Letting Go of the Notion of Being Persecuted

(Minghui.org) When some Falun Dafa practitioners encounter physical discomfort or other obstacles and setbacks, they immediately attribute it to persecution by the old forces. But is that thought correct?

It could be that the discomfort we experience is due to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, adjusting our body or is a manifestation of the growth of our gong potency. When things do not go as we expect, it could be a hint from Master to not do things that way. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of interference by the old forces.

Don’t Be Misled by the Old Forces

Master is always by our side guiding our cultivation. When we act in accordance with the Fa, only Master can arrange our path. When we have loopholes, however, the old forces can take advantage of us and create tribulations. It could be a test of whether or not we accept the old forces’ arrangements. If we become preoccupied with cultivating well to “avoid being persecuted,” we are actually following the arrangements of the old forces.

Master said:

“It's not that you're cultivating amidst the ordeals they created. Rather, you are to walk your own path well while not acknowledging them, not even acknowledging the elimination of their ordeals' manifestations.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)

When we accept the old forces' arrangements, they will have an excuse to continue to interfere in our cultivation. As Dafa disciples, however, we should be guided only by the Fa principles. When something happens, we need to understand what Master wants us to do and do it that way. That is following the path Master has arranged, and it is our only option.

That is, in cultivation, we should follow Master's arrangements to deal with issues created by the old forces.

Master said,

“Whatever you experience during your cultivation—whether good or bad—is good, for it comes about only because you are cultivating.” (“To the Chicago Fa Conference,” The Essentials of Diligent Progress Vol. III) 

Therefore, no matter what happens, we should follow the teachings and handle things with a positive and open mind. Considering it something good, we act according to the needs of the Fa-rectification. Whether it appears good or bad on the surface, it could be used to harmonize Master's arrangement.

More specifically, Master said,

“...because I don't acknowledge them. But I knew that they'd do things this way, so I was left with no choice but to go along with their ploys and turn their ploys against them.” (Fa-Lecture During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference)

As long as we treat any situation as a cultivation environment and do the three things well, the old forces' efforts will end in vain and instead become something that harmonizes Master's arrangement.

Faith in Master and Dafa

When we study the Fa with a clear mind, we know that Dafa is the truth of the universe, that Master is in charge of everything and that his arrangements supersede everything. As long as we act according to Master's arrangements, he will help us with everything. We should let go of the notion of being persecuted and remain undisturbed by the old forces. No matter what happens, we should keep Master in mind. By fulfilling his expectations, we can cultivate openly and honestly

For example, suppose we are arrested and held in a detention center. From the old forces' perspective, we are being persecuted. From another perspective, however, we are given an opportunity—the detention center—to validate the Fa. We will then do well in that setting and save people.

Not Acknowledging the Old Forces

Some practitioners may ask: “You are saying we only focus on doing the three things and ignore the persecution by the old forces. Does that mean we just do nothing when it comes to the persecution?” My understanding is that doing the three things well is a comprehensive path arranged by Master for Dafa disciples, and it encompasses everything.

Master said, “So I try to beat them at their own game—that’s the way to do it. They aren’t able to affect the fundamental things.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”)

Even if we did not do well in cultivation, as long as we absolutely oppose the old forces and only follow Master's arrangement, the old forces will not dare to touch us. The critical thing is that we must be clear that only Master can handle our cultivation. Even if we have omissions, Master will help us correct them. It has nothing to do with anyone else or anyone else’s arrangement.

How do we achieve that, then? When we do not acknowledge the old forces' arrangements and fully believe in Master, he will take care of us.

Examples of Fully Believing in Master

Many articles published on Minghui.org show that when practitioners have complete faith in Master, the situation—whether it concerns illness karma or illegal arrest—will change.

In an article published on December 14, 2019, a practitioner was being held in a detention center. Because she refused to wear the inmate uniform, she was not allowed to leave the cell during the break. She wrote,

“One day, I wanted to go out during the break, so I followed the other inmates outside without the uniform. Dozens of us sat in a circle, and the detention center director asked everyone to sing a song. As I was thinking about singing 'Falun Dafa Is Good', the director called my name. Although I was not a good singer, this time I did really well. Then I recited Master's poem 'An Upright Person' from Hong Yin. The director was furious, yelling and threatening to extend my term by calling other officials. I sent forth righteous thoughts and said in my mind, 'What you said does not count. I have given everything to Master.' With that, the director stopped and put away his phone.”

Good Fa-study is the foundation to having faith in Master and the Fa. Cultivation is serious and it turns an everyday person into a divine being. Without fundamental dedication in cultivation, it is hard to achieve that. Below is another example from the above author:

“Once we went to the countryside to distribute Falun Gong materials. One man who noticed us followed us and called the police. We were inside a residence when a group of officers arrived and waited outside. We sent forth righteous thoughts for half an hour, but the police did not leave. Thinking that we were Dafa disciples on the path towards the divine and protected by Master, I said to two other practitioners, 'Let's send forth righteous thoughts and get out of here.' After another round of sending forth righteous thoughts, we walked out in front of the police officers. They just stood there, doing nothing and without saying a word. We then finished distributing the remaining materials that day.”

Eliminating Human Notions

Cultivating character is difficult, and many of the things we encounter are meant to temper our hearts. The situations may seem complicated on the surface, but there could be underlying reasons behind them.

Master said,

“We have said that good or evil comes from a person’s spontaneous thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun) 

Many scenarios are colored by our thoughts. For tribulations planned by the old forces, if we think they are bad and try to avoid them, they could become a form of persecution. If we consider them opportunities to validate the Fa, they can be a chance to save sentient beings.

Such situations also occur when practitioners coordinate and collaborate. When conflicts and disagreements arise, we may feel discriminated against, jealous, and resentful. If we evaluate them with Fa principles, however, we may find them good opportunities to look within, eliminate human notions, and improve ourselves. Master can do everything for us, but we have to do our part and do it well as Dafa disciples.

It is especially important in China to get rid of our human notions. For example, when we encounter surveillance cameras as we distribute materials, we should think that those cameras were installed to videotape criminals, not us; when police officers show up at our home uninvited, we should treat it as an opportunity to talk to them about Falun Dafa. Similarly, our computers, printers, and Dafa books are our lawful possessions, and we should not allow them to be confiscated and used as evidence against us. If someone follows us, we should think of them as people who want to learn about Falun Dafa from us.

That way, we will be able to validate the Fa, save sentient beings, and fulfill our mission.