(Minghui.org) The local security director and a police officer harassed us when we were studying the Fa several days ago, so we discussed this issue. One practitioner said that she was too scared to look at the police officer. When we asked her if she remembered what had happened that day, she frequently mentioned the words “fear,” and “lack of righteous thoughts.” Another practitioner asked, “What is your understanding of righteous thoughts?” That practitioner thought for a while, but was unable to answer the question.
Several days ago, three police officers stopped two practitioners when they were distributing truth clarification materials in a nearby village. One practitioner clarified the truth about Falun Gong to one of the officers. She said, “I wanted to tell you the facts about Falun Gong a long time ago, but I didn't find an opportunity. To put it bluntly, it was because I was afraid of the persecution. Now, since we have met here, I would like to tell you the facts. As a police officer, you should protect people's human rights. We are all good persons who follow the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We save people with compassion and have never violated the law. Those few in power who issue the orders are actually violating the law. Your only difference from other people is that you are wearing the police uniform. You are also human beings. You also have brothers and sisters. You are also the people that we want to save.”
She talked much more, including about the stone engraved with the six words “the Chinese Communist Party will Die,” as well as about Heaven eliminating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In the end, the three officers quit the CCP and all of its affiliates.
One police officer said, “You may leave now. I know you are all good people. You are really eloquent.” He asked, “How many pamphlets do you still have?” The practitioner said, “Not many are left. We were in a hurry, so we didn't produce many.” The three officers then left.
I will not comment about the aforementioned issues. However, we are living in the same environment and cultivating in the same Dafa. Therefore, we should ask ourselves, "What are righteous thoughts? What are human attachments?" It is not necessary to delve deeper into this. As a fellow practitioner, I don't want to praise or put anyone down. All we did was to share our point of view from the Fa perspective. Since the attachment of fear was brought up, we couldn't avoid talking about it.
We asked ourselves, "Why fear? What is fear for?" Actually it doesn't require a complex answer. Chinese people hold so much fear because the CCP has persecuted them during one movement after another since it came to power. Especially over the past decade, Falun Gong practitioners felt the brunt of the most recent movement. The fact is that the CCP uses violence and lies to maintain its power. The violence is used to make the Chinese people afraid of the CCP, while the lies are used to confuse people.
Dafa practitioners have studied the Fa, so they know how to break through the illusions. Therefore, they are not deceived by the CCP lies and can clearly see its violence. Over the past decade, many practitioners have been persecuted to death, have become disabled, and were sentenced to prison terms and forced labor. Because of this some practitioners became afraid of the CCP. This is a human attachment. I could understand that fellow practitioner who held fear in her heart.
Just now I talked about fear itself. I would also like to talk about what to fear. What are some practitioners afraid of? They are afraid of death, being disabled, prison terms, forced labor, harmonious lives being affected and ruined, and so on. As practitioners, what's our pursuit? Is it a comfortable, happy and healthy, long life? These are everyday people's pursuits. I think every practitioner is quite clear about this. Then what do we want? Teacher said,
“As far as what to tell them in terms of cultivation, all you can do is suggest to them that they do what's good for them; there's no special method. What a person wants is up to him.” ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York")
What we want is up to ourselves. If we want nothing, then things that could harm us will not touch us. Practitioners who have been troubled by the fake phenomena of illness karma should dig out their attachments. They must have pursuits and attachments to being healthy. Where does the sickness come from if you are not concerned about your health? If we have no pursuits and attachments to ordinary life, how could the oppression and persecution in this human world move our hearts? Isn't it “a demon who came knocking at your door, thanks to your human attachments”? ("Be Vigilant")
Then what's a righteous thought? Teacher said,
“Indestructible righteous faith in the cosmos’s Truth forms benevolent Dafa disciples’ rock-solid, Diamond-Like Bodies, it frightens all evil, and the light of Truth it emanates makes the unrighteous elements in all beings’ thoughts disintegrate. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that’s how great the power is. Dafa disciples are truly stepping forward out of ordinary humanness.” ("Also in a Few Words")
I believe that practitioner's righteous thoughts form our righteous faith in Dafa. However strong the righteous thoughts are, that's how great the mighty power is. If you firmly believe that practitioners have no illness, then the fake phenomena of sickness cannot touch you. If you firmly believe that your diamond-like bodies cultivated in Dafa cannot be touched by the evil, then the evil cannot get near you. If you firmly believe that only Teacher has the final say during the Fa-rectification, then no matter how the evil huffs and puffs, the divine will definitely appear and turn danger into safety. On the other hand, if you say that you have no righteous thoughts, it is equivalent to admitting that you have no firm belief in Dafa. It's a fundamental excuse used by the evil to persecute practitioners. They just want to find those who are in this state among practitioners and eliminate them.
Therefore, as true practitioners, we really have no other choice. We must cultivate well in Dafa and establish our righteous thoughts. This is the fundamental guarantee that lets us walk up to the end of the Fa rectification and honor our prehistoric vows.
Recently, many things happened among practitioners in my area. Some practitioners passed away due to persecution by the old forces. Some were seriously tortured by the fake phenomena of sickness. Some were harassed by police, and some had great financial difficulties. As fellow practitioners, each of us is part of the one body. When we saw or heard of such things, there must be some aspects that we need to improve upon. I was wondering how we were taken advantage of by the old forces. Where didn't we do well?
I shared this with fellow practitioners after group Fa study. One practitioner awakened me by saying one sentence, "...not looking inside or truly cultivating ourselves during conflicts." Teacher reminds us again and again to look within. Why didn't I attach importance to this? I looked at myself and was afraid afterward.
Take a look at those who turned from the righteous path. Though they are different in form, they have one point in common. That is, they did not truly cultivate and look inside during conflicts. They experienced crooked enlightening in different ways and found excuses. We should use the Fa as our guidance in true cultivation, but shouldn't use it as an excuse. Teacher said,
Solid Cultivation
Study the Fa and gain the Fa,
Focus on how you study and cultivate,
Let each and every thing
be measured against the Fa.
Only then, with that,
is it actually cultivation.
(Hong Yin, translation version A)
I now have a new understanding. Just believing is of no use. Truly believing occurs only when we truly follow the principles of Dafa.
The closer to the end, the more I feel the seriousness of cultivation. At the beginning of cultivation, we had more attachments than now. However, as long as we studied the Fa diligently, we could improve. It's different now. Though we are doing the three things, we still feel that we aren't making any progress. We shouldn't follow the same format as in the past. When we notice our human attachments, for instance, fear, selfishness and comfort, we must seize them and remove them immediately. Whatever attachment we have and don't want to let go, we will definitely be worn out, pestered with, and tormented by it.
The above is my sharing in recent days. Anything you find improper, please point it out with your compassion.
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