(Minghui.org) During this precious period of Fa-rectification, I often think that we practitioners are all doing the same task of telling people the facts about Falun Dafa, and offering them salvation, so why do the results of saving people vary? Why do some practitioners have better results in saving sentient beings than others? Of course the difference could be due to many reasons, including the approach one uses while talking about Dafa, or the person listening to the facts may have different misunderstandings of Dafa. The attitude of the person clarifying the facts could also affect the results. Another important factor is the behavior of the practitioner while he or she explains the facts. This, in fact, is a true manifestation of the mind nature or xinxing of the practitioner. This may directly affect the results and success of truth clarification.
One day I talked about the facts of Falun Dafa and the persecution to an elderly couple at the market. Although they thought what I said made sense, they did not totally agree with how wonderful Falun Dafa is, and they gave me an example. They went to the market to buy beans and saw an old lady there also buying beans. While choosing beans, the old lady told the bean seller the facts about Falun Dafa. Initially the bean seller listened attentively, but later he slowly turned his eyes to the lady's hands. He watched as she put the good beans into her bag and pushed the poorer beans aside. The bean seller became very unhappy, and started frowning. In the end the bean seller could no longer contain his anger. He scolded the old lady and said, "You are very good at talking about Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, but do your actions reflect your words? You picked the good beans and left the poorer ones. Now who will I sell the poor ones to? Are you being a good person? You should stop talking." After the old lady paid for the beans and left, the bean seller continued to make fun of her and criticized her because she did not act according to the standard she was promoting. Do you think he believed what the old lady told him?
Of course this practitioner may have cultivated very well in other areas. Perhaps she thought that being picky while buying goods is normal and is what everyone does. She didn't realize the consequence of her actions. Perhaps she did very well in other major matters and paid little attention to these minor matters. But these minor matters can truly reflect a cultivator's cultivation level, and may also directly affect whether a sentient being can be saved. It seems that practitioners who still think and act this way should first rid themselves of the decadent moral values and actions of everyday people who are "conscious of major matters and disregard minor matters." They should be strict about following Master's Fa principles, "...he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details." (“Sage” from Essentials for Further Advancement) We should cultivate our every word and action as well as our every thought and notion.
To put it another way, if we don't cultivate ourselves well, even if our words seem reasonable, they will not carry the power of Dafa. How then can we eliminate the evil elements behind people that are controlling them? If the evil elements are not eliminated, the evil will control everyday people so that they reject the facts about Dafa. Then how will we be able to save the person?
In clarifying the truth to business owners, if our behavior is upright and righteous, the results will be good. Practitioner A told us a story. Once when he went to buy eggs, he found that one egg on top of the rest was dirty and it had a crack the size of a bean. He picked the egg up and put it aside. The egg seller thought that the practitioner would be like everyone else and not take this egg, so he ignored the practitioner while he was talking to him about how wonderful Dafa was. In the end the practitioner picked up the cracked egg, smiled, and said, "I want this egg, too. I put it aside to keep it from being crushed." As he said this, he put the egg into the box with the other eggs. This extraordinary act moved the stall owner. He said, "This egg has been rejected by many buyers. Practitioners really are different from other people. You told me that Falun Dafa is good, and now I really do believe you."
The value of one bean or one egg is really too small to mention, but these situations can demonstrate the consideration of practitioners toward others, and show that they take monetary gains lightly, thus reflecting their cultivation level. Consider that if a cultivator cannot let go of loss and gain regarding a single bean or egg, then how will he be able to change fundamental issues as a cultivator? If we don't change ourselves fundamentally and improve, how will we be able to assist Master in Fa-rectification and fulfill our mission to save sentient beings? Even if an everyday person accepts the facts you tell him, he may not be saved. This may even be a factor that determines whether you can reach consummation.
Master solemnly pointed out in “Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference,”
"Without your improvement, nothing can be achieved, and that includes saving sentient beings. If you fail to improve and achieve Consummation, where will the sentient beings that you save go? Who will take them? Why not look at things that way?"
Only if we steadily and solidly cultivate ourselves will we be able to truly save sentient beings.
