(Minghui.org) Several practitioners in my city were arrested for telling people about the persecution of Falun Gong in 2012. We planned to hire an attorney to defend them in court so we could clarify the facts about Falun Dafa to the judicial officials.
We looked within for our attachments and gaps, eliminated our fear, and did well with our overall coordination during the process. We even let go of our attachment to the verdict. We just hoped that the attorney would be able to argue that Falun Dafa practitioners hadn't done anything illegal.
Things didn't turn out as we had hoped. One of the arrested practitioners had a cerebral hemorrhage while in custody and passed away a week after being released on medical parole. A second practitioner was tried without the attorney being notified. Our attorney said the third practitioner wouldn't face a prison term because the only complaint against her was that police had found a few Falun Dafa books in her home. Despite that, this practitioner was tried without her attorney being notified and thrown into prison.
Master told us,
“As I've said, everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts.” (Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A. from Teaching the Fa at the Conference II)
I have been reflecting on our attachments that could have caused this outcome. One of our practitioners had invited a lot of people to the trial, hoping that they would be able to hear the attorney's argument. This seemed to be a strong pursuit. We all know that it's Falun Dafa practitioners who are validating the Fa, but we placed our hopes in an attorney to argue for us. We hadn't done well clarifying the facts and then relied on an ordinary person to do the job. How could the old forces not take advantage of our pursuit and interfere?
As I improved in cultivation, I gradually found a hidden attachment–an attachment to the final result. Even though we said we looked within when facing difficulties, we were attached to solving the problems, if only subconsciously. We failed to take every opportunity to unconditionally correct ourselves as Falun Dafa practitioners.
I have always had this attachment to the outcome when I was involved in rescuing fellow practitioners. I thought I had done my best and followed the requirements of the Fa, and I hoped my fellow practitioners would be released as a result. Even though my pursuit sounded pretty basic, it was still pursuit.
Master has reminded us many times about “natural attainment without pursuit.” (Lecture in Sydney)
Too often, I have failed to follow Master's words.
The imprisoned practitioners had also looked within and found many of their own shortcomings, but they were still thrown in prison. I wonder if they had looked within with pursuit, too. Pursuing release is still a pursuit.
Master described the righteous thoughts of imprisoned Dafa practitioners,
“Now that you've arrested me, I haven't thought at all about going back. Now that I've come here, I've come to validate the Fa.” (Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference from Teaching the Fa at the Conference III)
Haven't our thoughts fallen short of what Master describes?
When some practitioners experienced symptoms of sickness karma, some of us helped them look within, some helped them by sending forth righteous thoughts, and some looked within ourselves. The practitioners undergoing the tribulations also looked within and continued to do the exercises and participate in truth-clarification projects. Some practitioners with sickness karma symptoms took a long time to break free of the old forces' physical persecution. Some practitioners lost their lives without finding their fundamental problems.
In recent years, Master has been teaching us how huge the cosmos is, how complicated all the different factors and predestined relationships are, and how we once vowed to fulfill our mission. There are so many things we don't understand. How can things possibly pan out according to our restricted human thoughts?
Master wrote in his poem,
“Doing but pursuing not” (“In Dao” from Hong Yin) (Translation Version B)
“You want this, he wants thatSorrowful and laughable” (“Watch Carefully” from Hong Yin Volume II) (Translation Version B)
The final results, whether good or bad, whether a practitioner is imprisoned or released, should be left for Master to decide. We should have strong faith unconditionally. Isn't this the realm genuine Dafa practitioners should have today? Think about it: one of the reasons why the old forces of different levels have to be eliminated is because they have been pursuing their own goals.
The above is my limited understanding. Please feel free to point out anything incorrect.
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Category: Improving Oneself
