(Clearwisdom.net) A series of recent incidents have aroused serious concern among some Dafa practitioners. Through Fa-study and experience sharing we believe that every practitioner in Wuhan City, Hubei Province should think it over according to the Fa and ask ourselves why, at the present time, when Fa-rectification is progressing at such a rapid speed, such incidents have happened, and why they happened one after another? What loopholes do we still have that are being taken advantaged of by the evil?
In December 2001, a Dafa materials supply site on Yongqing Street, Hanko District of Wuhan City was destroyed and the practitioner(s) preparing the materials were arrested.
In the same month a second supply site in the Qingshan District, Wuhan City was destroyed and the practitioner directly involved was arrested. According to a reliable source, the policemen went straight to the home of the practitioner.
In January 2002, a practitioner's home in Hanko District was searched. A list of names of some practitioners was found, which led to the arrest of all the practitioners on the list. On January 18, 2002, five practitioners from Wuchang District were illegally put on trial. Many practitioners in the courtroom and elsewhere kept sending forth righteous thoughts, and, facing the mighty power of justice, the evil did not succeed. However, on January 25, the five practitioners were sentenced in a courtroom overseen by people sent directly by the Ruling Party's Central Committee.
At the end of January 2002, a practitioner from Wuchang District who was involved in making Dafa materials went missing while distributing materials outside. The whereabouts of this practitioner are still unknown to date.
On February 4, 2002, during the celebration of "Falun Dafa Day" in Wuhan City, the police from Xujiapeng Police Station in Wuchang searched the home of a practitioner who is an employee of a vehicle plant. That practitioner had just been released from a brainwashing class and is now forced to live in exile.
Calming down to look inside, we have realized the problems in our cultivation as a whole and the loopholes in our individual cultivation during Fa-rectification. We have realized how to truly have a clear understanding of the inner meaning of cultivation during Fa-rectification, how to look inside to rectify our own degenerated notions, how to improve our sense of security, how to understand the Fa from the perspective of the Fa, and how to conduct ourselves as a whole with a view of the overall situation, and truly follow what Master said, "Most fundamentally, you all still need to establish your great mighty virtue in the process of eliminating the old forces' persecution, and return to your highest positions." ("Fa-Rectification Period Dafa Disciples")
The following are some of our understandings and thoughts we would like to share with fellow practitioners toward the view of being responsible to the Fa, so that more practitioners can improve together.
1. The problem of following old patterns and old ways, and dealing with the persecution and damage with everyday people's mentality.
Master said in the article of "Expounding on the Fa," "You should also be clear that 'natural' does not exist, and 'the inevitable' has reasons behind it." One problem that really stands out is that some veteran practitioners or former assistants demonstrate some very stubborn notions in doing Dafa work. When something happens, they will do what they think should be done, because this is how it was done in the past. Such conduct easily puts us in situations where we do Dafa work as everyday people rather than as practitioners. Dafa practitioners should be indestructible like diamonds. Any loopholes can be exploited by the evil to "test" us so as to interfere in our work and bring tribulations to Fa-rectification. Therefore, it is very important to treat the environment around us from the perspective of the Fa, find out what loopholes we have that have been taken advantage of by the evil, and look inside ourselves to find out what shortcomings we (or our group) still have. Once we have improved ourselves, the evil will be stopped or even be completely eliminated.
There was a veteran practitioner who was forced to leave home and to live in exile. When she heard the news that her father had passed away, she decided to take a chance and pay her last respects to him. Before she went home, she was prepared to be arrested and she was indeed arrested. Master said, "In fact, let me tell everyone that matter and mind are one thing"(Chapter One, Zhuan Falun) She had this loophole in her mind, which was thus used by the evil to "test" her and cause all the consequences she suffered afterwards. To treat the persecution with a human mentality is very dangerous. It not only brings about persecution to oneself, but also causes damage to Fa-rectification and truth-clarification work.
Security awareness is very important in preparing Dafa materials. It is not an issue of an individual having or not having fear. Some practitioners thought they had sent forth righteous thoughts; therefore everything would be all right. They talked aloud on the phone or in public places about related issues, which left clues for the police. Some practitioners were followed for over three months without realizing it. Such careless behavior could bring trouble to themselves as well as to others.
Cultivation is to get rid of human attachments. Through experience sharing we have realized that the mentality we have toward everything we do in Fa-rectification is a very serious matter, and any human notion is dangerous. Master said, "what you do then, with a pure heart, will be the best and most sacred." ("Further Understanding" of Essentials For Further Advancement")
2. Comparing and Competing
Some practitioners read articles on Clearwisdom Net about the heroic undertakings by practitioners in other areas of Fa-rectification. They were deeply moved. In comparison, they felt their own area had not done as well, since little had been reported on Clearwisdom Net.
This is a mentality of comparing and competing! There is no such thing as "big" or "small" issues during Fa-rectification cultivation. No matter what we do, either directly or indirectly, as long as it is to improve ourselves, to expose the evil, or to clarify the truth, viewed from other dimensions, they are all magnificent feats, although they may look insignificant in our dimension. Giant banners and uncountable truth-clarifying flyers have effectively intimidated the evil and their impact is huge. Only by having pure hearts can we make our suppression of the evil truly effective. Currently there is even more urgent need to clarify the truth in-depth to one's family members, colleagues and classmates, or use other ways to expose the evil. This can effectively suppress the evil and directly offer salvation to many lives.
We believe that the mentality of comparing and competing is a deeply hidden attachment to one's personal consummation. Is it true that one cannot reach consummation or cannot reach a higher level if one has not done something magnificent? Is it true that one cannot cultivate to a higher level if one has never been arrested or put in a prison? Let's review what Master has said, "You are one body, just like Master's gong ...In other words, one body doesn't necessarily do one thing. But no matter what you do, you need to be worthy of being called a Dafa disciple." ("Lecture on the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Conference" 2001)
3. Self-centeredness and lack of cooperation
Some practitioners often stress their own opinions with the excuse of "Regarding Fa as Teacher," and some even have gone so far as to justify their own views with what Master said instead of communicating with others on the basis of the Fa and kindly sharing different opinions in order to improve together and do better. They stubbornly stuck to their own opinions, failed to listen, to learn or to understand other practitioners' views on the Fa and Dafa work. They complained or asserted their own opinions subjectively, which provided a loophole for the evil to take advantage of, and did damage to the progress of Fa-rectification, even to the extent of causing other practitioners to be arrested and persecuted.
Master said in the "Fa-Lecture at the Conference in Florida, U.S.A.," (December 2001) "Dafa disciples often have some arguments with each other over things related to spreading the Fa (hong-fa) and rectifying the Fa. I think this is normal. But if you argue endlessly, refusing to give ground, then there's a problem." To be responsible to the Fa, we must view things from the perspective of the overall situation. We are one body. The problem in any one place will affect other places as well. Every step in our cultivation during Fa-rectification is creating history. We must steadily do well in every step we take so as to be worthy of Master's immense benevolence and salvation.