(Clearwisdom.net) Recently, I read through Zhuan Falun again and gained some new insights regarding how to do Dafa work well.
1. The Issue of Secrecy and Coordination
Dafa has taken the path of "The Great Dao is formless " as it spreads in the human world; it spreads via word-of-mouth and by talking to people heart to heart. When the evil thugs in this world who are controlled by degenerate high-level beings began their rampant persecution against Dafa, Dafa practitioners in China voluntarily took up the important, historic mission of clarifying the truth and offering salvation to sentient beings. Some do so on the Internet, some print [flyers], and some do work in various other aspects. Those who have skills and knowledge teach the ones who don't. Those who don't know how to do something actively learn the skills. All of us have taken each step firmly, according our understanding of the Fa.
As everything is done on a voluntary basis, we don't have any organization or structure, so someone may be distributing flyers today, but doing important work on Dafa materials tomorrow. Therefore, when practitioners get together and exchange their experiences, they might carelessly tell what they are currently doing. As we cultivate and improve in Dafa, our practitioners are all pure and compassionate when we are together, and we don't have to be on guard with each other. Because Dafa cultivation is open and aboveboard, the realm between Dafa practitioners is the only pure land left in the world. So, what do we have to hide from each other? With this concept some feel that among ourselves, we can tell all that we have done, things we know and people we have been in touch with. Another element to consider, though, is that some practitioners don't fully understand the evil forces that persecute Dafa. They either consciously or unconsciously tell about their Dafa work to people they think are trustworthy, or those they have good relationships with such as their families, friends or predestined people who have just obtained the Fa. Some others talked about their Dafa work as a part of truth-clarification to their parents and family members who have not learned the whole truth. Actually, these actions, to a large extent, pose a hidden danger to security regarding the Dafa work. Even ordinary people tend to do things prudently and carefully. If Dafa practitioners are not careful, the evil will take advantage of this situation.
Some practitioners are very careless about coordination and security. They talk about specific Dafa work on the phone, showing no concern for security. When they act so rashly, they go even further and tell the other person, "you should give up your attachment," meaning, "you are a Dafa practitioner and you are doing the most sacred work. Everything in humankind has was created by this Fa, so what are you afraid of?" However, we should note that for Dafa work that involves certain areas, it is not an issue of whether a person is afraid or not, but rather whether we are being responsible for the Fa and for other practitioners. This issue is very serious! Otherwise, what we do unintentionally might help or aid the evil to intensify its persecution.
We should think about our words and actions at all times, and whether they will involve others' safety--especially those fellow practitioners who produce Dafa materials. We should consider if what we say or do will have a substantial influence on the overall Dafa situation, or even part of it. As for secrecy and coordination in Dafa work, our being truly responsible for fellow practitioners and Dafa is not only an issue of doing well in cultivation of speech and overcoming fear as individuals; rather, it is an issue of whether or not our hearts are righteous. When we discuss Dafa work between ourselves, before we decide whether or not we should say something and whom we should say that to, we should look inside ourselves to see if we are doing so out of certain attachments, and if we can truly say that, "Being responsible to everyone is a duty we are able to assume" ("Whoever Practices Cultivation Will Attain Gong," from Zhuan Falun).
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"Some people just cannot let go of these things and are attached to them as though they have some talents. Isn't this an attachment? Besides, even if you really know the truth, as a practitioner you should maintain your xinxing (heart nature, moral character) and not casually unveil a heavenly secret to an everyday person. That is the principle."
Similarly, between practitioners, we should listen and do only things that we are supposed to know about, and we shouldn't have the least attachment nor should we probe into things that we are not supposed to know, because that will not be good for either ourselves or anyone else. As for ourselves, we should remove our attachments. How can we reach Consummation if we don't? As for other people, if you probe and learn about something you shouldn't know, this process itself might have some negative influence on other people. You might also unintentionally affect some people who do not have a good understanding of the Fa and reinforce their attachments in this regard.
By the way, all kinds of work for Dafa, no matter what, is Dafa work. All are necessary components of the overall concern of "offering salvation to people." Therefore, it is certainly wrong to claim that printing materials is more important than verbally clarifying the truth. Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the Great Lakes Fa Conference in North America," Guiding Voyage,
"When this thing takes place, there have to be some persons who do this and some who do that. Since it's a test aimed at the Fa, no matter where you are or what you're doing, you are improving yourself in the midst of the things you're supposed to do. There are reasons behind what everyone does. There's no difference in terms of the realm of Consummation and the progress towards Consummation--wherever you're supposed to reach Consummation, you're sure to go there."
There is an issue, though, of certain Dafa work covering more widespread areas than others and an issue of difference in aspects of influence on the whole (or part) of Fa rectification. However, using the term "important" is only expressing this concept with an ordinary person's word. So whatever we do, we should think from the perspective of the entire Fa- rectification, and look at the overall situation to see what Dafa needs us to do and what we should be doing at the current stage. Also, we shouldn't decide what to do based on personal notions. Some people might think, "I just like to do this, I don't want to do that." Perhaps he is supposed to this in the first place, but his starting point is wrong. When we insist on doing things in a certain way, then there exists an issue of failing to coordinate between us, which can bring about negative influences in a certain area. It is the same whatever we do. The fundamental thing is to study the Fa and cultivate our hearts.
2. The Issue of Security
Where can we find true safety? If we can stand firmly within the Fa, then we are most safe.
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, in section "What Has Teacher Given to Practitioners,"
"However, as to doing it on such a large scale, an average person would not dare. But we have told you here that I can do it, because I have numerous fashen who possess my mighty divine powers. They can demonstrate great supernatural powers--very mighty powers of the Fa. In addition, what we do today is not as simple as what we see on the surface. I was not hotheaded when I came to public. I can tell you that there are many great enlightened people watching this event. This is the last time we will teach a righteous way in the Dharma-ending Period. In doing so, we also do not allow it to go astray. If you truly follow the righteous way in cultivation practice, nobody will dare to do something to you at will. Besides, you have the protection of my fashen, and you will not be in any danger."
Cultivation is not a skill of everyday people. Imitation is not cultivation. When our xinxing is on the right level, what should happen will happen; but if our xinxing is not high enough, nothing will happen, even if we beg for it. In cultivation, we can learn from the experiences and lessons of others, but there are no models.
A practitioner rented a house that has two doors with an iron door outside and a wooden door inside. As the lock on the iron door was soldered on and he couldn't change it, he felt it was not safe, so he put an advanced triple security lock on the wood door. Later, he was betrayed. When interrogating him, the evil thugs said to him, "Tell us about your house at such and such place." Then they took him to the house and he had no recourse but to take out the key and open the door.
Was it wrong for him to change the lock? I don't think it was wrong. With his xinxing level, that was what he understood by "safety," so that was what he could do. Because his xinxing capability was only at such a level, his understanding of the state on a higher level was limited to his understanding of the Fa principles on the surface. Fundamentally, he could not accept or believe it. The key point of this problem lies in inadequate understanding/enlightenment. It is time that our xinxing levels be improved.
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, in the section "Hospital Treatment and Qigong Treatment,"
"Someone has said: Would we have cars and trains if we followed ancient Chinese science? Would we have today's modernization? I would say that you cannot understand another circumstance from the perspective of this environment. There should be a revolution in your thinking."
I realized that, "safety" has a different meaning on different cultivation levels. Similarly, [we] "cannot understand another circumstance from the perspective of this environment."
Teacher said in "Falun Buddha Fa Lecture at the Conference in New Zealand,"
"Don't we have to hold ourselves to higher standards during our cultivation? If you argue, before I get there I can still use human notions to evaluate myself and set requirements for myself, then you are forever a human. You yourself won't know whether you've reached there or not. You should always hold yourself to high standards."
As for our individual cultivation, we should require ourselves to follow Teacher's words, improve xinxing and truly walk out of being human. During practical Dafa work, because we face many practitioners, each one with a different xinxing level, then in real Dafa work we can't ask everyone to reach a certain state. We must use high standards for ourselves but not others. We can't ignore the issue of security just because we can send righteous thoughts and use supernormal capabilities. We have to think about fellow practitioners' safety. In order for fellow practitioners to be safe and to conscientiously safeguard the Fa, we cannot loosen our awareness of security. This is not an issue of whether we are afraid; this is an issue of whether we can be responsible for Dafa.
3. "Conflicts" Between Practitioners in Dafa Work
During the process of doing Dafa work, practitioners often have conflicts in xinxing, and sometimes the conflicts can be quite significant.
Teacher said in Zhuan Falun, in section "The Issue of Eating Meat," "Though all of you have studied the Fa for so long, we have not required everyone to stop eating meat. Many qigong masters tell you to stop eating meat as soon as you walk into their classes. You may think: 'I'm not yet mentally prepared to stop eating meat all of a sudden.' The meal served at home today may be roasted chicken or fried fish. Though they smell quite good, you are not allowed to eat them. The same is true with religious cultivation practices that force one not to eat meat. Conventional practices in the Buddha School and some practices in the Tao School also say so and prohibit one from eating meat. We are not asking you here to do so, but we are also concerned with this issue."
The improvement of xinxing is a gradual process. Some people pass their tests better in one area and others pass them better in other areas. Some have done lots of Dafa work and knew what to do right from the beginning. Others are new and they can do nothing well at the beginning. Then, we should have a forgiving heart and not set our standards too high. We cannot prohibit people from doing something just because they can't do it well yet. We should allow others time to improve themselves. Neither can we use rigid standards on others and make them feel that all their inclinations are wrong. If we set too high a standard, the person will not understand right away, which can create unnecessary conflicts. When problems emerge, we should emphasize the sharing of thoughts from the standpoint of the Fa; most importantly, we must seriously look inside ourselves and see if this situation was created by a deeply hidden attachment that we are not yet aware of. On the surface, it may seem that it is the other person who was not on the standpoint of the Fa or he didn't do well, but more than likely there is also an element of our own cultivation and improvement hidden within the problem.
However, we should not take the other extreme, either. Maybe someone just isn't very capable in a certain area, or he may have a xinxing problem on a particular issue, so he is not fit to do certain Dafa work. If this is the case, we should not have an attachment to "giving him an opportunity." If what we do is driven by attachments, then we are being irresponsible to the Fa.
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