(Minghui.org) Until recently, I believed that sentient beings couldn't really understand the truth clarification materials I gave them. I also felt that they would not be able to withdraw from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because they were so negatively influenced by the CCP. However, a couple of days ago, while helping some people to withdraw from the CCP, I realized that Dafa practitioners' thoughts play a major role in determining if the people can be saved or not.
On one occasion, while chatting with a neighbor near my home, I found he had righteous thoughts concerning the CCP and he sympathized with Falun Dafa practitioners. However, I thought that we should not continue to talk where we were, but move a little further away from my home for safety reasons. I also wanted to give him a DVD. My neighbor said, “Don't worry I'll get rid of anyone who disturbs us.” As a result, when I asked him to withdraw from the CCP, he hesitated. I missed this chance to help him.
About ten days later, as I went to dump the garbage downstairs, I heard two women talking about my persecution experience. They sympathized with me. They did not know I was around until I asked them if they were talking abut me. They were surprised to see me. They told me they had heard about Falun Dafa practitioners being persecuted in jails. I informed them of the persecution methods used in jails, such as slave labor, brainwashing, verbal abuse, beatings, etc. They had a pretty good understanding about the evil nature of the CCP. One of the women said, “It seems the CCP will use all kinds of methods to torture people even if they are not guilty of any crime.” I smiled and said, “Not everyone in jail is a criminal. For example, Falun Dafa practitioners are sent to jail and persecuted, but they are innocent and they just uphold their faith.” They all agreed with me. Then, I continued to talk about the many people who were withdrawing from the CCP. One of the women quickly admitted that she was a CCP pioneer member, but she definitely wanted to quit. I felt this lady understood the truth and believed in God, and that she trusted that if she withdrew from the CCP, she would have a good future. She told me, “You are a good person. You speak openly. If other people heard someone talking about them, they would probably hide rather than speak out. I believe what you have told us.”
Later, I analyzed the process of my truth clarification efforts. Why were there different results in these two situations? One person accepted the truth easily, while another one wanted to think about it. I suddenly understood, that when we clarify the truth, it's not so much what we say to others, but how pure our hearts are that determines the outcome. When your heart is pure and without any attachments, and you just want to save people, you can save them with only a few simple words. As Master has said, if you have such virtue, you can save people.
Thus, I understand that when clarifying the truth, a Dafa practitioner's heart plays a major role in determining if sentient beings can be saved. If people don't accept the words that are spoken, or they become fearful or excited, that reflects a Dafa practitioner's heart. If a practitioner is worried that someone will not accept the truth, if they fear evil persecution or approach truth clarification as an ordinary person's task, this will negatively influence the result. Only when we focus on the Fa, cultivate diligently, and use a pure heart to save people, can we truly be successful. We must remember that Master tells us that "Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master." Master eliminates all disturbance only when we achieve the standard and have true virtue. Also, “Yet there is more for a Dafa disciple. Each covers a very large area, which includes many people. If a Dafa disciple's heart is unsteady, it will cause changes in his or her surroundings. When you have fear, for instance, you will find that the sentient beings around you are not quite right. When you change such that your presence is refreshing and uplifting to people, and your mind becomes broad and full of optimism, you will find the things around you to be correspondingly different. When clarifying the truth, when validating the Fa, and when encountering challenges as you do things, adjust yourself and look at things with righteous thoughts. It might just prove to be effective.” (Fa Teaching at the 2009 Washington DC International Fa Conference)
I realize that we need to look inward when clarifying the truth. When we ourselves change, our hearts change, and this results in a change within the environment. Then the sentient beings are saved.