(Minghui.org) A local practitioner I'll call "A" was arrested this summer. The case quickly moved to the procuratorate, and A was facing an illegal sentence. We were not allowed to see him, nor were we able to talk to case officers, prosecutors, or the judge. We decided to hire a lawyer.
The Importance of Looking Inward
We had no idea what to do, since we had never hired a lawyer before. But Master paved the way once we had the desire to move forward.
A lawyer was representing another practitioner in our neighborhood, which gave us a foot in the door, so we hired him, too.
Once he agreed to defend our local practitioners, I began to feel uneasy--and I wondered why I felt this way.
I looked within and realized that I was afraid of being persecuted for hiring a lawyer, afraid of things not going well, afraid of the cost, just afraid of many things.
Actually, I had so many attachments that they occupied all of my thoughts, and I didn't think of others' needs. Thank you, Master, for giving us this chance to save people and to let go of attachments and elevate in cultivation.
Making Assumptions Is Wrong
I pictured the lawyer in my mind. His voice would be firm and strong, and he would be bold and unstoppable. But when he came to talk with us, he was quite the opposite. He spoke softly, and I was very disappointed. I wondered if he would be able to defend a practitioner.
It wasn't just me. Other practitioners also had negative thoughts after he left. We worried about what it was going to cost us above what we'd already paid for his first visit.
All kinds of thoughts came to our minds. Then I remembered that a practitioner should look inward in any situation, and I realized that we were looking at the situation in the wrong way.
My thoughts became clear when I realized this. No wonder the lawyer felt uncomfortable and we all felt uneasy when we met. We did not take it as a chance to awaken people and did not think about clarifying the facts about Falun Gong to him. The lawyer, after all, was not a practitioner.
The Lawyer Encourages Imprisoned Practitioner
We learned from this first meeting with the lawyer. We all looked inward and were determined to do better the next time.
Before his next visit, we sent righteous thoughts to dissolve all of the evil in other dimensions wherever the lawyer would be.
We clarified the facts about Falun Gong and suggested that he share this information with his family, so they could also benefit. He agreed that representing Falun Gong clients was, indeed, different from his other cases.
He met A in the detention center without any trouble. A was depressed and had to deal with doing hard labor and many corrupt inmates.
The lawyer encouraged him, “You're different. You have a belief. The power of your belief is infinite. It can change your surroundings.”
The lawyer had memorized two of master's verses before the visit and recited them to A. Then he told him that we and his wife were working hard to rescue him.
A was moved to tears and said he would strive to do his best. He thanked other practitioners for keeping him in their righteous thoughts and strengthening him, and thanked his wife for her unwavering support.
His wife was in tears when he repeated to us what her husband had said. The lawyer said, “Aren't you supposed to let go of sentiment? Aren't you being sentimental? You should not just say it, you should do it.”
Lawyer Assists in Clarifying the Facts about Falun Gong
While the lawyer was inside the procuratorate, we sent righteous thoughts outside.
He asked the prosecutor, “My client is a very good person. Did you ever investigate him?” The prosecutor made no reply.
He continued, “I asked his co-workers, and they also said that he was very nice. You may not have met any practitioners. They are honest and truly want people to understand the facts about Falun Gong.
“You shouldn't just listen to one side of the story. How will A's students regard you if you sentence him? After I took on Falun Gong cases, I learned that they are all selfless.”
After talking with the lawyer for more than an hour, the prosecutor said the case should soon be returned to the police department.
Practitioners Should Play the Lead Role
We exchanged ideas before the lawyer left. We were all happy that we accomplished so much more than during the first visit.
The lawyer said, “It's not that I did well. It's you practitioners who cooperated well. You are the main players.”
Yes, we indeed should play the leading role.
He suggested, “Practitioners are a group of very compassionate people who hope all others can be saved. But sometimes you ignore others' feelings and push your ideas too strongly. You did not think of others in every situation.”
We understood that Master was using the lawyer to shed light on our shortcomings.
While working with the lawyer, we gradually learned how to truly cultivate ourselves, let go of our attachments of fear, dependency, grievances, and much more.
At the same time, the lawyer's recognition of our true benevolence was getting increasingly stronger. He started to tell his wife and friends the facts about Falun Gong and encouraged them to practice.
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Category: Improving Oneself
