Some Thoughts on the Real Meaning of "Letting Go Of Life and Death" for Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples By Lunan
(Clearwisdom.net) Since July 20, 1999, many thousands of Dafa
practitioners have stepped forward to validate Dafa and clarify the truth.
Amidst the persecution, many practitioners have lost their jobs, become
homeless, and have had to leave their families. Some even lost their lives due
to the brutal torture. In the so-called tests arranged by the old forces,
practitioners are becoming more and more mature and imperturbable. The
material interest of people in society, the hypocrisy of the evil, the thought
of life and death--none of these can move the hearts of practitioners whose
level has elevated in the Fa-rectification process.
However, there are some practitioners who still look at the issue of
letting go of life and death with their human mentality. They mistakenly think
that if they are not afraid of the threat of death, they can be viewed as
having achieved the state of truly letting go of life and death. When faced
with unbearable tribulations, they may be inclined to commit suicide because
they think that death may set them free from suffering. Although the number of
such practitioners is very few, it will negatively affect Dafa practitioners
as a whole in validating Dafa and clarifying the truth. Therefore, we should
pay enough attention to this issue, and rectify anything in our minds that
does not conform to the Fa.
For a period of time, I have been feeling really proud of my fellow
practitioners and myself for being able to go through the test of life and
death, and I have deeply sensed the magnificence after passing the test.
However, for Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, what is the real meaning
of letting go of life and death?
For most people, the idea of death often brings unspeakable fear and
darkness. Heroes are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of justice
and other people's happiness, while cowards may choose to end their lives in
fear of enduring more of life's suffering. As a result, they unknowingly
accumulate karma for committing suicide. As Dafa practitioners, we should meet
higher standards. It is easy to let go of the fear of death. However, not
fearing death does not mean that we have discarded all attachments, nor does
it free us from suffering. Being free of the fear of the suffering of life is
truly seeing through life and death.
Once I shared experiences with a couple of fellow practitioners. We all
felt that we did not fear death. A practitioner said the difficulty of letting
go of life and death lies in the fact that it is hard to relinquish all kinds
of attachments we have in our daily lives. If we can truly get rid of our
attachments, then when we are faced with tribulations, our hearts will not be
moved, nor will we think that to die will free us from suffering. Moreover,
for Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, there is yet a higher standard.
Not only should we let go of life and death, but we should also rectify the Fa
amidst tribulations, oppose the persecution and eliminate the evil with
righteous thoughts, which is exactly the mission that we came to this human
world to accomplish. Letting go of life and death does not mean that we should
be prepared to die any time, but that we shall live in a dignified and upright
manner, and validate the Dafa and offer salvation to sentient beings with
strong righteous thoughts.
A practitioner said to some policemen, "I do not fear life, nor do I fear
death." In the eyes of old beings and old gods, living in this human world,
which is the filthiest place within the Three Realms, is most difficult and
terrible. Death, on the other hand, means complete relief. Of course, for Dafa
practitioners, both committing suicide and killing others are absolutely
prohibited, because killing is an insult to the gods, and disdain for life,
and will bring big trouble to Teacher. Teacher has arranged our path to
consummation and all things after our consummation. If we suddenly killed
someone, where would we and the beings in our universes be positioned?
Speaking of being free from suffering, I have come to realize that a life
that has been renewed in the Fa-rectification, and has become better after
relinquishing all human notions, is satisfied no matter which realm he is in.
To him, the meaning of life is to be responsible to others with all the
compassion and tolerance he has enlightened to and obtained from the universal
principles of "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance." He is always benevolent
to any being, be it humans or gods. He does not have the concept of social
class in human society, and he treats every being the same. His benevolence is
completely selfless and goes beyond the issue of life and death. He will never
hurt others for the purpose of freeing himself from suffering, nor will he
think of going to a different dimension to save himself. We cultivate
"Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance." Our benevolence should be selfless and
unselfish, as required by the Fa principle.
During our cultivation, any human notion we have is an omission that we
need to get rid of. If we cannot follow the principle of "no killing"
seriously, and thus commit suicide, can we still be called a Dafa
practitioner? Isn't committing suicide the same as assisting the evil to
undermine Fa-rectification?
Teacher said in "Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" (Essentials for
Further Advancement II),
"If a cultivator can let go of the thought of life and death under any
circumstance, evil is sure to be afraid of him. If every student is able
to do this, evil will of itself no longer exist."
As I understand, to "let go of the thought of life and death under any
circumstance" requires that we let go of all the attachments we have in our
life. If we can see through the nature of the persecution from the standpoint
of the Fa, and can take the initiative to eliminate the evil in any seemingly
tough circumstances, we have then reached the realm of consummation, and we
are truly assisting Teacher in the Fa-rectification. Teacher also told us in
the same article,
"All of you are already aware of the principle of mutual-generation and
mutual-inhibition. If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you
afraid will cease to exist. This is not to be self-imposed, but is
achieved by truly and calmly letting go of it."
If we truly believe in Teacher and Dafa, we shall be able to let go of the
thought of life and death. Not only are we not afraid of evil and persecution,
but we can also use the power bestowed on us by Dafa to eliminate the evils.
In fact, many Dafa practitioners have already proven with their own
righteous thoughts and righteous actions, that when we can be as pure as Fa-rectification
requires, it is the evil that can no longer endure and wants to be set free
early, not our Dafa practitioners.
(Editor's note: Lunan is the penname that Dafa practitioners in China and
overseas use when they co-author articles.)
Posting date: 12/21/2002 |