(Clearwisdom.net) My father passed away three years ago. Although he passed away peacefully and in a composed state of mind, I am left with a regret that I am unable to redeem.
At that time, my home was a site for distribution of truth-clarification materials. My father never hindered us from doing the things necessary to validate Dafa. He would often remind us to keep our eyes sharp and to walk quickly. Sometimes he helped to fold the printed materials. We saw that he had Buddha-nature and tried to persuade him to cultivate Falun Dafa. He said he was too old and did not want to be bothered. Since I did not have a deep understanding of Teacher's Fa-principles of 'saving all sentient beings,' at that time, I never mentioned cultivation to him again.
In August 2001, three months before my father passed away, practitioner Xiao Liu, who often visited my home, was arrested because he went to Beijing to appeal. My father asked me, "What did Xiao Liu and other people shout at Tiananmen Square?" I told him, "They shouted 'Falun Dafa is great and Falun Dafa is righteous'." At that time, my father just said, "Falun Dafa is great." After that, tears ran down his face.
In September 2001, my father was in the hospital due to advanced coronary heart disease. In the hospital, he had no detectable blood pressure, was short of breath and his heartbeat was irregular. However, he was saved by emergency medical treatment. The doctor said it was a miracle. When he left the hospital, my father regained his health very quickly. At that time, we did not realize that it was our merciful Teacher who was giving my father a chance to cultivate. I mistakenly wondered if my father did not wish to cultivate in the next life cycle and thus came back to life by emergency medical treatment. I shared this thought with my father but he said he wished to cultivate Falun Dafa in the next life cycle. Soon after, my father passed away.
Several days later, my niece, who is also a practitioner, dreamed that my father became a man in Heaven. I also had a dream that my father said to me with a smile, "Here we all know Falun Dafa is great!" When I woke up, besides feeling happy, I also felt infinitely sorry and regretful. If I was able to understand the Fa-principles, knowing that Teacher treasures and treats each life with great benevolence, I could have persuaded my father by using the Fa-principles; I believe he could have walked into cultivation and not missed this opportunity of the ages.
In fact, there are still many people who have a great predestined relationship but have not yet attained the Fa (1). One day a fellow practitioner went to visit his relative. When he was leaving, he saw an old lady sitting at the bottom of the stairway. She was frowning heavily and appeared to be suffering from illness. The practitioner clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to her. The old lady said that the practitioner looked familiar and it seemed like she had known him for ages. When the practitioner mentioned the Dafa principles of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance," the old woman's eyes widened and she said with great feeling, "You are the one I was waiting for to send the Fa to me. I really wanted to find this Fa." The practitioner said, "It is Teacher's benevolence. It is Teacher who made the arrangement, and we met." The old lady continued to say, "Because of my bad health, I sometimes felt very upset. I wanted to get angry if I was not satisfied. However, each time before I was about to get angry, I saw a red light run before my eyes and the words, 'be tolerant' appeared in my brain. And in this way, I held my temper." After learning the truth, the old lady said over and over again, "I want to cultivate, I want to cultivate!"
From the two examples, we can see the idea clearly. How many predestined persons have not started on the path of cultivation? How many people should be saved? How many lives don't know the truth? As Falun Dafa practitioners in the Fa-rectification period, saving all beings is the responsibility we are unable to shift onto others. We should treat mercifully those who don't know the truth. How precious their lives are, because they all came for the Fa; how helpless their lives are because they are poisoned and swallowed by lies. How eager their knowing sides are for us to save them.
Teacher said in the article, Let Go of Human Attachments and Save the World's People, "Dafa disciples, don't forsake the magnificent responsibility that has been bestowed upon you in Fa-rectification, and even less should you disappoint those beings, as you are now their only hope for entering the future."
Teacher's Fa-principle has already been very clear. Our pre-historic great wish, our mission and the nature of our lives are to assist Teacher in Fa-rectification. We came here to save all beings, haven't we?
Our merciful Teacher gave us a 'stick wake-up' as a last resort. It was us who did not do a good job. Teacher doesn't want to let any disciple fall behind. Fellow practitioners, do not have Teacher be worried, do not allow any beings to be disappointed, or have ourselves be regretful. We must try to do our best. As long as we have a benevolent heart and the heart to save all beings, as long as there is the Fa and Teacher, we can do anything. Let us not miss this predestined opportunity.
(1) Fa: Law and principles; the teachings of Falun Dafa.