Some Thoughts After Attending a Court Hearing

(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. These are universal values and they are also teachings from Master Li (founder of Falun Dafa). Therefore, we should always keep them in mind.

When telling others about Falun Dafa or the ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa, several practitioners in my city were reported to police and arrested. They were held in the local police station, which reported them to the local police department, which then forwarded the case to the local procuratorate, which further moved the case to the local court.

One of the arrested practitioners has been doing well when interacting with the police station, the police department, the procuratorate, and the court. He was able to remain calm and talk about how Master and Falun Dafa teach practitioners to be a better person. He also gave some examples explaining how Dafa has improved our health, uplifted our mind nature, and enabled us to get along with others. He had no fear and all he wanted was to tell the perpetrators that Dafa benefits everyone and society at large with no harm at all.

He was later released on bail and told me about his experience. During the one year after the case was filed and before the hearing, he had also gone to the court many times to clarify the truth to court officials.

I attended his court hearing and was surprised to see him remaining silent when the prosecutors and judges kept labeling Dafa as a “cult.”

When I talked to him after his hearing, he said he was not afraid, although his mind was often blank.

While this practitioner had done well in many regards, I feel that there was an omission. I would like to share my understanding on his silence when hearing Dafa being slandered during his hearing. Under such circumstances, if we practitioners remain silent, the perpetrators may think we acquiesce to what they say. The vicious elements behind them and the old forces may say to Master, “These perpetrators claim Falun Dafa is a ‘cult’ and this practitioner did not say anything. Is he your disciple? Shouldn’t we teach him a lesson?” If so, it would be difficult for Master to help us if the old forces impose tribulations on us at that point.

I think when facing such vicious persecution, our main consciousness should be clear and we cannot tolerate Dafa being slandered.

We should send forth righteous thoughts and explain what Falun Dafa is. Basically, practitioners are following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbear to be good people. Falun Dafa is not on the “cult” list specified by the Chinese Communist Party. We need to explain to the perpetrators that the freedom of belief is guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution. We can also add that persecuting innocent people would not do any good to practitioners or the perpetrators themselves. We should also make it clear to the perpetrators that humans cannot determine what is a righteous belief system and what is a cult. Only the divine can make that decision.

We need to safeguard Dafa with compassion, dignity and solemnness. It is our responsibility to safeguard Dafa when it is being defamed. Only by letting go of fear can we face the evil with rationality and righteousness, which is what Master wants.

Here I would like to remind us to remain clear-headed. We are playing an important role in saving sentient beings and we cannot allow the perpetrators to continue committing crimes.

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)