An Understanding of the Fa: Having a Passive or Proactive Attitude

(Minghui.org) The article “After Fellow Practitioners Stopped Providing Truth-Clarification Materials to Us” mentioned that due to the increasing demand for truth-clarification Falun Dafa materials, practitioner Hui took over the project of material production, but stopped providing the materials after some time, without providing an explanation. 

The author of the article said among others, “I think when Hui stopped making truth-clarification materials, maybe she no longer wanted to take things over which might prevent others from walking their own path well. Cultivation should be proactive, and we shouldn’t rely on others or perform our duties passively.”

The author also said, “As a matter of fact, many fellow practitioners have computers, and they all know how to get on the Minghui website. Some have every condition to make truth-clarification materials, but they used all sorts of excuses not to do it.”

I was moved by the author’s compassion of not adding negative comments pointing at practitioner Hui, but trying to understand her in good faith. Besides, the author mentioned many practitioners “have every condition to make truth-clarification materials, but they use all kinds of excuses not to do it.” 

It’s not uncommon to observe practitioners in my area, and I would like to share some examples and my reflection on this.

Doing Things: Taking Others’ Opportunities for Walking Their Own Path

A fellow practitioner who operated a large materials production site suffered from some illness karma, and another practitioner shared his understanding of the issue with him, “We provide you the funding to produce Dafa informational materials, but you gave the materials to other practitioners first. Please reflect on whether this is the reason [of the illness karma].”

In reality, the practitioner operated and maintained a large materials production site and produced all kinds of truth-clarification materials. He rarely studied the Fa. He had very little time for cultivation, and mainly used the time for materials production. He had a very simple idea that the practitioners in the mountainous areas were mostly elderly practitioners and he wanted to consider them first for the distribution of the materials. After listening to practitioners’ comments, he spent more time producing materials for local use.

There were many practitioners in that area who had everything needed to make truth-clarification materials, but they did not do it, instead they relied on that particular practitioner for many years. Meanwhile this practitioner also had safety concerns when letting some practitioners produce materials. He was always very responsive to other practitioners’ requests and had been making the materials for over 10 years.

Because of this, other practitioners’ reliance on him and safety concerns have been covered by the practitioner’s complete taking over practitioners’ responsibilities for a long time. Then, he realized he should not take other practitioners’ opportunity of walking their own cultivation path. He also realized that he had attachments to doing things. He planned for fellow practitioners to pick up the materials production, like flowers blossoming everywhere. 

Unfortunately, he was arrested by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police. They broke into the materials production site, ransacked it, and confiscated many machines and materials. He was later taken to a forced labor camp, and a major materials production site maintained for over a decade was destroyed.

I don’t know whether the practitioner who pressured him realized that he was not on the Fa. This may push this practitioner further on the path of doing things and taking over other practitioners’ cultivation opportunities. Had the practitioners who relied on this practitioner for many years ever truly thought of others first, and truly thought of what is the best help for this practitioner? 

It is to break through one’s fear and proactively contribute by using one’s own ability, instead of passively relying on fellow practitioners. This practitioner who went through the tribulations could also use this opportunity to truly reflect on himself. It would allow him to find his attachments covered by doing things for a long time, and the negative effect of taking over other practitioners’ opportunities of cultivating on their own path.

Replacing Cultivation with Doing Things

A technical practitioner who passed away had a good reputation among fellow practitioners. He was enthusiastic and proactive. All practitioners loved to ask for his help. Some practitioners even offered to drive him to other practitioners’ places to solve technical issues. Even if it was lunch or dinner time, as long as other practitioners had requests, he immediately responded. He never stayed at another practitioner’s place for lunch or dinner after finishing the work. The local practitioners heavily relied on this practitioner to repair the machines, even during the period when this practitioner had severe illness karma.

Recalling the past, fellow practitioners could have proactively found ways to repair the machines by themselves, instead of heavily relying on this practitioner. This would have alleviated the practitioner’s pressure, and given him more time to study the Fa. It may also prevent the practitioner from replacing true cultivation with doing things. This could result in neglecting Fa-study and xinxing cultivation, resulting in his passing away. This is truly regrettable.

Initial Attention May Now Play a Different Role

A practitioner from a local materials production site took the supplies from another materials production site throughout the years. It began with the other materials production site offering to purchase supplies for this materials production site, and pay for it. There are many practitioners around this materials production site, including young practitioners. However, since they had the long-term habit of relying on the other materials production site, no one took the initiative to purchase the printing supplies. They often came up with the excuse that the practitioners at the other site had a car and they needed to purchase the supplies anyway.

However all the excuses were for external reasons. Our cultivation practice asks us to look within. One reason is the practitioners at this materials production site did not proactively get rid of fear. The fellow practitioners at the other materials production site seemed to have a good intention in the beginning. But with the progress of our cultivation and the requirements for us at different cultivation levels, those good initial intentions may play a different role now.

Ignoring Advice Because of Human Notions

A practitioner has been on the front line of clarifying the truth to the public all year round. He persuaded a lot of people to withdraw from the CCP and its youth organizations. The practitioner is enthusiastic and works quickly on things. 

Then, he took on the materials printing project. The printer malfunctioned frequently and was repaired many times without completely solving the problem. The practitioner was informed that even a new printer needs to be turned off for a while after printing for a period of time. However, he kept asking if it could be fully repaired. He said that he would no longer be involved in the printing work if the printer could not be repaired – he demanded continuous printing.

The practitioner’s habit of working at a fast pace drove him to finish the work in a short time. He did not follow the advice of shutting down the printer frequently. Other practitioners around him held fear, and did not want to take over the materials printing work, although they had the time. They only wanted to get the material from this practitioner. No one tried to fundamentally solve the issue.

It led to frequent printer breakdowns and caused the shortage of truth-clarification material. Meanwhile, the technical practitioner was on call all the time to repair the machine and wasted a lot of time and energy. He was unable to convince the practitioner of the right way of using the machine. Later the practitioner suffered big tribulations financially due to his personality of rushing. Many practitioners relied on this practitioner for materials. And this practitioner relied on the technical practitioner to repair the machine. If the practitioners just rely on other practitioners and do not proactively cultivate their xinxing and share the responsibilities, it eventually makes fellow practitioners very passive.

Let Fellow Practitioners Walk Their Own Cultivation Path

There are no accidents in Dafa cultivation. All of the problems the practitioners encountered were for reasons of their own making. The persecution and tribulations that happened to the practitioners mentioned above were not directly caused by other practitioners. However, the practitioners around them did not truly help them based on the Fa, but urged them to keep continuing on the path of doing things. We did play a role of pushing them toward the tribulation. 

We should look within with a calm mind and find out whether we truly think of other practitioners first, as based on the Fa, and whether we hold fear that has been covered by the attachment of doing things. It led us to rush fellow practitioners, and heavily rely on them.

I do not mean to deny what the fellow practitioners did for Dafa. They proactively took some responsibilities and did a lot of good work, which are really worthy of our praise. However, the Fa has boundless wisdom and inner meanings, as Master said, “Different Levels Have Different Fa” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun) 

We should not treat anything as either black or white. This is my understanding of how to apply the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance when doing Dafa-related work. That is a wise choice when doing things and letting things go their natural way, instead of simply taking over everything at the human level. If we took over everything intentionally, it may be against the natural order and the higher arrangements, as well as block fellow practitioners’ cultivation path. 

To be truly good to fellow practitioners is to be responsible for their ultimate consummation, instead of taking over specific things they should do. We should help the practitioners based on the Fa, and let them walk their own cultivation path. It should be like beautiful and sacred flowers blossoming everywhere.

Establishing the truth-clarification materials production sites like flowers blossom everywhere is recognized by Master. The true blossoming of flowers is not only to have more machines to produce the materials, and allowing practitioners to access the materials everywhere, but also to include the purchase of supplies and the maintenance of the machines. It would not be truly blossoming if we all rely on a practitioner. It may be fine to temporarily rely on certain practitioners for materials production, supply purchase and machine maintenance. If it lasted for too long though, many of our attachments would be covered and nourished by the attachments of doing things. The advantages of flowers blossoming everywhere are obvious. For each practitioner, it is our own responsibility to let go of our attachments and walk our cultivation path. It also does not rely on specific practitioners and does not increase the difficulty of their cultivation. For the Dafa practitioners as a whole, it is flexible, convenient and safe.

“The master takes you through the entrance, but cultivation is up to each individual.” (Lecture Three, Zhuan Falun) 

Since cultivation is up to each individual and doing Dafa’s work is part of cultivation, we should not rely on other practitioners for our own cultivation. In addition, every practitioner’s cultivation is not easy and everyone faces difficulties. What each practitioner can do and how much they can contribute are up to themselves to decide, and should not be arranged by others. We can communicate and coordinate based on the Fa, but we can’t force practitioners to do things. We can proactively cultivate ourselves, but cannot put invisible pressure on fellow practitioners and let them passively bear the burden.

Reflection of Good Cultivation

The article “After Fellow Practitioners Stopped Providing Truth-Clarification Materials to Us” is not long, but the author’s plain and sincere language truly touched me. The practitioner understood that the fellow practitioner who stopped providing the materials did it in good faith. This is a reflection of good cultivation. I reflected on myself that I also made many suggestions in recent years to fellow practitioners about the materials production sites blossoming everywhere, but met with misunderstanding, or was even criticized with holding fear.

I looked within and realized I could not say I am completely without fear. However, I think fear or not does not conflict with the idea of materials production sites blossoming everywhere. To get rid of fear is each individual’s responsibility. But, taking over all the responsibilities versus materials production sites blossoming everywhere is a matter of the direction of the whole, and a consideration of the Fa-rectification. It is also a manifestation of whether we truly think of other practitioners first and are responsible to other practitioners who are on the divine path.

We often talk about Dafa disciples being one body. If we could truly understand and tolerate fellow practitioners with compassion, proactively take part in each other’s responsibility, and not rely on any particular practitioner, we would not create the burden that other practitioners are bearing passively. This would be a big step towards the goal of true cooperation as a whole and helping Master rectify the Fa.

Above is just my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.