(Clearwisdom.net) I enjoy browsing through the Minghui website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom.net). However, I noticed that my state of mind was not righteous as I read the articles, especially when reading the "Facts of the Persecution" articles. It is a serious issue and would be horrible if other Dafa practitioners are like this as well. I am writing this article and hope that I can help practitioners to be aware of this!
In the past, when I browsed through the "Facts of the Persecution" section on the Minghui website, I only briefly read the title and never read the entire article. I felt depressed when I read the title, which described how Dafa practitioners are persecuted. I did not think too much about it and was not interested in that subject. It seemed as if it did not have anything to do with me. Only when I heard news that local practitioners were persecuted did I become alert. Deep in my mind were hidden thoughts of there being no alternatives, letting things take their course, it is not my business, I have seen so much that nothing surprises me. In fact, I was acknowledging the persecution! I believe it would be terrible if every Dafa practitioner had such thoughts! I have come to understand why in this stage of the Fa rectification the evil still virulently torments Dafa practitioners, holding nothing back. Teacher 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.")
Carefully reading the facts of the persecution on the Minghui website can be very depressing and make one feel indignant! In this new era of respecting human rights, so many people in China are still suffering such inhuman torture! Even an ordinary man with a righteous heart who sees these facts will stand up to say a few just words to nullify the persecution. Not to mention that those people who are suffering are our fellow practitioners! Teacher said,
"The next person's things are your things, and your things are his things." ("Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference")
In "Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference," Teacher said,
"What this means is, a large portion of the Dafa disciples came with those cosmic bodies, and everybody formed karmic relationships. Once you've reached Consummation and returned it'll be almost impossible for you to see each other again, even if you want to. So, you should treasure this part of your karmic relationship. And what's more, those karmic relationships of yours have been intertwined with each other, and different karmic relationships were formed over every lifetime--it hasn't been easy. So, cooperate well when you do things. Each Dafa disciple's thing is everybody else's."
The persecution of Dafa practitioners, imposed on us by the evil, is aiming toward Dafa, Teacher, and every Dafa disciple. Is this none of our business? I, however, still stayed home and pursued comfort and ease. I could not let go of some trivia at work and in my daily life, or something an everyday person said.
I have been ignorant when facing the persecution of fellow practitioners. I even called myself a Dafa practitioner, and wanted to become a great-enlightened being! To put it more seriously, I did not even have an everyday person's conscience and kindness, and I felt ashamed. I could no longer think of myself as doing well. I should take a new look at myself and do things solidly. So many practitioners are detained in labor camps and prisons. They lost their freedom and a normal life. They cannot read Teacher's new scriptures and the Minghui website, nor can they hear the news about Dafa. How difficult it is for them! We practitioners who are living at home must study the Fa frequently and strengthen our righteous thoughts. We must strive forward diligently, nullify the persecution, and clarify the truth, so we are able to lessen the persecution and get practitioners out of detention soon. We must send forth righteous thoughts more often, refuse to acknowledge all the old forces' arrangements and the evil persecution, pay attention to the tortures of every practitioner, and put our hearts into it and try our best. By doing so, we will be able to end this persecution which was not supposed to happen in the first place!
We are Dafa disciples. Whom can we depend upon? Teacher has given us the ability. Everything is in the three things, which can completely nullify the old forces. If we do not treat this issue correctly, then the evil will have an excuse to persecute us. They could say, "Look at it, we persecute them, but many Dafa practitioners don't do anything. Instead, they complain why everyday people do not help. They are still relying on others to nullify the persecution and to support Falun Gong!" The practitioners, who are staying at home, really should think about their actions. We cannot use excuses such as our safety, feeling helpless, or other excuses for not doing what a Dafa practitioner should do. Is studying the Fa not safe? Is sending forth righteous thoughts not safe? We are looking for excuses due to laziness and fear. We live in the era of Dafa and Teacher's Fa-rectification. It is a chance that one may not come across again in thousands of years. It only happens once. It is regrettable and painful to think that some people could not obtain the Fa, or they possess Dafa books but do not study them. It is also obvious that if a person hinders another's study of the Fa, what a great sin he commits.
When I think about the tortures practitioners suffer and the hardships they endure, as described on the Minghui website, I dare not to complain of hardships, or to slack off. I no longer fear the pain while doing the exercises. From now on, when I look at the Minghui website, my state of mind will be in a righteous place. I will first look at the section "Facts of the Persecution." I will read every article and send forth righteous thoughts in order to eliminate the evil that persecutes practitioners. Let the evil receive retribution, and at the same time help the persecuted practitioners. I think that this is a way to resist the persecution. If all of us pay attention to those who are being persecuted, the power must be gigantic. Moreover, through reading persecution facts, we will understand the degree of the evil's viciousness. Getting to know the difficult situation of a fellow practitioner is also a reminder and encouragement to a stay-home practitioner. This will remind us not to pursue comfort and ease or to slack off, and at the same time learn a lesson from these incidents so we will avoid going down such a torturous path, and be safe.
Teacher said that we are,
"Golden light in the mortal world, the hope of the world's people, Fa-disciples who help Master, and future Fa-Kings." ("Congratulatory Message")
"Dafa disciples are now sentient beings' only, sole hope for salvation." ("Righteous Thoughts")
First, we Dafa practitioners need to have a clear perspective of this persecution, and nullify and end it soon. We cannot put our hopes into others' hands. We cannot wait for or rely on things to change.
In the past, when I opened the Minghui website, the first thing I did was to see if Teacher wrote any new scriptures. I then looked to see whether my essay was published, and perused any new articles that interested me, or any other good news. When I realized that none of these three things was posted, I felt disappointed. Yes, it is not wrong that a Dafa practitioner wants to read Teacher's new scripture and any other news. However, when I did not see any of those, feeling disappointed was not right. This feeling contained the pursuit of wanting to know news, and the attachment to curiosity and interest. My state of mind was unstable. If I do not hear any news from Teacher, shall I not move forward? Am I cultivating for Teacher? The essence of cultivation is doing things in accordance with Teacher's guidance, not looking outward. While I waited for new lectures to come out, did I have the righteous enlightenment? Did I follow Teacher's guidance well? I remember the words in "Determination," from Essentials for Further Advancement,
"With Teacher here, you are full of confidence. Without Teacher here, you have no interest in cultivation, as though you cultivate yourself for Teacher and have taken up this path out of some interest. This is a major weakness of an average person. Sakyamuni, Jesus, Lao Zi,[1] and Confucius have been gone for over two thousand years, yet their disciples have never felt that they couldn't practice cultivation without their masters around. Cultivation is your own affair, and nobody else can do it for you. The teacher can only tell you the laws and principles on the surface. It is your own responsibility to cultivate your heart and mind, let go of your desires, attain wisdom, and eliminate confusion. If you take up this path out of some interest, your mind will definitely not be firm and you will definitely forget the fundamentals while living in human society. If you don't firmly hold to your faith you will gain nothing in this life. No one knows when there will be another chance. It's very hard!"
I was waiting for my own essay to be published and this is my pursuit of fame. If the essay is published, then it is for Fa-validation, and the need for helping practitioners as well as saving sentient beings. If the essay is not published, it must be that there is something wrong with my opinion, or it does not have the correct representation. I should deal with it calmly.
