Fa-rectification has lasted for 5 years. We have experienced both successes and shortcomings in validating Dafa. Therefore we should find our own faults and shortcomings so that we are able to validate Dafa with more reason and wisdom.
At the beginning of the persecution, since I did not have a deep understanding of the Fa, was lacking in experience, and had the attachment of fear, I dared not clarify the facts of Dafa to strangers face-to-face. I only went outside to distribute Dafa flyers and post posters every day. Sometimes I did not pay attention to the place where I left materials and caused people's misunderstanding.
When I am reminded of that issue, it seems trivial. But viewed from the perspective of validating Dafa, it is not a trivial issue at all. Just as a fellow practitioner put it, "Our conscience would bother us if we could not save people who fell into the water. So how bad would we feel if we went up to people on the bank and pushed them into the water? Is that not the same as committing a crime?"
As of now we have accumulated much experience, while the Clearwisdom website has also introduced many practical ways to clarify the facts about Dafa. Then why is it that we still cannot perform well? My understanding is that we have not studied the Fa enough and do not have a deep understanding of the Fa, which results in our actions not totally coming from the Fa. When we do anything, if we can realize that we are Dafa disciples in the Fa-rectification period and that we should be responsible for the Fa and sentient beings, we may achieve good effects. Otherwise we may only get half the result with twice the effort.
A few days ago, I went outside to handle affairs with one of my colleagues (he is not a cultivator). When we saw the three big characters "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" written on the wall of a building, he said nothing. When we returned to his home, many advertisement phone numbers were written on his wall. Since he just had it painted it a few days ago, the black characters seemed very striking. He said indignantly:"You see? My snow-white wall was smeared like this. What is the difference between this and what Falun Gong wrote? Only the content is different. You said what you did is for validating Dafa and making people understand the facts about Dafa. But can you really achieve the effect? Some people did not oppose Dafa before, but when they see things like this, they begin to dislike Dafa. They said Falun Gong practitioners follow the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" and should be beyond common people. But common people write on the walls, and you do the same thing. Only the content is different. What you're doing is not saving people but harming them. Since most of them have no contact with Falun Gong practitioners, and have no understanding about Falun Gong, together with the slandering and framing by the government, can you get good results this way?"
I am afraid every Dafa disciple should pay attention to such things when validating the Fa and clarifying the facts about Dafa.
Although what my colleague said is from the view of common people, he has some understanding and righteous thoughts towards Dafa, and has also clarified the facts about Dafa and distributed Dafa CDs. Then why could he not understand some things Dafa disciples did? Just as Teacher put it, "But sometimes, because we don't keep up our Fa-study, we handle like an ordinary person some of the things we do to spread the Fa and save sentient beings. This makes a lot of the sacred things we do not so sacred, it prevents us from doing them well, and it also causes people in society not to understand us sometimes. So it not only prevents you from improving, but also causes Dafa some losses."(Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Boston)
To help people have a better understanding of the truth about Dafa, our thoughts and actions should come from the Fa so we can validate Dafa and clarify the facts about Dafa with more reason and wisdom. We should consider the location, the circumstances, and the people's capacity to understand when distributing flyers and posting posters. We should follow the requirements of Dafa. Do not consider any flyer, banner or poster to be insignificant. They can all carry the might of Dafa to save sentient beings and frighten the evil.
The above is my personal understanding, and I welcome fellow practitioners to make comments and offer criticism with mercy.