(Minghui.org) On World Falun Dafa Day, my husband and I participated in the Manhattan Grand Parade. We felt very proud as Dafa practitioners. However, as we returned home, we witnessed a scene that we felt was very shameful and we hope to elicit further discussion on the issue.
After the parade was over, we walked to a subway station nearby and planned to return home by train. When we were at the subway stairs, I saw several practitioners wearing Dafa T-shirts near the entrance.
I wasn’t sure what they were doing. Maybe they didn’t know how to use the fare scanning system.
Right then, a practitioner who entered the railway station opened an emergency exit gate near the fare gate and cried out, “Sisters, come here!”
Then I witnessed the most shameful scene: about five people wearing T-shirts with “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance” on the back, entering the subway via the emergency gate without paying.
We were shocked, as we wore the same yellow T-shirts. It’s hard to imagine how ashamed and embarrassed I felt. I intended to stop them but it was too late.
Fortunately, there were no other people around. But we were unsure about whether there were any other people behind us. We were too ashamed to turn around. Were those in the Dafa T-shirts genuine practitioners?
Or were those people ordinary people who didn’t know how to cultivate mixed in with practitioners? Could there have been people in our parade with “special backgrounds” (special agents from the Chinese Communist Party)?
Even ordinary people know, “Do not do bad things though they may be insignificant.” Fare evasion is shameful behavior.
If this were seen by other passengers or by workers at the subway station on the subway video, what would they think of Dafa practitioners? What would those heavenly beings think about those fare evaders who are practitioners?
We realize that “Dafa disciple” is not just a name, it is a name that we all share. It is our identity, responsibility, and future.
We should try our best to safeguard Dafa’s dignity, our dignity. There is a need for every one of us who saw this or heard of this to cultivate ourselves and improve. Whether these people are practitioners or not, how we can manage those who take part in Dafa events?
In addition, this should be a reminder to each of us to try to prevent things like this that could defame Dafa from happening again. If we see anyone’s behavior not based on the Fa, we should remind them, and ask them to leave, instead of allowing them to stay among practitioners.
Our events are to clarify the truth, save sentient beings, and validate the Fa, as well as to improve our realms. If we can’t achieve our goals, then how we can demonstrate that our cultivation practice is good, and truly elevate?