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Gradually Let Go of Oneself on the Path of Validating the Fa (Part 1)

December 05, 2005 |   By Mr. Chao Fan, a Dafa disciple from China's Northeast

(Clearwisdom.net)

Greetings to our Venerable Teacher!

Greetings to every fellow Falun Dafa practitioners!

I started to practice Falun Dafa on October 1, 1998. Shortly after I started to do the cultivation practice, I witnessed the miraculous manifestation of Falun Dafa when I was freed from many types of illnesses and gained a happy family. However, on July 20, 1999, the evil started its inhumane persecution of Falun Dafa. Because I paid special attention to cultivating myself ever since I started the practice, I could calmly study the Fa and recite the Fa even amidst the persecution, and I had enlightened to the amazing power of Falun Dafa through true cultivation. Our benevolent Teacher also has been compassionately guiding me, allowing me to truly understand that this is cultivation practice.

With my righteous faith towards Teacher and Falun Dafa, several times I went to Beijing to appeal for justice and to clarify the truth. Because of this, I was illegally detained four times. I was also taken to the police station four times. I was taken to one roundhouse, four detention centers, and two forced labor camps. The first three times when I was illegally detained, I walked out of those evil places with my righteous thoughts, under Teacher's compassionate protection. The last time I was detained, I was attached to the sentimentality between practitioners and used my human heart to understand the Fa, thinking that if we went there together, we should also return together. With such a wrong notion, I missed the opportunity that Teacher arranged for me to get away from the evil. At that time, I was in a police car in Tiananmen Square and managed to open the window from the inside to distribute Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials. Miraculously, the police could not see nor hear what I was doing. When I finished, however, I was not clear-headed. Instead of leaving the car right then, I decided to close the window, and the police noticed me. I realized that it was my strong human heart that prevented me from grasping that precious moment to get away. I did not meet Teacher's expectation and was taken away.

Part 1. Only when I find the self that I am attached to can I truly let go of the self

Because I refused to tell the authorities my name and address, I was illegally detained in the notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp and sentenced to three years. During that time, Teacher compassionately arranged many times for me to walk away, but I did not enlighten to the opportunities. When I was struggling on the verge of life and death as the consequence of many types of brutal torture, our compassionate Teacher again took me back from the hands of death and allowed me to return home. I was detained in the labor camp for one year and seven months before I returned to my hometown. After only a short period of recovery, when my physical body was not yet totally recovered, I was eager to walk out to clarify the truth and validate Falun Dafa.

At that time, I did not follow Teacher's requirements to calmly study the Fa, to re-adjust and rectify myself, and to reach the standard of a true Falun Dafa disciple to validate the Fa. Instead, I was doing things while studying the Fa and being praised by fellow practitioners. Without my realizing it, I gradually developed a complacency that was difficult to detect. When the situation was right, because of the trust of my fellow practitioners, I did things without any difficulties because fellow practitioners were all willingly cooperating with me. Thus I did many things to validate the Fa. Practitioners from other provinces and cities also came to me to pick up materials. At that time, I thought that if someone were doing truth-clarification work, I should support their effort, because if what they were doing did not meet the requirement, it might interfere with saving sentient beings. Actually that thought was not wrong, but I should have taken more time to study the Fa calmly. Only by doing so can we truly do the three things well amidst busy daily work. However, I neglected the importance of studying the Fa, always thinking that I would study the Fa well after I completed the whatever work I was doing. The more I thought in this way, the busier I became. My heart's pursuit to accomplish things became stronger. I spent less and less time studying the Fa. When I was sending righteous thoughts, I became so sleepy that I didn't even notice that my hands had dropped down. I was too busy to even join the group study and group practice. I no longer knew how I was doing as a cultivator.

One day, when I went to visit a fellow practitioner who was experiencing sickness karma, I was arrested together with another practitioner. While detained in a metal cage in the backyard of the police department, I asked myself why I did not follow Teacher's requirement. Teacher has patiently taught disciples to study the Fa, study the Fa and study the Fa, in every Fa lecture. Recognizing this, I asked Teacher to give me another chance and promised to Teacher that I would follow Teacher's words,

"Validate the Fa with rationality, clarify the truth with wisdom, spread the Fa and save people with mercy--this is establishing the mighty virtue of an Enlightened Being." ("Rationality" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Teacher also taught,

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

As soon as I remembered Teacher's words, my righteous thoughts focused. I asked Teacher to strengthen me and promised Teacher that I would return to the mainstream of Fa rectification, that I would do well those things that I did not do well, and that the evil old force was not worthy to test me. I only needed Teacher and Falun Dafa to rectify me, and I totally negated the arrangements of the old forces. Under the compassionate protection of Teacher, after only one day and one night, they brought me back to the police station and then released me. After I returned home, with the help of fellow practitioners, I calmed my heart to join the group Fa study and also joined the fellow practitioners to do group practice as well as sending forth righteous thoughts. From these experiences, I truly realized that only after I find the self I am attached to could I let go of myself, rectify myself, and cultivate myself well. If we can always follow Teacher's requirement to cultivate ourselves; to pay special attention to cultivate ourselves well while cooperating with fellow practitioners to do well the three things arranged by Teacher; and meet the standard and qualification of Fa rectification period Dafa disciples; then we can truly get twice the result with half the effort in validating the Fa. I experienced the inner meaning of this level of the Fa during the process of clarifying the truth. It was as fellow practitioners have mentioned in articles on the Minghui (Clearwidsom) website: "human's form" but "God's inner contents." Whenever my heart is benevolent and peaceful because I have studied the Fa well, then nothing can move my heart and maybe I am in a state of not doing. Whenever I then clarify the truth, I do not need to say much, as those who listen quickly understand.

Once I went upstairs in an apartment building to distribute truth-clarification tapes. I started on the seventh floor. When I got to the fifth floor, I dropped a tape into the newspaper box. The box was metal, so it made a loud noise when the tape fell into it. The owner came out and asked in a gruff voice, "Who is it?" I had already walked to the stairwell. My heart was in a very good, calm state. I was not moved by her voice and casually answered, "It is only me." Then I returned to the front of the owner's door and kindly told her, "I practice Falun Gong. I came here to give you a tape that explains the truth of Falun Gong. When you understand the truth, you will no longer be deceived by lies. It is very wonderful. Please take it inside your house and listen to it carefully." She immediately changed her demeanor from aggressive to warm and happy. She said, "Thank you. I will take it in a little while." At that time, I only knew that if I studied the Fa well, my work in validating the Fa would go smoothly, very smoothly. Gradually I came to understand that it was because of the mighty power of the great Fa. Under the protection of Teacher, the purity of the energy field of my space can instantly dissolve all evils that control people, and sentient beings can then understand the truth.

Similar incidents occurred many times during my truth clarification. Once I was delivering VCDs to a house. I was about to put a packaged VCD into a family's mail slot, when the owner of the house happened to return home. I calmly said to her, "Since you are back, I do not need to drop this through the door. Here it is for you to watch." She happily accepted the VCD, as if she knew me. I told her that the VCD explained the truth of Falun Dafa and that by watching it and understanding the truth, she would be blessed with good luck and a wonderful future. Just then her husband came out. The wife handed the disc to him and said, "Please take it in to watch." I asked her whether she had ever received Falun Dafa materials before. She said that she never had, so I gave her two more brochures. She was very happy and said, "Many thanks."

Part 2. Only when studying the Fa well and keeping oneself pure can one do better in saving people

During the process of clarifying the truth by introducing the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and persuading sentient beings to withdraws from all communist organizations, it is important to first read the Nine Commentaries. The process of learning the Nine Commentaries is also the process of purging the poisons of the CCP evil specter from oneself and purifying one's own dimensional field. I also experienced the importance of studying the Fa well in this process. For a day and a half I went to the countryside, where I persuaded 50 people to withdraw from the CCP. At that time, my heart was pure, righteous, and benevolent. The more I spoke, the more willing I was to speak, and almost everyone I spoke to was able to understand the truth. This strengthened my confidence and allowed me to understand the inner contents of what Teacher said in Fa lectures regarding Dafa disciples doing Dafa work instead of ordinary people doing Dafa work. As long as we study the Fa well and meet the standards required by Dafa, it is not difficult to do the three things well. Only Teacher's words count; the evil is nothing.

When you validate the Fa from the standpoint of the Fa, you will do things better and better, because we then become a true conduit for the mighty power of the Fa, and evil cannot match its power. Then Teacher can protect you, and all the deviated elements can no longer have any effect on you. When you are not doing well, Teacher and the gods who safeguard the Fa cannot help you but feel worried, since cultivation practice targets the heart. To assure our safety, we must do well the three things arranged by Teacher in any environment.

I enlightened to the fact that studying the Fa well does not only mean to study Zhuan Falun. While we must study Zhuan Falun everyday, we must also in the meantime study, read, memorize, and preferably recite all the Fa lectures. Since there are many Fa lectures, I realized that as long as we can recite them, even if later on after a while we forget, then that is also due to the fact that that part of the memory has been separated together with the part of us that has already been cultivated, away from the part of us that has yet to be cultivated. So we have also carried them with us. Thus studying the Fa well is the key for Falun Dafa disciples to do the three things well. Only when we can truly calm our minds and study the Fa well can we then do the three things well. Those fellow practitioners who have so far failed to walk out to clarify the truth can also walk out upon studying the Fa well, however, it is not enough to only study "Zhuan Falun." Only when we study the Fa well can we understand our responsibilities and mission as Dafa disciples and also understand how to do things in the safest way. It is not correct to only study Zhuan Falun but do nothing else. Only when we truly meet Teacher's requirements within the Fa and do the three things well can we assure our safety. The more righteously we do things, the less the evil dares to interfere.

Teacher said in Touring North America to Teach the Fa:

"When you conduct yourselves righteously Master can do anything for you. If your righteous thoughts are truly strong, if you're able to put aside the thought of life and death, and if you're solid and unshakable like diamond, then those evil beings won't dare to touch you, because they know that other than killing you any type of persecution will be useless. The evil will have no choice but to leave you alone. If in this scenario the evil still persecutes you, then Master will show no leniency."

Once we enlighten to this level of the Fa principles, we will take fewer detours along our path of cultivation practice. Then our path will more correctly align with the mighty Fa.

As an example, when I was detained and persecuted, although they searched me multiple times, I was always carrying a shiny Falun badge and several Fa lectures with me. They didn't find them when they searched me, and I continued to carry them all the way to home. This is the mighty power of the Fa. It validates "Cultivation is up to you, gong is up to the master." (Zhuan Falun, Draft Translation Edition, Feb. 2003). It is the gods' manifestation of the inner content of the Fa. Every time they searched my body, I sent forth righteous thoughts. The actual manifestation of the Fa principal of "...Just by having your heart unaffected you will be able to handle all situations" ("Eliminate the Last Attachment(s)" from Essential for Further Advancement II), makes evil dissolve even before it comes near. This is also the manifestation of believing Teacher and believing the Fa. Sometimes the manifestation comes without any mind intention, but I did it according to the requirements within the Fa. I also had no impure thoughts, and I was thinking only of Teacher and Dafa. The result of this is something that a human being can never imagine.

Take the case of the time when I had just returned home from Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. Because I had neglected Fa study and self-cultivation, the evil took advantage of the loophole. When they were persecuting me, I called out with righteous thoughts for Teacher to save me. I also directed the following thoughts to the Chief of the State Security Division of the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp: "Whatever you say does not count. Only what Teacher says counts. No matter how many Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials I have with me, they are all righteous elements and cannot be bought with money by any ordinary people. They can save all the good things in all lives. I will steadfastly negate and not admit to any so-called 'evidence' for persecution by the evil." If we totally negate the evil, then the evil can do nothing. Teacher can then help us to walk out of the demons' dens. We do not accept their so-called 'tests,' but only walk the cultivation path arranged by Teacher. In the face of difficulties, if we can remember Teacher and Dafa, then all unrighteous elements will dissipate like smoke and clouds.

If we do not study the Fa calmly, our minds are not steady, and then the truth-clarification we do cannot achieve the effect of saving sentient beings, since our dimensional field is not pure and the power of eliminating the evil is not strong enough.

Once I went to a 23-story building to distribute VCDs and brochures of the Nine Commentaries. The first floor of one of the buildings was the Neighborhood Office, a CCP-controlled neighborhood agency, where the secretary of the residential committee often goes to have meetings. Police cars sometimes park at the gate. I felt that the sentient beings there also needed to understand the truth in order to be saved. Therefore, I went there several times to distribute truth-clarification materials.

In the daytime, most of the people go to work. I usually walk through the building to distribute the materials. Each floor has eight families, and I would leave some material for each floor of the building. Everything went very smoothly as a consequence of studying the Fa calmly and constantly sending forth righteous thoughts.

However, one time my mind was not steady, and I felt that I was hurrying. In the last building, when I reached the 11th floor, I met someone who was not at all friendly. I first sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil elements that were controlling her. She took a package of the truth materials that I had left, so I started to clarify truth to her. She refused to listen. I then sent righteous thoughts. However, because my mind was not steady, I was not able to totally change her mind, but I did manage to suppress her. She held the package of truth materials with her eyes wide open, but she could not say anything, as if she were frozen in place.

I continued to send righteous thoughts to eliminate evil, preventing her from doing bad things to participate in the persecution of Falun Dafa disciples. If she did, the sin would be very big. Was I there to save her? In the elevator, her eyes were wide-open, but she said nothing. Ten other people came into the elevator, and I greeted them happily while sending righteous thoughts. Then I quickly left.

When I returned home, I was listening to Teacher's Fa lecture as I was preparing the meal. The first sentence I heard on the Fa lecture tape was: "It was really dangerous!" It was amazing to hear this sentence at this time. My face was covered with tears. I thanked Teacher for compassionately protecting me and promised Teacher that I would not make the same mistake again and that I would study the Fa well so that I could have a pure state of mind, one that truly meets the standards for a Falun Dafa disciple. I promised Teacher that I would do the "three things" a Falun Dafa disciple must do and do things to validate the Fa.

Being impatient does not conform to the standard of a cultivator. I must follow Teacher's requirement for Dafa disciples by understanding his teachings and be able to validate the Fa, clarify the truth and save sentient beings with rationality, wisdom and compassion. I should not pursue the superficial or be concerned only with quantity and not quality. This would be irresponsible to the Fa and to myself. If I do not re-adjust myself, then I could become slack and not diligent, and then I would feel weary, puzzled and depressed. When my dimensional space is not pure, then interference intervenes. I must follow what Teacher has taught,

"The solution is to without exception make studying the Fa a priority and to study the Fa diligently. This Great Law is able to rectify the colossal firmament and allows people to cultivate to Consummation-shouldn't you treasure an opportunity as rare and precious as this? And this is an opportunity that will be gone in an instant!" ("Shed the Human Mindset")

I need to manage myself well on the path of validating the Fa and remember what Teacher has taught us,

"Just by remaining unmoved you could handle all situations." ("Lecture on the Fa at the U.S. Midwest Conference")

Only in this way can I do well everything that I must do.

(To be continued)