(Minghui.org)

I'd like to share my understanding about an important aspect of cultivation that I've observed: the importance of maintaining appropriate behavior when it comes to the relationships between men and women practitioners. I'll illustrate my understanding with examples of the ill fates met by some who have done otherwise.

Of course as Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, those of us in China have navigated a difficult and arduous course over the last nearly 14 years. Facing the vile and brutal persecution, many practitioners I know did not yield, fall, or compromise. Amid tests of life or death, they upheld Dafa with righteous thoughts and righteous acts. This is admirable. Yet some of them, I feel, did not pay close enough attention to certain details, and the results were sometimes disastrous.

For example, in certain cases the communications between certain male and female practitioners became too close and frequent. As I understand it, evil beings in other dimensions took advantage of this loophole to strengthen the practitioners' attachments to lust and led them to make mistakes in this regard. The evil forces then manipulated the 610 Office and other agencies to persecute these practitioners with all kinds of excuses. Some practitioners were tortured; some were disabled; others even tortured to death.

This not only discredited Dafa, but has also caused a serious impact to and loss regarding our efforts to clarify the truth and save sentient beings. Furthermore, those lives lost the opportunity to continue their cultivation and and will have everlasting regret.

After the persecution started in 1999, many practitioners have suffered from the brutal persecution and lost their family members or jobs, and were forced to become homeless. In some truth clarification projects, such as material production sites, technical repair, etc., male and female practitioners often cooperate to finish the work.

In such environments, if one cannot maintain a high standard and strict requirements for himself, he/she might develop sentimentality and feel that they talk very congenially, are like-minded, and even regret not having met each other earlier. The evil beings in other dimensions would enlarge such a practitioner's attachment to lust so that he slacks off in his determination to cultivate, lowers his standards of being a practitioner, and eventually goes astray. Almost all the practitioners in my region having this kind of problem had not previously fallen down in the severe persecution, but they were stuck in lust and unable to extricate themselves, which caused them to suffer more severe persecution.

Those practitioners who committed wrongdoings in the relationship between a man and woman or who have a strong attachment to lust did not study the Fa well to have a clear understanding of the Fa principles. They regard themselves as humans who are morally degenerated. Although they obtained Dafa in today's world full of sin and venom, they could not cultivate themselves and missed the opportunity. This is really sad and regrettable. If we notice a male and female practitioner who have frequent contact and indecent behavior, we should point it out promptly. This is being responsible to fellow practitioners' cultivation and safeguarding Dafa's reputation.

Here is one example I am aware of: An elderly practitioner noticed a young female practitioner who's married with a child and who often stayed in a young practitioner couple's home. She went to talk with this female practitioner and told her she cannot casually stay in the other practitioners' home even for the convenience of work, and that a distinction should be made between males and females. She also said a married woman living at others' home (even other practitioners' home) for a long time does not meet the standard for cultivators, and that this may also cause an unnoticeable attachment. The female practitioner was touched by the elderly practitioner's sincere words, and she went back home to live right away.

Pointing out fellow practitioners' shortcomings is, I believe, being responsible to fellow practitioners' cultivation. I feel that this is what Dafa disciples should do. However, after noticing the above mentioned behaviors, some practitioners try to cover it up instead of pointing it out to the involved practitioners. On the other hand, some know that their acts do not conform to the Fa's requirement, but they refuse to listen to other practitioners' advice and even curse those who point out their problems. For cultivators, of course, whether what one does is good or not is demonstrated by one's cultivation, not by what one says. Practitioners should all use the Fa to measure themselves.