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About the Thought, "I Must Save Him"

December 15, 2008 |   By a practitioner from Shandong Province

(Clearwisdom.net) Since November, Clearwisdom has been publishing essays from "The Fifth Internet Experience Sharing Conference for Practitioners in China." There is one sentence that made the profoundest impression on me. It was: "I must save him." When fellow practitioners are saving sentient beings, their pure hearts and righteous thought that a predestined person must not lose his or opportunity to be saved allow the world's people to wake up and recover from the lies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and give them an opportunity for new life.

This made me think about a fellow practitioner in my area. This practitioner goes to the outskirts of the city every day to hand out "truth-clarification" materials, and he always passes a small grocery store run by a mother and daughter on the way. He thought they must have a predestined relationship arranged by Master, so went to buy some things and take the opportunity to clarify the truth to the mother and daughter. But because they were so busy, neither really accepted what he said. This practitioner was not dejected. He just thought in his heart about helping predestined people be saved.

One midday he rode his bicycle in the scorching sun especially to go to their store. He entered and asked for two ice creams. The daughter grabbed two for him, and as she passed them to him, he made a joke and said, "I didn't bring any money, but it is so hot today, and I would still like to eat ice cream. Could you put them on credit?" The daughter called for her mother to ask what to do. The mother said, "No problem! Bustling about outside in the heat of the day is not easy. Just bring the money another day and it will be fine." The practitioner said, "You are both truly kindhearted people. I'll buy three ice creams, eat one myself, and invite you to eat two! Good people will met with good returns, and I will tell you something truly good." He took this opportunity to tell these two women the wonderfulness of Dafa, and they happily accepted a Dafa talisman (1). They asked the practitioner to help them quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Later, when discussing with other practitioners, this practitioner said, "At that time I was thinking, if they are predestined people, I simply must save them."

Compared with others in clarifying the truth, I have done quite poorly. Every time I try to clarify the truth, I bump into people that are difficult to talk to. My heart wishes to back out, and I think, "How is it that this person just can't turn around? I'll just leave him for other practitioners to talk to." Later, I will "sincerely" send righteous thoughts for that person so that he will later run into a fellow practitioner and have an opportunity to be saved. Actually, when I think about it now, "fearing running into difficulties," isn't this having a heart of apprehension? Not only do I not enlighten, but also "sincerely" send righteous thoughts. On the surface this appears to be a heart of compassion, wanting to have the people of the world be saved, but it is actually harboring an attitude of "just giving it a try," and when it doesn't work out, just leaving it for other practitioners. This is an incredibly irresponsible way to think and behave. It is not a heart of "I simply must save him," so how could it save anyone? At the same time, when I do run into predestined people, I do not get through to them. Isn't this creating even more trouble for fellow practitioners?

In recent years in teaching the Fa, Master has repeatedly emphasized the importance of saving sentient beings: "...the fact that sentient beings and mankind have been able to remain up to the present, is because these beings have been awaiting salvation." ("Fa Teaching at the US Capital")

As one wanting to cultivate into a selfless Dafa disciple of the Fa-rectification period, with righteous thoughts and righteous enlightenment, how could one, due to selfishness, cause sentient beings to lose their opportunity to be saved?

Finally, I respectfully present a passage from "Fa Teaching at the US Capital," to provide encouragement to fellow cultivators.

"Don't become complacent just because you think you've done such and such, for there are so many sentient beings that we have yet to save. You still need to push yourselves so that you may establish even greater mighty virtue within a limited timeframe, and so that you won't have any regrets when all is said and done."

Note:

(1) Talismans - In China, practitioners sometimes clarify the truth by giving people something small to wear or cherish, bearing a few words reminding them of the goodness of Dafa.