A fellow practitioner recently suggested that we go to the police headquarters and talk to them about Falun Gong. Beside practitioners talking with the police directly, more practitioners would also be needed to send forth righteous thoughts outside the building to ensure a successful effort.
The coordinator notified the practitioners in our area, and a date was set for the visit. It was a good opportunity for our group to work as a team: six practitioners, including me, were to send righteous thoughts near the police headquarters to eliminate interference and improve our overall effort.
A New Understanding of Compassion
We arrived in two cars and parked a short distance from the building. We began sending righteous thoughts to eliminate all evil elements that manipulated the police to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.
After a short time, the other car moved and parked next to the rear entrance of the police station. The driver in my car was touched and quickly parked our car right in front of the main entrance. I realized that both drivers’ xinxing had improved.
Facing several dozen windows and many police officers in the entrance area, I kept sending forth righteous thoughts while repeating in my mind, “Sentient beings, Dafa disciples have come to rescue you today. We offer all of you the opportunity to learn the truth and be saved. Please do not miss this chance!
You have committed so many sins against Falun Gong disciples. How can you ever pay it back? What will you do when the Fa rectifies the human world? Please, treat disciples kindly and give yourselves a chance to pay for your karma!”
Having this thought, I experienced real sympathy for the police for the first time. I felt sad for the tragic future they faced if we could not save them.
I kept sending righteous thoughts and felt my heart move. I realized that the police are none other than the sentient beings who have played a negative role and persecuted us all these years. Why? Because we did not cultivate ourselves well! We did not see them as our own sentient beings! Instead, we treated them as our enemies and avoided them with fear, hatred and human notion to protect ourselves.
If these police officers are weeded out in the Fa-rectification, it’s because we did not do our best to save them. I felt so sad, yet at the same time, I felt that I was expanding to the extent that my compassion could hold all the people in the building. They were not police or bad people anymore, they were just sentient beings needing to be saved.
In the midst of this experience I recalled the title from a practitioner’s experience sharing article, “I Am Willing to Hold Sentient Beings in the Palm of My Hand.”
My tears fell, and I said to Master in my mind, “I was wrong. Please give us one more chance and give these sentient beings one more chance to be saved. They are our sentient beings; we must bring them home.”
My human notions dissolved, and I cried for those sentient beings. In my heart, I knew that they could be saved, and the desire to save them gave me a deeper understanding of true compassion.
Stay Always on the Fa
Recently, I shared my experience with other practitioners. This helped me to further understand a principle: We thought we were part of the Fa, but we did not put the Fa first whenever we met with tribulations! Were we truly responsible to the Fa and all sentient beings? We must, as one body, stay focused on the Fa to truly be effective in doing the three things.
Master told us,
“…what is a Buddha? ‘Tathagata’ is what human beings call someone who’s come with the truth and the power to do what he wants, whereas real Buddhas are guardians of the cosmos and are responsible for all righteous elements in the cosmos.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference”)
I asked myself, “Was I being truly responsible for the righteous elements in the cosmos? Did I let go of myself when our team needed my cooperation? Did I volunteer to harmonize our team’s business? Did I keep doing the morning exercises?”
Many times, I chose to sleep first, fix everyday life’s business, and protect myself when facing the persecution. I found many excuses to delay saving people.
Master said:
“Did you know that in order to save you the Buddha once begged for food among everyday people? Today, I once again make the door wide open, and teach this Dafa to save you. I have never felt bitter for the numerous hardships I have suffered. Then what do you have that still can’t be abandoned? Can you bring to heaven the things deep down inside that you cannot let go of?” (“True Cultivation” from Essentials For Further Advancement)
Master granted us the most holy title in the cosmos – Fa rectification period Dafa disciple. Too many times I’ve held onto my human notions and could not let them go. I did not truly value this most valuable cultivation opportunity. In thinking about all those people I have not helped save, I felt so sad and ashamed of myself before Master.
I wrote this with the sincere hope that fellow practitioners can be more diligent and think very carefully about how to walk the final steps on our path of cultivation. A practitioner should not behave like me, missing so many opportunities before finally deciding to look within.
Master has told us to examine our own shortcomings again and again. We cannot afford to forget that we must do the three things well and be true to our cultivation and Master.
(Clearwisdom)