Saving Sentient Beings Is My Greatest Duty

Saving Sentient Beings Is My Greatest Duty
From the 2008 European Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference
By Qinglian, a practitioner in Hebei Province
I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1995. Although I am 68 years old and mostly illiterate, I firmly believe in Teacher and Dafa. Before the persecution began on July 20,1999, I followed Teacher's instructions to study the Fa well and improve my xinxing, (character) and thus laid a solid foundation for Fa-rectification cultivation. Prior to 2004, together with other practitioners, I validated Dafa and "clarified the truth" about Falun Dafa to help stop the persecution. Since 2005, I have been distributing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, clarifying the truth, saving sentient beings, and fulfilling the great historic mission that Teacher has given us. With Teacher's protection, I have come through many tribulations during my 13 years of cultivation.
After we received the announcement of the Fifth Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China, many practitioners began writing their experiences. I also overcame my difficulty of not being able to write, and decided to share my experiences with fellow practitioners. Please kindly point anything inappropriate in my sharing.
I. Fulfilling the Mission of Saving Sentient Beings and Being Worthy of Teacher's Benevolent Salvation
I live in a mountainous area of less than 300,000 people. Most of the homes are located in rural areas, which makes the truth-clarification work difficult. Based on my situation, I started clarifying the truth and convincing my friends and relatives to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). After I was done with this group of people, I went to the villages where my friends and relatives lived. In the past three years, I have not only clarified the truth and distributed materials in my local county, but also in the other three counties where my friends and relatives live. I covered two thirds of the townships in my county. More than 8,000 people have quit the CCP as a result.
Since the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party was published, I have been clarifying the truth and convincing people to quit the CCP. Whether I am at home or out, foremost in my mind is saving sentient beings. I seize every possible chance to save them. I only have one thought in my mind: saving sentient beings to the best of my ability.
Once I went to a neighbouring county to look for my aunt, with whom I had not had any contact for many years. But after I arrived, I realized that I had gone to the wrong place. I then took a bus to another village, but still could not find her place. I thought to myself, "I have come here to clarify the truth. Where will I stay after it gets dark if I can't find her?" I begged Teacher for help. As a result, a passer by told me my aunt's address. I went there and ran into a rather vicious person. I started to send forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil beings and elements that were manipulating him. Then I began to tell him the facts about Falun Gong. In the end, all four people in his family quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations.
Another time I came across an acquaintance in a village that was not far from the county downtown. He used to work in the court. With him was a person who worked at the Public Security Bureau. I told them that Falun Dafa teaches people to be good and improves mental and physical wellness, but is persecuted for no reason, and that since the foundation of the CCP, one terrifying political movement followed another. I told them that more than 80 million people have been killed or persecuted to death, and that heaven would eliminate the CCP, and this was why one disaster followed another. I told them that only by quitting the CCP could they save themselves. After they knew the truth, they offered to renounce the CCP.
My son died suddenly in September 2006 when he was only 39 years old. His death was such an immense blow to me that I didn't go out to clarify the truth for over a month. On the 35th day after his death, I could no longer stay at home and decided to go out to tell people the facts about Falun Gong again. None of my children wanted me to go. Even some practitioners told me that I needed to take my time, and that they were afraid I couldn't clarify the truth well when I was in a poor mood. I thought that even though my son was no longer alive, many sentient beings were waiting to be saved. How could I be stuck in my attachment to emotion and neglect my great mission of saving sentient beings? I took a bus to a relative's home in the neighbouring county, where I lived for 18 days and clarified the truth in all the villages where my relatives lived. I took back with me a list of over 400 people's names who quit the CCP. I later occasionally thought of my son and felt very sad. However, whenever I thought about how urgent it was to save the sentient beings, I tried my best to let go of my attachment and took every possible opportunity to clarify the truth and save sentient beings. I realized that originally I signed my vow with Teacher to save sentient beings. No matter how hard it is, I must fulfil my prehistoric vow. Although I haven't cultivated myself well and still have many human attachments, I haven't let go of my attachment to my children. I wake up suddenly whenever I recall in this human world, that nothing is more important than saving sentient beings. I am Teacher's disciple and must be worthy of Teacher's benevolent salvation. Only by fulfilling my mission of saving sentient beings can I be worthy of Teacher's salvation.
I usually go to a friend or relative's home by myself and clarify the truth and convince people there to quit the CCP. At night, I usually go to neighbouring villages where no friends or relatives of mine live, and distribute truth-clarification materials. Sometimes I take over ten pounds of materials with me to a neighbouring county. It is not an easy task for an elderly lady, well over 60 years old like me, especially when I sometimes have to walk several miles after I get off the bus. However, I am instantly refreshed and energized whenever I think of going to rescue the beings there. I know that this is because of Teacher's benevolent protection. One time I took a big bag of materials to the neighbouring county. I took a taxi after I got off the bus, and on the way the driver kept looking at my big bag. I sent forth righteous thoughts and at last I arrived at my destination safely. There were a lot of xinxing tests when I lived at a friend or relative's home. For instance, some of them didn't believe in Dafa, some feared that they might be implicated, so they showed me foul faces even though they didn't express their anger directly to my face. I have never felt upset or cared much about that because I knew I could endure any tribulation if it is for Dafa and for saving sentient beings.
II. Facing and Disintegrating the Evil with Righteous Thoughts
From my experience I know that no evil dares to approach, touch or test you if you have righteous thoughts and conduct, act according to Teacher's requirements and Dafa disciple's criteria, cultivate yourself genuinely and solidly, and conduct yourself without human notions. Teacher's Fashen and righteous gods will safeguard you. Whenever I was confronted with evildoers, I kept reciting Teacher's words,
"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy..." ("Rationality" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
and
"Clarify the truth thoroughly, eliminate the evil with righteous thoughts, save all beings, and safeguard the Fa with determination..." ("Dafa is Indestructible" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)
I thought to myself that a Dafa disciple's steadfast will was indestructible, no evil could frighten me, Teacher was right beside me, and no one could harm me. I have never stopped clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings regardless of how severe the persecution got. And indeed I have never been interfered with or persecuted because Teacher is always with me, safeguarding my righteous thoughts, endowing me with wisdom, and protecting me all the time. I am determined to do even better the three things,( study the Fa [the teachings of Falun Dafa], send forth righteous thoughts and clarify the truth about Falun Dafa and about the persecution to the world's people.) and be worthy of benevolent Teacher's compassionate salvation.
Before the Olympic Games, many practitioners in my region were under surveillance and being watched. Some were even detained in brainwashing centres operated by the township government or their workplaces. After I got the news, I sent forth a strong righteous thought, "All of this was arranged by the old forces, I completely oppose it and disintegrate it." I kept sending forth righteous thoughts every day. No one came to interrupt me during the Olympics and I did whatever I was supposed to. I thought that since I am a Dafa practitioner, I couldn't be interfered with either by the old forces or by human attachments. I know I must rectify my each and every thought all the time with Dafa. Although I haven't cultivated myself well in some aspects, I have tried to discipline and rectify myself in accordance with the criteria of the new universe. I completely oppose and disintegrate all the interfering elements from the arrangements of the old forces.
Athough I am almost 70 years old, I have never acknowledged the feeling of old age. I remain young in my cultivation of Dafa. During this last crucial moment of the Fa-rectification period, I will try to make good use of my time to do the three things well and fulfil the magnificent task of saving sentient beings and turn in a satisfactory test paper to benevolent Teacher.