April 26, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net May 24 report) Why are we still bringing up this issue now that the Fa-rectification has already progressed to its current state? I think this is the most fundamental issue for practitioners, which runs throughout the entire process of Fa-rectification and cultivation. If this issue is not handled well in time, it will affect our Fa-rectification and cultivation, and impact our coordination and improvement as a whole, because if we have firm faith but others are not yet quite firm enough, we will not be able to form a strong synchronized power.
Master said,
"Isn't any form of pressure a test to see whether your faith in the Buddha Fa is fundamentally strong? If you still are not fundamentally resolute in the Fa, everything else is out of question." ("For Whom do You Practice Cultivation?" Essentials for Further Advancement)
As Dafa practitioners, we should listen to what Master says, do as Master taught us to do and form a diamond-solid faith in Master and Dafa through cultivation. What are righteous thoughts? They come from righteous faith, which originates from our real enlightenment to Dafa, our rational practice and improvement. To have faith, genuine faith and firm faith, is a fundamental matter regarding our xinxing.
During the process of Fa-rectification, the old forces, under the pretense of testing us, adopted the most despicable means to interfere with and persecute us, trying everything they could at any cost to pull us down to stop us from ascending. They have even gone so far as to destroy Dafa practitioners and sentient beings to achieve their selfish goals. When we are not firm in our faith, slacken a little or our mind is moved, the old forces take advantage of our loopholes and quickly replace our righteous thoughts with their degenerate things, thus taking control of our main consciousness and pulling us to their side. From my observation, those practitioners who have yet to step forward or those who have followed an evil path were all taken advantage of by the evil because they did not have firm, righteous faith.
Of course, there are issues of paying back our debts, eliminating karma and elevating our levels in the process of Fa-rectification; therefore there are tests and obstacles we need to overcome. Our Teacher tells us,
"As long as you improve your character, you will be able to overcome them--it's only that you might not want to overcome them. If you want to overcome them you can." (Zhuan Falun)
I believe that as long as we have firm righteous faith, have the courage to let go of everything, then we will cultivate to the end and nothing can move us as our Teacher described, "Just by staying unaffected, you will be able to handle all situations." (Lecture on the Fa at U.S. Midwest Conference, unofficial translation) Because you have a firm and pure heart towards Master and Dafa, no matter what evil tests or deceptions arise, they won't be able to move your heart, and these evil, dirty and despicable things would appear very weak in front of you. When you are lofty, strong and solid as diamond, the evil will become small, weak and will collapse of itself, because your xinxing has already reached the standard of that level and has met the requirements of the Fa at that level, so the evil has no reason to test you. If the evil still tries to interfere, Master will not allow this to happen, and the guardian gods of the Fa would also help with the Fa-rectification.
Isn't it true that we often read articles online written by fellow practitioners who broke out of the demons' dens with determined righteous faith in Master and Dafa, and they overcame tribulations with righteous thoughts? During Fa rectification cultivation, we also discussed the issue of "safety," which arises when we face the evil. However, the truth is the lack of righteous faith and righteous thoughts are the greatest omissions. If we display the slightest hesitation, or do not know how to handle this, the evil will take advantage of our loopholes and certainly create trouble and pain for us. An excuse often used by them is "beat you until your righteous thoughts come out." Of course, omission is not an excuse for persecution, because we are doing the best, the greatest and the most sacred thing in the world. We Dafa practitioners have not done anything wrong. All of the persecution was forced upon us and it is unreasonable. We must completely negate it. However, these troubles are indeed brought about by our lack of righteous belief and righteous thoughts. Master 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 your righteous thoughts are strong enough the old forces can't do a thing" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.").
Righteous faith and righteous thoughts are wisdom; they show the harmony of Dafa. Because righteous faith and righteous belief are the result of being highly responsible for Dafa, for assisting Master to rectify the Fa, for saving sentient beings and for everything we will enlighten to in the future, Dafa practitioners should be rational and wise. Regarding this issue, I want to talk about a little of my superficial understanding. For example, out of several practitioners I am in contact with, one is in charge of coordinating Dafa work in our area, and one is in charge of producing Dafa materials. When some practitioners reminded them to pay attention to safety in a certain aspect, they didn't pay enough attention and instead they said, "No problem. Don't be afraid." Some other practitioners dove into Dafa work and had little time for sleep. They indeed worked very hard. However, according to what I know, some practitioners didn't study the Fa for several days in a row and some were interrupted when they started reading the Fa, and they didn't have a chance to calm their minds. During that period of time, many problems occurred and the evil took advantage of our gaps, and Dafa work suffered losses. It was a painful lesson. Sometimes, Master reminded us; sometimes we realized the problems and fellow practitioners reminded us, but we often didn't pay enough attention and our carelessness was again taken advantage of. Sometimes, we felt there was really a lot of Dafa work waiting to be done and we had no choice but to do it, and we became so busy that we couldn't catch our breath. In fact, this may be exactly the old forces' intentional arrangements and interference. They want us to be so busy we don't have time to study the Fa, so we forget to cultivate ourselves in Fa-rectification, so we have gaps that they can take advantage of, which serves their purpose of persecuting us. In fact, what ensures that we do well in Dafa work, take solid steps and break through the old forces' persecution? The only guarantee is Fa study and cultivation.
We are not afraid of the evil and we don't have fear. The evil's farce is at most a gauge for our xinxing level. However, the fact that we have no fear does not mean we don't use wisdom. When we see how rampant the evil is, how can we not fully utilize Dafa's wisdom, but instead let the evil take advantage of our gaps and laugh at us? With the attitude that we are being responsible for the Fa, for saving sentient beings and for everything we will validate in the future, we fully utilize wisdom and prove the evil definitely inferior.
In conclusion, let us remember Master's teaching at all times and walk righteously on every one of our last steps in Fa-rectification cultivation.
"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy--this is establishing the mighty virtue of an Enlightened Being." ("Rationality", Essentials for Further Advancement II).
Above are some of my shallow understandings, only for fellow practitioners' reference.
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