(Clearwisdom.net) During the recent Fa-conference in Canada, Master again met with Dafa practitioners from Taiwan and taught them the Fa, and asked them to pass the teaching to others when they went back to Taiwan. There is still an issue of division amongst practitioners in Taiwan regarding party affiliation, and this has become an issue that concerns the whole cultivation body in Taiwan. When I heard this, my heart became rather heavy. In the last year or two, Master has on numerous occasions asked practitioners from Taiwan to pass on the same message. How then, did we treat this issue? During the last year or so, whenever practitioners mentioned this issue, I would immediately think, "I do not have such a problem. It is some other practitioners who cannot let go of their attachments. We should view the issue this way..." I have come across many practitioners in the last year or so, and almost every one of them felt the same way and thought that this issue had nothing to do with them, and it was someone else's problem. I also held the same view.
I have now come to the understanding that it is a very frightful thing not to be aware of our omissions.
I previously thought that I had no political stance and opinion when colleagues talked about politics. I would only clarify the truth, and all along I thought that the issue of party affiliation (either with the Blue camp, the National Party--or the Green camp, the Democratic Progressive Party) had nothing to do with me. This time, when I heard that this is an issue that concerns the whole cultivation body in Taiwan, I must not keep myself out of it and must cultivate myself. As a Dafa practitioner in Taiwan, I have no excuse for not looking within, and I cannot continue to think that I am always in the right. If it is only someone else's problem, how can it be a whole body issue? We all know that in Dafa cultivation, when a conflict arises, even the third party who sees it needs to look within and check oneself, not to mention that I'm part of the whole cultivation body in Taiwan. So I tell myself that I must keep calm, look within and face myself.
I thought about the Blue camp and the Green camp, the people involved, and incidents. I looked within and gradually I found that I had a heart against certain people in the Blue camp, because they criticized many things except for the Chinese Communist Party and they had even developed a close relationship with the CCP. I thought these people were "so bad, so weak," and I held a feeling of "disgust" or "disappointment" toward them. I suddenly thought: Is this right? From another angle, when I compared them with others, I liked others better, and when someone criticized those people I felt like defending them. Isn't this party affiliation?
Suddenly I remembered that in 2004 when I was on my way back to Taiwan from the Washington, DC Fa-conference, I bumped into a member of the Legislation Committee of Taiwan in the bookshop at the airport. Without thinking much about anything I went up to him and said hello, telling him that I came from Taiwan. After we started chatting, I clarified the truth to him (some other practitioners saw us and started to send forth righteous thoughts). In the end he said to me that when he went to China he would tell the CCP people that it was wrong for them to persecute Falun Gong.
When I was recalling this incident, my mind opened up. I thought, "If these people from the so-called Blue camp who have close connections with the CCP get to know the truth, they might also play a positive role." Of course, we should not try to pursue anything, but at least they would know the truth and would not be deceived by the lies of the CCP. They would be on guard and not go along with the CCP. Once they get to know the truth, at least they themselves could be saved. Whether they play a positive role or not depends on themselves, and perhaps they can do even better. They did not persecute Falun Gong themselves, and they are only sentient beings that are deceived. Why should I categorize them? They are already deceived by lies, and if we put more restrictions on them and label them, won't it be more difficult for them to make a breakthrough? Won't it become even worse and allow them to fall into a vicious cyle? If they indeed cannot be saved in the end, wouldn't the reason be because I did not save them, and pushed them away? Master said,
"The only thing you have a role in is saving people." ("Teaching the Fa in the City of Chicago" 2005)
In fact, this is a matter of my cultivation. Because I have omissions in my cultivation, I developed a feeling of disgust toward certain people and a feeling of kindness towards others. This is sentiment. How can I have compassion when I have not let go of sentiments? This is also a matter of having a preference, and with such a mindset I will not be able to clarify the truth thoroughly and will be lacking patience. I will not be able to understand how these people think or find out where their attachments are or where they have a mental block, and consequently I will not be able to clarify the truth to them properly. As a result they may become more confused, and their confusion could in turn reinforce my notions about them: "They are just so weak!" Then, wasn't I the person who contributed to their state of mind?
When I looked deeper inward, I realized that when I felt disappointed or even lost hope for the people in Mainland China who did not respond positively when I clarified the truth to them, wasn't I also labeling these people? If I was not successful in clarifying the truth to them, maybe someone else would be. How could I define them this way? Did I really do well? Will I be able to save sentient beings effectively? Is my heart pure enough to save sentient beings? This is a matter of sentiment. If we cannot let go of it, we will not be able to truly save sentient beings and it will be like everyday people doing Dafa things. Isn't it I myself who have denied the seriousness of cultivation?
The above understanding is limited by my own level of cultivation. Please kindly point out anything improper.