(Clearwisdom.net) I recently read a practitioner's article discussing the problems faced by practitioners in China who work for the government and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations. As a member of the CCP, I face similar problems, and I have given it much consideration lately. Here I would like to share my thoughts with fellow practitioners.

I don't think it's appropriate to continue attending the CCP meetings or paying the party dues. But if I withdrew from the CCP, there are many problems I might immediately face. If a provincial party secretary wanted to learn Falun Gong today, should he quit his position as a party secretary? Would that be considered too extreme, or am I trying to find an excuse for my attachment?

I read Teacher's statement about withdrawing from the Chinese Communist Youth League. I also read Teacher's new article, "Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World" and other practitioners' articles. This is my current understanding about the issue:

Most practitioners in China who were once members of the CCP or the Youth League, are actually no longer members for various reasons. Therefore, issuing a statement on the website is to state your intentions. It's like an announcement that you have truly withdrawn from the party in your heart and that you have no attachment to the CCP.

If you don't withdraw, and continue to attend CCP or Youth League meetings and pay the required dues, even if it is merely out of formality, you are not free from of the restraint of the party. When you attend the meetings, even if you don't say the CCP is good, don't you still have to state your opinion sometimes when decisions are to be made? This is a trap that restrains you.

It is similar to the case of some practitioners suffering in prisons. They don't give up cultivation no matter what kind of persecution they suffer. They are very steadfast, yet many imprisoned practitioners are engaged in forced labor meant for criminals. They are forced to create wealth for the persecutors. If one has not committed any crime, then why should he do the work assigned to criminals? I think this is compromising oneself.

There are two ways imprisoned practitioners can free themselves from this situation. They can either have righteous thoughts and righteous actions, refusing to accept any orders by the evil, and eventually get out of prison with dignity, or they can wait until their prison term is up. If a practitioner agrees to work in prison as requested by the evil, I think he might not have a thorough understanding of the Fa, or might have the attachment of fear. He should improve himself. Of course, we shouldn't accept imprisonment while improving ourselves. We should only accept what Teacher has arranged for us.

Regarding the issue of withdrawing from the CCP, the CCP now exists only in formality. If we help to maintain this formality, we are accepting it. Despite all kinds of excuses, there is no reason why we should help maintain this organization by being members. If every practitioner faced with this issue continues to attend CCP meetings or pay party dues, even if it was unwilling participation, how could we claim not to accept this evil party, yet help it to maintain its formality, and even donate money to it? How does this display our "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance?" If a "good" person in a 610 Office persecutes practitioners against his will, does that mean he should not be held responsible for his actions? In the past, some non-practitioners dared to expose the truth and withdraw from the party. Shouldn't we do the same? What do we have to lose by withdrawing from the party? What do we fear to lose?

What would a great enlightened being do in this situation?

At this point, what I wrote in the beginning of the article contradicts what I am saying here. In any case, we should follow the Fa regardless of who we are, or what kind of situation we are in. Of course, different people may treat it differently in different situations. If you think something is correct according to the standard of a cultivator based upon your understanding of the Fa, then you should act accordingly.

It is difficult to break any trap, but the trap must be broken.

This is my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.

February 22, 2005