(Clearwisdom.net) I obtained the Fa 17 years ago, in 1992. Practitioners have been cultivating and subsequently opposing the persecution through safeguarding the Fa, validating the Fa and saving sentient beings. During the Fa rectification of the entire universe, our great and compassionate Master has not only borne everything for all sentient beings but also given everything for sentient beings! Although Dafa practitioners have made it through the old force's unprecedented tests, our Master has suffered unnecessarily in protecting us. Dafa practitioners have matured and are near Consummation, but Master is still toiling very hard to save sentient beings and help us reach Consummation.
Practitioners who closely follow Master and place themselves at the forefront of Fa rectification are now seizing this final opportunity to save people. They are striving diligently forward without regrets and no concern for themselves. Their magnificent selflessness reflects the greatness of enlightened beings that Dafa has created! Nevertheless, ongoing tribulations have made some practitioners relax their willpower. They drifted away from the Fa and closer to human beings' priorities. They have slacked off and become indifferent, even resentful and bitter, and some have walked to the dangerous edge.
The closer we approach the end, the higher the requirements become, and interference and tests become more frequent and harder. We won't succeed unless we are soundly grounded in the Fa and act reasonably. We need powerful righteous thoughts! As Master told us,
"The great waves shift the sand, and that is what cultivation practice is all about. What is left in the end will be genuine gold." (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun, 2000 translation version)
To fulfill prehistoric vows and honor Master and Dafa, most practitioners are now seizing the opportunity to save people. Why is it that some practitioners have fallen behind? Looked at superficially, it seems the old forces and evil elements are interfering and persecuting us and eliminating people through so-called tests, when the true reasons for certain practitioners' misfortunes come from their lack of diligence. Those individuals are willingly falling behind and are on the road to self-destruction. Since the requirements get ever higher as it approaches the end, any human notion is an element that prevents us from becoming diligent, makes us fall, or might even be a temptation to turn against Dafa. The old forces, facing their imminent destruction, spare no means in taking advantage of our gaps. They drag down practitioners whose minds are not on the Fa, who are not on the path of Fa-rectification and who have copious human notions and attachments.
Certain practitioners were unable for a long time to comprehend the Fa based on the Fa principles. They have judged and treated cultivation and Fa-rectification with a human mindset. Over time, their determination weakened and they harbored doubts about Dafa. Quite a few practitioners were previously diligent in doing the three things, but their determination has tapered off. For them, the three things gradually have become only formalities now. They do fewer and fewer of them and no longer take them seriously when they do them. Isn't this dangerous? Someone even said, "If Fa-rectification doesn't end, many Dafa practitioners in China will be destroyed!" How many attachments, fears and human sentiments are hidden behind this pessimistic statement that is so deviated from the Fa! Does this sound like something a genuine Fa-rectification period cultivator would say?
Some practitioners think that the persecution has not ended after all these years, and the Chinese Communist Party has not collapsed, yet, their efforts of being fully engaged can no longer last and they gradually slacken as they pursue the comforts of ordinary people's lifestyles, and they drift away from cultivation and Fa-rectification.
Some people think they have done enough over all those years. In their minds, since it has reached the end of the end and everything is all set, being diligent no longer makes much difference, so they simply slacken thoroughly and wait for the end and for consummation. There are even some practitioners who, because of fear or attachment to sentimentality, have not yet stepped forward, or have deviated and done something wrong. They don't have the courage to correct themselves and fully catch up. Instead, they cover up their fear and justify their attachments by using various pretexts. They also know there is little time left and are aware of the huge gaps between them and other practitioners. But instead of catching up and making diligent progress, they cover up their fears and attachments with discontent and resentment. They don't think, don't talk, and are unwilling to face the fact that it is their attachments and fear that have caused all those things. They don't think about their future and only live an indifferent life. All of these are critical attachments and final tests and various enticements and traps that the evil old forces use to destroy practitioners.
The Fa-rectification is very serious. All kinds of demons set up myriad traps on the difficult path of cultivation, Fa-rectification and saving people. There are also the elements of old universe, human emotions, interference from the old forces, and our attachments that are the dangerous elements and prevent us from reaching Consummation or make us drop in levels.
Ever deviating from the Fa, slacking off or acting like ordinary people is extremely dangerous. If the millennia-old opportunity passes and the truth manifests itself, we will never be able to make up what we neglected to do. If we as Dafa practitioners do not constantly and continuously fill our hearts and minds with Dafa, we will have nothing and will be in a very dangerous situation. The same applies if we neglect to measure ourselves against Fa principles and let the Fa be our guide.
We should remind ourselves to be alert at all times and purge any thoughts that don't conform to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, even minor thoughts. We absolutely must not let these thoughts affect our righteous thoughts and righteous actions. No matter how strong or concealed they are, we should not regard these thought processes as our own, and we should refuse act upon them. We should clearly be aware that these thoughts do not represent our true selves and are simply demonic attachments, temptation and interference.
The fact that Master and Dafa are saving us and we are able to follow Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings is unimaginable glory for everyone. As Fa-rectification era disciples we not only have tremendous glory but also great responsibilities and duties. If we don't play our role of assisting Master to rectify the Fa and save sentient beings and we don't fulfill our prehistoric vows, then we must ask ourselves why Master suffered endlessly and made so many sacrifices on our behalf? What is then the point of making us Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples? Some practitioner asked, "Why hasn't it ended yet?" We should ask ourselves, how we have done during the process? Master said,
"Dafa disciples' magnificence is connected to the Fa-rectification of the cosmos, and your greatest mission is to safeguard the Fa." ("Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A")
To this day, a large number of sentient beings have not yet been saved. How can we reach Consummation, and how can Fa-rectification end? Moreover, some practitioners still have not stepped forward to do what Dafa disciples are supposed to do. How can they reach Consummation and how can Fa-rectification end? Master said,
"A Dafa disciple's cultivation is for the purpose of achieving Consummation in the course of validating the Fa. But as Dafa disciples, you are also saving all beings, you're allowing more lives to be saved and rescued during the Fa-rectification." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Washington, DC Fa Conference")
Let us compare ourselves to Master's words. Are we living up to the standard for Fa rectification period Dafa disciples? Are we walking our own path of validating the Fa? Have we fulfilled our prehistoric vows? Do we have a clear conscience that we have met Master's requirement for us?
From the Fa, we understand that no one in today's human society is a simple being. Many people are high level beings from the universe. They knew the dangers of this wicked world, but they jumped into this world anyway because they firmly believe that Master and Dafa would certainly have some ways to save them during Dharma's end. Their actions show their firm belief in Master and Dafa, and validates the Fa. These beings are worth saving and we must save them.
There are also many other predestined people who also should be saved and are waiting for Dafa disciples' kind words. As their only hope of salvation, if we don't do it or don't do well, these beings who should have been saved will be completely eliminated and cease to exist. That will be an unspeakable tragedy and sorrow. It will be undoubted that Dafa disciples have a responsibility and are at fault, especially those who have not done well.
Since we cultivate compassion and face these precious beings who have been brainwashed by the CCP's lies, those who face imminent destruction are our heavy and irreplaceable responsibilities. Our revered Master has given almost everything to save sentient beings and has suffered endlessly to save us. He is still toiling to save sentient beings. The evil has not been completely eliminated, and Dafa and practitioners are still living amidst persecution. We have no reason to slacken for even a moment, no matter what, nor have we the right to think about personal Consummation, while ignoring sentient beings who are facing life and death. Neither must we pursue personal comfort.
We all know that only Dafa disciples can follow Master in rectifying the Fa and saving sentient beings.
Many issues in this world are related to us, including when the Fa rectification will end. It has been nearly ten years since we first exposed the persecution, telling people about Falun Gong and saving sentient beings. Let us do the math. Since we have approximately 100 million Dafa practitioners worldwide, if each one of us spreads the truth to ten people every year we would reach one billion people a year and 10 billion people over the course of ten years. If that were the case, all of the seven billion people in the world would have learned the truth, and the 1.7 billion Chinese people would have heard the truth multiple times, based on the number of Dafa practitioners in China alone. If this were the case, the situation would not be as difficult as it is now and perhaps would have ended a long time ago. There would be no need to ask the questions, "When is this going to end?" and "Why has it not ended yet?"
Yet there are still many people who have never heard, read or learned the truth about Falun Gong in other ways. They never had an opportunity to position themselves or to be saved. How can Fa-rectification come to a conclusion when many people have not been offered opportunities and made aware of their choices? Isn't this a problem with ourselves?
Speaking from another perspective, the reason everything is the way it is now has a lot to do with practitioners who are still hiding at home, who are slack, who ignore their prehistoric vows and the responsibilities of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples. If everything would end now, where would these people be? Where will they be positioned? If practitioners did not fulfill their historic missions and save sentient beings, their own futures are at risk. Isn't this another reason why the Fa-rectification has not ended to this day? Master is waiting for these people to awaken, catch up with Fa rectification, make up for their mistakes and fulfill their vows.
Since every second is crucial, and all methods of saving people are important, many Dafa practitioners shoulder lots of projects. Some practitioners are so busy that they barely get time to eat or sleep. Yet other practitioners have not worked on a single steady and effective project in years to clarify the truth and save people. Some practitioners do little work to clarify the facts, and some practitioners who have been hiding their fears, human notions and human sentiments not only fail to act with righteous thoughts but over time, they all but forget about doing the "three things."
They have in fact let Master and Dafa down, a well as the sentient beings and also themselves, because their non-action is a crime in and of itself. We were determined to be Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period from a prehistoric era, and we have benefited tremendously from Master and Dafa's salvation--so have we fulfilled our vows, done well in validating the Fa, saving sentient beings and assisting Master in this world?
Compared to diligent practitioners who have done very well, are we really going to let fear and human attachments destroy this opportunity of eons and further destroy ourselves? We study the same Fa and we live in the same environment; how can we fall short when others have done such a great job? There is an end to cultivation and an end to Fa-rectification, and we have almost reached the end of the end. How can we not think about our prehistoric vows, the responsibilities of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples and our cultivation?
From the Fa, we understand that the beings in the past are selfish, but beings of the future will be selfless and completely live for others. If we reach Consummation when the Fa-rectification ends we will, as Master said, "Attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism." ("Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature," from Essentials for Further Advancement)
If we don't abandon our egos and truly think of sentient beings who need saving, and if we do not consider how to repay Master and Dafa, and don't do everything we can to save people during these final moments, we will find it difficult to walk this final path well, because in my opinion this is a path of righteous enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. The waves will sift the sand, that is for sure.
I believe that those who doubt Master and Dafa during this final phase will not make it. Those who are irrational or refuse to think from the Fa principles will not make it, those who are not clearheaded and cannot distinguish evil interference will not make it, and those who have slacked off or are indifferent, who have lots of human attachments and little sense of their responsibilities will not make it.
