(Clearwisdom.net) I was previously narrow-minded, and thought that only the money that fellow practitioners donated for producing truth-clarification materials are "Dafa resources," which should be cherished and used wisely. After watching Teacher's video recording "Fa Teaching Given to the Australian Practitioners," I came to the realization that even Dafa disciples' own money is a Dafa resource.
I'd like to share my understanding of "Dafa resources," so that practitioners can eliminate any financial persecution that the old forces impose on us, better utilize Dafa resources, and walk righteously the monetary aspect of our cultivation paths.
1. Dafa Resources Are for Us to Validate the Fa, Not Ourselves
I think that since a Dafa disciple's money is a Dafa resource, what about a Dafa disciple himself? Aren't his time, skills, social connections, and belongings also Dafa resources? Isn't everything that a Dafa disciple had, has, or will have given by Teacher?
After realizing that these things are not really mine, nor for me to use to validate myself or show-off, but rather given to me to validate the Fa, then is there still any personal interest that I should be attached to? Is there any form of personal wealth that is worth showing off to other people? With a better understanding of these issues, we can cherish more and utilize better what we have. Wealthy practitioners may also realize that their wealth should be used more to validate the Fa.
Moreover, only when we understand the larger meaning of what a "Dafa resource" is, will we not put our capabilities above Dafa, or use them in exchange for something from fellow practitioners, or pursue fame, personal gain, or simple emotional satisfaction in human society.
2. When We See Everything We Have as a Dafa Resource, We Can Do a Better Job of Safeguarding Dafa, Rather Than Ourselves
When we realize that everything in the world that belongs to us is also a Dafa resource, we can truly integrate ourselves with the Fa, and exercise the unlimited power and capabilities of the Fa. If something just belongs to an individual practitioner, the evil may dare to have the person lose it. But who dares to damage a Dafa resource?
One fellow practitioner was persecuted financially, when the 610 Office directed his company to withhold his salary for years. Several hundred thousand yuan of his wages were withheld. Besides sending forth righteous thoughts, this practitioner and his family also talked to the managers of his company many times, but nothing changed. He also exposed the persecution using the Internet, but things got even worse. Where he used to receive a few hundred yuan each month, suddenly he was given no money at all. On the surface, this practitioner was willing to contribute to and validate the Fa, and he said that this money could be used to save many people.
Some fellow practitioners suggested that he look within at his own xinxing, to see if there was any attachment or gap that had been used by the evil as an excuse for persecution. This was not a case of a human being persecuting another human being, but rather the evil was persecuting a Dafa disciple due to gaps in the practitioner's xinxing. When he looked within, he found many attachments, including a deeply rooted attachment to his personal gain, the attachment to time and not wanting to save money, attachments to anger and competition, and the thought of letting the evil take his money in exchange for no physical persecution. But he also found another thought, "If I can let go of my attachment to money, what can you do to me then? I can still make a living even if you withhold my salary."
When we simply view our income as personal wealth and not a Dafa resource, what we are safeguarding is ourselves, not Dafa. The evil can then take advantage of our cultivation gaps to impose financial persecution on us.
3. Wasting Our Own Income Is Not Cherishing Dafa Resources
Through studying Teacher's lectures, we know that wasting practitioners' donations given for truth-clarification work has severe negative consequences. I think many practitioners have understood this point, but I also think that wasting our own income is also not cherishing Dafa's resources.
Using their own money to save people is Dafa disciples' mighty virtue. It will bring everyday people enormous fortune if they offer Dafa disciples their money for use in truth-clarification work. On the other hand, if a practitioner gives money that should be used for saving people to others, for personal leisure, is that doing something good or bad for them? Of course, there is no standard to define how much is wasted and how much is just right, but with the Fa principles in our minds and righteous attitudes, we should be able to do things correctly if we carefully consider the person's needs.
Looking back, some of the money that I spent on myself and my relatives was unnecessary, and my spending was impulsive and willful. I felt that I was being very generous, using the excuse of "validating Dafa" to cover up for my waste. Of course, we don't want to go to extremes and not spend a single penny. We need to plan things rationally, and we shouldn't spend money for the sake of saving face. After realizing that my income is also a Dafa resource, I no longer spend my money as easily as before.
4. Cherishing Dafa Resources to Completely Reject the Evil's Financial Persecution
When the evil dared to burn Dafa books, it used the excuse that Dafa practitioners and everyday people didn't cherish or respect Dafa books. I think when we are persecuted financially by the evil, in addition to looking inside for attachments to our personal gain, we should also check if we have gaps of not cherishing Dafa resources (including personal income) or not using Dafa resources with discipline.
When I exchanged experiences with some fellow practitioners who were working at the materials production center, I encountered a big issue. Some practitioners, especially those who left home and went into hiding, were mixing their living expenses with the money used for truth-clarification supplies, which had been donated by other practitioners. These practitioners felt that they could maintain a strict budget, and that it was too much work to maintain two separate bank accounts. But that isn't handling Dafa resources seriously. If a practitioner spends money intended for Dafa work on himself by accident, then the evil, watching closely, may see this omission and persecute that practitioner. We must maintain high standards for ourselves.
I also saw some practitioners who showed no discipline when using other Dafa practitioners' money or possessions. They squandered the money freely and felt at ease. I noticed that those practitioners also tended to also have financial challenges. Since Teacher has told us to look within ourselves after every incident, we should truly base our actions on the Fa. We all have attachments that may be hard to eliminate, and even hard to find. If we haven't done well in this area, we should improve, but we shouldn't have negative thoughts or give up. Teacher is waiting for us to do well. Teacher is only doing things for our benefit.
The extended time during the Fa-rectification period is for Dafa disciples to save sentient beings. Dafa disciples are the kings of all worlds and they should have good fortune in the human world. As long as we cherish Dafa resources, and discipline ourselves, we can handle the money and materials righteously and be able to completely reject the evil's financial persecution.
