(Clearwisdom.net) By letting more people become aware of the fact that Dafa is good and that Dafa is being persecuted, more people can be saved. This is the common wish of all Falun Dafa practitioners.
1. Having a Right Base and Knowing Our Mission
I was a new practitioner when Falun Dafa first started being persecuted in 1999. In the beginning, I only thought about my own salvation. But what constitutes a Dafa practitioner during the Fa-rectification period? I felt that I wasn't part of the Fa-rectification when I clarified the truth without using compassion. However, my understanding of the Fa deepened as I studied the Fa and Teacher's new lectures more often. Little by little, I realized that a true Dafa practitioner would not let Teacher down. He would do the "three things" asked by Teacher. He would bring Teacher's benevolence and the goodness of Dafa to everyone, instead of just thinking about his or her own salvation. As I enlightened to this, I gradually recognized the urgency of clarifying the truth to people. I determined that I'd make up for the lost time. So, I spent more time on clarifying the truth and did so in different ways: I did it at work, at home, in the office, and while visiting relatives. I no longer depended on others. I made truth-clarifying materials myself if I ran short of them. I also learned how to use the computer when I needed to. I did whatever needed to be done.
As I covered more areas of truth clarification, I felt that there were more things to do and that there wasn't enough time to do them all. I began to get bogged down in the "doing things" mentality. The mentality of "doing things" like ordinary people kept expanding. Fortunately, practitioners found out about my situation and seriously pointed it out to me. Then, my mindset returned to calmness, instead of agitation.
2. Insight from Truth Clarifying Experiences
The Basis for Clarifying the Truth Well Is to Do Your Best at Work and at Home
My job is to manage engineering maintenance, which mainly relates to material and money affairs. I did everything based on the standard of a Dafa practitioner: not mixing personal affairs with work, and not seeking fame or personal gain. My rule was to never base things on personal relationships or a passive mentality, but instead, to handle things with honesty. My personal management is always based on the principle of Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance, using language my colleagues can comprehend, and letting my colleagues do well in their own work. Thus, my leaders and colleagues all feel that I am kind and upright, full of wisdom, have great ability in handling jobs, and that Dafa practitioners are the best kind of people. Due to my handling things methodically and worry-free, I had more time to clarify the truth. Therefore, I felt that I was clarifying the truth instead working a job. Even with this approach, my unit leaders all agree that I am outstanding, and that my management is excellent. Cultivating Dafa and doing truth clarification instead of just working hard has brought about the above outcome. Of course, our benevolent Teacher arranges all this.
I strictly follow the principles of Dafa in my daily life as well. I deal with family conflicts according to the principle of Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance. I always look within myself to see where I have not done well. Therefore, my wife trusts me. She expresses her happiness with these praising words: "My life is totally dependent on him to take care of me, etc." (My wife once was afflicted with paralysis.) When friends, relatives, neighbors, or coworkers complained to her about their family conflicts or tribulations, she would tell them: "Let my husband tell you how to be a good person." Thus, others are envious of my wife's happy mood.
In dealing with family affairs, I try to do more and let my wife do less. Although she has some difficulty moving about, she does most of the housework. Thus, I have more time to study the Fa, do the exercises, and do truth-clarifying work.
Start With People Around You First
During the early stages of Jiang's persecution of Dafa, many practitioners came out to rectify the Fa and clarify the truth. At the time, although I didn't understand that clarifying the truth was related to saving sentient beings, I truly believed that Dafa was good. I used my behavior and words to tell people around me at work and in daily life: Falun Dafa is good.
During the earlier stages of clarifying the truth, like many practitioners, I easily neglected the people around me. Telling people around us that Falun Dafa is good, is a part of telling people the truth and saving sentient beings. It's also an important step in eliminating evil and creating a new environment.
Clarifying the Truth with Depth and Clarity
"In terms of Dafa disciples' responsibilities, there are still many things that need to be done in greater depth, especially clarifying the facts. Doing a better job of informing people about the facts more deeply is tied to the people of the future obtaining the Fa, tied to all beings being rescued, tied to negating the old forces, tied to eliminating the evil and this persecution, and tied to your own Consummation."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference")
"Don't just go to talk for the sake of formality. Whenever you talk to someone you need to have him understand."
("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference")
Here are some of my experiences from clarifying the truth: Only when Dafa practitioners' thoughts and behavior are truly righteous, in other words, unselfish, will all the wisdom and capability be bestowed upon us by the Fa; then we'll do well in clarifying the truth. People of all ages have always asked me the same question: What is the matter with the people who did the "self-immolation" incident at Tiananmen Square? We can see that the fabricated self-immolation by Jiang's regime has deceived many people. Some of them have been deceived very badly. Because the self-immolation has created such a deep impression on people, the many loopholes within the fabricated self-immolation incident makes it easier for practitioners to clarify the truth to people. If a government can fabricate such thing as the self-immolation, what else will it not do to attack Falun Gong? Realizing this fact, I always bring up the self-immolation incident when making truth-clarifying materials and VCDs. I would rather repeat the same content of other truth-clarifying materials than risk missing people who don't know about the facts of the self-immolation incident.
3. Some Phenomena in Truth-Clarification
Some practitioners ask: "Why are you still talking about 'true cultivation' now," referring to practitioners who cultivate by themselves at home. My own understanding is that when you are able to clarify the truth and do the Fa-rectification righteously, it is the manifestation of a solid base in cultivation. This is because the Fa-rectification and truth-clarifying activities in of themselves have the element of enhancing understanding of the Fa. Therefore, clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings righteously (not how much or how little) is a part of true cultivation.
"'You have your thousand brilliant ideas, but I have my own way'?" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2003 Atlanta Fa Conference"). During clarifying the truth, whether it is from interference by the evil, or from differing opinions among practitioners, or inference from other facets, there is only one rule: persistently do the three things well.
The following are some un-righteous phenomena that I have observed based on my own understanding. Other practitioners have made similar kinds of elaboration from different angles. I ask practitioners to learn other practitioners understandings from the angle of comparing each other's notes. We can only talk about our own understandings.
- The situation of worshipping or envy of other practitioners exists among practitioners. I know a practitioner who is both persuasive and enthusiastic. Some practitioners may regard her as being cultivated very well, however, that's only looking at the surface. She yielded to the evils and wrote the "Guarantee Statement." when she was in a forced labor camp. (She has written a solemn declaration to negate what she had said.)
- Presently there are practitioners who still do not have the correct understanding about truth clarifying. While doing things, they have many everyday people's mind sets, such as being indifferent and fearful. On the one hand, they don't want to be left behind, but on the other hand, they excuse themselves with their own safety reasons to accommodate for their own attachments. For example, not giving truth-clarifying materials to people they are familiar with; not telling the facts of Dafa to strangers; and limiting truth-clarifying material distribution to "safe places," such as locations far away from busy locations or places that can't be easily discovered, etc. They behave like ordinary people unconsciously, and they aren't able to fully utilize the existing equipment and resources. They won't make an effort to learn anything that they don't understand. They only think "I have distributed so much material today," etc.
- When returning from the wrong path, a long adjustment period is usually required since they can't quickly situate themselves to clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings. Some do not have enough confidence; some are busy with their ordinary peoples' affairs and work; and some do not have a deeper understanding of the Fa, etc. The outcome of the above situations prevents them from studying the Fa, and sending forth righteous thoughts with a quiet mind (they became sleepy when studying the Fa and fall asleep during sending forth righteous thoughts). Other practitioners do not trust them to do truth clarifying work since they stay in this condition for a long time. Other practitioners' reason to wait until they are adjusted. Actually, they're just not able to exercise self-restraint and break through their own limitations. They waste precious time for truth clarifying and saving sentient beings.
- Some practitioners who are specialized in technical areas are frequently troubled by some factors. Because of involvement with technical details for long time, they often develop attachments to those details. Some spend a large amount of time on the computer, and do not convert information quickly into something useful for clarifying the truth. Looking from the surface, they lack a deeper understanding about the urgency of truth clarification and saving sentient beings.
- Some practitioners do not accept suggestions; some directly deny the methods of other practitioners; and some insist on other practitioners following their ways. As everyone has their own path of cultivation; different cultivation levels; and different angles of understanding things, they will have different ways of handling things. Any method of clarifying the truth used by practitioners is all for Fa- rectification and for saving sentient beings and is therefore precious. One method may be better than another. But when you say your method is better, there is probably another way, which is better than yours; only you do not realize it. When dealing with sentient beings or other practitioners, Dafa practitioners should have immense forbearance.
- Some practitioners have recognized the fact that there is not enough time to do truth clarifying, however, they still waste a lot of time on other things.
Lastly, I like to quote Teacher:
"So before the Fa-rectification is over you should seize the time that's left and solidly do well in every single thing that a Dafa disciple should do. That's how you should proceed on this path toward the future and toward what's the most magnificent; you can't miss any single opportunity, or go awry with any step." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Vancouver, Canada")
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