The Importance of Placing Others First

(Minghui.org) I sometimes cultivated well but other times I haven’t. I’m 61 years old and I attended primary school in the seventies. At that time, people were relatively simple. My primary school’s class adviser was very serious. Every time we submitted our homework he tidied up our exercise books so they were flat and straight. He read novels to us during our class breaks. During our physical education classes, he stuffed wild medicinal herbs that he'd planted, into my basket. I sold them and used the money to buy textbooks. My family worked hard and was frugal and avoided spending money.

He taught me how to do accounting and I became the class accountant. I learn about expenditure and income. He was a serious and responsible teacher who cared for and protected his students. After I began practicing Falun Dafa I wanted to help him quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) but I did not get the chance.

One day, I was on my way back to visit my family when I saw him tidying his land near the road. I stopped my car and walked towards him. After we chatted, I started to clarify the truth. I talked about the corruption of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the goodness of Falun Dafa and how millions of Chinese quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations. I suggested he quit. However, he did not want to. I felt anxious and talked as tears welled up in my eyes,

“You’ve been so good to me but I have no way to repay you. I just want to ask you to quit the CCP and its affiliations so you won’t be held accountable for its crimes. Please quit!” The teacher was touched and said, “Okay!” With that, another life has been saved!

I later met the teacher’s sister who practiced Falun Dafa. She said that no matter how she explained, her brother refused to quit the CCP. I understood that if I really wanted to save him, Master would empower me and help me. I just need to have this wish and the actual person who saved him is Master.

Nothing Is Coincidental

I always wanted to help a former high school classmate quit the CCP. When we were in school the other students ostracized her and gossiped about her. I was kind and sympathized with her so she was very grateful. After I graduated from university I heard that she was teaching at a technical secondary school in a provincial capital. My last contact with her was during the eighties when I got married. I wondered how I could find her. I knew which village she lived in and I had the wish to save her.

I was near that village when I left work. I noticed a tofu seller by the road, so I asked him for directions. When I finally reached it I asked a villager if she knew my old friend. She said my being there was so coincidental because my friend was supposed to return that day. I followed her directions and found my classmate. We hadn’t seen each other for many years, so we chatted. As soon as I started to clarify the truth and mentioned quitting the CCP she said, “I’ve wanted to quit for a long time but I didn’t know how.” I immediately realized that Master had arranged everything.

When I later recalled what happened, I wondered how I'd managed to find her. I didn’t know exactly where her village was or her family members’ names. I also did not have her phone number. She said that she originally planned to leave the day before but suddenly did not feel like leaving. I said, “If you left yesterday, I would not have been able to meet you. You were waiting for me to come and help you quit the CCP.” I understand that Master already made the arrangement—we just need to carry it out.

One Selfish Thought Caused Him to Lose the Opportunity to be Saved

I went to the market with another practitioner. The prices had escalated crazily and vegetables were very expensive. But I was happy to hear that the price of long beans dropped to three yuan per pound. When we walked to the center of the market we saw some fresh long beans and I decided to buy some. But when we learned that they cost four yuan per pound, I no longer want to buy them.

The other practitioner said, “We should buy some so we can clarify the truth to the vendor.” Master used the practitioner’s words to enlighten me but I did not understand it at the time. I clarified the truth to two other vegetable sellers and I was able to help them quit the CCP before I returned to the long bean seller. However, when I began talking he turned his head and told me not to talk to him about that because he didn’t want to hear it. The other practitioner also talked to him but he still did not agree to quit the CCP and its affiliations. In the end, we left.

As we walked away, I said, “I understand why he didn’t quit. My thoughts were incorrect. I felt his long beans were too expensive so I did not buy them. My attachment to selfishness blocked him, so he did not quit.” I was filled with regret!

Thinking about it in detail, why was I able to save my teacher and that classmate? It was because my thoughts were very righteous at that time. I just wanted to save them and I did not think about myself. However, in regards to the bean seller I was worried about spending too much money (loss and gain). Master tried to enlighten me through the practitioner’s words but I did not understand. I was so selfish! My self-centered attachment took the lead!

Master asked us to have “selflessness and altruism” (“Non-Omission in Buddha-Nature,” Essentials for Further Advancement) but my first thought was not about others. I did not do well in my cultivation so I didn’t do well in saving people. I felt ashamed of myself!

Master, I thank you for your benevolent enlightenment! Your Fa awakened me. Only through studying the Fa more, studying the Fa well, cultivating myself well and sincerely thinking about others can we save more people and can follow Master to our true homes!