(Minghui.org) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used various ways to target Falun Dafa practitioners since the persecution started in July 1999. They maligned Falun Gong in the media and on television (TV), installed surveillance cameras to monitor practitioners’ activities, and monitor their phone calls.
The CCP launched the “Knocking on Doors” campaign and, more recently, the “Zero-out” campaign to force practitioners on its blacklist to renounce their faith in Falun Gong. They even forced practitioners’ family members to sign guarantee statements when practitioners refused to do so. Practitioners have been constantly harassed, some many times a week.
Under this constant barrage and pressure from the authorities, some practitioners developed the attachment of fear and slacked off in their cultivation. They stopped going out to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong), and distribute informational materials. Some even stopped participating in group Fa study.
In our area, practitioners behaved differently in the face of these campaigns. Some practitioners felt helpless, gave in to the pressure, and signed guarantee statements to stop practicing Dafa.
However, some practitioners did not cooperate with the authorities’ demands but treated those perpetrators as beings who came to hear the truth. So they clarified the facts of Falun Dafa to them. Many people quit the CCP after listening to practitioners. There are many touching stories of practitioners’ righteous actions in trying to help save people.
Many practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts when facing the persecution, but to varying effects. Why was that? In my opinion, some practitioners sent forth righteous thoughts with the intention of protecting themselves. They did not look inward to find their loopholes and eliminate attachments. And so, the persecution against them continued.
When we face persecution, we must let go of selfishness and the fear of being persecuted. All we should think about is the salvation of sentient beings. We should remove our selfishness when we send forth righteous thoughts.
Master said,
“I also want to tell you that your nature in the past was actually based on egotism and selfishness. From now on, whatever you do, you should consider others first, so as to attain the righteous Enlightenment of selflessness and altruism. So from now on, whatever you do or whatever you say, you must consider others—or even future generations—along with Dafa’s eternal stability." ("Non-Omission in Buddha Nature,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
The old forces do not care about human beings and have been using people to persecute practitioners, putting their futures in a terrible situation. We should not accept this arrangement, nor treat these people as being against us. We should deny this arrangement completely by treating all beings with compassion. The people we come across in daily life are waiting to be saved. Only by saving more people can we assist Master in Fa-rectification.
Master said,
“We negate even the very emergence of the old forces and everything that they’ve arranged; we don’t even acknowledge their existence. We’re fundamentally negating all of their things, and all of, and only, the things you do while negating and getting rid of them is mighty-virtue. 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. (Applause) So looking at it from this angle, what we need to do is completely negate the old forces. Dafa disciples and I don’t even acknowledge the manifestations of their last-ditch efforts.” (“Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Chicago Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. IV)
Master told us that people are waiting to be saved, but the old forces are trying to prevent this from happening. We should deny the old forces’ arrangements and end its control over people.
When problems arise, we should not assume that we would be persecuted. Instead, we should first think of saving those who came to persecute us, so no one would commit wrongdoings toward practitioners. We should send strong righteous thoughts to eliminate all interference so that people can learn the truth and choose a bright future for themselves.
As practitioners during the Fa-rectification period, we must be selfless, compassionate, and focused on saving people.
Master said,
“Things will work out well if you are always compassionate and good to others, thoughtful towards people, and handle whatever situations you get into with people by first pausing to consider how well your actions will go over with the other party and whether anyone will be hurt by them. You should hold yourself to high standards and raise the bar still further as you practice.” (The Fourth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
Editor’s note: This article only represents the author’s current understanding meant for sharing among practitioners so that we can “Compare with one another in study, in cultivation.” (“Solid Cultivation,” Hong Yin)