(Minghui.org) Teacher said:
“It is necessary for a Dafa disciple to ensure his cultivation on a daily basis, and it is the mission of a Dafa disciple to clarify the facts and save people. You cannot go without either of these as you journey toward consummation. How well you do is a reflection of whether you are diligent in your cultivation.” (“A Reminder”)
I couldn't calm down after reading Teacher's articles. I began to ask myself, “I have practiced for 18 years, but how well have I done? Do I really cultivate myself well? Am I on track to complete my mission?”
Eliminating Attachments While Clarifying the Truth
I had a competitive mentality and harbored resentment at the beginning of the persecution. When I talked to people about the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), these attachments were especially evident.The reason was that I didn’t study the Fa well enough.
I also didn't achieve a good effect in truth clarification, because I didn't speak to people with a pure heart. I ended up running into all kinds of bad situations: someone stole my purse; someone tried to hit me with a broom; someone intended to report me to the police; someone threw my truth-clarification flyers to the ground and swore at me. I met with many obstacles.
I found all kinds of attachments through Fa study, like my competitive mentality, resentment, attachment to fear, feeling unbalanced, vanity, saving face, and jealousy. I kept eliminating them one by one through sending forth righteous thoughts.
My mindset was gradually rectified through cultivation. I was able to do more and be more effective in truth-clarification. I came to realize that every being was waiting to be saved.
There has also been all kinds of touching stories behind every being that was saved.
Businessman Helps Himself Out
I met a merchant from out of town. As soon as I mentioned Falun Gong, he stopped me right away and began to bad mouth Teacher.
“Hey brother, please do not get angry,” I said to him. “We shouldn't be brainwashed by the CCP all the time. I suggest you analyze the situation for yourself. Jiang Zemin, the former leader of the communist regime has bred so many corrupt officials.”
He said, “Jiang is evil.”
He changed his attitude and began to listen to me quietly. He commented that mankind may have reached the end.
If humans' morals keep declining, gods will intervene,” I said. “Only by withdrawing one's memberships from the party and all its divisions can one ensure one's safety.”
I gave him some other materials. I also gave him a DVD with the software for breaking through the Internet firewall. I told him that he could use the software to surf overseas websites like Minghui, Pure Insight, and the Epoch Times. He could analyze the information for himself and make the right decision using his own mind.
He was very glad to accept the materials and appreciated my help.
A Man Changes His Attitude
I was talking to a young man named Wang one day. He said he didn't believe in gods or the divine. He said he even dared to swear at gods and that he didn’t believe in Falun Gong.
I asked him why he swore at gods. He replied, “When people say there are gods, who’s seen them? Bad people don't receive retribution, you know. That's why I don't believe.”
“Look I said, some officials who persecuted Falun Gong have been arrested and have received retribution. Now more than 200,000 people have lodged complaints against Jiang Zemin. All the bad people will receive their retribution in due time.”
I was showing him a few DVDs about the topic when another person came over and asked about others who had persecuted Falun Gong that had also been arrested.
After that person left, Wang talked to me with a completely different attitude. He said he was going to read the materials carefully.
I told him, “Please do not swear at gods any more. It's not good for you. It's like if you were helping me, but then I ended up swearing at you. Would you ever help me again?”
He said, “I hear you. I will stop doing that. I actually hate the CCP.”
Cultivating One's Kindness and Compassion
After the persecution first started, people didn't quite acknowledge what I told them about Falun Gong, and this made me very upset. I considered them very hard to save. I thought they'd be done for when the great elimination came.
Apparently I lacked of kindness or compassion, just as Teacher said:
“But some people are just not diligent and their attachments are just so strong. They measure things they encounter with human notions, and some even never stand on the Fa to consider themselves Dafa disciples—consider their tremendous responsibility. They do not place saving sentient beings in the first position when considering things, but always use human notions to think about issues: Whether you like it or not, your heart is full of indignation, or you want things this or that way—how can that work?! Would Gods be like you? If people are all like you in saving sentient beings, how can sentient beings be saved? You’ll save those you like, and not save those you dislike—can you save sentient beings then?” (“Fa Teaching at the 2016 New York Fa Conference”)
With the progress of my Fa-study my compassion came forth.
I talked to a lady about Falun Gong one day. “Falun Gong teaches people to follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” she said. “That's good, but you shouldn't be against the party and meddle with politics. The party pays my salary. How can I be against it?”
“It doesn't work that way,” I told her. “As a taxpayer, you support the party.
I said, “Falun Gong practitioners know that gods will punish the CCP for its crimes. So we tell people the way to escape from the calamity when it comes. It is just like a building that’s about to collapse, and I tell you how to escape. But you instead think I am playing with politics.”
She finally understood me and said, “I will quit.”
Another time, I ran into a lay Buddhist. She said, “You Falun Gong practitioners should not print words on money.”
I said, “Let me tell you something. If your father were classified as anti-revolutionist, what would you do? What if they wouldn't allow you to speak up?”
She still said some bad things about Falun Gong that she learned from the CCP's media.
I said, “That is what Jiang Zemin said about us, but what he said is not the law.”
At that time, my compassion surfaced. I began to feel that the CCP was too evil. Jiang's regime had manipulated the state apparatus to fabricate lies and persecute Falun Gong. As a result, so many innocent people were deceived. She was one of those people. I thought, “I must save her.”
She said, “Please take a look at the Buddhist scriptures. What is written there is very good.”
I said how Buddhism is a mess nowadays, and that before I began to practice Falun Gong, I was a Buddhist. Falun Gong is a high-level Fa. It is the universal Law.”
She had concerns about quitting the Party, so I clarified to her the importance of it.In the end, she said, “I totally understand now, but I still want to stay with what I believe.”
“I am not asking you to practice Falun Gong. Instead, my intention is to have you understand the truth and receive good returns. Please do not follow Jiang's evil regime to curse us. In Buddhism, it also talks about cultivating one's speech, doesn't it? Is what I have said today reasonable?”
She agreed with what I said. “I'll quit for sure,” she said. “Thank you for taking the time—it’s much appreciated!”
Seeing people’s joys and blessings have helped me understand more fully our Teacher's benevolence and immense saving grace. Only by cultivating diligently and by studying the Fa better will I accomplish my mission of saving sentient beings. Only then will I be able to return home with Teacher as a true cultivator!
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