(Clearwisdom.net) A few days ago I went to the countryside to distribute information that clarifies the truth about Falun Gong. I met an older person who told me a cultivation story. I felt quite touched, so I wrote it down. Hopefully this might be helpful to those practitioners who have not stepped forward during Fa-rectification.
Once upon a time there was a kind old woman. She was a vegetarian Buddhist and cultivated at home. One day, when she was reading a scripture at home, she heard someone selling incense. She came out to buy incense so that she could later show her respect to Buddha. When she came into the street, she saw that the incense seller was a Buddhist monk. The old woman was happy. She thought it must be a superior, predestined relationship to be able to buy from a monk. She saluted the monk and said, "Please weigh 2 jin (jin, a unit of weight, equals about ½ kilogram [1 lb]) of incense." The monk grabbed a handful of incense from his pocket and said, "These weigh 2 jin." The old woman did not believe it. She wanted to weigh it at home before she paid. The monk said, "Go ahead. Do as you please." The old woman took the incense home and weighed it. It was exactly 3 jin. She thought, "Since he said it was 2 jin, I will give him the money for 2 jin. He won't know it anyway." She came out and told the monk, "Master, you have very good eyes. It is exactly 2 jin." The monk accepted the money for 2 jin worth of incense from the old woman and walked away toward the west.
There was a tavern not far from there. The monk came to rest. After he sat down he bought a jar of wine and a roasted leg of pig. He ate and drank by himself. The old woman put away the incense. She was elated to have gained some temporary advantage. After she burned some of the incense and had prayed to the Buddha, she went to visit her neighbor. She walked past the tavern and saw the monk eating meat and drinking wine by himself. She felt this was strange and thought, "Is it good to have bought incense from such a monk and then burn the incense for the Buddha?" She walked up to him and greeted him, "A monk should follow the precepts and concentrate on cultivation. You are a monk. Why do you eat meat and drink wine? Are you a fake monk?" The monk wasn't angry at all when he heard these words. He smiled and said, "Madam, please sit down and listen to some words from me. You would benefit from it if you could enlighten to it. Please listen. 'Madam, you cultivate your speech, but not your heart! You have mistaken 3 jin of mine for 2 jin. The old monk cultivates his heart, not his mouth. I eat meat and drink wine." The old woman felt very ashamed and deeply blamed herself. She thought for quite a while and wanted to ask for more advice. But when she looked up, there was no one else there. She realized that it was a Buddha having come down to enlighten her. She got down on her knees to worship. Since then, the old woman was awakened. She set her heart straight and cultivated in the name of goodness. After a few years, she succeeded in cultivation.
Today, Fa-rectification is rapidly and strongly advancing. It is sweeping out all the evil old forces, dark minions and rotten demons. The speed is like a thousand miles a day. The time that Master gave us to do the Three Things well - study the Fa, clarify the truth and send righteous thoughts - is getting less everyday. The time that has elapsed will not come back. But have our hearts that carry attachments been washed and corrected day by day? Have we upgraded ourselves again and again, every day? Have we done what Master told us to do for the sake of goodness during Fa-rectification?
There are some practitioners in my area who have not yet stepped forward. They don't understand the Fa on the basis of Fa. They don't use the Fa to look for the reason that they cannot work hard in cultivation. On the contrary, they restrain themselves with ordinary people's thoughts, such as "not seeking for success and just making sure to make no mistakes." They don't even actively do what they can do individually for Fa-rectification. They just don't want to get into trouble, go to a labor camp, or write the "three repentance statements." They are not thinking about their being a Fa -rectification period Dafa disciple and are not thinking of their responsibilities. Can they be qualified Dafa disciples? Can our great Master take them home?
Assist Master in Fa-rectification, offer people salvation, eliminate all evils and complete our cultivation! Practitioners, let's do what we can! There is no formality to constrain us in assisting Master in Fa-rectification. It doesn't matter how big or small a thing is. It doesn't matter how old you are. Just do what you can, and there is no obstacle that you cannot overcome! When you have truly taken your first step, you will feel very natural. When you have given up all attachments, you will feel quite at ease.
As Dafa disciples, Dafa disciples in Fa-rectification, and also as cultivators that surpass everyday people, we can never pay back the infinite magnificence that Master has given us. Today, when Master and Dafa are being defamed, how can we not genuinely step forward out of our own initiative? For the sake of our prehistoric, great covenant, let's give up all attachments, strengthen our righteous thoughts and assist Master in Fa-rectificatio.