(Clearwisdom.net) Recently a situation arose whereby I was asked to explain the spiritual dimensions of Falun Dafa to a religious scholar. We had about a half an hour to talk, and the subject arose quite naturally. The professor asked me question after question about Dafa's conception of the universe, our relationship to the divine, how we perceive ourselves, and how Master presents Himself in the human world.
For me this situation presented a significant cultivation opportunity. My challenge was to make Dafa's teaching understandable to a non-practitioner while talking about high-level principles. I could not just say, "Oh, you won't understand that." I had to find a way to answer the questions.
At one point I was talking about the existence of Jesus, Shakyamumi and Lao Tzu coming around the same time to save people. The professor said, Shakyamuni and Lao Tzu did not consider themselves to be divine, that it was later generations that made them divine! On this point she challenged me with her studied knowledge. I made the mistake of saying, "Oh that is just scholarly knowledge. Let's not get stuck on this point." She said, "Why not talk about it? How do you know this information?"
Well, I said, most obviously, our Teacher talked about this point (therefore I accept it fully as truth) and I have read other articles validating this idea, so I didn't question its validity. I also offered the idea that there is a difference in conceptions of salvation between East and West, and maybe what Shakyamuni and Lao Tzu taught was how to return to your true self, which also means salvation. Despite my clarifications, I think she still became skeptical that I was following Dafa irrationally.
I also tried to explain how I felt that I had become a better person, and that there are many things that I have experienced and know to be true based on experience. What I didn't realize is that she had taken exception to the way I was talking. Since my professor is very attached to validating the value of the human experience and human existence, she felt that I was somehow denying our humanity.
Despite the fact that I explained that I live a normal life, and she knows I go to school and so on, somehow this wasn't enough. At this point time was running out. I brought up the idea of the millions of practitioners around the world, and how they have acted peacefully in the face of persecution. I explained how all of these practitioners showed a lot of proof of Dafa's greatness. I said, "Imagine a practitioner in China standing in front of his/her torturer and saying 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is the nature of the universe. Why are you torturing me?'" "That is amazing," she said. "Hundreds of thousands of practitioners are doing that," I said. "This is something I can understand," she then said.
What I realized through this challenging experience is the importance of validating Dafa through actions rather than words. Also, we must understand that Dafa is perfectly harmonized at every level. Science, and human bodies, and all things in the human world are also a part of Dafa. We must not deny any part of the Fa in our hearts and minds, or it will lead to misunderstandings from non-practitioners. There is a lot of letting go yet to do.
A final realization from this is to realize Dafa's enormous supernormal nature. For ordinary people, when they understand the truth, I believe and witness that they are moved by something supernormal. It is in fact a mystical transformation that occurs. In terms of practitioners, the degrees to which we are transformed by the Fa are much greater. Accepting Dafa means accepting the words of our Lord Master as Truth, and this means letting go of all of our own things throughout history, including all of the old force arrangements in our lives. It takes tremendous humility to let go of all attachments. At the same time that we let go of everything, we must remain perfectly rational.
I think the article "Sage," by Master Li from Essentials for Further Advancement, sums up some of the deeper meanings of what I am trying to say:
"He is on a Providential mission in this world as well as in heaven above. He has bountiful virtue and also maintains a benevolent heart; he is full of great aspirations while minding minor details. With broad knowledge of the laws and principles, he is able to unravel uncertainties. Offering salvation to the world and its people, he builds up his merit naturally."
Category: Journeys of Cultivation