Falun Dafa Minghui.org www.minghui.org PRINT

Helping to Awaken Former Practitioners

June 18, 2007 |   By a practitioner in Tangshan City

(Clearwisdom.net) The Fa-rectification process has come to the final stage, but some formerly active practitioners have not stepped forward. Master said in "My Thanks to Sentient Beings Who Have Sent Greetings": "I sincerely hope that all of my Dafa disciples will achieve Consummation!" What does Master regard as most important? Isn't it the consummation of those of us who have already obtained the Fa? Isn't Master waiting for us? If the Fa-rectification ended today, what would happen to those practitioners who have not done well and those who have not stepped forward? Where would they be positioned? If you have not followed the teachings of Master during the process of Fa-rectification, where can Master place you?

Awakening those former fellow practitioners is an important responsibility for practitioners walking along the Fa-rectification path. These fellow practitioners who have not yet stepped forward have various reasons and excuses, but it all comes down to fear. What do they fear? Who is fearful of what? We are learning to be good people, and we are doing the best and the most righteous thing. What do we have to be afraid of? Since we have obtained the Fa, we have experienced, heard and been witness to the power of Dafa; isn't that enough to make us hold to a firm belief in Master and Dafa? Wake up, former fellow practitioners! Millions of years of waiting is meant just for today!

Awakening former practitioners is also something we must do well during the process of our improvement and ascension as one body. How can we do this well?

First, we need to find the key deterrent or issue in the minds of these practitioners who have not stepped forward. If we can follow their thoughts or attachments and find their problems, it will then be easier to help them to resolve the issues.

For example, there is a practitioner who since July 20, 1999 has only studied Zhuan Falun without studying Master's new teachings. Her superficial excuse is that she did not know whether these teachings were true or false. One practitioner found this out after speaking with her and told her that Master's overseas teachings were heard during an experience sharing conference that several thousand practitioners had attended, and were published on the Minghui/Clearwisdom website after Master had edited them personally, and there were recordings as evidence. Due to the persecution in China, practitioners are unable to communicate with Master directly, so practitioners overseas established the Minghui website for Master to guide practitioners in both China and overseas. This is a website Master approves and is also a platform for practitioners all over the world to share experiences. All things that we Fa-rectification period Dafa practitioners are doing, including clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings, are done by following Master's teachings published on the Minghui website. If one does not follow Master's teachings, is he or she still a Dafa practitioner? Hearing this, the issue in her mind was resolved.

Sharing with formerly active fellow practitioners requires strong righteous thoughts and great compassion. For example, a certain practitioner has not stepped forward after July 20, 1999. On the surface she was surrounded by various family commitments, including looking after her grandson, cooking and many other tasks.

Practitioners have gone to exchange thoughts with her many times and wanted to study the Fa with her, but failed. One day a practitioner went to see her again, with only one wish in her mind, "Today, I must awaken her." Arriving at this practitioner's home, she said very calmly but firmly, "Let's make sure from tomorrow on that we study the Fa together. If you don't have time to come to my home, I will come to your home every day." These strong righteous thoughts and compassion touched this woman's heart and lessened her fear, and she agreed to study the Fa. After resuming Fa study, she soon found her shortcomings and saw the gap between her and fellow practitioners, and knew she had to catch up and strive forward diligently. The original plan was to study the Fa from 2:00p.m. to 4:00 p.m., but instead she went to her fellow practitioner's home as soon as she finished lunch, and sometimes even studied the Fa until 5:00 p.m. Thus a practitioner who had fallen behind caught up and dissolved into the one body of Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples.

When sharing thoughts between former practitioners and other practitioners, we have felt the crucial importance of the quality of our Fa study. That is the basis for doing the three things well during Fa-rectification. Further, it is important to place ourselves among fellow practitioners, and make sure not to let the fellow practitioners feel we are above them--we should not use language that can be construed as meant to give lessons or criticism. As long as we follow Master's teachings, have a compassionate mindset, talk in a peaceful manner, use effective methods, and find the concerns or issues these former fellow practitioners have, we will be able to do this well. When we display our compassionate minds to fellow practitioners, "I just don't believe their consciences are irretrievably lost." ("For the Good of the World") We can do this well.