(Clearwisdom.net)
Recently I watched the video of Master's "Fa-Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners." I noticed that many of the practitioners in attendance had drifted away from the Fa, as could be seen from their cultivation state. This was most noticeable from their behavior during the question and answer period with Master. Respect and honor for our Teacher seemed to be missing during the whole course of the lecture--I was somewhat dismayed by this. For many practitioners in China, to be able to meet Master in person has always been a dream--tears often run down their cheeks whenever they sit in groups listening to Master's lectures.
We have been busy for a long time now, committing ourselves to various Fa rectification projects in order to save sentient beings. It is possible that during the course of our work, we have overlooked the importance of personal cultivation. As a result, many overseas practitioners have exhibited behavior that is not worthy of a cultivator. Similarly, practitioners from China have been subjected to severe persecution for similar reasons. Although the demonic persecution now can no longer be used to test Dafa practitioners, recent incidents have interfered with Dafa validation and the saving of sentient beings.
When the persecution first began, practitioners were very fearful and used fear to counteract the persecution. After becoming accustomed to the persecution, no one demonstrated as much fear as before. However, instead of gaining in gong by simply letting go of the fear, the practitioners just got used to the persecution. The result was that the tribulation, which was arranged by the old forces, brought greater disaster to the sentient beings and increased the difficulties of Master's Fa Rectification.
In the article "The Fa Rectifies the Human Heart," Master wrote:
"As a matter of fact, no movement can bring about a fundamental change in the human heart. Nor do movements' phenomena last--people become indifferent with the passage of time. Afterwards, unhealthy phenomena that are harder to tackle will emerge. Dafa absolutely cannot fall into this kind of condition."(Essentials for Further Advancement)
The fact that Dafa practitioners have not been using their original nature to face the persecution for a long time now appears as described by Master in the article "Expounding on the Fa:"
"Whenever a tribulation comes, you do not see it with the side of your original nature but view it completely with your human side." (Essentials for Further Advancement)
Many practitioners, both from overseas and in China, have been trying very hard to do things right as practitioners. But if we cannot view cultivation while doing Dafa work from the Fa's perspective, whatever we do is simply a human endeavor and human gallantry. I suppose this is the result of our inevitable bias toward human notions.
We heard a piece of news that, in 2008, the CCP will send a troupe of performers to Australia to celebrate the Chinese New Year, obviously to whitewash the about-to-fall Party. This again is a warning bell for all Australian practitioners, to see if they can look inward. It is a good opportunity for the Australian practitioners to disintegrate the evil as a team and at the same time make up for damages done. It is also an opportunity for China's practitioners who can see the event to also look into themselves and let go of further attachments. Unless we value our cultivation, we will only bring more damage to ourselves and sentient beings awaiting salvation.
