(Minghui.org) Hiring lawyers to defend Falun Dafa practitioners is another way of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings, and I understand that this has been recognized by Master. In order to walk this path well, many of us have shared our experiences and thoughts. Here I would like to discuss some problems we experienced when hiring lawyers in my local area.
My First Impression
One of the lawyers from Beijing that we hired was in his 60s. He was well known in his field, respected for his knowledge and courage. He defended a local practitioner last year and his speech was quite powerful, shocking everyone in the court. The statements he gave in the court were recognized by a Dafa website. Because of this, practitioners widely admired him.
I am a local coordinator. I had not had a chance to talk to this lawyer when he came to our area several times in the past, so this time I wanted to discuss our coordination efforts with him. Many practitioners were already there when I entered the room. My impression of him changed immediately when I listened to him rant and saw how arrogant he was.
I felt that I should try to understand him and not judge him by the same standard I might a practitioner.
When I brought up the topic of coordination, I was surprised by his answer. He did not believe practitioners could help at all. He was firmly against what we were doing - sending letters about Falun Gong and the persecution, making phone calls, sending righteous thoughts - and felt that we were disturbing his work. I was speechless. I could not understand why he was so much against us even after he had been in touch with so many practitioners.
Dafa Practitioners' Actions
In order to corporate well with lawyers, it is important for us to be on the Fa, to put the lawyer and ourselves in the correct positions, and to use our reasoning to judge rather than emotion.
I observed the following issues that I'd like to raise.
1. In order to have a good relationship with the lawyer, several practitioners gave him expensive wine and tea as gifts. We know that they did so to help rescue another, but bribery is wrong, even in everyday society. Dafa disciples are supposed to be "working against sinister tides" ("Following Master" from Hong Yin III).
2. Once after dinner, three lawyers and six practitioners were walking back together. The older lawyer in front had his hands on a female practitioner's shoulders. I was shocked when I saw this.
Another practitioner saw my facial expression and explained that the lawyer had a leg problem. He meant to tell me that the woman was trying to help the lawyer. I thought it would be ok for her to help in this way if no one else could help. But there were four men right there!
An ancient Chinese states that it is improper for men and women to touch each other's hands. It holds true even for ordinary people. Didn't Master tell us to be "full of great aspirations while minding minor details"? ("Sage" from Essentials for Further Advancement) (official translation).
We know that all our words and deeds during the Fa-rectification period are extremely important and they will be passed down to later generations. When gods in the universe see we have done such a thing that damages the image of Dafa disciples, how are they going to feel?
Building the Correct Relationship Between Lawyers and Practitioners
It is such a supreme glory to be a Dafa disciple. The gods in the heavens envy us. Only those with Dafa disciples' benevolent might are qualified to validate the Fa.
It no accident that righteous lawyers have emerged. No matter how well these lawyers do and how capable and knowledgeable they seem to be, all has been arranged and blessed by gods. Otherwise what can an ordinary person do?
As I understand it, the gods allow these people help Dafa disciples validate the Fa. Should they do well, they'll receive a lot of merit. On the other hand, if they don't do well or even disturb or interfere with Dafa disciples' work, their future's won't be so good.
Just like the law professor Master mentioned in the lecture to Australian disciples. Because the local practitioners did not cultivate well and worshiped him, they let him join in with Dafa disciples' work. But an ordinary person can not do a god's work. He would disturb practitioners' cultivation and validating of the Fa. Hence he was put at the edge of danger.
Now let's look at the issue from an ordinary person's perspective. Each lawyer was hired by us and they got paid. Since we paid them, the relationship between us and the lawyers is one of an employer and employee. An employee must listen to the employer, or else the employer can hire someone else.
However, in our area, we got it backwards. We obeyed the lawyers and also put all hopes in them. It was like a master obeying his servants. Isn't that ridiculous?
Speaking from the perspective of morality and justice, these lawyers accepted payment and agreed to plead not guilty for the practitioners. They should complete their promise.
During recent years, the hiring of lawyers has increased. This is a positive thing. When we do this, we need to learn from experiences and lessons from other regions so that we walk better on this path of validating the Fa and saving sentient beings.
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