A Resounding Wake-up Call

(Minghui.org) I am 71 and have been practicing Falun Dafa for 20 years. Throughout these years, I have always believed that I have strictly followed Master’s teachings by consistently going out every day to clarify the truth and to save sentient beings.

I don’t take any holidays. Whether it's under the scorching sun, amid fierce winds, heavy rain, or snow, or even during the COVID-19 pandemic, I continue to go out as usual to talk with people about Falun Dafa and the persecution.

I set up a schedule for this work: on weekdays, I visit various supermarkets to speak with people, and on weekends, I visit large squares to speak specifically with students. I speak with them, whether they are in elementary school or in college.

In the first 10 years, the number of people I helped to withdraw from the CCP and its related organizations wasn’t significant, but in the following decade, there was a marked breakthrough, averaging about 10 people a day. With that, I considered myself to be doing reasonably well: not the best, but certainly not the worst. This thinking influenced me for a long time. Yet recently, I have felt that I am making no progress whatsoever, and I cannot seem to pinpoint what I need to correct.

I recently revisited Master’s book Essentials For Further Advancement. As I casually flipped through the pages, I came across the scripture titled “A Dialogue with Time,” which contains a passage featuring a conversation between Master and a deity:

“... Divine Being: Some of them have come looking for the aspect of the Fa that they consider good, but they are unable to let go of the aspect that prevents them from having a complete understanding of the Fa.

“Master: There are also such people among veteran disciples. And the most outstanding evidence of that is that they always compare themselves with humans and with their own past, but fail to examine themselves with the requirements of the Fa at different levels.

“Divine Being: These problems have already become very serious. It would be good if they could manage to search within themselves for the things that they have been able to find in others.

“Master: It’s time for them to become clearheaded so that their environment can turn into one for true cultivation practice, and thus they will be able to become real gods.” (“A Dialogue with Time,” Essentials for Further Advancement).

The conversation about Dafa practitioners left me both stunned and filled with remorse. Wasn’t this a stern warning and a wake-up call for me? I truly felt that Master was right by my side, protecting his disciple at every moment.

Since I began my cultivation, I have noticed that I compare myself to others. I have observed that many Dafa disciples have not yet stepped up to inform people on the facts about Falun Dafa. Some choose not to go out to share facts about Falun Dafa on days designated for group Fa study; some also refrain from going out to talk with people during holidays, festivals, or sudden changes in the weather; others tend to gather in small groups to chat about everyday trivialities.

As a result, I developed the notion that I was “not as good as some, but better than others,” believing I had done quite well. How filthy it was to use fellow practitioners’ perceived shortcomings to mask my own hypocrisy. I arrogantly believed I had already helped people know the truth and saved tens of thousands of people. My attachment to showing off was incredibly strong.

Through studying the Fa, I identified the loopholes in my cultivation. The mindset of comparing myself to other practitioners stems from the Communist Party culture, which became a stumbling block to my breakthrough to a higher level.

By measuring myself against Dafa, I realized these were not thoughts from my true self. I recognized that Dafa and Master used a mighty hammer to deliver a resounding wake-up call, jolting me back to awareness.

Master is saving sentient beings—I merely run errands and speak with people. How could I claim credit for Master’s efforts? Master bestowed this wisdom upon me.

For the past 20 years, Master has guided me every step of the way. Every challenge, every major obstacle, and every breakthrough I’ve made has been achieved under Master’s protection and guidance.

I have switched from a smartphone to a basic phone that only makes calls. From now on, I will study the Fa more, persist in doing the “three things,” and save more people. I will eliminate all human attachments, including the desire to compete, the mentality of showing off, resentment, looking down on others, self-satisfaction, and the desire to save face. I will cultivate myself diligently and earnestly.