(Clearwisdom.net)
Disrespecting gods is a manifestation of deviation
From Teacher's lectures I understand that many of the world's people no longer have any faith in or respect for gods. They don't understand the true meaning of believing in and respecting gods. This is an arrangement by the old forces, which is exactly what we need to correct. Such deviation and the old forces' arrangement manifest themselves when we act without restraint and show disrespect for gods.
For example, some practitioners place Teacher's writings just anywhere. We put Teacher's pictures together with other things on a table. Some like to listen to Teacher's lectures while eating or walking. Instead we should be seated upright and respectful when reading the Fa. At a meal or when walking it's probably better to send forth righteous thoughts or recite the Fa rather than listening to the lectures.
Some practitioners don't take it seriously when someone else uses Teacher's name directly. Sometimes Teacher's name even appears in our experience sharing articles or truth-clarification brochures. In ancient times, it was a taboo to call the name of the emperor or one's parents.
Once, I seriously told a person who was calling Teacher's name directly that doing so would be harmful to him. He then began to use "Dafa's Teacher" instead to refer to Teacher.
Sometimes there are misspellings, extraneous words, or missing words in the Fa-clarification literature. We all understand that there exist many dimensions beneath these tiny words. Once a practitioner's husband began to make fun of Dafa when he saw some misspelled words in the Fa-clarification literature. It is true that his deed was bad. But weren't our mistakes also to blame for being unable to save him?
Some of us don't always mind our speech. We talk about Dafa and Teacher regardless of where we are. For example, my 12-year-old daughter once pointed out to me that I shouldn't have talked to her about cultivation outside the bathroom when she was inside.
Sadly, today's people, including us, don't understand any more what is respect for and faith in Gods. The meaning of faith and respect can probably be more easily understood if we put it the following way: If we show a thousand times more respect to gods than to our parents, that is faith and respect.
Rectifying other people and ourselves and leaving behind a righteous way
As practitioners in the Fa-rectification period, we must have righteous speech, righteous thoughts, and righteous actions. Since the world's people are all watching, how could we ever follow the conduct of deviated religions? Because many of the world's people slandered Teacher and the Fa at the beginning of the persecution, they are now facing catastrophic disasters. To help them pay for their disrespect more quickly, we can only guide them to respect Teacher and respect the Fa, rather than misguiding them to further insult Dafa or gods.
From Teacher's lectures, I understand that it is only the first step when a person quits the CCP. We must encourage that person to personally stand up against the persecution and to sincerely respect Teacher and Dafa. Only by doing so can he or she be spared from being weeded out. In fact, as practitioners, the same applies to us.
The real purpose of believing in Dafa is not just to become healthy or keep fit. We must not misguide the world's people to only want things from Dafa. If an everyday person, who once defamed Dafa or committed other evil deeds against Dafa, now shouts, "Falun Dafa is good," that's not enough no matter how loudly he shouts it. How can gods not weed him out if he does not fully make up for his evil deeds? Teacher talked about the major weeding-out processes several times. Only those who genuinely believe in and show respect for Dafa, and who sincerely repent their errors, can possibly enter the new cosmos. Therefore, for the sake of the world's people, we must guide them to stand up against the persecution.
A colleague of mine has been very sympathetic to Dafa, but she was once coerced into signing an anti-Dafa petition. I told her, "As Teacher said, one must pay off one's debts oneself. Although you were forced to sign, you must still pay off this debt yourself. I don't want to see you reap the karmic retribution. If you can write several posters saying, 'Falun Dafa is good,' I'll post them and you can pay off your debts." She followed my suggestion and was very glad that she did.
Although the CCP forces the world's people to commit bad deeds against Dafa, the world's people also have an understanding side. It is our mission to guide them with Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to strengthen their righteous thoughts and to respect Teacher and respect Dafa with various righteous actions.
As we conscientiously write cultivation articles, open letters, and truth-clarification materials, we are nullifying the arrangement of the old forces and opening up the path of assisting Teacher in rectifying the Fa. Teacher said,
"The magnificent Fa and the magnificent epoch are forging the most magnificent Enlightened Beings." ("The Disciples' Magnificence" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)
As I was reading this verse, I wept. Our benevolent Teacher gives us everything and bears so much for sentient beings. We can't repay Him even with everything we have. Yet all He requires of us is the heart of a genuinely compassionate practitioner. Shouldn't we safeguard Teacher and Dafa with the purest and the most respectful heart? Personally I don't think we should print Teacher's writings on any Fa-clarification literature. Also we should probably use "Dafa's Teacher" in place of Teacher's name in the Fa-rectification materials.
These are just some of my cultivation understandings. If there is anything improper, please point it out with compassion.
