(Minghui.org) When he was young, Fan Zhongyan, a prominent Song Dynasty official and author, met a fortune-teller. He asked, “Do you think I will become a prime minister?” The fortune-teller chuckled and said, “You have a lot of ambition!” Zhongyan was embarrassed, and said, “Then, could you tell me if I will become a doctor?” The fortune-teller was amazed by this youngster's aspirations, to become a prime minister, or the humble but hard job as a doctor. When he asked why, Zhongyan replied, “If I become prime minister, I will be able to save all the nation's people. If I can't be prime minister, then I want to be a doctor, so I can save as many as I can.”

The fortune-teller was very touched, and said, “You have a wish to save people! It's a great wish, and one day, you will be prime minister!” Zhongyan indeed grew up to become a prime minister, a very responsible one. He never forgot his mission, to bring blessings to the people. In one of his famous articles, he wrote, “Be the first to bear hardships, and the last to enjoy comfort.”

We know that every person came to this world for a reason. Unfortunately most people have wallowed in the world's attractions, pursued fame and fortune, and forgotten their original wish. There are a handful who have remembered their missions and striven to save people.

We Falun Dafa practitioners came to this world with the mission of helping Master rectify the Fa and save sentient beings. We should remember our mission, and not simply pursue reaching consummation.

Master told us,

“Clarifying the facts and saving sentient beings are what you need to accomplish. There is nothing else for you to accomplish. There is nothing else in this world that you need to accomplish.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2015 New York Fa Conference”)

“If one always thinks about becoming a Buddha all day, that is a strong attachment. One will never make it if this attachment is not given up. Therefore, cultivation practice is to remove human attachments.” (“Lecture in Sydney”)

How are saving sentient beings and reaching consummation related? I think the only way to fulfill our mission of saving people is by raising our levels and following the requirements of achieving consummation. However, we should keep our mission of saving people foremost in our thoughts, and carry it out every day.

Historical figures have always sacrificed and placed others first. Shakyamuni gave up a throne in order to save sentient beings. Xuanzang, a Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk, endured great hardships, and traveled to India to get Buddha's teachings. Their wish was not to reach consummation, but to save sentient beings. Falun Dafa disciples should have this wish and go beyond just saving ourselves.

Master also said,

“We require you to be a completely extraordinary person, to completely give up your own interests and to be entirely for others. What do those Great Enlightened Beings live for? They’re entirely for others. So my requirements for students are also high, and students improve very quickly, too.” (Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)

Knowing this requirement is the prerequisite to improving ourselves. If our motives are selfish we won't be able to see the deeper meanings of Master's teachings no matter how hard we study. If we focus on saving sentient beings, and are determined to fulfill our missions of saving them, Master will show us the profound meaning of the Fa and guide us.

Some fellow practitioners say that in order to reach consummation, one should just study the Fa. Others say that one can't reach consummation unless one clarifies the facts, or files a lawsuit against Jiang. These thoughts reflect a selfish goal. The great enlightened beings are benevolent and unselfish. Practitioners who only pursue consummation may end up heading in the opposite direction. It's very important to keep our thoughts and hearts pure, focus on our mission, and save sentient beings.