Dear J,
We are all humbled in front of the profound and greatness of Dafa. It is comforting to know that our simple message can be of some help.
Our support is not limited to practitioners in China. As Minghui article "Limitlessness Reign Beyond the Boundaries of Universe" said,
"Since last year, there has been a switch in overseas public sentiment towards the Dafa, from being blank to being very concerned. However, paying attention to the crisis in China only out of human rights concerns is far from enough, because our ultimate goal is to help the predestined people to attain the Fa. Therefore, promotion of the Dafa is called for and should be undertaken in a timely manner. Recently, I feel the speed at which the Dafa echoes the people's hearts here has accelerated, its impact has been widened around the world, and the standard we have to meet has correspondingly gone up. Under this circumstances, it is far from enough to limit the promotion of the Dafa to the confines of human rights.
In fact, the lies that Chinese government has spread widely have evoked very negative feelings about the ban of the Dafa among many people. People are well aware that Chinese government is repeating the tactics used in the Cultural Revolution and other similar political movements. Yet, many of them are still not very clear about the truth of the Falun Gong. "
In brief, the general consensus right now is that the practitioners outside China are facing two major tasks:
1. Putting right Dafa's reputation and let more people know the true situation in China
2. Promoting Dafa to let more kind people attain Dafa.
We can try from the environments around ourselves, e.g., our friends and relatives, local community, library, etc. Since many Chinese practitioners lack of understanding of western culture and society, it would be great if more western practitioners can get involved, in any aspects, from introducing Dafa to maintaining group practice/study. At least it will help bridge the culture gap. Dafa is not just Chinese culture. It is the great law of the universe. Everyone can help out based on their understanding of Dafa.
Best wishes,
L.
From Practitioner J
If the Dafa is indeed a true science of the universe, it is our duty to share it with all who will listen. However, I do not know how aggressive we may be in exposing it to those not yet aware of its truth, or to what lengths we can go to expose the lies and distortion now being spread by those of ill will.
Moreover, I do not know how to best articulate the Dafa to others, since to put it in our own words distorts Master Li's teaching, no matter how accurately we try to relate it. His guidance on these issues will be needed.
We have at our fingertips many tools for spreading the Dafa, but lack a systematic method of bringing this message to the attention of the public. The human rights violations and sufferings of practitioners in China are terrible, but they do offer a unique opportunity to draw attention to the Dafa.
After all, there must be something to the Dafa if so many are suffering because a government fears loss of control over its people. The loss of attachment to sentimentality and desires, and treating others with truth and compassion, is by itself a powerful message.
Combined with a belief in attaining enlightenment and moving beyond this world into other dimensions, it becomes irrepressible. Salvation no longer becomes a matter of faith that may happen after death, but something very real each person can achieve during this lifetime.
There are lessons to be learned from the great religions and philosophies of the world, and how their messages were disseminated. Besides those who spoke their original message, each had spokesmen who spread the word of their beliefs. Many suffered great hardship and even death at the hands of those who did not want the message spread. However, the greater the effort to suppress the message, the more the enlightened wanted to hear it. There must be something to the message if so many are trying to keep it secret.
Around each message, though, an organization later emerged. These organizations spread the message, but distorted and controlled it to fit within their orthodox view of the religion or philosophy. It is this very distortion that must be avoided at all costs.
For example, western science is itself one such system of beliefs. It supposedly started back with the ancient Greeks, who tried to explain the unknowns of the universe in terms human minds could grasp. It took away intuitive knowledge and replaced it with reason. With the spread of their "message" of science and rational thought, entire ways of thinking based on intuition, quality, and other intangibles (none of which could be explained rationally) were pushed to the background, and eventually lost the acceptance of society. These ways were only kept alive by cults, mystics, and philosophies which rejected scientific reasoning as a basis for explaining the mysteries of the universe.
Religions are spread much the same way. Christianity spread, not because Jesus said to treat others with love and compassion, but because of the work of his apostles to spread the message to all who they came across.
In Buddhism, different schools developed, each teaching its beliefs to the masses, as well as developing monastic groups as schools of cultivation. Most other religions have developed in similar ways. The greater the degree of organization, the greater their influence was. But in each instance, with the organization came the distortion of the original message and its replacement by the dogma of the institution.
There are many in this world who believe in another way. Some study energy cultivation, increasing vibrational levels, metaphysics, healing, and many other ways. Others know deep inside that there is another world, but have lost faith in established ways to get to it. And there are those who have taken the path of wrongdoing who want a way out. All of these and more are potential predestined practitioners.
We have a great opportunity to disseminate the Dafa. But this also brings us a great test. Can we do so without allowing it to become distorted by our own misinterpretations, or by attachment to the process or our respective roles in it?
This can be done. It will take truth, compassion, and forbearance, as well as much energy and devotion. This sounds very familiar, doesn't it?
BTW, feel free to share our discussions with your list. But please, keep names and email addresses confidential, both ours and those who would join in, to avoid recriminations to those who may travel to places where practice of the Dafa is forbidden.
J.
From Practitioner L
Dear J,
You've brought up very, very important issues.
Master Li said: "Buddha saves people with predestined relationship"; "It is the master who seeks disciples, but not disciples choosing master". Based on personal limited understandings, the outcome of disseminating Dafa does not depend on how much aggressiveness that we put into the work of promoting Dafa. It probably depends on how predestined people are brought to Dafa by the arrangement of Master's Law Body. Therefore, it is important for us to promote Dafa from the standpoint of Dafa. We know Dafa is precious, so we ourselves need to treasure it in our heart. Distributing Dafa flyers and newspapers might be unavoidable in current period, but we need to keep a right mind.
Predestined relationship to Dafa has variations among individuals. Some might be predestined to reach completion of cultivation in this life time, some might be for next life time, some might not become genuine practitioner in this time, some might only be able to hear "Falun Dafa" or "Falun Gong". As practitioners we cannot tell. So, just from this perspective, we cannot impose any "criteria" or "selection filter" for any practitioners, especially new comers. People might approach Dafa from different angles, just like what is illustrated in Master Li's newest short article -- "Some people think that Dafa is consistent with their own understanding of science; some people think that it agrees with their own code of conduct; some people think that it speaks to their own dissatisfaction with politics; some people think that Dafa can salvage humankind's degenerate morality; some people think that Dafa can cure their illnesses; some people think that Dafa and Master are righteous, and so on and so forth." Thus, more patience and benevolence is needed. It takes time for people to know Dafa and make progress.
Therefore, one important thing that Master Li has emphasized in many lectures is When we introduce Dafa to people, do not talk too high. We would like people to enter the door but not pushing them away. This is very difficult. After certain period of our own cultivation, it is easy for us to talk high level principles to non-practitioner unknowingly. Dafa is so profound; sometimes it is hard to realize that our mind is so far away from non-practitioner's thinking. "Salvation" might be already too high for everyday people. We also fumbled many times in this issue in the past. Recall how practitioners in China promoting Dafa--basically only from two aspects: Dafa can improve people's morality; Dafa can significantly improve physical health. As for the truth that Dafa is the law of the universe, it might be better to let people themselves enlighten to it after they study Dafa.
We might need to be more cautious in avoiding talking beyond people's understanding in current situation. We have to clarify the vicious slanders and rumors as much as possible; at the meantime, we have to let more kind people know Dafa. Therefore, more often, We might have to deal with people who might not become a cultivator of Dafa, but they also have the chance to know "Zhen Shan Ren" and how to be a good people based on Dafa principles. As simple as that, their lives would have a much better future in the new universe. So, We ought to try our best not to let them lost this chance.
Because our cultivation is coupled with the rectification of Fa in the universe, doing work for Dafa is a glorious part of our cultivation. Spreading Dafa probably calls for more efforts and devotion than ever before. However, how to keep a sober mind and improve our xinxing during the work, and how to maintain our daily study of Dafa while Dafa work surely takes a lot of time, these all are big tests for us.
It would not be a problem to share our benefits from learning Dafa, say, how we improve ourselves both physically and mentally in our cultivation of Dafa. It would not be distorting Dafa principles if you just introduce Dafa to newcomers or share our current understanding with practitioners, with a reminder that Dafa's inner meaning is boundless. Doing appropriate introduction is different from casually explaining or giving definition to Dafa principles.
There are many people like what you listed--"Some study energy cultivation, increasing vibrational levels, metaphysics, healing, and many other ways". Some people might even have near-death-experience and know clearly the existence of other dimensions. It is an art to introduce Dafa in a most appropriate way according to different individuals.
In "Zhuan Falun" (chapter 3, last section)--"How Should Falun Dafa Practitioners Spread the Practice?", there are many key principles that we have to follow when spreading Dafa. Also, in the book of "Essentials for further advancements", there are many articles specific about assistants on how they do better works. In one article--"Stability of the Fa", Master Li said: "In the past two years, some problems have occurred in practitioners' cultivation practice. I have been observing the situation of practitioners' cultivation practice. To correct the rising problems promptly, I often intentionally write some short articles (called "scriptures" by practitioners) to guide practitioners in their cultivation practice. The purpose is to leave a stable, healthy, and correct way for Dafa cultivation practice. The future generations for thousands of years to come must follow in their cultivation the way I have personally left if they are to complete their cultivation." It is getting more and more important for us to study and even memorize these important articles, especially right now when some new practitioners in local towns become new coordinators due to an even wider spreading of Dafa. How do we maintain the "stable, healthy, and correct way for Dafa cultivation practice" is another crucial issue.
It is such a responsible attitude for you to consider not distorting Dafa principles before getting involved in spreading Dafa. This deserves great respect. The lessons from the philosophies and religions you mentioned are very thought-provoking.
One issue that might worth mentioning is that we need to avoid being influenced by the formalities in the religions in the Dharma-ending period. For example, in a couple of occasions, we heard that Dafa practitioners talked about forming a "community" for western practitioners in order to facilitate the communication among them. Master Li only use this phrase--"environment", but not "community". "Community" implies a lot of social work, while "environment" for cultivation does not have this meaning. Nowadays, churches organize good day care, friendly luncheons, picnic, field trips to attract people to church; but all these has nothing to do with cultivation. Some practitioners spontaneously organize picnic trips to improve the communication among practitioners and their families, which is very good; but organizing one in the name of assistance center might not be very appropriate. Just personal opinion.
In "No omission in Buddha nature" (Essentials for further advancements), Master Li said that: "You must be clear that the cultivation practice form that I have left to you can never be altered. Do not do anything that I do not do, and do not use anything that I do not use. In cultivation practice you should say things however I say them. Pay attention! Inadvertent alteration of the Buddha Fa is undermining it all the same!"
The above is merely personal understandings. Dafa has boundless inner meanings.
On our trip ahead, there will be big winds and giant waves; yet we can only sail forward following our teacher, with a lightened heart, with a sober mind and with our firmness in Dafa. What a great cultivation!
So long. Best wishes.
L.