Compassion Overcomes All, Righteous Thoughts Save Sentient Beings

When Teacher's¹ new article "The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be" was published I studied it again and again, using it to evaluate myself. I was one of those of whom Teacher said,

"...exhibited a despondent state and slackened in their resolve to be diligent."

Teacher also pointed out,

"Actually, if you think about it, the cultivators of the past didn't dare to slack off for even a second, and that was when it took an entire lifetime to complete the journey. So how can Dafa disciples-who are to achieve the Attainment Status of a being who is saved by Dafa and who have the most convenient cultivation way-not be even more diligent when they are given this most glorious honour of Fa-validating cultivation in a brief cultivation period that passes in the blink of an eye?"

"...not leave reason for regret in your futures; and not fall so far behind in terms of levels. That is my hope, your hope, and the hope of the beings who are counting on you." ("The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be")

After I had studied the above article, I knew that I couldn't slack of as I had been doing. There is such a short amount of time left toward the end of the Fa-rectification and yet there are still many sentient beings who don't know the truth and need to be rescued. What kind of excuse do I have to be in a despondent state and slacken in cultivation? I recalled that many local practitioners still hadn't truly improved their understanding of the Fa (law or principles in Falun Gong) in the matter of exposing the persecution and saving sentient beings. They hadn't eliminated their attachments to fear and misgivings. To step forward as a whole body, local practitioners needed an environment that encourages diligent and true cultivation. Besides, Teacher didn't want to leave any practitioner behind. He wants us all to succeed in our cultivation, right to the very end.

I am not a coordinator, but I have the responsibility to strive forward diligently with other practitioners and to improve as one body. I asked six other practitioners to go with me to remote villages located far away from the city. We rode on motorcycles. In three days, nine local practitioners and the seven of us went on a trip covering 125 miles. We travelled through 18 villages and clarified the truth to more than one thousand people. Six hundred and twenty four people declared they would withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its related organisations.

Below is an account of our experiences.

Once, when we finished clarifying the truth about the persecution and the practice in one village and were ready to go to the next village, we saw a mother and son in a yard down the street. A practitioner and I went over there to speak to them. The son immediately chose to withdraw from the CCP. We continued our journey. Later, we heard an elderly woman's voice. She was running and was out of breath and said, "My dears, that's a dead end. Get on the street from here." Just a few words, but I was touched. I stopped walking and said to the woman, "Auntie, thank you for the help." She said, "No problem. You've given us safety and good fortune."

In another village we clarified the facts to an elderly woman on the street. When she heard that Falun Dafa could eliminate illnesses and keep one healthy she said immediately, "My husband is still lying in bed at home." We entered a dark and crude hut where an over eighty-year-old man was lying. I approached the emaciated old man and said, "Grandpa, we are here to give you good fortune. Can you read?" He said with a weak voice, "I can read. I was a teacher before, and even a school principal!" I thought if he was a school principal, maybe he was a Communist party member. So I spoke to him about quitting the CCP. He quickly agreed to do it. Another practitioner said to leave a copy of the truth-clarification material for him. He said, " I can't see. I can't see anything anymore." I replied, "Grandpa, please remember that 'Falun Dafa is great and Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is great.' " Then he called out with all his might, "Falun Dafa is great!" "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance is great!" to make sure he would remember these words. The other practitioner and I taught him several times. The elderly man called out again and again. A man who was on the brink of death could call out with such force. Is it a coincidence? After we left, the other practitioner took out all the money he had on him, seven yuan, and gave it to the elderly man. I realised he had been waiting for this day.

On one side of the village road we met a man who was in his forties. We began clarifying the truth to him, urging him to withdraw from the Party, the Communist Youth League and the Red Young Pioneers. But he did not listen to us, neither did he accept any materials. He drew a long face and asked, "Where are you from? What's in your bag? How dare you do this in broad daylight! Aren't you afraid of being arrested?" I sent forth righteous thoughts right away to clear away the evil elements controlling him. The other practitioner continued to clarify the truth to him, but he refused to listen. He acted as if he would report us to the authorities. The thought of giving up arose in me. I thought there would always be people who couldn't be saved. When someone else walked over I began clarifying the truth to her. But a while later that other man caught up with us. This time I was at peace. Maybe it had to be me to rescue him.

A practitioner once said to me, "When clarifying the truth, we must have compassion. We must have the capacity to resolve everything benevolently. Everything that exists in this world has come for the Fa, and has been created for the Fa." I spoke of the decline of human morals and of corrupt officials. He said, "If I were the emperor, I would get rid of all the corrupt officials." With this statement, I engaged him in a conversation. He asked us several questions, "Who is your Teacher? What are you doing here? What is your goal?" I said, "Our Teacher is Master Li. We are here to assist Teacher with Fa-rectification and to clarify the truth. Our ultimate goal is to reach Consummation and complete cultivation." While standing there, his serious face changed into a smiling one. Calmly stroking his chin he said, "In the long history of humankind, who can step out of the Three Realms? Who can succeed in cultivation?" He said with full confidence, "Enlightenment, enlightenment, enlightenment." I recited Teacher's poem to him:

Studying Dafa

Inborn quality is a condition from birth,
Right enlightenment is the reason for a high-level person's wisdom.
With Zhen-Shan-Ren in the heart, there is Dao,
Cultivating Falun Dafa can lead to Consummation.

February 18th, 1993

("Studying Dafa" Hong Yin, Version B)

I said to him assertively, "We practitioners can. This is the glory Teacher has given us." He looked astonished. I asked him whether he had read the book Journey to the West. In that book, monk Tang said something like this: "A human body is hard to obtain, but you have it. China is a place hard to be born in, but you are born there. Righteous belief is hard to come by, but now it is before you. You should not let this opportunity pass you by."

He then said, "I can see that the five of you are not ordinary people. Everybody has his own goal. You walk your deity's way, while I walk my own path. We are from two different worlds. See you all later. Take care!" I said, "Thanks for the test you put us through." He waved at us while walking away. I sighed and murmured to myself, "How much did he truly understand?"

We were about to reach another village and saw a middle-aged man standing in the street. I walked up to him. With a smile I said, "Brother, I am bringing you good fortune." Then I handed him an amulet. He asked, "Can the practice heal illnesses?" I replied, "If you can learn the exercises, it is great. If you sincerely recite, 'Falun Dafa is great, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is great,' you will have good fortune, not to mention better health." He said, "I've waited for you for a long time." I quickly asked him whether he was a CCP member. As we talked, we walked to a big yard where seven people were working. I said, "Do you know? Heaven is going to eliminate the evil CCP. Only when we withdraw from all the Communist organisations and be rid of any association with it can we have safety and good fortune. As soon as I mentioned the CCP, they stopped working and started speaking ill of the CCP. All seven people understood the truth. Five of them indicated they would quit the Party. They also asked for materials and said, "Let us help to spread the news."

When we clarified the truth at a village, a woman who understood said, "The man who works at the store across the road is an unreasonable man. You go and talk to him. If he quits the Party and becomes good, I will learn Falun Gong, too." I thought, "We are here to rescue sentient beings. It doesn't matter if they are considered good people or bad people." I sent forth righteous thoughts and another practitioner and I walked over. We started chatting with him and slowly turned the subject to Falun Gong. We asked if he was a Party member. He said that he was. We said, "Quit the party. Now, misfortunes are happening everywhere - snow in June, and thunder in winter." I also talked about the CCP's corruption and certain Chinese officials being sued in several countries overseas. I told him, "Heaven is going to eliminate the CCP. There are deities everywhere, so it is in your best interest to believe it to be true." After just several short sentences he immediately wanted to quit the Party. We asked his name. He pointed to the business license hanging on the wall and said, "This is it." His two children, one in junior high and another in college, also declared their withdrawals from the Party.

At night, the names of those who quit the CCP covered all the spaces on the paper we brought, we wrote more names down on our hands. At the end, our palms and the backs of our hands were covered with names as well. Looking at those names on my hands, my heart felt heavy, and tears streamed down my face. I felt the heaviness of Falun Dafa practitioners' responsibilities. Sentient beings' futures were all in our hands.

Time passed by quickly. When we were about to leave at night, we realised the motorcycle's back tire was flat. One practitioner borrowed a pump and pumped some air into it. Another practitioner said, "If this doesn't work, let's get a ride and go home." I said, "No. We are here to rescue sentient beings. No one is worthy of testing us. Teacher and Falun Dafa are with us. What do we fear?" Our destination was over 20 miles away. The road ahead was bumpy. Mountain cliffs were on our left side, a water reservoir on the right. All seven of us ladies walked back home, facing a night sky full of stars, holding the righteous belief in Teacher and the Fa in our hearts. As soon as I stepped into the door at home I stood before Teacher's photo and tears rolled down my face. I pressed my hand together in front of my chest and expressed my gratitude to Teacher's merciful protection. I vowed in my heart that I will do well. I will strive forward diligently!

Even though the trip to the villages was only two days, I had a lot of realisations. We all felt that we had improved as a whole. Our sense of mission and responsibility were strengthened. We had more confidence in moving forward in the future. I realised that in the efforts of clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings, the most important things are compassion and righteous thoughts. Only when we have compassion will we feel that human beings are living difficult lives; will we have the will to rescue them and realise our responsibility and mission to offer salvation. We must also have righteous thoughts in the process. Righteous thoughts are not only for dissolving and eliminating the evil, but

"Eliminating evil is thus doing Fa-rectification, and is also saving the world's people and sentient beings." ("Dafa Disciples' Righteous Thoughts are Powerful," from Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Righteous thoughts are not only used for eliminating the evil, but it is also a field of purity and compassion created by Falun Dafa practitioners who have assimilated to the Fa. In this field, all evil elements and unrighteous factors will be dissolved. Everything and every being in this field will become compassionately rescued and given the best future possible.

I realised that Falun Dafa practitioners put their hearts and minds into clarifying the truth and rescuing sentient beings. In this process, attachments and human notions are being eliminated, while kindness and compassion are being created. Therefore, when clarifying the facts we must be calm and also adopt a peaceful and compassionate attitude. We must have patience, not resentment or hatred, not be carried away by human notions, and not rush through things. We may watch people's expressions and reactions carefully, and choose a proper angle through which to clarify the facts, based on people's different attitudes, temperaments, personalities and occupations. We may skillfully lead the conversation according to circumstances in order to help them understand the truth. When we speak well and get a good result, we must not develop the attachment of zealotry and the mentality of showing off. When things don't go well or we meet obstacles, we must not be discouraged or feel disheartened and despondent. When clarifying the truth we should have a compassionate mindset. All that we will think about is what is good for them and to how to rescue them, with nothing but pure intentions.

We may face all kinds of people. We should be able to hold both kindhearted and harsh people in our heart and be able to hear both pleasant and unpleasant words. A Falun Dafa practitioner doesn't have enemies, but the mission to rescue all people. When a sense of compassion emerges, all unrighteous elements will be dissolved, all conflicts will be settled, and all hatred will be compassionately done away with. I realised why Teacher asked us to do the three things well and why he told us that as long as we do the three things well, everything is encompassed in them.

I realised that Teacher urged us many times to cultivate ourselves well because we will become great enlightened beings, Buddhas, Taos, and Gods. We cultivate "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Thus, compassion, as the Fa requires, is something we must possess. It is a fundamental requirement and manifestation of Buddha nature. And all of these depend on our validation, enrichment, and enlightenment in cultivation. Therefore, when doing the three things, we must put ourselves into them and solidly cultivate our hearts. I have also realised that to help sentient beings understand the truth and to rescue them we need to explain the truth to them one by one. We are cultivating during the process of clarifying the truth and rescuing sentient beings. In this process, our human thoughts and attachments are being eliminated, our levels are raised, and our mighty virtues are established.

Fellow practitioners, step forward, overcome your selfishness, give up your notions and your false self, and melt your true self into the effort of clarifying the truth to the sentient beings. We are the only hope of their salvation.

The above are some of my and fellow practitioners' experiences in clarifying the truth and rescuing sentient beings. If there is anything inappropriate, please kindly point it out.

Note:

1. Master/Teacher: Respectfully referring to the founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi.