(Clearwisdom.net) Recently on the Internet, fellow practitioners have been discussing the principles behind distributing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. In relation to this issue, I remember the following during Master's "Teaching the Fa at the 2004 International Fa Conference in New York":
Disciple: "The Nine Commentaries on the Chinese *** Party" that has been carried by the newspaper run by Dafa disciples are great, but I worry that ordinary people who don't understand us will say that we're getting political.
Teacher: That won't happen. Everyone knows that that political party is persecuting Falun Gong. All we're doing is telling people why that political party is persecuting Falun Gong and, meanwhile, telling them what that party hopes to achieve through its persecution, why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is persecuting Falun Gong, and what fundamental differences there are between Falun Gong and the CCP. So we'll just talk about what that political party is and why it is opposed to Zhen, Shan, Ren. But as far as cultivation is concerned, one of our principles of personal cultivation and of clarifying the facts is that we don't get involved in those things. There is an important connection between the media's exposure of the CCP's persecution of Dafa disciples and saving all beings. The persecution of Falun Gong has been carried out in the name of that certain political party, one that has poisoned many people in the course of its persecution. In order to save those people it's important to help them see that party for what it is.
The Minghui website has not reported on this because, from a perspective that's closer to Dafa cultivation, it is not a key issue. The media reports are another way of saving all beings.
As far as who will govern China in the future, whoever wants to, let him. That has nothing to do with us. Whether he is good or bad, that's a human matter, and we are cultivators. If you didn't persecute us, then we wouldn't need to expose you. You have the gall to do those terrible things, so why don't you have the courage to face up to it?
My personal understanding is that this is a clear guiding principle that practitioners should follow.
Personally, I realize that the direct purpose of clarifying the truth about Dafa and the facts of the persecution is to save people, and so it is directly related to our own righteous Fa cultivation practice. On the other hand, the direct purpose of distributing the Nine Commentaries is to let people see clearly the wicked CCP so that they can rid themselves of the party culture. Strictly speaking, this is within the domain of everyday people. Exposing the evil nature of the CCP is purely to help people wake up while they are deceived and deeply lost. Thus, if we hold onto this principle, we should know that distributing the Nine Commentaries is one of the means or a supplement to the goal of clarifying the truth. This supplement is to help those who have been deeply poisoned by the evil party to wake up and see the truth.
Of course, since Master published the short article, "Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World," I personally think that the cosmic atmosphere has changed and thus the requirement of Fa-rectification has to change too. Now that the Gods have decided to purge the evil CCP, the related party members are sure to be eliminated. So to save the sentient beings, there is the additional matter of having people withdraw from the evil party. The supplementary role of distributing the Nine Commentaries is now set. The Nine Commentaries has the ability to help people by aiding them in withdrawing from the CCP, therefore we need to encourage this. As for the principle set by Master, every practitioner may have a different understanding of its specific meaning. My personal idea is that we separate distributing the Nine Commentaries from clarifying Fa truth by doing the former as ordinary people. (This way is only for individuals but not for media publications.)
So, I think that our distributing the Nine Commentaries is to save people by removing the evil obstacles in their thoughts. This certainly has nothing to do with politics. No matter how people look at this or how they may think of it, we continue to do what we should do, and we must not change due to ordinary peoples' notions.
Again there is a principle in how to distribute the Nine Commentaries. The principle stays, no matter how we understand it. Beyond the different degrees of understanding Master's words, as we really follow the teaching, during this process we can realize the various levels of Fa principles and their inner meanings. To me, this is the process of sublimation or elevation.
In fact, we understand that as the last chance for people to save themselves, the Nine Commentaries exists to prevent people from going down with the evil CCP. Meanwhile, it helps people eliminate the poison of the party culture in their thoughts as well as helping practitioners to do so too. But we might overlook the meaning beyond that. I enlightened to the idea that the appearance of the Nine Commentaries and our withdrawal from the CCP may have a more important meaning for us: it may be the last test to check if are really are "disciples during Fa-rectification," or namely, it is our last chance too.
I think this is an arrangement of Fa-rectification, a test and the last chance given by Master to practitioners. To be able to unconditionally follow Master's words or not, that's the test of the fundamental heart of Dafa disciples, it's for us to get rid of human notions in our heart of hearts.
After the first appearance of the Nine Commentaries, what has happened or touched our minds with respect to distributing it or our own withdrawing from the CCP? As a whole, what kind of thought transitions have we gone through? In Mainland China, so many practitioners accepted it only after a huge transition in thought. Even now, some still have not yet adapted to the shift.
What does this mean?
We all know that Dafa is good. We all know that we must get rid of our attachments. Through the ups and downs over these six years, we all know that we must validate Dafa in opposing the persecution. All of us, who have been persistent up to this point, know this and even are able to do it on the surface. But what is in our inner heart or our heart of hearts?
Some practitioners still cannot step out of their basic human attachments. Some are unable to follow or have to struggle to follow even the most fundamental requisite of listening to Master's teachings and practicing cultivation unconditionally according to Master's requirements.
During this process of thorough thinking and then accepting the Nine Commentaries, withdrawing from the CCP, and being willing to promote spreading it widely, this type of practitioner did not realize that he/she has passed the critical test of human-or-deity by really abandoning this fundamental attachment and wholly stepping forward.
On the other hand, those practitioners who are still having doubts, finding excuses, or refusing to believe in doing it are humans, namely persons attached to a human heart. Why is this so? It is because in the Cosmos' righteous Fa principles, there are absolutely no disciples who would not listen to and follow Master's words. In other words, there is no "conditional" cultivation practice. Of course, the degree of fulfilling the requirements is another matter. But this is the basic requirement, that there must be no conditions for cultivation practice and that disciples must listen to their Master. Otherwise, how can we be entitled to be Dafa disciples during Fa-rectification?
However, Master with His vast and mighty Buddha grace, as well as boundless benevolence, gives people in the world a last chance. He also gives us practitioners a chance to reflect upon our own minds so as to check if we can unconditionally do as required. In this process, there are various reactions. Some took immediate action, some first thought about it, and others are gradually reaching towards it through pains and fears. Most are removing the party culture, getting rid of fears, and then accepting and spreading the Nine Commentaries. This process is our last chance or our last step in eliminating our human heart so as to elevate via firming up our righteous belief.
Unfortunately, not understanding that the appearance of the Nine Commentaries is not only for ordinary people but also for practitioners, there are some practitioners who do not realize or see the importance of this. If you choose not to participate, you may give up your boundless glory and honorable future.
Particularly, those who have been doing a lot of Fa-clarification work should be clear-headed. Please don't be over-confident that you have participated in the Fa-rectification process up to now and so are guaranteed to reach Consummation. In this last step of personal choice between being a human or a god, be extremely careful not to be misled by that last trace of a human heart and thus harm yourself and the sentient beings belonging to you. Any disciple with reservations towards Dafa or Master is not recognized by the righteous Fa principle of the new cosmos or by the righteous gods. This is a fundamental issue. The criterion of the righteous Fa is absolutely strict and upright. Our assimilation to Dafa is critically important as is relates to the future of the new cosmos.
Fa-rectification is still going on and before it is over, all sentient beings still have a chance to be saved. Particularly, those practitioners in China who have contributed so much before must not relax or be attached to a human heart or notion. Don't fail this last test, missing the last chance bestowed by our merciful Master!
