(Clearwisdom.net)
Despite our efforts to rescue two practitioners for the last dozen days, we heard today that both of them had been sent to a labor camp for further persecution.
It seemed that we had done everything we could. We went to the detention center, the police station, and the community to clarify the facts and ask for their release. We distributed informational materials near the residences of practitioners who were persecuted. We sent forth righteous thoughts intensely. Why did things turn out badly? When I searched inward, I felt that we had selfish thoughts, had strayed from the Fa, and had been taken advantage of. The evil was nothing. The practitioners who were persecuted also did not lack righteous thoughts. The key was that as a group, we did not meet the requirement of the new cosmos in our every action and thought. This gave the evil room to exist.
Looking back at our past failed rescue attempts, this problem was also present. However, I had never really thought about why before.
Now, I have come to understand that our rescue efforts are fundamentally to protect the Fa and disintegrate the evil. We are using this opportunity to save sentient beings. Persecution against the practitioners is actually against Dafa. The perpetrators themselves are the victims. Master asked the practitioners to save all those who can be saved, except for the most wicked. As long as a person is alive, he or she has the hope of being saved. We understand all of this from the Fa's perspective. However, in real life, we are often more selfish and are unable to think of others first. This characteristic of the old cosmos often prevents us from applying the Fa-principles of the new cosmos.
When I tried to rescue a practitioner a while ago, I saw how vicious the policeman was, so I labeled him "unsavable." I felt some hatred towards him. At that time I didn't think anything was wrong. That evening, thanks to a reminder by a fellow practitioner, I realized that my thoughts had deviated from saving people. I was trying to prove that I was right and the policeman was wrong. My own lack of kindness triggered the evil actions of the police. When we visit police stations, detention centers, and the local community, our goal is to provide the public and perpetrators with an opportunity to choose a different future. The mighty virtue of Dafa and Dafa disciples' compassion should be used to save people. If we stray from them, we are not walking a righteous path anymore. After I came to this understanding, I began focusing on the evil elements in the perpetrators when I sent forth righteous thoughts. With a clear understanding, my righteous thoughts became purer and stronger. I think it was because I was able to conform to the Fa, the power of the Fa was able to manifest.
But because of my strong sense of self, sometimes I become overly attached to the success of the rescue efforts and want to validate myself. The more I focus on the outcome, the more the evil elements are able to take advantage of my loopholes. For example, in past rescue efforts, I would not have cared so much about the outcome if I wasn't so familiar with the arrested practitioners. Because of these gaps, I could not even find out where the fellow practitioners were detained.
Unwittingly, my attachment to self has permeated many things I do. For example, I often think that I want to distribute a certain number of brochures, I want to write an article, I want to do this and not that, I am too busy and can't do something, and so on. Everything is based on ME. Master asked us to consider the Fa and others first. If we can truly meet the Fa principles of the new cosmos, then nothing can stop us.
Instead of ourselves, we should think of what the Fa want us to do, what Dafa disciples should do to save people, and how we can best save people.
We also won't give up on the two practitioners who have been sent to labor camps. It is every disciple's duty to disintegrate all evil elements that persecute Dafa. We cannot stop. Rectifying our own thoughts is also disintegrating the evil. We should cultivate ourselves solidly, cooperate well as a group, and have a clear understanding of the Fa. Dafa disciples should truly mature in the Fa and become altruistic beings that meet the requirements of the new cosmos.
This is just my understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
