(Minghui.org) Some practitioners were recently disturbed by articles and videos posted by two people surnamed Yu and Zeng in their independent online media channels. Master wrote a comment to a notice issued by the Falun Dafa Association with regard to this issue. I would also like to share some understandings.
We have observed that every time Yu and Zeng published such articles or videos in their independent media channels, they caused far more disturbance among practitioners than non-practitioners. Based on what we’ve learned from the Fa and what we’ve experienced in the past, we have found such interference in certain regions is often caused by the attachments of the practitioners in that area. That is, the old forces will repeatedly take advantage of the fact that practitioners are drawn to remarks made by people like Yu and Zeng, which, in turn, provides an environment for the latter to publish more disturbing content to attract attention. Once these people are used as puppets by the old forces, they may go down a demonic path and dare to make outlandish claims.
If that is the case, as practitioners, we should look within either as parties involved or someone who has heard about this issue. For example, have we felt “wronged” or “mistreated”? Have we felt there is no place to “voice our opinions” and reason with others? Have we felt unable to forbear, unable to look inward, and thus become resentful? Some of us might be worried about Yu and Zeng going down the wrong path and were just trying to urge them to stop posting that harmful content. But when we failed to make them stop, we may have unknowingly become combative.
In fact, we have to be mindful when clarifying the facts to people about Falun Gong. For example, we cannot appear strange, brag about ourselves, or talk about things at too high a level. If we are not considerate, they may misunderstand us. In fact, why have our minds been moved by Yu and Zeng’s posted articles and videos, either agreeing with or opposing them, in the first place? Why have we failed to cultivate ourselves?
Here we do not need to examine if that online content is consistent with the Fa, as genuine practitioners can easily discern good or bad based on the Fa principles. Some of those posts depict the practitioner community as losers or people of ignorance. Some use the staged self-immolation incident, a defamatory propaganda stunt cooked up by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to mislead people, as evidence that practitioners were engaging in “religious fanaticism.” Some claim that “practitioners as a whole have problems.”
In addition to Yu and Zeng, other practitioners who run their own independent online media channels have posted remarks such as “any religion will sooner or later head toward division.” Those who make such reckless remarks might have problems using rationality to view things, which is something that cultivators of other schools or even everyday people can discern. But those few mentioned individuals are choosing to neglect or ignore their problems and continue what they’ve been doing, fully exposing them as extremists.
Here is some advice for practitioners who have been reasoning with Yu and Zeng. If they have refused to listen to your advice despite your kindness and logical reasoning, it is time to leave them alone. Continuing to follow them and post comments on their media channels just adds to their momentum. Even your negative feedback can be viewed as some kind of support, because you are at least paying them attention. The best way is to leave their media channels. With faith in Master and the Fa, no one is able to cause real damage. Any attachments can hurt others and harm oneself.
Some practitioners may not know the complete story. Those who follow Yu have heard about his nearly decade-long detention in China. But back when he was in China, any place he went ended up being ransacked by the police; whoever he connected with was arrested afterward. It is hard to know what really went on.
Zeng’s story is similar. She voluntarily wrote statements to give up practicing Falun Gong while she was detained in China. She also told those who admired her to do the same. Some in the know have said that, had Zeng not encouraged Yu to post content like hers, Yu probably would not have gone this far astray. We do not know if this is true or not. But one fact that is true is that the CCP spies enjoy watching things like this playing out in online groups. While laughing at practitioners’ behavior, they add fuel to the flame and, in the meantime, collect information on those in the groups.
Here are some words for Yu and Zeng. It is understandable that an everyday person may want to make a name for themselves and gain fame and status, which are all human matters. But such pursuits should still be done legitimately through hard work, and whether they can get what they desire depends on whether that is their fate. If one really wants to cultivate, one must do things like a practitioner. If one is not clear on things, has no faith in Master or the Fa, or, worse yet, interferes with others and messes up the cultivation environment, the consequences are serious. When the divine beings hold you accountable, no excuse or self-defense would work at that time.
In fact, such interference caused by Yu and Zeng to the cultivation environment outside of China has existed all along in mainland China. Some people went down an evil path and gave up their belief in Dafa. They even helped “transform” steadfast practitioners, trying to force them to renounce their faith.
Some of those practitioners who went down an evil path later immigrated to other countries. After they do, they might create similar conflicts and interference in certain projects or in certain regions. If local practitioners give an audience to these people or even agree with what they say or do, disturbances such as those caused by Yu and Zeng will always exist, in the past, at present, and in the future.
If practitioners working on projects are unable to look at things with righteous thoughts or handle personal attachments and tribulations with righteous thoughts, situations like that will persist. It is especially the case if one tends to look outward and judge others based on one’s own thinking. So it is best to leave those online groups, stop reading those posts and being obsessed with those posts, remain undisturbed, and remember not to argue about cultivation issues openly in online forums for everyday people or spies to see. That will create a favorable environment for everyday people instead of fostering those undesirable situations.
Of course, Master’s comment may not target just Yu and Zeng and may not be limited to practitioner-run media channels in Chinese. There may be similar situations with online and independent media in other regions or in other languages. I believe it must be that the disturbance caused by those channels has been bad enough that Master specifically wrote a comment on that Falun Dafa Association notice. If we truly have faith in the Fa, we should study the Fa hard, cultivate our own hearts, and leave out no attachments.
Above are my personal understandings. Please point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Perspectives
