Although the Geneva Falun Dafa conference was held for only two days, I benefited a lot during this period. I would like to sort out some of my shallow thoughts and exchange them with my fellow practitioners.
1. Practitioners from different countries to promote Falun Dafa hand in hand
During the Swiss conference, practitioners from all over the world came together in Geneva. Since the aim of promoting Dafa in Geneva was not for a single country, the formality of Dafa promotion had to break the boundaries of region and language. Experienced practitioners took the initiative to coordinate, and many more practitioners participated in, promoting Dafa. It was realized to different extents among practitioners that the concepts of Europe, North America, and Asia should not be obstacles in promoting Dafa to the member countries of the United Nations. Without the so-called continent-wise (continental) concept, our Dafa promotion work will be more united.
This new form of promoting Dafa requires all participants to have an international vision, an understanding of the overall situation, and the mindset of cooperation with practitioners from other countries. Also, it involves respecting fellow practitioners, being able to listen to and accept different opinions, and helping each other advance in understanding Dafa. The oversimplified way of overriding others' opinions and organizing their own activities should be replaced.
The Geneva Conference provided an opportunity to practice this new form of promoting Dafa.
2. Large scale cooperation requires better coordination
The extent and scope of our promotion of Falun Dafa have been deepening and expanding. Along with it, there will be different demands in understanding Falun Dafa from the people around the world. A transition will be under way from the surface - the concern of a human rights issue to the depth - the understanding of the contents of Falun Dafa. Therefore, in addition to the solid promotion of Dafa at localities, the out-of-region Dafa promotion activities among the overseas Falun Dafa practitioners will increase. This will require better coordination and efficiency of the practitioners of every country and every continent to achieve effectiveness of Dafa promotion.
Looking back at each step we took, the ability and understanding of each individual was very weak and inadequate. The reason why we could have a smooth journey is the profound principles of Fa that have tied us together. It is also because of our genuine hearts toward Dafa that enable each of us to place our position unassumingly. As a result, we are able to form an all-embracing huge force. Better coordination means better collaboration, which will enable us to achieve better results and prevent waste and disorder.
3. The Relationship between Individual Practitioners and the Responsible Personnel of Falun Dafa Association and Assistant Centers
During a small-scale experience-sharing meeting in Geneva, a practitioner raised this issue. As individual practitioners, what we consider mainly is how to raise our own levels and how to get rid of our attachments. For the responsible personnel of local Falun Dafa Associations and assistant centers, the people, things and subjects that they are in contact with are usually different from individual practitioners and sometimes, can be totally different. It is very important for both parties to discuss with and listen to each other. When individual practitioners say, "they (the responsible personnel) are also in cultivation", though the comment is not wrong, it does not carry enough kindheartedness, reasoning and the appropriate tone of voice. The comments often are mixed with disrespect and rejection. As Dafa practitioners, we should look inside for our own shortcomings and follow the Fa as the teacher. We should not stick to our own understanding or emphasize that others should follow the Fa as the teacher. Especially when we are not clear about the overall situation, we should not have others compromised themselves casually.
The responsible personnel of Falun Dafa Associations and assistant centers have the responsibility and duty to listen to general practitioners' opinions. If there are many practitioners in an area holding different opinions and taking different actions (approaches) which exceed an individuals' scope, then it is time for the practitioners of this area to sit down and study the Law seriously and discuss their problems thoroughly. The right answers should come from the perspective of the Law, not from the loudness of one's voice or one's emotional impulse. Is it because the initiative of practitioners has not been brought into full play? Is it possible that the responsible person(s)' understanding of Fa falls behind the current cultivation state? Or, are there some other issues? It is from the Fa that we can achieve mutual understanding and accordance, and elevate together. Without the Fa, everything is out of the question.
It should be a complimentary relationship, not a contradictory one between the necessity for staff of Dafa Associations and Assistance centers to consider things from a broad perspective and the needs of individual practitioners. If everyone can put into consideration the situation, environment and the corresponding requirements that others have and if everyone can think more of the spreading of Dafa, we can do better. It is usually the words that make us uncomfortable hitting right at the attachments that have to be gotten rid of. Falun Dafa Associations and Assistance Centers are the formalities that Master has passed on. Supporting and assisting the work of both Associations and Centers are the responsibility of every Dafa disciple.
4. Taking the entirety into account -- a requirement for the overseas practitioners
When participating in any collective activity beyond an individual's action, it is necessary to have the understanding and respect towards the entirety. Especially when the activities are directly related to our overall image and we are required to observe and obey, this will have a high requirement for us to guard our xinxing. We should first truly understand the environment of an event and know what is the best that we can do, including getting rid of some attachments of ordinary people; creating new opportunities and achieving what seems impossible. Even if an individual has reached a better or higher cultivation state, when facing a collective activity, it is not wise to force an action when most other people disagree. Besides, as some practitioners in Geneva noted, when a person is presenting his or her opinion, he or she could bring out two things: one is the part of his or her finished cultivation and one is the part where his or her attachments remain. If the listeners can see his or her finished part, they could get inspired and improved. If the listeners catch the part that is not yet finished in cultivation, they would not get any improvement, nor can they help others.
Some practitioners said that giving up everything does not mean neglecting everything. In our own individual cultivation, during the collective promotion of Dafa, especially when dealing with events that would affect the overall images of Falun Dafa, we should consider what consequences could result from one's own actions (behaviors). This is because any damage induced from an individual action would harm the overall image. The consequences are not something that we will be able to control with a wish. In other words, we will not be able to control the damage. Thus we should follow Dafa as the teacher at all times, in all events and anywhere.
5. Follow the Fa as the teacher
"Follow the Fa as the teacher" is a big topic and includes many profound aspects of cultivation. In my understanding, "Follow the Fa as the teacher" requires us to have an overall mastery of the profound law and principle. In other words, our understanding should base on an overall comprehension of Dafa and the process of law rectification in the human world. Also, it requires taking proper actions with a correct understanding of our cultivation environment and states. There should not be an incomplete emphasis on certain sections of Dafa, especially one should not be using a particular section of Dafa to support one's own ideas and dominate other people's opinions.
A Falun Dafa practitioner
March 27, 2000
