(Clearwisdom.net) The persecution of Falun Dafa in China at this time mainly manifests in the persecution of detained Dafa practitioners, something especially prevalent in the escalated persecution in prisons and labor camps all over China. I want to present fellow practitioners my views on this issue.
I. How My Heart Changed After Reading the "News From China" Column on Minghui (Chinese version of Clearwisdom)
"News From China" exposes the torture methods used to persecute Dafa practitioners and the persecution in China as a whole. Teacher said,
"The main body of Dafa disciples is in China. Everything that Dafa disciples in other areas around the world do is, other than consummating everything of their own, exposing the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples in China. So from this perspective, Dafa's situation in Mainland China must not go unreported. In particular, you should make focal your reports of deaths that result from the persecution, along with reports about the evil means used in the persecution," ("To the Clear Harmony Website of Europe," Essentials For Further Advancement II)
When I first read this kind of report I was greatly shocked. I was very afraid of the evil and imagined myself not being able to pass such a tremendous tribulation, should I ever face it. For a while I skipped this column on Minghui. My understanding of this issue remained at the level of individual cultivation. I thought of it as passing a test and acknowledged the evil's persecution of Dafa practitioners. In fact, this fear of evil conforms to the evils' arrangements, for they can make arrangements and "test" us with this excuse. "The greater the fear, the more severe the persecution." Teacher has taught many Fa principles in this regard.
Just think about it: if each practitioner does not waver, even slightly, and is not even afraid of losing his/her life, what can the evil do? If you stay determined, even when you're threatened with death, what use would incarceration and beatings serve? They can't do anything with you. Besides, if you are indeed very determined, how can Teacher's fashen and gods in heaven not get involved? If we can really do this, the evil and rotten demons arranged for by the old forces would be the ones trembling with fear.
Although to follow through on this does not look easy, it is not impossible. If we can really do this, we will see it is not difficult. It's hard when we don't completely understand the Fa principles and cannot give up human attachments, but from the perspective of Fa principles, if we would obey the evil, Dafa practitioners would be walking the path arranged by the old forces. Human beings cannot take charge of Fa-rectification! More of our Dafa practitioners should affirm righteous thoughts and righteous belief. We absolutely cannot allow the ones doing evil to arrest, detain or brutally torture us, otherwise they would suffer; if they commit so great a crime they would receive karmic retribution in this lifetime. The key is that we must be determined in our righteous thoughts and righteous belief, and clearly see through the nature of the persecution.
As Fa- rectification progresses and my understanding of Fa-rectification improves, I constantly eliminate imaginary scenarios and negate the evil's persecution against Dafa practitioners with righteous thoughts. When I again read this type of news, I "hated" the evil! Persecution against the good is so inhumane. Strong fear still came out once in a while, but it was not dominant.
Some family members of Dafa practitioners said, "Why would Minghui publish such cruel things repeatedly?" These people didn't want to read them any more. The undeniable fact is that the persecution still exists and is continuing. Does it help or reduce the persecution if Dafa practitioners and conscientious people evade this reality? Isn't it up to all of us to stop such brutal persecution? I think to expose the persecution must be one of the priority requirements during Fa- rectification, for it was Teacher's requirement. Why did I not want to read these reports? It still is apprehension of the evil and must be eliminated through cultivation.
We cultivate "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance." Hatred is unbefitting a Dafa practitioner. The only thing we should bear in mind is benevolence toward all beings. We feel pity, for the evil does not cherish people's lives and its own life, and we feel sorry for its decision during this time of Fa-rectification. I feel it is extremely urgent to stop the evil's persecution against all beings with righteous thoughts.
In the time that followed, I was sensitive to the phrase "hell on earth." If this is the human world, there must be Fa principles on the human level, along with human conscience and human behavior. Why is hell here on earth allowed to exist? In order to "improve" Dafa practitioners, the evil pushed the world's people to the brink of destruction, which goes against the principles of even the old cosmos. This is also an aspect from which we must negate the old forces' persecution against Dafa and Dafa practitioners. Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"Throughout the entire course of teaching this Fa, I have intended to do things according to the principle of being responsible to everyone and society. In actuality, we have followed this principle."
The old forces' corruption of the human world fully reveals the high level beings' selfishness in that they don't abide by Fa principles on different cosmic levels, and they don't cherish other beings on different levels. In fact, they are not cherishing themselves and the cosmos. This is a good lesson for us.
Later, Minghui published an article dealing with reading persecution articles with righteous thoughts. I was deeply touched. If every Dafa practitioner who reads this kind of report sends out the thought "eliminate all evil in other dimensions that I see persecuting practitioners; eliminate all evil in other dimensions that are manipulating evil thugs," then that will eliminate the evil and will greatly help all persecuted Dafa practitioners. We are, after all, different from ordinary people.
When I read this kind of report again, I paid close attention and I was afraid to miss the name of even a single practitioner. At this time I did not have the slightest dread; instead, I felt my heart ache for them.
II. Looking at the Problems We Have as "One Body" from the Standpoint of the Escalated Persecution
1. Problems we have as one bodyI was greatly inspired after reading the article, "A few thoughts on the issue of being one body" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/1/31/31543.html) published on January 31, which helped me look at this issue. Fa-rectification has progressed to this point, and the evil has already seen its own doomsday. The escalated persecution against Dafa practitioners in prisons and labor camps in Mainland China is also an instinctual reaction foisted on us by the evil.
Looking at this from another angle, the occurrence of such incidents by the old forces is aimed at testing Dafa with the excuse that "Dafa practitioners have problems functioning as one body." While we absolutely do not acknowledge the arrangements of the evil, as for the problems we have as one body, we should rectify the deviation. The sooner we can do this and try to save as many sentient beings as possible, the better. This is what we should do, and this is something that can also fundamentally negate the arrangements of the old forces. Then, what are the present problems? Teacher said,
"As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts. Even though the old forces do exist, if you don't have those thoughts they can't do anything." When you've been persecuted or been under pressure in the ordinary society, it's hard to prevent your human thoughts from having an effect, so some ordinary people's thoughts might surface, but don't think too much of it. Fa-rectification disciples, the persecution has already come to this stage, and Dafa has already come to this stage in the Fa-rectification: what's there for us to still be afraid of? Haven't you already seen your future very well?" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")
Teacher mentioned "too much emphasis" and "being afraid." Isn't it true that we as one body sometimes place "too much emphasis" on things, and are sometimes guilty of being "afraid of persecution"? Those might be the reasons the old forces have intensified the persecution.
2. Walk out of the arrangements of the old forces with the righteous thought of wanting to improve as one body
Recently, Minghui published quite a number of articles how to view the persecution of Dafa disciples. I share the same understanding with some of them. Fellow practitioners being persecuted should not be viewed in isolation, as only them having omissions. It should be viewed in connection with the fact that practitioners around them also have attachments. Additionally, there is the element of the old forces testing other practitioners through this persecution. I now have a more specific understanding about Teacher's words,
"The next person's things are your things, and your things are his things." ("Teaching the Fa at 2002 Fa Conference in Boston")
Being afraid of the persecution is only a superficial phenomenon. Isn't there an attachment to Consummation behind it? Teacher said in "Eliminate your last Attachment(s:)
"If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able to do this, the evil will of itself no longer exist. Everything that the evil has done has actually targeted the attachments and fears that you have not let go of... If you weren't attached right now to reaching Consummation, the evil would not have been able to take advantage of this last gap."
Dafa disciples' refusal to give in to the evil, to write so-called "Guarantee Letters" or "Transformation Letters," reflects their persistence in righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Conversely, as a being of the universe, how can one abuse and slander Dafa, which created all life's very existence? Just as a prodigal son hurling unreasonable abuse against his own parents, wouldn't those who witness it stop him? We should not let such lamentable incidents continue. Firmly safeguarding Dafa is Dafa disciples' responsibility and historical mission!
The old forces insist on linking their blasphemy against Dafa with us not reaching Consummation to achieve their purpose of interfering with Fa-rectification. This is the manifestation of deviated sentient beings in the universe, while in fact there is no connection between the two events.
Let us take a simple example: Under the evil's arrangements and threats, many incidents happened in which everyday people criticized Dafa, and, conversely, there are also quite a few people with righteous thoughts who refrained from slandering Dafa. Can we then say that such a person has become a Fa-rectification disciple and reached Consummation? Furthermore, if a person who has never written any "Guarantee Letter" and has never stepped forward, although he/she is studying the Fa and doing the exercises, can it be guaranteed that he/she will reach Consummation? Teacher does not acknowledge the old forces at all. As long as Fa-rectification is not yet been completed; disciples who have taken a wrong path will still have the opportunity to rectify their mistakes. Consummation comes from cultivation. We should therefore clearly recognize the degeneration of the old forces and jettison their devious arrangements. Being afraid of not being able to hold on under persecution and, as a result, to write "Guarantee Letters" and being afraid of not reaching Consummation because of this does not make any sense. It is not logical. This is something conjured up by the old forces, thus fundamentally misleading practitioners. The old forces' essential purpose is to interfere with Fa-rectification, to sabotage the improvement of Dafa disciples as one body, and to destroy sentient beings.
Dafa disciples as one body placing too much emphasis on being afraid of the persecution and on attachments to reach Consummation also reflect manifestation of sentient beings' contradictory mentality -- the mentality of wishing to be saved and yet, at the same time, reluctant to be rectified and feeling fearful of being eliminated. We should not merely recognize these problems existing among Dafa practitioners. We clearly must use our strong main consciousness and the mighty power Dafa has bestowed upon us as Teacher told us,
"To reduce the losses, and to save sentient beings, put your Dafa disciples' powerful righteous thoughts to full use! Show your Mighty Virtue!"
("Righteous Thoughts")
The Fa-rectification has progressed to this stage, and we have become more clear-headed, more rational and more mature. Teacher said,
"Dafa disciples have already been bringing their supernormal abilities into full play in Fa-rectification. For instance, while doing Fa-rectification, when the righteous thoughts are very pure, their supernormal abilities are comprehensively utilized. Moreover, with righteous thoughts, many disciples are able to use them at will--whatever they want to use, they almost always have it." ("What Are Supernormal Abilities")
With Teacher's protection, with our rock-solid firm belief in Dafa and our pure compassion for sentient beings, we truly do have nothing to be afraid of.
This is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper.
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