(Minghui.org) I used to be preoccupied with my business. However, deep down, I always thought about how to save sentient beings. Thus, I began to worry less, and even very little, about how business went. I began to clarify the truth more. Sometimes I was very busy and tired, but I didn’t think too much about it. The only thing on my mind was how to save people. At the peak time, I managed to hand out more than 100 truth-clarification brochures and such, which meant I had to deal with at least that many customers. I was so busy sometimes I had to skip my meals, but I never felt it was a hardship. Saving sentient beings became my daily routine.
At times, I didn’t know how many truth-clarification materials I handed out. I only had in mind my mission as a Falun Dafa practitioner at all times, and what Master asked us to do. As soon as I ran into people, I’d clarify the facts to them and give them informational materials. I was even busier during the holidays. Whether it was my relatives or friends, I gave them calendars and informational materials. I have been doing this since 2004, when I first began to continuously cultivate Dafa.
In an article published on September 1, 2004, Master said:
“For this reason, all Dafa disciples, students both new and veteran, should get to work and begin comprehensively clarifying the truth. This is especially so for the Dafa disciples in mainland China: each must come out and clarify the truth, bringing it to every field and valley, mountain and hill, not omitting a single area where there are people.” (“Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World’s People,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress III)
I read this a few times and was astonished. This was a wake-up call for me. It made me realize the purpose of my life is to save sentient beings.
Therefore, I asked myself what would be the best approach. Given my current environment and situation, I decided that clarifying the truth face-to-face was the best approach.
My husband and I ran a small business, and we often met all kinds of people. When the evil persecution was rampant, my fear was fairly strong. But as soon as I thought about Master’s words, my righteous thoughts came forth. I thought, “With Master here, with Dafa here, isn’t my fear meaningless? I must break through it.”
My fear was very strong at the beginning. I was afraid to talk to strangers. It was even more frightening for me to make a phone call to a stranger, or to take public transit by myself. I could only talk to people who came to my store. Later, I wanted to give them truth-clarification brochures. Although I had them ready, I wasn’t courageous enough to give them to anyone. I wanted to make a breakthrough and eliminate my fear. So I talked to a practitioner in my store and asked him to send forth righteous thoughts for me.
When a customer came to my store that day, I gave him a truth-clarification brochure. He took it and turned to leave. I was a bit scared when I saw him take out his cell phone and make a call. I immediately thought, “Did he call the police?” My heart started pounding. Meanwhile, I didn’t stop sending forth righteous thoughts. I saw that the other practitioner was also sending righteous thoughts. Gradually, I was able to calm down. Seeing he was still on the call, I went close to him and overheard that he was talking to his friend. It was a false alarm. With more Fa-study, my fear gradually subsided, and I became more composed when I ran into such things.
I always sent forth righteous thoughts before I gave truth-clarification materials to people. I encountered all kinds of people: young, old, children, men, and women. As soon as I had a chance, I’d clarify the truth to them.
I was initially hesitant to give materials to young and fashionable people, thinking they’d turn me down. Then something changed this notion. One day, a young and well-dressed girl came to my store. She also had on light makeup. I gave her a truth-clarification brochure, saying, “This is a truth-clarification brochure for Falun Dafa. It’ll be good for you if you check it out.” She happily took it and said, “Sure. Thank you!” I was so touched. From then on, I stopped being picky. Instead, I treated all sentient beings the same.
One day in June, an elderly man was walking down the street wearing a worn-out army green cotton coat. He used a walking stick and looked puffy and dirty. I thought he was a beggar. I took out one yuan and was ready to give it to him. But he said, “I don’t want that, I just want some water.” So I brought him to my home. While walking, I chatted with him. He said he had no children, and he was going to the township government to apply for his allowance. I suggested that he take a rest before continuing on such a hot day.
I also promised to give him something that is good for him. He asked me what it is. Then I gave him a brochure about Falun Dafa. He was very happy to accept it and thanked me. I said, “You don’t have to thank me. This all comes down to our predestined relationship.”
I also give him an amulet. He happened to see there were truth-clarification DVDs right beside the amulet, so he asked for one of those too. Then he told me that he had a DVD player at home. I was caught off guard again. I thought that it is true that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I was still thinking he was a beggar, but it turned out that he wasn’t. I didn’t imagine he would have a DVD player. Later on, he came to my home a few times to ask for DVDs and other truth-clarification materials.
From then on, I gradually stopped discriminating and being selective in saving sentient beings. As long as I had a chance, I’d give truth-clarification materials to whomever I was in touch with. I also chatted with them in my free time, telling them Falun Dafa is a Buddha school cultivation that teaches people to be good.
Gradually, the business that my husband and I ran did very well. More and more customers came. I gave truth-clarification brochures to everyone who would accept them. Some became clear about the truth of Dafa. Some renounced their memberships in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some got copies of Zhuan Falun and took them home to read. In 2008 alone, I gave more than 20 people a copy of Zhuan Falun.
One winter an elderly man got a copy of Zhuan Falun from me. He came to my home the next spring and told me he didn’t catch a cold that winter. He asked, “Is it because I benefited from reading Zhuan Falun? I used to catch a cold at any time. Last winter I stayed with my friend. He lives in Liaoning Province in Southeast China. The only heat in my room was an electric duvet on the bed. Even so, I was fine!”
Seeing that he was so excited, I said, “You indeed benefited. Master has taken care of you.” He said happily, “Then when I come back, I have to find practitioners and do the exercises with them.”
I gradually expanded my circle of clarifying the truth. Whenever I went to shopping malls, visited my relatives and friends, or went on sight-seeing trips, I’d bring truth-clarification materials and amulets with me. When I took a train or was on the bus, as long as someone talked to me, I’d clarify the facts to them and give them amulets. I felt it had become part of my life. Thus, whoever had contact with me would receive informational materials from me. When a man refused to take it, I sent forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil beings and factors behind him that were interfering with his being saved. For those whom I didn’t have a chance to clarify the truth to, I sent forth righteous thoughts to have them come to my store later on. Then I could give them the informational materials. Sure enough, one man did return to my store. After he learned the truth, he didn’t come again.
There were also others who came again after a few years. In 2012, an elderly man in his 60s came to my home. He told me that he rode his electric bicycle 10 miles to get to my home. He said, “I came to see you. I haven’t seen you for a few years. Now I miss you. I liked the stuff you gave me. Do you have any more?”
I knew he referred to the truth-clarification materials. I replied, “Yes I do. But they are incomplete. I used to have a book titled the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party; it’s great. Can you come back in a few days, and I’ll have it for you then?”
He came back in five days. I packed a big bag for him that contained all kinds of informational materials, including the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and Shen Yun DVDs. He happily took them away and thanked me repeatedly.
There was another elderly man who lived 20 miles from me. He took the bus to come to see me. He said, “I haven’t seen you for a few years. Do you remember me? Your materials are very nice; do you have any truth-clarification brochures and DVDs?” I put everything into a big bag for him before he left.
I realized that sentient beings are awakening. Thus, the responsibility I shoulder becomes greater. I can’t miss anyone. Master uses the opportunity of my doing business to bring them to me to have them be saved. A friend came to see me and commented on how my store was always busy.
I said, “I treat people sincerely and conduct myself according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. That’s why everything goes smoothly. We can’t be too greedy in doing business.” Actually, I also feel the good fortune of being immersed in the Fa. Instead of being attached to self-interest, I focus on the sentient beings who come to my business to learn the truth and be saved.
I’d like to advise fellow practitioners who run a business to do everything by Master’s requirements and put saving sentient beings as the first priority, as opposed to one’s self-interest. For us, doing business is an opportunity to save people. It’s also our cultivation path, which will be left for future generations. Thus, we have to walk our path righteously, and not follow the current downward trend in society, nor attach too much importance to our self-interests. We have to hold ourselves to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in everything we do. This way we can save people more effectively, and not let Master down.
After the pandemic broke out at the beginning of 2020, I felt greater responsibility on my shoulders and an urgency. Thus, I tried my best not to miss any sentient beings with whom I had contact. I also felt that sentient beings truly want to be saved even more.
One time, a fellow practitioner came to deliver many delicate amulets, including pendants and necklaces. I put them in a bag on the table in the hallway at my store for customers. However, a few employees saw them. They took them out and distributed them among themselves. One man said, “I want to give them to each of my family members. I also want to save two, one for my niece, and the other for my son-in-law who lives in Hunan Province.”
That man has handed out many things to people. As soon as I had something new for him, he’d pass it on to others, such as Shen Yun DVDs and calendars. Every year, he handed out a few dozen Shen Yun calendars. Before that, he was always short of money, and he didn’t work hard enough. His situation has since improved. Now he has hundreds of thousands of yuan in savings in his bank account.
A young female from out of town came in. When I gave her a necklace amulet, she was very happy and thanked me repeatedly. Then she returned the next day and said the amulet and brochure I gave her were taken by her neighbors. She wanted to get more. I told her I could give her more as long as they sincerely read them. She took a few brochures and amulets and left happily. I was so moved. Thank you, Master, for bringing so many people with predestined relationships to me to save them.
Two middle-aged women came to see me repeatedly over the course of a few days. They said I was so nice and they really liked me. Right then, I had the thought that since there was nobody else there, I should talk to them about quitting the CCP. So I asked them if they joined the Young Pioneers. They admitted they had. I said I’d help them quit it to wipe away the mark of the beast, so they’d be safe from the plague. They happily agreed to quit.
Now, what makes me happiest is to help save sentient beings every day. Sometimes I told people: “When there is a plague in the future, only by sincerely reciting, “Falun Dafa is wonderful,” can you escape the calamity.” When I saw them sincerely listening to me, I was so touched by their facial expressions. I almost became teary-eyed.
Fellow practitioners, hurry up and be diligent! Don’t be shackled by attachments. Use the Fa to measure ourselves. Do not forget that we signed an agreement with Master. We have to fulfill our vows. Hurry up and save sentient beings! Do our very best to do the three things well, and to assist Master in Fa-rectification. With Master here, Dafa here, everything will be harmonized.
This is my personal understanding, please point out anything inappropriate.