(Minghui.org) I recently read articles on Minghui about how practitioners in some areas of China are beginning to slack off. I had a similar issue and I’d like to tell you how I overcame it.

Those articles mentioned that there were fewer group Fa-study sessions now, that materials production sites have dwindled, and few practitioners actively clarify the truth. One practitioner said she had a dream in which Master told her: “Too few practitioners are going out to save people.”

Why is this happening? Practitioners may realize that it stems from fear. Since the persecution began in July 1999, most practitioners in China have endured many forms of persecution. Many now simply hope to peacefully wait for the Fa to finish rectifying the human world. This mindset caused many practitioners to stop doing the three things and actively cultivating themselves.

Although our persistent truth-clarification efforts have awakened many people to how great Falun Dafa is and the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution, countless people are still waiting to be saved. We cannot stop. Many practitioners have yet to meet the standard. This extended period is due to Master’s immense compassion and endurance, giving us more time to both finish our cultivation paths and save more sentient beings. At this final time, we must not slack off.

I’d like to tell you how I pushed myself to break through fear and move forward again, in 2000.

At that time, many practitioners in my area went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa—some went multiple times. Most were released with dignity after they were illegally detained. In October, when I planned to go to Beijing again, I hesitated. I felt scared. Why? I looked inward and remembered the last time I was released, a policeman warned me: “If you’re arrested again, you’ll be sent directly to a forced labor camp—you won’t be released.”

I shared my fear with fellow practitioners and, to my surprise, many were in a similar state. We realized that deep down, the real pressure came from witnessing practitioners who were transformed in detention—they gave up practicing Dafa. We feared that if we were detained again, we too might be transformed. Not going to Beijing felt like a way to avoid that risk, to safely remain at our current cultivation level.

But I knew this was wrong. It was a human thought rooted in fear. Whether we chose to go and appeal or not, that fear had to be eliminated. I didn’t want to stagnate. Cultivation is like rowing against the current, if you’re not advancing, you may drift backward. How could I make a breakthrough? The answer was clear, I needed to do more Fa study. I realized that I slacked off in my Fa study.

After nearly a month of intensive Fa study and exchanging cultivation experiences with fellow practitioners, the pressure in my heart gradually eased. My mind cleared. My righteous thoughts grew stronger. Yet, my confidence was not fully restored.

One day, several practitioners who had just returned from Beijing stopped by my home and told me about their experiences. I was able to see what true fearlessness looked like. Some unfurled Dafa banners on Tiananmen Square without being caught, and then distributed materials. Some jumped out of police vehicles to protect fellow practitioners from being beaten. They embodied what Falun Dafa practitioners should be - dignified, righteous, and unafraid. They validated Dafa with their actions, setting a goal for me to strive toward.

Upholding and validating Dafa is our sacred responsibility. What was holding me back? Fear: Fear of arrest. Fear of detention. Fear of being transformed. But beneath it all was selfishness. I knew I had to continue improving myself and eliminate this fear.

After more than twenty days of reflection and Fa study, I firmly rejected those negative thoughts and strengthened my righteous ones. I knew that appealing for Dafa in Beijing was what I needed to do. I would move forward without hesitation. Gradually, my attachments were eliminated. One day, I felt I had broken through—the fear vanished. Nothing could stop me from validating Dafa. I felt light and joyful.

I was ready to act. I prepared two banners and hid them in my sleeves. When the time came, I unfurled the first banner and shouted: “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!”

I felt happiness and calm. A policeman tore away my banner, so I raised the second one and ran into the crowd, shouting as I went. It felt like I entered another dimension—nothing could stop me. I kept running and shouting until I suddenly tripped over a black leather shoe. In that instant, I returned from that other dimension. Policemen grabbed me, took my banner, and dragged me toward a police car. But somehow they suddenly let go of my arm—and I calmly walked away. I returned home safely.

That experience showed me: validating the Fa is also a process of improving one’s xinxing. It laid a solid foundation for my future cultivation and truth-clarification efforts. I came to understand that we must completely deny the old forces’ persecution. Practitioners should not be persecuted for validating Dafa—such persecution is not arranged by Master but by the old forces. As long as we follow Master’s guidance, we can reject the old forces’ arrangements. With righteous thoughts, and under Master’s protection, I later escaped arrest several times.

We Dafa practitioners have persevered through over twenty years of persecution. Now, as we near the final steps of our journey, we must not be hindered by fear. I believe those fears are merely fleeting human thoughts. Let’s eliminate them, and move forward together.