PureInsight | February 18, 2007
[PureInsight.org] I read a story that shook me up a lot. Here is that story:
Li Lingpu was the prime minister of China under the reign of Emperor
Xuan during the Tang Dynasty. One day he met a Taoist monk. The monk
told him, "I have traveled in the human world for five hundred years.
You are the first person I have met who has a predestined relationship
with godhood. If you want to cultivate, you will be able to reach
consummation and fly away in broad daylight. If you don't want to
cultivate, you can be the prime minister with a lot of power for 20
years. Why don't you go back and think about which one you want to
choose?"
Li went back and thought about it. He decided that he still wanted to
be the prime minister. When the Taoist monk heard it, he was very sad.
He told Li, "It took me 500 years to find someone like you. Yet you are
so attached to power and money in the human world. You have missed your
opportunity. How sad it is!" As soon as Li heard the Taoist Monk's
words, he felt remorseful and wanted to change his mind. But the monk
said, "All the gods have heard your choice. You can no longer change
your decision." The monk urged Li to help as many people as he could
and not kill any innocent people while serving as the prime minister.
The monk told Li that he would be given another chance to cultivate in
300 years.
But while serving as Prime Minister, Li used shameful tactics to
eliminate his enemies. Many people were wrongly punished, and ordinary
people suffered a lot. One day, Li met the Taoist monk again. He
immediately knelt down to pay his respects. The monk said, "Back when
we first met, I urged you to accumulate virtue and yet you have
wrongfully killed good people. The gods in heaven know everything and
the punishments they deal out are terrifying." Li became afraid. He
begged the monk for mercy repeatedly and then asked him, "Back then,
you told me that I would have another opportunity to ascend to heaven
in 300 years. Is it still the case?" The monk said, "What you have done
is against the will of heaven. It will take you another 300 years and a
total of 600 years before you get another chance." Li felt very
remorseful but it was too late.
Because of one wrong thought, Li had lost his chance to ascend to
heaven for 600 years. I was very shaken by the story because it
reminded me that the every single thought that a cultivator has toward
people and things in her daily life is very crucial. If one relaxes
just a little bit, she might drift along with the current and become
lost. As she goes through her busy daily life, she might end up losing
her desire to be diligent and no longer set strict requirements over
her xinxing standard. She might end up causing irreparable and
unimaginable damage to the truth clarification effort.
A week ago, my mother-in-law underwent an operation to remove her
gallstone. She needed someone to take care of her. My father-in-law
also needed help. So I went to their home in the countryside to take
care of them. Before I left, I told myself that I mustn't cause delays
in my truth clarification efforts while I was away. I kept reminding
myself to remain diligent. I had originally planned to stay with them
for almost a full month until the Chinese New Year. But one day my
sister-in-law suddenly asked me when I wanted to go back to my family
in the city. I didn't shirk my responsibility toward the care of my
in-laws, but I still placed the Three Things that Master asks us to do
as most important. During my time in the countryside, I had more time
to study the Fa and send righteous thoughts. In the past, my husband's
family always wanted me to spend more time taking care of my in-laws
because I am a housewife and don't have a job. Yet, this time, my two
sisters-in-law took turns using their vacation time to care for my
in-laws and urged me to return to my family in the city. When it was
once again my turn to take care of my in-laws, the semester was already
over at my husband's school, and he had a long winter vacation. He knew
the importance of my Dafa work. So he went to the countryside to take
care of his parents, and let me stay in the city to continue my truth
clarification work.
While I was at the countryside, I did everything I could to remain
diligent. I studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts whenever I
could. When my father-in-law was at the hospital undergoing kidney
dialysis, I had a little free time, which I used to go to an Internet
café and clarify the truth to people in Mainland China over the
Internet. Because I felt that I couldn't remain in the countryside
without causing delay to my Dafa work, I ended up with more free time
to do the things that I wanted to do, and also opportunities to come
back to the city. I truly understood that as long as I have a diligent
heart, Master will create many opportunities for me to make
contributions to Dafa.
Master said in Guiding the Voyage, ""Cherish the present time and make
the best use of it--this time is meant for the disciples." I always
remember these words from Master. I keep reminding myself that the life
that I have is due to the efforts of many people I don't dare to waste
anytime, and don't dare not to be diligent!
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/2/15/42278.html
