How Should We Treat the So-Called "Transformed" Practitioners?

(Clearwisdom.net)

My sister went to Beijing in October 2000 to rectify the Fa. After she was arrested, she was sent to Beijing Xin'an Female Labor Camp to be "transformed" [meaning to be brainwashed and forced to give up the practice of Dafa]. She was released early and appeared many times on CCTV, saying many bad things.

After she came back, some local practitioners resented her very much. After a few unpleasant talks with her, they said they didn't want to be in touch with her again.

At that time, I felt that she would come back to Dafa; however, over a year passed and the situation did not change. My attitude towards her was getting worse and worse until shortly before the Chinese New Year, a male practitioner, "K," who went to Beijing with her, said he wanted to talk to my sister. He also felt that my sister would definitely come back. During the Chinese New Year, he spoke to her once, and "K" told me that it went very well. Before the talk, he was well prepared. A few days earlier, he sent forth righteous thoughts every day to eliminate his own bad elements and also to eliminate my sister's corrupted elements; however, before he went there, he did not know what the result would be. It turned out that the atmosphere of the conversation was very good. They each saw their own shortcomings. Even though my sister did not understand sending forth righteous thoughts and eliminating the arrangements of the old forces, she had gone through a great many changes. This was unlike earlier, when other practitioners had gone to see her, and ended up having big arguments with her.

Later on "K" told me, "Your sister is not as bad as you think. Many of the problems are because of your notions." I suddenly realized that this was true. I only saw her bad side and not her good side, and this was causing me to feel awkward whenever I saw her. I also argued and debated with her furiously. I discovered my own shallowness. People who "enlightened" along an evil path definitely have their own fundamental attachments, and many of them have even done bad things against Dafa. However, in order to more widely and more completely break through the old forces' arrangements, we cannot keep holding on to grudges. Our compassion should allow us to tolerate these people and our righteous thoughts should be powerful enough to correct them. Think about it: the persecution of the evil caused these people to "enlighten" along the evil path. They are also victims. We practitioners need to treat them with compassion instead of doing nothing while they continue to slide downhill. As long as they have not completely lost their ability to reason, they can recognize the compassion of Dafa practitioners. If we treat them with an attitude of disgust, they can sense this also. If we talk to them with this state of mind, we can only push them further and further away.

I have changed my way of thinking. I have recognized how incorrectly and how unkindly I had treated my sister and other local people who were "transformed." I realized that I was wrong and I opened up a whole new dimension in terms of my thinking. Those bad substances and the field generated by the bad substances were eliminated. "K" told me today, "Your sister called me and said, 'My sister's attitude towards me is extremely good.'" I was very surprised after I heard that. I said I did not really say anything to her except things dealing with everyday life. I immediately understood: I had changed the way I viewed her and the side of her that understood could feel it. When we truly treat someone well, we don't need to say anything and they will know.

From this, when I think of those people who "enlightened" along the evil path and did not correct themselves after a long time, I realize that a big reason for this is due to our aversion to them, and our feeling that their condition is irreversible. This becomes an obstacle to what we would most like to achieve. If we do not have such notions and if we truly use our tolerant and compassionate hearts when dealing with them, I think they will definitely return.