(Minghui.org) A Falun Dafa practitioner who went to Tiananmen Square in 2001 and shouted “Falun Dafa is good,” left without facing any problems. As she walked to an underpass she felt delighted and thought, “I have validated Dafa. I am going to buy a pair of shoes for my son.” As she was thinking, she was arrested by police.
I went to a practitioner's home for an experience sharing in the Fall of 2002. The practitioner had just returned home from validating Dafa in Beijing. He was one the several practitioners who went to Beijing, unfurled banners, shouted “Falun Dafa is good,” and returned home safely.
When sharing about the trip to Beijing, the practitioner repeatedly said that they did not fear the railway police on the train. They unfurled banners without fear, and shouted about the goodness of Falun Dafa. He was so proud, joyful, and showing off. Before long, the police arrested him at home.
I could not understand why these practitioners were arrested for a long time, as they held strong righteous thoughts when they unfurled the banners and shouted slogans about the goodness of Falun Dafa on Tiananmen Square, despite the many police officers and plainclothes security personnel. The practitioners went there and returned safely. This showed that their hearts were on the Fa and they were safeguarded by Master Li. I was puzzled, wondering why they were persecuted after going home. What was the real issue?
One day as I was studying the Fa, I read,
“The desire to show off plus the attachment of zealotry are most easily exploited by the demonic part of your mind.” (“Definitive Conclusion,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
Holding Attachments Results in Consequences
I suddenly enlightened that those practitioners returned safely from Tiananmen Square because they had righteous thoughts, and were thus safeguarded by Master. But they relaxed at home and developed a mentality of pride, showing off, and the attachment of zealotry.
As a result, they had deviated from Dafa and validated themselves. Demons took advantage of their loopholes and persecuted them. There could of course be other reasons, but from this issue I truly grasped the dire consequences of developing a show off mentality or other attachments.
Sixteen years have passed. Another thing happened recently. A fellow practitioner was indignant about a surveillance camera in the hallway of his apartment building that was pointed at his front entrance. He hit the camera with a broom. So the camera then faced the ceiling.
He shared this with us, acting as if he had conquered a demon. He repeated the story several times, and everyone else listened. I felt that something wasn’t right, but did not point out his mentality of showing off and attachment of zealotry. Security personnel pried open his door three days later and ransacked his home. The camera was restored.
Omission Unwarranted
I did not understand the dire consequences of showing off previously, and thus did not remind fellow practitioners that they should not have the mentality of showing off and the attachment of zealotry after validating Dafa. But it is unpardonable that I did not speak out this time, as I have now truly grasped the dire consequence of showing off.
Master asked us to have face to face experience sharing so we could remind each other and improve together. If I had pointed out the issue, the practitioner might have understood his incorrect mentality and improved his xinxing, and the persecution would have been avoided.
The evil has no chance to take advantage if our thoughts are righteous. I did not speak out so as not to embarrass him, but left a loophole for the evil to take advantage of his attachment. I should have reminded him as I heard about his narration before the incident.
I hope everyone will learn from my lesson and tell fellow practitioners kindly if they notice some issues, so the fellow practitioners can improve according to the Fa. When we notice that practitioners have the mentality of showing off and pride, we must remind them, because practitioners are cultivating in the maze and cannot see their own issues, or they may not be able to recognize a possible danger. Our reminder would stop the materialization of any such danger.
Category: Improving Oneself
