After the government determined Dafa was an evil cult, many practitioners stepped forward to speak out to the government for Dafa. They have created a new realm of cultivation in a most difficult situation. I hope those thoughts will encourage you and myself. Please point out my drawbacks openly.
Break those restrictions in protecting Fa, Find our own righteous way
On October 27th, TV stations broadcast that Dafa had been determined an evil cult, and the disruption toward Dafa had gone to an extreme. With our previous experience sharing, we all knew that we should step out before this big test when the cosmic climate evolved to such a state. No organizers were needed.
Since the way to Appealing Bureaus had been blocked, the only way to perfect and harmonize Fa at the level of ordinary people seemed to be going to the highest authorities to appeal and exercise our rights entitled by the constitution and law with our benevolent words and action. Even criminals can appeal, so there is nothing wrong with this in the legal sense. My whole family started off the next morning with some practitioners who lived in my house. My work was taken care of and I had talked to my relatives, so there was nothing to worry about. I would be happy even to sacrifice my life for Dafa. I had thought that there would be tens of thousands of practitioners there. But when it came time to start the day, there were not many people before the parliament. Many practitioners were watching at a distance. In the afternoon, everybody seemed to have left. In my confusion, I met several practitioners and wanted to calm down to discuss.
One said: in Admonitory Remarks, it is said that: ...take advantage of powerful external factors. This can never transform your human nature into Buddha-nature. Are we going to follow only after everybody has stepped out for Dafa? Are we going to fail without powerful external factors? Isnt this like copying others exam paper? This is not really meeting the standard. Not to stand out is not to stand out. His words awakened us: the pattern of appealing in group was restricting us; everybody was blocked by this mentality. Todays situation is helping us to break through this mentality. Isnt it human thought to analyze situations or to consider effects? Somebody wanted to use this to catch all of us, but we are using them to cultivate and to fulfill our promise. As part of Dafa, what would a selfless and altruistic enlightened man do in this tribulation of Fa? Cultivation is manifested in action. Another practitioner said, three practitioners who are lawyers went to the parliament to appeal. We followed them. They walked faster and faster. We were unable to keep up with them. They were arrested on the stairs, so we stopped and left. After that, nobody stepped out. Maybe they were upset that there were not so many people, so they stepped out themselves.
Only after she repeated the details three times, did I realize that: This is telling us that we are too slow on our way of cultivation. So we cant keep up with them. This time and environment are for cultivation. When those who can reach the standard have reached the standard, this environment will not be needed. All gods are looking at us. One said that there were very few practitioners who could step out in his area, so he wanted to go back and encourage everybody. My area did not have this problem, but some practitioners tended to rely on others. I remembered Buddha Minazibas thoughts in his cultivation: the best inspiration that can be left to practitioners is diligent cultivation. Some other practitioners felt the same. They left their jobs and families behind and encouraged lots of practitioners; they rectified deviation time after time, understood Master Lis hints and went through the tribulation of detention. Now they would take the tribulation first. They deserve to be the elite of Dafa. That was a windy and cold day. I remembered the ancient poem: Wind is blowing and the river is cold, courageous men left without returning. But we were harmonizing Fa with our benevolent side and finishing our exam paper. We all learned a lot from this discussion. When I mentioned this discussion to some practitioners from my area, some understood, but some didnt see their relying on others, some thought a lot to analyze the situation, got trapped in human analysis and arrangement and still thought about so and so for human. Why not let it go?
We all had the right understanding recently, especially we all knew those two stories: One practitioner saw Master Li in his boat of Fa. They waited eagerly. But Master shook his head and left with a tear. He cried: Master, I will step out! Another practitioners Yuanshen rose to a certain level during his trance. God there asked him: When Fa has tribulations and your Master is suffering, what are you doing? He said: I am firm with genuine cultivation at home. He dropped down right after his words. Many practitioners were asked this question. The hint is like this and we have seen the film of the tribulation Sakyamunis disciples experienced. Why cant we do it before a real test? Am I wrong? No. We are enlightened based on Fa and there is no human stuff. I didnt do well previously and didnt fulfil my responsibility to practitioners. So I will do it well this time. In the part of purifying body in Zhuan Falun, it is said: When you feel very uncomfortable, it indicates that things will turn around after reaching the extreme point, and your whole body will be purified. It must be completely purified. The cause of your illness has been removed except for this bit of black Qi that will come out on its own so that you will endure a little tribulation as well as some pain. It is not permitted if you do not endure anything at all. I realized that it is the same to purify the human world and endurance cant be avoided during tribulation of Dafa. So I will endure it, and temper myself in the hardest situation in order to awaken others and build mighty virtue for Dafa. When I step out, I will do it right and not to let anybody pick out bones from eggs, and it is also a test of my enlightenment. On my way, I saw a few practitioners raise a banner and lots of policemen approached them and beat them. I remembered Masters saying they have no slogan and no banner when he answered journalists questions. So I went directly to the parliament. I gave up all the worries naturally. Several practitioners followed me. With policemen's beatings, there was no feeling of pain. In the police station, I saw those practitioners who had previously developed the right understanding together with me. More practitioners joined us continuously. Some had gone to appeal, some practiced on the Square, some were arrested in a search, some identified themselves and walked into the police car. I understood another point: heart is the most important to do things righteously. Everybody has a righteous heart! Certain ways of doing things gave a handle to ordinary people. This may also be a tribulation to pass as well.
The Falun Dafa Conference in prison
In one prison cell, people who are detained are all Falun Dafa practitioners. Some of them had not eaten for two days. Among them, there was a 4-year-old, 6-year-old, 11-year-old, and an old couple in their 70s, many of them came in families. Later, a young couple was also detained holding a 3-year-old baby, I could not bear any more but broke into tears; Later, an 80-year-old old man was brought in, he was carried onto the police car while he was doing the meditation in Tiananmen Square. Even when his hands were trampled by the boots of the policemen, he still kept doing the meditation exercise; Later, several practitioners who had been interrogated and tortured came one after another . . . there were more and more people. At one time, the prison cell of 20 square meters was crowded with up to 150 practitioners. Some of them were taken away by local police stations or police from other parts of the country, and more and more people continued to be detained and brought in. People here said that when the TV station had broadcast Falun Gong as anEvil Cult, many practitioners from other parts of the country who came to appeal, stepped out to defend Dafa, on the same night. Nearly 10,000 people were detained. On that night, a spy pretended to be a journalist at different places to see practitioners who came to Beijing to appeal from other parts of the country. Afterwards, 4000 practitioners were detained by policemen. These are the things that happened in the recent two days. The detained practitioners included people from all walks of life, there are many who are intellectuals: teachers, students and scientists from Qinghua University and Beijing University; Master and Ph.D. students of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; college students from other parts of the country. There was a young girl whom we had suspectedwas a spy, because there appeared to be some problem with her behavior and her understanding of the principles of the Dafa. But, this time, she stepped out bravely, her firm resolution touched peoples hearts. But, those who had suspected her went back after they watched. It is said in Dafa: Yet, in the midst of crucial tests, a great cultivator is able to give up his ego and all of his ordinary human thinking. Cultivation is action. This is a good lesson to all of us. Someone asked me: Why there are so few Beijing practitioners? There were only some Beijing practitioners here. Looking at the pure hearts of non-local practitioners, our Beijing practitioners seemed to have very complicated minds, especially our intellectuals who had been using brains all the time. One practitioner said: No wonder I dreamed that all of us came here and wanted to go with master, but master said: wait for the Beijing practitioners. From this, I realized in Dig Out The Roots: At the crucial moment, you don't follow me when I ask you to break with the human side. Maybe it is the truth in another dimension, not like what I understood before just an analogy. Of course, some practitioners have stepped out in other forms, some are still in prisons. Someone shared the experience of Qinghua University, many practitioners continued to step out to defend Dafa and endure in this tribulation, and they could do nothing to them. But, in some places, only several practitioners stepped out, they naturally became the targets of serious attacks. In this most inferior place of the human society, a peaceful and harmonious environment was created, and the dignified and sacred Dafa conference had been held. Practitioners melt in the experience sharing. Then, group practice, group reciting of Lun Yu, Hong Yin and Essentials for Further Advances. Some practitioner said: Here is really the paradise.
Harsh Environment, Rare Examination
After I was interrogated, I knew my whole family would probably all have the same fate. In Lectures in The United States, it is said: If we can disseminate the Fa smoothly in such a rigid society, spreading the Fa in any society in the future can probably be done without suffering any losses. Now, I am in the prison again, I have understood more clearly that this is creating and examining the Fa that I will accomplish, and at the same time this is also establishing the great virtue of Dafa. There is only opportunity. There were 5 to 6 interrogations, under the high pressure, I was calm and peaceful according to the standards of Dafa: I am a person who will not say what I do not want to say. But what I have said will have to be true. Not even one sentence should be taken advantage of by demons. I was not swayed by the ordinary peoples sentimentality, stood firm on the side of the master, and spoke from the perspective of Dafa. For any thing that might involve others, I would say: I dont want to involve other people. As an assistant, all the things in the past are done by me, others who occasionally participated were just helping me. I will assume all the responsibilities, but I did not violate the law. I kindly refuse to sign my name on the arrest warrant. According to the clauses of the law, I did not violate any law. Under this severe test, what I though of was not the consequences, but the realm which I could comprehend.
Locked up for more than 10 hours, there was no feeling of hunger. After I was detained, I did not eat for 9 days and also did not want to eat. There was a little feeling of hunger, but it passed away very quickly, my brain was sober all the time. I knew the substance of hunger could not have much of a restriction on me. As long as my mind was right, there was no problem. On the third day, I fainted one time, but still thought in my mind When it is impossible to do it, it is possible to do it. When it reached the sixth day which the ordinary people consider to be the limit, I wrote a statement: . My injustice is just a miniature of Dafas injustice. If I die, I wish to devote my life to call for redress for master, for Dafa and for those practitioners who are wrongly treated. After I turned in the statement, I was even calmer. I did not have any antagonistic speech, just kindly told what was on my mind. This is also under the extreme situation, using a hunger strike to express my wishes and only used benevolence. There was no wish to antagonize at all. People in the prison sympathized with me. On the later days, they gave me some sugar water to drink. The supervisor continuously persuaded me out of goodwill. There were several times I drank a little bit of the water, later I realized that I was swayed by human sentimentality. I realized that the idea of getting out of the prison using this reason was not right. When I was not sure whether I should continue, I dreamed that I would have a serious elimination of karma, then the tribulation would be dissolved. After the karma is brought out, I ate with my mind at ease.
Do you deserve to sit here? In the prison, after I became well acquainted with the prisoners, I also found some opportunities to try to kindly advise them to be good and told them some principles of Dafa. But they took delight in talking about things that were criminal. I felt there was nothing to tell. Once, I dreamed that I became the teacher in kindergarten and was very impatient in telling stories to the small kids, and those small kids were just those prisoners. A parent said to me: Let me show you how I tell the story. The benevolence in his words made me find my selfishness right away. His children were here, I was too selfish. I cried sadly. After I woke up, I cried again. Master was telling me, there were still people with predestined relationship here. From then on, I told stories based on their characteristics to advise them to be good, and cultivated benevolence everywhere. Some one said if he got out of the prison, he would find me and cultivate. Ever since the practice is prohibited, I did not practice in public. Once, I dreamed that the United Nations was holding a meeting, I sneaked in. People in front of me and behind me all asked me: Do you deserve to sit here? I could not answer. Later, I saw master going onto the stage and seeing us. I immediately went outside to call others to listen to the Fa, and was locked outside. After I woke up, I realized that I still had many attachments. Following that, I dreamed that my middle school teacher asked me to go onto the stage to teach a lesson. I stood up there with a red face and did not know what to teach. When I thought of the sentence: For one minute talking on the stage, it took 3 years efforts to prepare. I realized that I was way below! Under the high pressure, whatever you could not break through, it would be regretted forever! When doing the hand signs, I put down all my worries. Is practicing Falun Gong wrong? Even if I wear handcuffs, I must practice. Soon, I was sent to a prison cell, for serious criminals. I set my mind at rest, bore the hardships, confirmed the situation there, and talked about our injustice with people; Later, I was sent to another prison cell which is for even more serious criminals, my mind was at ease and I followed the rules there. When talking leisurely, the Dafa also rectified peoples hearts. Soon, I was released on bail. If everything done is up to the standard that I should achieve, then the environment needs to be changed to continue cultivation.
Broken family like clouds and smoke, being resolute without sentiment
After I was released, I knew that I had been listed as one of the few under severe suppression long time ago. A sentence was to be expected. I was fired from my job; my house was taken away; the whereabouts of my family was unknown. With the loss of my child, I really had my family ruined. Was I like what was said in Masters poem: Carry the universe with broken pieces.? Home and village have been destroyed many times. Now, my home is destroyed just one time. Those are just clouds and smoke passing by and I can confront it calmly. A couple of relatives and friends came to persuade me with arguments or sentiments one after another. Some were harsh, some were crying. At one point, I spoke with anger without enough endurance, which resulted in being beaten up. I was so regretful that I didnt pass the test and let many others to eliminate karma for me. In Zhuan Falun, it is said: You should always maintain a heart of compassion and kindness. When running into a problem, you will be able to do well because it gives you room to slow down. You should always display compassion and kindness toward others and think of others before doing anything. There will not be any problem if the first thing that you will think of, whenever encountering a problem, is whether others can put up with this matter and if it will hurt anyone. Therefore, you should follow a higher and higher standard for yourself when you practice cultivation. This occurrence allowed me to see many of my attachments. I apologized sincerely. In Zhuan Falun, it is said: It is difficult as you will lose your interest among ordinary people with a clear conscience, and you will be tested whether you are moved or not by the personal vested interest, by the mind games that people play against each other, as well as by the pains that your relatives and friends suffer. I wont be able to pass the tribulations with human standards, and not even the thoughts mixed with a low level standard. I didnt do well previously. This time, I will not loss my chance again. I regretted that I couldnt convince them and I felt sorry that they slandered Dafa. Later on, I let go of this attachment as well. I should treat everybody equally. My different attitudes showed that I still had ordinary peoples sentimentality. Finally, I realized "all the vexations one encounters among ordinary people are ordeals for him to go through, and all the praises he receives are tests for him to pass" (Essentials for Further Advance)
In Zhuan Falun, it is said: You have been everywhere to look for masters with much money spent, and you could not find anything. Today, it is offered to you at your doorstep, and you may not have realized it! This is the issue of whether you can become enlightened to it, as well as a matter of whether you can be saved. I know everything I encounter is helping me to upgrade. If I cant get enlightened to it, time wont wait for me and there is no way to make up. Being firm with Dafa like a diamond, my sentiment subsided. I talked back to my relatives calmly. I cant separate my words and thoughts, otherwise, I wont reach integration of body and spirit. Master said: It is extremely dangerous to add anything human to cultivation. Now the environment has changed again, there are still many tribulation I need to get enlightened to and overcome.
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Category: Journeys of Cultivation