April 25, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net) Time is flying. It's another anniversary of the April 25th appeal. After studying Master's Fa-lectures and articles during the past few years, reviewing my own cultivation path and my experiences during the Fa-rectification after July 20, 1999, I realized that from the Great Appeal of April 25, 1999, to the recent large-scale truth clarification efforts focusing on the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, although we created glorious historic records at every step along the way, we also did some obviously regrettable things. During every stage of Fa-rectification, as Dafa practitioners, we were not mature enough as a whole body in our cultivation.
This persecution against Dafa and Dafa practitioners is completely arranged by the old forces. It would inevitably cause losses to Dafa practitioners as long as it took place. The losses include those practitioners who obtained the Fa around July 20, 1999 and didn't study the Fa deeply enough, and those who gave up practice amidst the brutal persecution because they didn't get rid of their fundamental attachments during the personal cultivation period or because of the drastic changes in the environment and the limitations due to their own cultivation states; and the things we didn't do well in truth-clarification as overseas practitioners, etc.
Master said,
"The old forces insist on forcing in what they want to do. At the same time, there are some students, especially the third group of students, who still have a certain amount of karma, and so they'll use these things to exploit the gaps. But all the same, Master doesn't acknowledge them. And you shouldn't acknowledge them either. Do things well in an open and dignified way, negate them, and strengthen your righteous thoughts some. 'I'm Li Hongzhi's disciple, I don't want other arrangements or acknowledge them' -- then they won't dare to do that. So it can all be resolved. You really can do that, not just saying it, but putting it into action, and Master will definitely make the final decision for you. What's more, there are also lots of Fa guardians around Master, there are lots of Buddhas, Daos and Gods, and there are even greater beings, and they will all participate, because forced persecution that's not acknowledged is a crime, and the cosmos's old laws don't allow it either. Irrational persecution absolutely is not allowed, and the old forces don't dare to do it. So you should do things righteously as much as possible." ("Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference").
During the extraordinarily difficult and complicated Fa-rectification, many Dafa practitioners did not reach a good enough understanding of Fa principles, and thus couldn't give up human mentalities, couldn't realize their many attachments, and couldn't always consciously walk their own path in a righteous manner. Therefore, under these circumstances, Master could only use the old force's arrangements to help us Dafa practitioners save people and build mighty virtue through Fa-rectification cultivation.
According to many witnesses, at the Great Appeal on April 25 that took place four years ago, far more than 10,000 practitioners participated. However, several tens of thousands is still an insignificant number compared to 100 million Dafa practitioners in China at the time; it's also a mere fraction of millions of Dafa practitioners in and around Beijing at that time. There may be many specific reasons, but a very important one that can't be ignored is every Dafa practitioner's own maturity in cultivation at the time. If, on April 25, more than 10 million instead of 10 thousand practitioners stepped forward to appeal, old forces would not have any excuse to test Dafa practitioners. If the magnificent and peaceful scene of united Dafa practitioners who forgot about life and death in order to safeguard the truth of the cosmos at Beijing's Shijingshan Stadium was happening in all major cities in China; if 70 to 80 million Dafa practitioners were selflessly clarifying the truth to the world when the head evil slandered Dafa to the public in October 1999, like dozens of Dafa practitioners who held a press conference in Beijing, would the persecution still last until today? I believe not, because the old forces would not be able to find any excuse to persecute our whole body. Of course, numbers are only a means of illustration, and it's only my personal understanding from my current level. I hope fellow practitioners can add insights from their understanding and benevolently point out anything inappropriate.
History has flipped past that page, and it is rolling forward at all times. Master endowed us with the special honor of helping Master to rectify the Fa and allowed us Dafa practitioners to create history and the future through cultivation and saving beings. During the past four years, Master benevolently gave us Fa lectures and explained the Fa to us; he took care of us and waited for us. Compared to four years ago, we have made great progress as a whole body; our efforts in truth-clarification were fully recognized by Master, but there are still many obvious shortcomings. For example, Master tirelessly and repeatedly pointed out the issue of Fa study and how to study the Fa well, yet many practitioners have not paid full attention to this and have not achieved the outcome required by Fa-rectification. All of these call for us to improve as quickly as possible through cultivation. Studying the Fa and understanding the Fa itself is a process of cultivation.
I sincerely hope all of us Dafa practitioners around the world can grasp the time to save people and make diligent progress in cultivation!