(Clearwisdom.net) It began to rain on my way home as I came to an intersection. I accelerated my pace to get home in a hurry. But the rain got heavier. Without an umbrella or raincoat I managed to find an entrance to a trading company and waited under a roof for the rain to abate.
I strolled in the hallway and saw a tricycle with recycled paper in it. A man in his 60's squatted next to it. He was smoking a cigarette while watching the rain. A moment later the rain stopped. I saw more people walking in the street. I turned my head and glanced at him: Should I tell him about the "Quit-CCP" movement? I asked myself. He didn't look like a CCP member to me. I had to get home, so I started on my way out.
After only a few steps my heart felt a jolt. I heard a voice, "Are you a Dafa disciple? Have you done anything to accomplish your historical mission? Do you have to judge people before offering them salvation?"
Ashamed, I turned around and stood before him: "Sir, were you waiting for the rain to stop?" "Yeah, I will collect more recycling paper after the rain stops" he answered calmly. "May I ask you a question? "Have you ever joined the Communist party?" "Yes, I became a member when serving in the military. But I stopped paying my membership years ago." I was ashamed of my previous judgment. How wrong I was!
I took some time to tell him about the quit the CCP wave and the ancient rock in Guizhou Province that split, revealing the words "zhong guo gong chan dang wang" (Chinese Communist Party Dies). I told him of the significance of quitting the CCP to one's life: We individuals quit the CCP, not for showing our political position. Since the Party has committed so much evil, the heavens will destroy it. Anyone who joined the Party in the past should make a statement to declare his/her withdrawal, so that when the heavens destroy the party, those who quit will not be destroyed along with it.
The man listened carefully and then asked, "What should I do to count myself out of the Party membership?" I told him the procedure, and he asked me to come up with an alias for him and help him complete a Quit the CCP statement. He thanked me, then asked, "My children and grandchildren also joined the Communist Youth League and Young Pioneers. I want them out of those organizations. Can you help?" I told him to post their statement to quit in public places, or even write the statement on paper money and then spend the money (to put it into circulation). I also told him to ask any Falun Gong practitioner to help publish the statement online. He was very grateful, "Wonderful! This is an important thing. I will ask them to quit right away."
Master said,
"Whether it be those that they represent, or the dimensions and sentient beings that they correspond to themselves, they're all major groups of beings." (Touring North America to Teach the Fa)
But I almost missed this opportunity to offer a sentient being salvation because of my biased notion. I was really falling short of Master's requirement.
I began to practice cultivation in 1996. Cultivation has taught me to look at my own faults whenever things happen. This is a basic requirement for practitioners. However, I still could not stop setting my priorities based on personal preference. For instance, when I read Minghui articles, I pay extra attention to persecution incidents in my local area. When I read of a local incident, I sent righteous thoughts, made phone calls, sent emails, wrote letters to clarify the truth. I really put my heart into it. My effort was also effective in exposing evildoing people's conduct and deterring them from committing further crimes. But when I read about things happening in other areas, I thought local practitioners in that area should take more responsibility, and I didn't have to pay much attention to it. Once I realized my attitude about this, I decided to change. Now I will do everything based on Dafa's priority and the needs of all practitioners.
Once, I planned to compile a booklet about the persecution in our area. When I mentioned this to a local coordinator, the practitioner told me that others were working on this already. I replied that I wouldn't want to duplicate their effort and would not pursue this project. The coordinator said, "You have editing expertise, and have the wish to do it. Why limit your focus to one location? Dafa practitioners in the world are one body; as long as it helps to validate Dafa, no matter what project, you should go ahead and do it. When saving sentient beings, we should not let personal preference dictate our priorities."
These words hit me right on. Indeed, we are all validating the Fa. It does not matter who does it; it's the same. Why did I limit myself to projects of my choice? Other areas also need practitioners to help. Master said,
"...when it comes to saving sentient beings, there's no separation of responsibilities into those that are mine versus those that aren't. You can't distinguish them. That'd be having thoughts of differentiating, and that's not the compassion of a Great Enlightened Being." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")
Now when I read Minghui articles about other areas in need of materials, such as booklets and flyers, I will actively participate in the editing and compiling. I have done this for the past several years. It was my responsibility as a Dafa disciple to do the work. The materials help to expose the evildoers in those areas and clarify the facts to the people.
Master told us,
"Dafa disciples are one body, and I affirm everything they have been doing during Fa-rectification-they are all doing what Dafa disciples should do. Different approaches are in fact the all-encompassing way in which roles are dynamically distributed in the operations of the Fa, and the Fa-power is a reflection of the one body." (Master's comment on a Student's Article, February 16, 2003)
Each Dafa practitioner is a Dafa particle while validating our practice. Clarifying the truth and saving people requires our cooperation. Any attachment, such as showing off, zealotry, relying on others and personal preference will become hurdles in our efforts to save people. We can only take the Fa as the Teacher, truly look inside ourselves for problems, and constantly correct our shortcomings. Only then can we achieve greater results and fulfill our sacred, historical mission.
March 29, 2009