(Clearwisdom.net) 2007 was my first year of directly clarifying the truth to people. I learned so much during my personal cultivation and my Fa-rectification cultivation last year. Fellow practitioners that work for the Clearwisdom website, I thank you for assisting Teacher with the Fa-rectification, your reports on the persecution of Falun Gong in China, your reports on how warmly Falun Gong has been received in so many countries around the world, the presentation of traditional Chinese culture during this final period of the kalpa's end, and so many touching stories of Falun Dafa practitioners. I have learned through my personal experiences that more and more people started to practice Falun Dafa in 2007, even though you can't tell this on the surface. These people generally have good educational backgrounds and are from the middle class. I was so glad to see this.
However, I have to point out our shortcomings with a heavy heart. Some fellow practitioners were not willing to take on hardships. They still pursued fame, physical interests, and sentimentality. They didn't learn from others' diligence. They thought highly of themselves and belittled others. They pushed others to look inside. Sometimes this happened due to the practitioners' educational backgrounds, economic conditions, and their lifestyles. More often, however, it was because they couldn't get rid of the notion of self during the Fa-rectification cultivation. They had a strong attachment of fear. They were still very attached to the interests in ordinary society. They were attracted by the magnificence of the Fa, but they couldn't handle the three things that we need to do. They didn't clarify the truth in depth, yet they claimed that everyday people were so lost. Because of these narrow-minded thoughts and laziness, many Chinese people in the lower classes haven't learned the truth yet. As Teacher's Fa-rectification is making breakthroughs into this surface of ordinary society, many of these people have started to wake up on their own. When you give them Falun Dafa books, they accept them. When you ask them what they think of Falun Dafa, they say they also practice the Falun Dafa exercises and study the Fa. When you clarify the truth to them, they smile and say, "I never did trust the Chinese Communist Party. Anything that it criticizes must be good. Therefore, just tell me what Falun Gong really is and how to learn it. I have some illnesses." Their understanding of Falun Dafa is somewhat basic, just like what people thought of the practice before the persecution started.
I once visited a booth that was selling used books. There were about 20 copies of Falun Dafa books, and they sold out very quickly. A few young men talked about the books excitedly, "Falun Gong is so powerful. Practicing Falun Gong is so cool." Teacher said in "Who Dares Renounce Human Attachments?" in Hong Yin Volume 1:
"While the ordinary man might
long for Immortaldom,
Behind the unbelievable wonders
lies wrenching sorrow;
It takes cultivating the mind,
severing desires,
casting off attachments,
Lest man be lost in his ordeals
and gripped with deep regret."
As everyday people, they didn't really understand what cultivation is. They were excited like kids as they talked about these supernormal things. Then they left with the Dafa books.
Rain or shine, scorching sun or snowstorms, I always go clarify the truth to people. When I see people struggling and crying in this world, yet still with some degree of conscience, I feel for them. We haven't done a good job. Really, we haven't! Many everyday people understand us and treat us nicely. They hold a calm and tolerant heart. To some degree, they even do better than some of our practitioners. But they haven't started to practice Dafa. I often see retired seniors in the parks. They talk about Falun Gong among themselves and seem to know more than what the "Minghui Weekly" reports. They discuss issues that Falun Gong practitioners have regarding how to handle money and sentimentality. What they have pointed out are indeed our shortcomings. We also shouldn't hold grudges against policemen and treat them as enemies. Dafa doesn't have enemies. Teacher has so much compassion. We should not give up on any sentient beings. Let's be strict with ourselves when doing anything. Do not leave too much regret behind. Fortunately, we still have some time to correct our mistakes.
When saving sentient beings, we must not ignore our personal cultivation during the Fa-rectification period. Otherwise, we won't be able to cooperate with each other well. Given the current progress of Fa-rectification, it must be our own issues if we can't make breakthroughs in an area where we should. I am not just talking about others, as I myself have these shortcomings as well.
There is no time for us to waste when we save sentient beings. The second wave of Falun Dafa practitioners is coming!
