Study the Fa to Save Sentient Beings

By a practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net) The following paragraphs stood out to me yesterday while I read "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York."

"Why is it that you don't feel as good now reading the book as you did before? It's not that the Fa isn't powerful anymore. It's that the requirements are higher, and that Dafa disciples must do all three things well before they will see improvement.

Some people who started studying the Fa in the earlier period say that they read the book at home and that they won't go out and do the things that Dafa disciples must do. I'm thinking that those people are not too far away from having a wicked understanding, and they are lucky if they haven't begun to stray. Over the past few years, Dafa disciples have been validating the Fa amidst the persecution and saving beings through clarifying the truth. Those people won't improve at all, no matter how much they may read the book at home. If you don't do the things that Dafa disciples should do, not only won't you improve, but you will only slide downwards."

I was deeply moved. I've read those words more than once before, but why did I not pay attention to them?

I have been studying the Fa and doing the exercises with my fellow practitioners in the evening for a while now. I distribute truth-clarification materials about two times a week. I have felt that I have been diligent, and I am comfortable with what I have been doing. Now there seems to be a large discrepancy when I compare what I have been doing to Master's requirements!

I asked myself, "What is the purpose of studying the Fa? Is it for protecting myself from persecution and raising my cultivation level, or is it for saving sentient beings and helping Master's Fa-rectification? What is the basis of my cultivation?" Teacher once said,

"Except for newer students, from July 20, 1999 on, Master hasn't created any personal cultivation tests for you, and that's because overall your personal cultivation has changed in every respect so that it's in the direction of saving sentient beings and validating Dafa." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference")

While I was reflecting, I asked myself, "Is my focus still on personal cultivation but not on saving sentient beings?" Am I complacent about the amount of assimilating into Dafa I have done, and therefore think that I am escaping elimination? Isn't that equivalent to the old forces' "selfishness?"

I am not saying that it is not important to study the Fa, but we must keep in mind that the purpose of studying the Fa is to save sentient beings and to help Master to rectify the Fa. We must do well and keep in our hearts the thought of saving beings and work hard at our mission. As Master said, "Saving beings should permeate every single aspect of your daily lives at this time." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")

I recommend that Fa study groups arrange their time well. We can no longer afford to spend the majority of our time studying the Fa like we did prior to the persecution. We must find time to do the three things well. Let us remember what Teacher said,

"Right now, one important thing that needs to be attended to is the matter of how to save more sentient beings, and it is something Dafa disciples are to accomplish during their current process of achieving Consummation. This is Dafa disciples' mission, a duty that cannot be shirked, something that they must do and must complete." ("Fa Teaching at the 2007 New York Fa Conference")

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/6/5/156265.html

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