(Clearwisdom.net)
Greetings Revered Master,
Greetings, fellow practitioners,
(Practitioner B) In November 2004, a group of practitioners from Latvia went to Manhattan in order to clarify the truth about the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of Falun Gong. While we were in New York, we attended an experience sharing conference. It was at this conference that we first learned about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. We also learned the significance of this book for the mass-media of all the countries in the world. During a short period of time, we observed how quickly the Nine Commentaries spread all over the world.
In 2005, Falun Dafa practitioners from Latvia took part in many European parades to support those who were leaving the ranks of the wicked CCP. With each parade, the number of people who had signed their names, signifying their withdrawal from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations, increased considerably.
(Practitioner A)One day in mid February 2005, after sharing experiences with fellow practitioners and coming home, I read several articles, in which fellow practitioners from China shared what they had been through, after having collided with the evil persecution from the spiteful Chinese Communist Party. I tried to strengthen my own righteous thoughts to clear out the field and to eliminate the influence of the wicked spirit of the CCP. Even when I was going to bed, I still continued to think about what I had learned about the ongoing repression. Suddenly, it became clear to me. Since I earlier belonged to the Youth League of the former Soviet Union, but did not write a withdrawal from the organization, it could be said that those factors which were supported by my existence earlier, proceeded to survive in my mind as well as my body. I realized that I should immediately clear myself of their influence, that I should first clear my own factors since I am a member of society, for which I carry responsibility. I felt that this was not just a formality. At first I thought that I would just write the withdrawal from the Youth League in the morning. But right away I realized that there was still a lot of time left before the morning comes, and that my renunciation of the communistic ideology should be written immediately. I got up from my bed and, although it was close to two o'clock in the morning, I wrote the renunciation from the Youth League.
The next day, I attended our group Fa study. I carried with me a handwritten renunciation from the communist party. I did not know what to do with it and wanted to consult with my fellow practitioners. However, after group Fa study, one practitioner suggested to read through Teacher's article, "Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World":
"Dafa disciples do not want to leave behind any blemishes; their making a renunciation is not 'getting political,' and even less is it going through a formality. Rather, it is an attachment that needs to be removed in cultivation. No one can reach Consummation if they remain marked by, or if they acknowledge the most evil thing in the entire cosmos. In addition, only when Dafa disciples are able to clearly recognize it for what it is, purge it from their minds and no longer let it interfere with their thinking, can they have stronger righteous thoughts and do well what Dafa disciples should do; it is a step in cultivation that you have to take." ("Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World").
After reading Teacher's article, I came to an understanding that I must publish my statement. I first of all read it to the other Dafa disciples. When I came home, I typed and sent it over the Internet to the e-mail addresses of practitioners from the other cities of the former Soviet Union.
Realizing that liberating oneself from the evil spirit of the Communist Party is important for all the people, especially people in the countries of the former USSR, I decided to find a way of publishing my statement. When meeting with journalists in the course of my employment, I spoke to them about writing the statement and explained to them the reason behind taking this step. I also asked about a possibility of publishing it, in turn making more people consider taking a similar step towards the cleansing of their consciousness from the infectious spirit of the evil party. I acquainted my friends and co-workers with the statement. While communicating with people and clarifying the truth about the essence of the Communist Party and the persecution of the practitioners by the CCP, I gained a much deeper understanding of the importance of cleansing from all the factors implanted into the people's consciousness by the vile Party.
Meanwhile, practitioners from Latvia continued our participation in parades around Europe intended to support those people who where resigning from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations.
In the summer of 2005, Dafa practitioners in Latvia attended a seminar and a parade dedicated to the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in Stockholm. I was very inspired by the preparation work done by the Scandinavian disciples in the activities dedicated to the Nine Commentaries. I thought that it would be very good to carry out a similar seminar in Latvia and other Baltic countries. During the activities, I had a chance to communicate with participating Swedish politicians and lawmakers. In our conversation I shared my opinion regarding the importance of such activities in the countries of the former socialist regime. Inspired by the "Nine Commentaries" events, I invited people who were involved in the conversation to a similar seminar in Latvia. If it were a day before that, I would have not even imagined suggesting a possibility of having a "Nine Commentaries" activity in Baltic.
(Practitioner A) In the beginning of the fall of 2005, we learned about an International Conference "Vilnius 2005" made possible by the public organizations and intended to condemn the crimes committed by the communist regime. My friends and I were heading to the conference, planning to present the "Nine Commentaries" publicly. We were invited to the conference as representatives of the mass-media - international publishing project The Epoch Times and also the television channel NTDTV. The "Nine Commentaries" were met with a lot of warmth from the people gathered in the conference.
In a month we were participants in a seminar in Prague, dedicated to the newly published book the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in the Czech language. While coming back home to Latvia I had a clear understanding that a seminar must take place in my home country. An event of a big importance would familiarize a wide range of people and our government with the "Nine Commentaries." Cleansing their consciousness off the Communist Party factors would help people to make a choice of a good future for themselves. On the way home my friends and I were exchanging some understandings about the importance of our mission in the countries of the Baltic region.
(Practitioner B) Latvian practitioners of Falun Gong realized the importance of carrying out of a seminar in Baltic, but some factors, such as shortage of experience of dialogue with the VIP's and an insufficient preliminary clarification of the truth in the Baltic territory, seriously complicated the preparations and carrying out of a seminar in the near future. All of us were still hesitating. Experiences of Latvian practitioners' trip to a seminar of the "Nine Commentaries" in Prague, and sharing experiences in a chat with practitioners from Europe have raised our understandings. There were no more doubts that this seminar needed to be organized. But no practitioners took it upon themselves to begin its preparation. There was just a month left till the beginning of the Christmas vacations, during and after which it would not be possible to hold a seminar. One day I questioned myself about whether I really wanted the seminar of the "Nine Commentaries" to take place in Baltic, and whether I was ready to make efforts and walk this path, despite of all the difficulties involved. If I was not ready to walk this path, then what was my role in the Fa-Rectification period? Was I Dafa disciple in the Fa-Rectification period? This was the key question, since the answer to it would show a position that I took concerning the course of Fa-Rectification.
I recalled Teacher's words from Zhuan Falun (Lecture Nine):
"Back when I was cultivating, a lot of men of great character told me this: "It's hard to endure, but you can endure it. It's hard to do, but you can do it." And that's really how it is. When you go back you might want to give it a try. When you're going through an awful tribulation, or maybe a critical juncture, give it a try. When it's hard to endure, try to endure it. When it seems impossible to do, or just hard to do, give it a try and see just what you can do. And when you can really do it, just like that worn and weary traveler, you'll see, "the shade of willows, the blooms of flowers, a place to rest my head"!
These words have given me the power and I believe that we can manage organizing and carrying out the seminar in Latvia.
(Practitioner A) We have realized that the seminar is one of the tools for truth-clarification and for saving living beings. Its carrying out is possible while increasing Xinxing of the whole group of practitioners. Having realized it all, we started to prepare for the seminar. Having committed to paper an idea - how we saw this seminar, what purpose it was to serve, - we began to acquaint the surrounding people with the idea of carrying out the seminar. We named the seminar "The Baltic Way 2005: A Future without Communism." This name was similar to the aspiration of people 15 years ago who wanted to get rid of the communist regime. Having joined hands, people walked out on the highway connecting the capitals of three Baltic republics. That was the first step of the inhabitants of Baltic on the way to liberating themselves from the communist ideology. Given that our resources, both human and material, have been very limited, we have decided that we can hold a seminar in the city of Riga, the capital of Latvia, as it would be convenient for the neighboring republics - Lithuania and Estonia. Discussion of ideas of the seminar has revealed its potential participants, the people who understood the evil essence of communist ideology. During preparation, we acquainted them with the "Nine Commentaries" and exchanged opinions on the substance of articles. We kept in constant contact with the representatives from Lithuania and Estonia by phone and sometimes our conversations would last about an hour - we needed to be convinced that those people who would present a report at the seminar would be familiar with and rationally understand the "Nine Commentaries."
During the preparations, we had not given enough attention to clarifying the facts to the mass-media. As a result the seminar was not widely covered in the Baltic press. That tells us that in the future it is necessary to put more effort into the truth-clarification to journalists and workers of mass-media.
(Practitioner B) Three weeks before the date of the seminar we still had problems to solve: determining the place for the seminar, finding participants and co-organizers for the seminar, preparing the plan of the seminar. This last document was being added to every day of the preparatory work. We needed to put the invitations together for potential participants. We had to translate the reports into the working languages of the seminar, prepare translations at a good level (the working languages of the seminar were Latvian, English and Russian), find the moderator for the activity etc.
In the course of the preparation for the seminar, support from Scandinavian practitioners was very helpful to us. We were constantly exchanging experiences over the Internet and telephone. With their help we managed to raise our understandings and strengthen the body of Dafa practitioners in the Baltic region.
At the seminar, politicians, human rights advocates, state activists, historians, experts in business in China, and journalists gave speeches. With the joint efforts of the participants, we worked out a Resolution of the seminar, which later played its role, as an instrument in truth-clarification. In the Resolution one of the items was to condemn the cruel and unlawful persecution of various peaceful movements in China, including Falun Gong.
Later on, in January 2006, the Resolution for the seminar was sent out to the delegates of the Baltic countries, who took part in the vote for the European Council Resolution, suggested by the Swedish Parliament, where they condemned the communist ideology.
Participation in the preparation of and the seminar itself has allowed Dafa practitioners in the Baltic countries to merge into the Fa-rectification, to strengthen righteous thoughts and feel like one body with Dafa disciples of the whole world. This seminar served as a platform for the following projects of truth-clarification. It has opened an opportunity for various public circles to get acquainted with the "Nine Commentaries," to realize the reason for the persecution happening in China, and to enable people to make their choice for a better future for themselves and for their near and dear ones.
HeShi!