(Clearwisdom.net) I have been studying Master's new lecture “What is a Dafa Disciple” and thought back to the time before March 2002. My cultivation state wasn't good then, I didn't do the three things well, and did not study the Fa with a clear mind. When I went out at night to put up truth clarification banners, I was very fearful of being persecuted.
Master said:
“...while being subjected to ordeals imposed by the old forces, manage to walk the path correctly. And this is even more so for the Dafa disciples in mainland China. For them, amidst the tremendously harsh persecution, every single thought and idea is critical. Whether you’ve done well or not; whether or not you’ve been susceptible to being persecuted; whether or not you’ve handled things correctly and to what degree you have been persecuted—all of this is directly connected to how you have walked your path and how you have thought about things” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”).
This was particularly true after March 5, 2002, when practitioners managed to expose the persecution of Falun Gong through the Chinese state-controlled media. The police were on high alert and the pressure on practitioners was especially intense. I was unaware that I had an unrighteous thought—the fear of being persecuted—nor did I try to negate it. The old forces took advantage of this loophole, and I was arrested on March 11, 2002, and forced to do hard labor for one year.
When I spoke with other practitioners who were forced to do hard labor, they too had fears about being arrested. We will bring endless difficulties upon ourselves when our thoughts aren't righteous and we don't negate the old forces' interference.
Master said:
“I hope that you can really manage to cooperate well, have strong enough righteous thoughts, look within when you run into things, and be enthusiastic like you were when you first took up cultivation” (“What is a Dafa Disciple”).
I remembered how full of energy I was when I first started practicing. I studied the Fa, practiced the exercises, and clarified the facts whenever possible. I hoped that more people would start practicing Falun Gong, as I thought it was terrific. At the time, I was so busy practicing the exercises and validating the Fa that I rarely had enough time to prepare something to eat and would just grab something simple to keep me going.
Now, however, I let people know about Falun Gong by sending text messages and over the phone, as I have the attachment of fear and worry about being arrested in this dangerous environment. I was also responsible for helping elderly practitioners to clarify the facts, so I didn't have the time and seldom clarified the facts to people myself.
I went to my home in Changchun a few days ago to take care of some things, when I met a practitioner over 60 years old. She told me that she practiced and studied the Fa every morning and evening and spent her days trying to help save sentient beings. I realized how much I fell short in my cultivation.
When I was talking to a shop owner about Falun Gong, she said that she was willing to listen to me because I was very benevolent-looking, but she hadn't been willing to listen to others. I mention this to my fellow practitioners so that we can better clarify the facts to save sentient beings and improve in cultivation. People will listen to us when we are kind and calm, and they can feel our sincerity. It is also extremely important to send righteous thoughts to eliminate the old force factors in other dimensions that try to keep sentient beings from listening to us.
