(Clearwisdom.net) In February 1999, Master told a story in "Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference:"
"In the past, there was a cultivator of the Dao walking on the street while drinking. He suddenly saw someone. This person was just who he had been looking for--someone who could cultivate the Dao. So he wanted to save this person and take him as his disciple. He asked this person, 'Do you want to follow me to cultivate the Dao?' This person's enlightenment quality and inborn quality were very good, and he said, 'I do.' 'Do you dare to follow me?' the cultivator asked. The person replied, 'Yes, I do!' 'Do you dare to follow me wherever I go?' he then asked. 'Yes,' was the reply. The cultivator then said, 'Okay. Now follow me!' Saying that, he put his palm-sized wine gourd on the ground, opened the lid, and jumped into the gourd. The person saw that his master had jumped in, so he imitated his master and likewise jumped into the gourd. The bystanders all leaned over and looked inside the gourd. 'Wow!' they exclaimed. There was a vast world inside the gourd, really vast."
I was impressed deeply by this story that Master told us. However, I was puzzled about it in the beginning. Recently I suddenly understood some of the meanings behind it:
1. Completely let go of everything, Leave it to Master to arrange whether you stay or go.
When the CCP started to persecute Dafa disciples, I went Beijing to appeal and to clarify the truth. My university had expelled me due to official pressure. Lacking a university degree, I have been doing very low income types of work. A little while ago, a business owner of an international brand name company took note of my efforts and gave me a position involving financial work. My salary doubled. My first day on the job, a community staff member came to the company to ask for a list of all the employees working there, to check if everyone had a labor contract, which was a normal thing. But I was afraid, and observed it in myself. I was afraid that if the company knew that I was a Falun Gong practitioner, I would be persecuted for it. Cultivating Dafa is the most righteous thing; how could I not feeling upright in my heart! Why could not I let go of all of my human worries, just as Master said? Let go of everything, leave it to Master to arrange whether you stay or go. Isn't this just like the person following the immortal and jumping into the gourd? When I really let go of everything, it really was a different realm!
2. Start with letting go of fear to immediately end the persecution. The persecution should not be here in the first place, our unwitting acceptance of its existence is the reason it does not end!
I first got interested in Dafa in1998 and wanted to learn the practice, but, thinking of several brutal communist movements in China and the mass killings of kind people by the CCP, I was afraid to learn Dafa. I was afraid of being persecuted. It took me an entire two weeks to muster my courage and stay firm in my choice to cultivate. I thought that Dafa was so good. Even if I die I will still cultivate. From the history of Christian persecution,, especially from the image of Jesus nailed to the cross, I mistakenly thought that the persecution is inevitable and inescapable. Even after such a long period of time, I still have these thoughts in my mind occasionally, meaning that at the time I did not completely understand and believe in Master and the Fa.
Now I have gradually come to understand the original negative attitude that all of us have towards the old forces and the CCP--the fear of persecution and the belief that they will certainly persecute us. By having these thoughts, we admit that the old forces can persecute Dafa. This is the actual reason that persecution can occur. Otherwise, the persecution could not happen, because the universe's laws do not allow it, and Master does not allow it.
If we are really confident, trust and respect Master and Dafa in our hearts, if we have no doubts at all, and completely believe in it and follow its principle to do things, perhaps we would not have so many difficulties on the journey to save sentient beings. Let us totally negate the persecution in our minds and end the persecution. Let every person have the freedom to know the truth, just as before July 1999, and position themselves well. Let's strive to do a good job; Master is waiting for us.
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