My Understanding of How to Handle Hearsay

(Minghui.org) While talking with a practitioner one day, he discussed something he claimed Master said. However, I didn’t remember reading those words in any of the Dafa books. 

I asked the practitioner which Dafa book he was quoting. After thinking about it, he didn’t have an answer. I realized that this was a very serious issue. This practitioner often watched videos on social media and may have encountered information that he mistakenly took to be the Fa.

I realized that many practitioners are curious to know things that Master said to a small group as if such teachings would enable them to enlighten to Fa principles at higher levels. I had such an experience one time. I got to know the content of one of Master’s private teachings. Years later, when I read it in Master’s public teaching, I realized that I hadn’t been enlightened to more Fa principles or higher-level principles. On the contrary, it was Master’s public lecture that enabled me to understand the deeper meanings. 

I also realized that if we hear what’s said at one of Master’s private lectures, we will not be able to understand the Fa-principles if Master doesn’t allow it. In turn, having such information could cause us to develop an attachment.

I found that those who like to spread hearsay want to take a shortcut in cultivation. They don’t enlighten well and like to hear shocking or fresh things from Master’s private lectures. They are addicted to a notion. At the same time, these people have strong attachments to themselves and are self-centered. They might judge things based on their human notions and attachments instead of the Fa. 

Having understood this, I treat all hearsay and gossip as tests and measure everything according to the Fa, regardless of what the words are. If I felt that the information was not in accordance with the Fa, it would mean that I should not listen to it. If it was in accordance with the Fa, there was still no need to listen since it was already taught in the Fa. In this way, it would be difficult for me to make mistakes. Gradually, I rarely encountered hearsay.

In cultivation, there will definitely be tests regarding how to handle unverified quotes. These are to help us better understand the seriousness of cultivation. We need to hold our ground and not be affected by hearsay; only then are we responsible to ourselves and sentient beings.