Some Thoughts on the Saying “A Straight Foot Has No Fear of a Crooked Shoe”

(Minghui.org) There is a saying that goes “a straight foot has no fear of a crooked shoe,” meaning that an upright person is not afraid of gossip. As long as a person conducts her/himself in an open and aboveboard manner, he has no worries of rumors at all.

Some practitioners, however, take an extreme view of the above saying. They feel that as Dafa cultivators we shouldn’t be confined by the low-level principles in ordinary society. As long as they know in their heart that they are upright, they see no need to care about how they behave. As such, they are very casual when it comes to interactions between men and women.

Due to the ongoing persecution, some practitioners are forced to leave home and live in temporary residences. Such living arrangements, however, can lead to an unintended problem. Over the years I’ve seen or known people, who are of opposite gender, living together just like a couple. They do everything together and appear inseparable, even though some are already married. Since there is no improper physical contact, these practitioners don’t see anything wrong with themselves. Their behavior, however, results in conflicts with their spouses and also misunderstanding from non-practitioners. As I see it, these practitioners’ narrow understanding of the Fa principles has brought losses to their truth clarification efforts and may even lead to grave consequences.

In ancient China, people believed that Heaven bestowed everything, and one should follow the strict standards required of them regarding their moral conduct. Since men and women were created differently, they should behave accordingly. Women were supposed to be feminine and men masculine. A woman was expected to observe the three obediences, meaning that she should obey her father before marriage, her husband when married, and her sons in widowhood. She was also supposed to practice the four virtues (morality, proper speech, modest manner and diligent work). Nowadays people think that these are spiritual fetters of wifely submission and virtues imposed on women in feudal society; no one is willing to follow them now. In ancient times, an upright man would have known that it was never proper for a man and a woman to have any physical contact before marriage. It was advised that he specifically avoid passing by a widow’s home; otherwise people may doubt his integrity and morality.

There were many stories in history that still serve as lessons for guiding us on how men and women should behave and interact with each other.

One story concerns a man named Liuxia Hui from the spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). He once came across a homeless woman at night. Seeing her shivering in thin clothes, he wrapped his coat around her and held her in his arms to keep her warm. They sat like that for a whole night without any indecency occurring between them.

Thousands of years have passed, but people are still talking about this story since that’s exactly how an upright man should behave in that kind of situation. Imagine what would have happened if Liuxia Hui and that woman gave in to their sexual desire? They would be just like ordinary people and wouldn’t have left their mark on history.

There was another story from the Qing Dynasty. A man named Yang Naiwu was very close to a woman named Bi Xiugu. There was rumor that they were having an affair. Bi’s husband died in 1873 and the coroner ruled his sudden death a homicide. Both Yang and Bi were charged with adultery and murder. In the beginning, they both pleaded not guilty and insisted they never poisoned Bi’s husband. The local officials forced them to go through unbearable torture, and they eventually had to admit their so-called guilt. Both were sentenced to death, but they kept appealing their case. Four years later, a higher court, after a lengthy investigation, confirmed that Bi’s husband actually died of an acute illness and repealed the earlier verdict. Both Yang and Bi finally got their names cleared and were released from prison.

Even though Yang and Bi were found innocent of murder, their improper interactions certainly played a role in their initial conviction. If they had been upright to begin with, how could people ever had suspected them in the first place? Isn’t this a big lesson for us all?

So as Dafa disciples cultivating in everyday society, how should we conduct ourselves when it comes to the relationships between men and women?

Master teaches us, “...he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details.” (“Sage,” Falun Dafa Essentials for Further Advancement)

Master also points out, “Great Enlightened Beings don’t just go and disrupt the laws governing ordinary people. The greater the Enlightened Being, the less likely he’ll go against the laws for ordinary people—he won’t even break them the slightest bit.” (“The Fifth Talk”, Zhuan Falun)

Master has set a righteous example for us to follow. He has always dressed neatly and given people the impression of righteousness. There is a book that talks about Master’s lecture-giving tours, and it recounts one story: A few female practitioners repeatedly tried to lock arms with Master during the picture taking session, but they always failed to be able to do so.

Master always reminds us to be considerate of others. Before the persecution began, Master avoided meeting with practitioners too often to avoid causing any misunderstandings from the government. In recent years Master has made it clear that unmarried male and female practitioners in the Feitian Dance Academy should not casually talk to or date each other.

Master once said, “our Falun Dafa is a pure land here.” (“Explaining the Fa for Falun Dafa Assistants in Changchun,” Explaining the Content of Falun Dafa)

If each of us minds the minor details and conducts ourselves in an open and aboveboard manner, the old forces are left with no excuses to persecute us. Isn’t setting strict requirements for our personal conduct a reflection of our commitment to being serious with our cultivation in the Fa-rectification period? After all, everything of ours is left for future generations’ reference.

Above are just some personal understandings to share with everyone.