things solidly.
Clarifying the Truth about Dafa
Over the years of telling people the facts about Falun Dafa face to face, I met all sorts of people with all kinds of mentalities. When I slacked off in cultivation, interference surfaced and attachments appeared. Then I knew it was time for me to focus on studying the Fa with a calm mind.
When human attachments appear, we should seize the opportunity to eliminate them and rectify ourselves in the Fa. We must save sentient beings. We cannot ruin them due to our inadequacy.
Once, I clarified the facts to a plainclothes police agent who often ambushed and arrested Dafa practitioners. Then I helped four or five people withdraw from the CCP and its related organizations. Afterward, I talked to a store owner. He was very receptive and also withdrew from the CCP. He told me in a low voice that the first man I had talked to was a secret agent and asked me to be careful.
I went back to this agent. He said in a harsh tone, “Do you know what I do?” I replied, “Yes, you are a cop.” He took out his cell phone and attempted to make a call. I had no fear and kept only one thought in mind: “Completely eliminate the old forces who manipulate him and let him be saved by Dafa.”
I told the agent: “I talked to you for such a long time. You should be clear by now. I believe you are a kind person. You should not do things against your conscience.” He put down his phone and told me in a low voice to leave.
I walked away thinking: “How solemn it is to cultivate and save people! Our responsibilities are truly important. Master has already paved the way for us, yet one thought of ours could save or destroy a celestial body!”
Now, I pay more attention to the process of clarifying the truth. When I speak to a person, I make sure this person truly understands the truth about Dafa and, thus, can truly be saved.
One morning, I went to the market to buy fruit. As soon as I began to clarify the truth to the vendor, a middle-aged woman, she slandered Master and Dafa using obscene language. I used to encounter such people before. When that happened in the past, I stopped talking and felt that those people were beyond salvation.
This time, I did not think this way. Instead, I felt pity for her: She was in grave danger and deserved salvation. I looked at my watch; it was close to noon. Then I looked at her and said goodbye. I wanted to send forth righteous thoughts and then talk to her more that afternoon. I did not want her to be destroyed by the evil Party.
This thought came from the bottom of my heart; it was pure and compassionate. Yet, I could not go back that afternoon due to other things.
I went back to the market the next day with a fellow practitioner. I went straight to this vendor. She saw me from a distance and smiled at me. Before I got closer, she said, “I will listen to whoever treats me right.” I told her: “I heard your words yesterday. You are poisoned too much by the deceptive propaganda of the CCP. It is a predestined relationship that we have met.”
I began clarifying the truth to her, opening the knots in her mind that prevented her from accepting the facts. She listened attentively and repeatedly nodded her head. She totally changed her attitude.
I told her: “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” She smiled and told me that she would remember this.
Master said:
“True compassion doesn’t have any selfishness mixed in, and one will, when dealing with anyone, or sentient beings in general, look at things with righteous thoughts and loving kindness.” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”)
This time, I truly experienced the power of compassion. We don't even need to open our mouths; our compassionate power will reach people's hearts. As long as we cultivate solidly, and our thoughts and deeds are in the Fa and reach the standard the Fa requires of us, we can truly save sentient beings. It is the Fa that truly saves sentient beings.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
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