(Clearwisdom.net) In my previous efforts to rescue fellow practitioners, I have always lacked firm and righteous thoughts. When other practitioners asked me to "help" someone by sending forth righteous thoughts, I was usually unable to do so with persistence.
After this year's Chinese New Year, several practitioners and I went to the railroad station to help secure the release of practitioner A, who had been arrested on a train. At the time it was said that the practitioner would be sentenced to several years. After clarifying the truth several times and sending forth righteous thoughts as a group, practitioner A was released after 15 days.
During April, a fellow practitioner's relative (practitioner B) was arrested by the police. About a dozen practitioners were captured at the same time. A practitioner gave me the name of the detained practitioner and asked me to help send forth righteous thoughts, for it was possible that she might be sentenced to prison or forced labor. Besides my adding a thought for her (four times per day) while sending forth righteous thoughts, I also helped purify her dimension, and at other times I asked Master for help. About five days later the practitioner told me that practitioner B had returned. Due to the outcomes for both of these practitioners (unconditional release), I was able to realize the importance of sending righteous thoughts as a group to rescue our fellow practitioners. As a practitioner, I should not consider whether the arrested practitioners have enough righteous thoughts or whether they can completely deny the arrangements of the old forces. I should simply focus on using a pure and righteous mind to do what I must do to help.
In May, fellow practitioner C was arrested. My thoughts at the time were: "I must not let the old forces persecute my fellow practitioner. Even if this practitioner had omissions, the old forces aren't fit to 'test' her." Practitioner C had experienced severe persecution but she has always been steadfast in her cultivation. It was just as Master said, "Be solid and firm like diamond, or granite, and then nothing can affect you--evil will be afraid at the mere sight of you." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western US International Fa Conference") Such a diligent practitioner will surely come out of this tribulation. Many of us were sending forth righteous thoughts; we were able to do so for almost every hour of the night. The amount of effort we put forth this time was 10, even 100 times greater than the previous two efforts. Two days later the practitioner returned home, and once again the power of sending righteous thoughts as a group had been demonstrated.
Near the end of May, a fellow practitioner told me that someone's sister, practitioner D, had been sent to a labor camp in Changchun. At the time I did not really put my heart into the matter. However, the practitioner also asked me to help send righteous thoughts on her behalf. I thought, "Her local practitioners can do that." But nothing happened after a week of sending righteous thoughts. One day, while talking with fellow practitioners, I suddenly realized that my mind was not pure and calm. Because I knew the previous three practitioners well (practitioner A was a local practitioner, practitioner B was a relative of a local practitioner, and I greatly respected practitioner C), I made quite an effort to rescue them. However, I didn't know practitioner D, for she was not a local practitioner; and, therefore, I didn't fully commit myself to her rescue. At that time I admitted that I was wrong. I told the several practitioners in the sharing that perhaps we were all wrong, that we shouldn't be so discriminating, and that we are all practitioners, and distance shouldn't be able to separate us. I said that from that night on we must all fully commit ourselves to rescuing practitioner D. At the same time I sent out a thought, "No matter how many attachments and human thoughts practitioner D has not given up, the old forces do not deserve to test her." Three days later, thanks to the righteous thoughts of the practitioners in the two cities, practitioner D was released.
On June 16th another practitioner (Practitioner E) I was familiar with was arrested. When several practitioners and I got this news, around noon, we all had the same thought: "Practitioner E should be released in an open and noble way." We strengthened our efforts to send righteous thoughts to rescue practitioner E, but she still did not return after 12 days. On the afternoon of June 28th a fellow practitioner came and, as we discussed this matter, I saw that this practitioner had an impatient expression. I realized that practitioner E still hadn't been rescued because I was in such a hurry. How powerful would my thoughts have been if they were formed while I was in this kind of state? We began to purify our inner thoughts when two more practitioners arrived to join us. One practitioner asked to extend the duration for sending righteous thoughts, so we sat there for 30 minutes. In that period of time I felt that my body no longer existed, and that my gong was rapidly moving upward. For the first time I felt an air of supremacy. That kind of pure bliss cannot be described.
The next morning a fellow practitioner told me, "Practitioner E has been unconditionally released." This time I was not as elated (as I previously was) to hear this news. This was the case because I knew that this result would occur, because we practice Dafa. In cultivation we continually improve ourselves. When our minds become calm, the power of the Fa will automatically manifest. Even before I finished applying adhesive to my posters (calling for the practitioner's release), the practitioner had already returned. However, because I did what I should have done at the time, I was happy for it.
The above 5 practitioners were able to unconditionally return to the path of Fa-rectification. One of the reasons for their releases was their own righteous thoughts, but this also demonstrated the power of sending righteous thoughts as a group. In either case it was the manifestation of the Fa's power. Through the rescuing experiences, I have realized that although one is said to be "helping" other practitioners by sending righteous thoughts, in reality it is not so. It is just like my understanding from the Fa: everything we do is for ourselves. Though on the surface we are helping fellow practitioners, but actually every time we do this, we are also further purifying ourselves and ascending to a higher level. Every time after "helping" to send righteous thoughts, my body feels very light, as if it can float, and my heart becomes tranquil and pure like never before.
As I discussed this with other practitioners, we realized what our shortcomings were in the past. Before the aforementioned cases, many detained practitioners who were not thought to have been in trouble were given heavy sentences. If we would have been able back then to fully commit ourselves to sending righteous thoughts on their behalf, like we are now, there would have been many more practitioners unconditionally released. Master said, "As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference at Philadelphia") If we put our hearts into it, our fellow practitioners can be rescued. But back then many fellow practitioners and myself did not do well enough. Now that we think about it, we are ashamed to face our fellow practitioners in jail, and even more ashamed to face Master's great compassion; for Master had already given us great powers, but they were hindered by our human notions. The attachments that I possessed had sealed off my true self. Now facing fellow practitioner Gao Rongrong's death, what have I done? My answer is "Nothing." The Buddha's Fa is boundless, the Great Way is formless, yet we are partitioned by small regional separations. This partition is created from our own hearts. Compared to the rescue efforts of overseas practitioners, I see that mine are very lacking. From this point on in the Fa-rectification I will have righteous thoughts and righteous actions and break through this separation. Whether they are local practitioners or those from other areas, whether I know them or not, I will devote my best effort to rescue those fellow practitioners going through tribulations, for they are all our own fellow disciples.
July 05, 2005
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