(Minghui.org) After the persecution of Falun Dafa started in July 1999, some practitioners stopped cultivating while others secretly practiced at home. Some were able to step out to clarify the truth when the persecution began, but gradually stopped after they saw other practitioners were persecuted.
Perhaps they thought: I’ve done a lot of truth-clarification to save people over the years; I’m not sure I’d survive being persecuted again, so I’d better stop going out and telling people about the persecution. Otherwise I’ll “add obstacles” on my cultivation path—or I’d better just study the Fa at home, keep sending forth righteous thoughts and walk “smoothly” on my remaining path of cultivation.
Some practitioners with this thinking spread it to others, causing them to also stop going out to clarify the truth. However, I believe that genuine Dafa disciples can’t be swayed. Many practitioners in our area continue to clarify the truth to people face to face with no fear. This is true for the majority of practitioners.
There’s a female practitioner in our area who is about 60 years old. Every day she goes out to clarify the truth to people and helps them quit the CCP organizations. I help her upload the list of those who quit. She leaves the list of names at another practitioner’s house, and every week I pick them up. Once I met her by chance, and we talked. She has the righteous mindset of a true Dafa disciple – fearless and indestructible.
I was deeply inspired and encouraged by her righteousness and, at the same time, I saw my own shortcomings and gaps, and clearly understood where I could improve. I encouraged her to write down her experience to share with others. This article is her sharing.
It’s a Dafa disciple’s responsibility to clarify the truth to people and save them, and we must do this sincerely. Master mentioned many times in the Fa (teachings) that practitioners must study the Fa more often, cultivate ourselves well and save more people. We are Fa-rectification period Dafa disciples, so we cannot just study the Fa and do the exercises at home and not go out to save people, otherwise our cultivation is simply empty talk.
I feel if I’m a true disciple I must follow Master’s teachings 100 per cent, and have full faith in Master and the Fa. So, I go out to clarify the truth to people face to face every day, no matter what the weather is like.
As I see it, those who don’t live up to their words are not respected even among everyday people, let alone among Dafa disciples who have signed a vow with Master eons ago. Master warned us,
“How could humans be allowed to make a joke of this heavy cosmic responsibility, of the gods, and of the Creator! Once a vow is signed, it must be fulfilled!” (“Cultivation in Dafa Is Serious”)
One day, a practitioner came to my house and told me that a plainclothes agent took photos of her. I said, “Let’s go and see if he’s still there, so that we can clarify the truth and save him.” However, when we got there, he was nowhere to be seen.
My view is that when we encounter policemen or plainclothes agents, we mustn’t be afraid because what we do is for the good of all sentient beings, including them. We should have kind thoughts and compassion instead of fear. If we can do this, the situation will change for the better, because the police also have a good side and were once part of Master’s family. We can disintegrate their evil side with righteous thoughts and righteous actions. Some policemen were indeed saved after they learned the truth about Falun Dafa.
I’ve encountered people from the 610 Office, policemen, prison guards, and soldiers in police uniforms while clarifying the truth. I thought, “Since we are destined to meet, I should clarify the truth to them and give them a chance to be saved.” Some learned the truth and quit the CCP organizations, while others didn’t. Still, I clarified the truth to them.
In such a situation, we must hold strong righteous thoughts and repel any negative thinking. Master said in Zhuan Falun,
“...good or bad comes from a person’s initial thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
Practitioners rely on righteous thoughts to save people, and righteous thoughts come from the Fa. Without the Fa’s guidance, we can’t accomplish anything.
When I first started clarifying the truth, I thought that we should just hand out more leaflets and clarify the truth more often. In early 2005, when I was distributing truth-clarification materials, I handed some to a plainclothes policeman. He accepted the materials, but reported me afterwards. As a result, I was given a year of forced labor.
While I was detained in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, I realized the shortcomings in my cultivation and took the opportunity to improve myself. I clarified the truth to the guards, telling them that Falun Dafa is good and that practitioners are all good people. When they asked us to write thought reports, we wrote articles to validate the beauty of Dafa. With Dafa in our hearts, the evil was powerless. Practitioners are persecuted because we haven’t done well and have loopholes in our cultivation, which are taken advantage of by the old forces.
Later, through continuous Fa study, I realized that only by studying the Fa well and cultivating ourselves well can we do well in saving people. Doing things itself is not cultivation, and we must cultivate our xinxing solidly in order to better accomplish our historic mission, walk steadily on the path towards godhood, and be free from interference and persecution by the evil.
After I was released and returned home, I continued to clarify the truth to people face to face and never backed down. I talked to police officers and neighborhood committee staff. In the process, I followed Master’s teachings and let go of layers of fear and human thoughts and notions, which enabled me to walk steadily on the path of saving people.
I heard a practitioner met a plainclothes policeman, who was boasting that he knew a lot, such as how someone in that area was sent to prison, when someone was released, when so-and-so came out to talk about Falun Gong and returned home. He said he knew whether they were tall or short, fat or thin, as well as their age, and so on.
The practitioner didn’t say anything and left. When she told the other practitioners, some thought that they should inform those practitioners who often clarify the truth in that area, so that they could avoid the area and stay safe. Another practitioner also told me not to go there because it’s dangerous. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being cautious. I’d like to share my view on this matter.
Master said,
“...just by staying unmoved you would be able to handle all situations...” (“Fa Teaching Given at the 2014 San Francisco Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XIII)
Why can’t we achieve the state of mind required by Master? I feel there are two main reasons. First, we haven’t gained a clear understanding of the Fa; second, even when we understand the Fa principles, we fail to do what Master asked. This means that we don’t truly believe in Master and the Fa. Instead we desire self preservation, rather than having 100 % faith with no attachments.
Every incident we encounter in cultivation is a test of our xinxing. We should have strong righteous thoughts and reject any negative thinking. In fact, plainclothes agents and police officers are also victims, and practitioners also have the responsibility to save them. Master said,
“Let me tell you, every person in the entire world was at one point part of my family...” (Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)
Everyone was also once part of our family, and we must do what Master says and try our best to save those lost in the maze, including those beings poisoned by the specter of communism, so that they can learn the truth and escape catastrophes in the human world. Although it’s not easy to save people, with the Fa and righteous thoughts in our hearts, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
Studying the Fa well and strengthening our righteous thoughts are the fundamental guarantee for getting rid of fear. With Master’s teachings in mind, we should do well in saving people with no fear or hesitation. Those plainclothes police and troubles are all illusions to test our righteous thoughts and righteous faith in Dafa. They are in fact the most pitiable beings. WE must treat them with compassion and the kindness we have cultivated in Dafa so that we can dissolve the evil forces behind them. If we can truly be indestructible like diamond, then nothing can stop us.
I often go to places where other practitioners saw a plainclothes agent, but I’ve never seen him. If I saw him, I wouldn’t have been afraid because clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings is the most righteous thing in the universe, and we do this for the benefit of others. When we have such kindness and compassion in our hearts, people are willing to listen to us clarify the truth and they would be saved.
So no matter what rumors I hear, my determination to clarify the truth and save sentient beings remains unmoved. With Dafa in our hearts and Master’s protection, I feel the road to saving people has become smoother and wider.
I hope that fellow practitioners who are influenced by rumors will study the Fa more often, strengthen their righteous thoughts, and let go of their human attachments and fear. Such attachments must be eliminated and we must not be intimidated by evil factors and false appearances.
In order to save more sentient beings and assist Master in the human world, let us take firm steps forward to fulfill our vows.