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Be Careful Not to Plagiarize the Fa

September 13, 2006 |   By a Falun Dafa practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

Master taught us,

"And you aren’t allowed to use my original words as your own words, or else that’s plagiarizing the Law." ("How Falun Dafa Students Should Spread the Practice" in "The Third Talk," Zhuan Falun)

Master sets an example for us on this matter. In Zhuan Falun, whenever Master quotes other enlightened being's words, He always prefaces the quotes with their names. For instance,

"In his later years Shakyamuni said, 'It is so large that it has no exterior, and so small that it has no interior.'" ("About the Third Eye" in "The Second Talk," Zhuan Falun)

Another example is,

"Lao-zi said, 'When the highest type of men hear the Dao, with diligence they will practice it. When average men hear the Dao, it seems some is kept and some is lost. When the lowest type of men hear the Dao, they laugh at it heartily. If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Dao.'" ("A Person With Great Spiritual Inclination" in "The Ninth Talk," Zhuan Falun)

When quoting Master's words we should preface the quote to indicate that Teacher said it, not only to avoid putting forth Master's words as own own, but also to show respect. Master treats issues like this very seriously, and we should absolutely follow his example. Some practitioners still don't fully grasp this Fa-principle, and neglect this issue. When they quote Master's words, they forget to say "Master says," or "this is what it says in the Fa." If they keep doing this, it will be very dangerous! I sincerely remind everyone to pay attention to this matter. We should act according to what Master said,

"...he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details." ("Sage" from Essentials for Further Advancement)

Let us follow the requirements of the Fa and quote Master's words properly, regardless of the extra effort required.