(Clearwisdom.net) Wang Wenyi's protest at the White House during the meeting between Bush and Hu has been a controversial subject in mainstream society. Among Dafa practitioners, there are also many debates. Here I would like to share my personal understanding with fellow practitioners.
It is clear that there are a variety of opinions among practitioners, as on different levels there are different understandings. However, everyone agrees on one thing, which is that this incident has had positive and negative effects. Although as soon as Dr. Wang had a chance to explain, she stressed that this was an action she took on her own initiative, in order to minimize the negative impression ordinary people or the media may have about Falun Gong or The Epoch Times. But even with her statement, the negative effects are difficult to mitigate.
We need to understand this from the Fa. If we caused a negative effect at big events, especially under a peaceful, democratic environment, then we have to think carefully how to truly understand the Fa from the Fa, how to truly assist Teacher in the Fa-rectification and save sentient beings, and how to eliminate negative effects and turn bad things into good things.
1. Shouting at the White House is different from validating the Fa at Tiananmen Square
Some practitioners say that Dr. Wang's shouting at the White House was similar to mainland Chinese practitioners' going to Tiananmen and shouting, "Falun Dafa is great." I think it is reasonable if non-practitioners had such an understanding. However, as Dafa disciples, we need to understand each action's focus and the difference between the two. We should be more rational and mature, walk well the last stretch of the journey, and elevate in the Fa.
When a Dafa practitioner from Mainland China went to Tiananmen to shout, "Falun Dafa is great," it was done in an extremely evil and persecutory environment. It was a great, courageous act to assist Teacher in the Fa-rectification at a time when the old forces and evil were trying to destroy Dafa practitioners and sentient beings. Dafa practitioners risked their lives to validate the greatness of Dafa. On the surface, we can say that it was because of these courageous actions by the Dafa practitioners who were willing to risk their lives to protect Dafa, and since when a cultivator has strong righteous thoughts the power of Teacher and Dafa will be demonstrated through him, that the most wicked situation was turned around at that key moment. In other words, shouting "Falun Dafa is great" on Tiananmen Square was an action based on the Fa, and was very necessary at that time.
The practitioners from Mainland China can see clearly that these courageous actions by Dafa disciples shattered the evil bloc's dream of eliminating Falun Gong, helped people from mainland China understand Falun Gong, showed the world the crimes committed against Falun Gong, and improved the Chinese Communist regime's position from prohibiting the practice to "as long as you don't appeal to Beijing, practicing at home is all right." Even in mainland China then, the Jiang group rarely tried to twist the action of validating the Fa in Tiananmen in its propaganda, since even ordinary people know that only when the victims are faced with huge injustices would they dare to go to Tiananmen to appeal.
The protest at the White House was different. It was in a peaceful environment, in a country that has democracy, freedom, and the rule of law, where we have many positive ways to spread our message. As Falun Gong practitioners, we should show the world what we've always believed in: peace and rationality. Even with the backdrop of the concentration camps in China, from the perspective of the Fa principles, Dr. Wang's actions were inappropriate and radical. In the last few years, overseas Dafa practitioners' peacefulness and rationality showed the world that Falun Gong is a peaceful, kind-natured group, a law-abiding group among ordinary people. We have won the support and sympathy of many people. Then was the protest at the White House really that necessary? These radical actions are not consistent with the principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance. Besides, how will it contribute to assisting Teacher in the Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings?
2. Accomplish Dafa practitioners' mission to assist Teacher in the Fa-rectification; we cannot rely on emotions and create heroes when saving people during the Fa-rectification.
Today's Dafa disciples are not only doing personal cultivation in the human world; assisting Teacher in the Fa-rectification and saving sentient beings are our true missions. Teacher bore gigantic tribulations for the entire universe. Why did Teacher bear the tribulations? Can't it be all destroyed? Yes, but Teacher bore this tribulation in order to save sentient beings and the universe. Dafa practitioners have also suffered through many years of tribulation. Although we do not accept the tribulations, we have indeed practiced the principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance amidst the tribulations, and demonstrated the spirit of Dafa disciples. The world looks up to us; even the gods admire us.
Although the incident at the White House brought some global' attention to Falun Gong and the organ harvesting from live Falun Gong practitioners, the erroneous reports by the international media that first came out when the incident happened had lasting negative effects on people. Some people outside of China who have been supportive of us may become confused, and mainland Chinese media could use this negative effect to steer away ordinary people who may otherwise learn the truth. Because of the radical nature of the action, they may develop a misunderstanding about Falun Gong. Besides, Chinese people who like Hu Jintao may be offended. Here, we again ask, can shouting on this occasion truly awaken and save Hu?
As the head of a nation, he was put in an awkward position. As an ordinary person with many attachments, would he be able to understand Wang Wenyi's actions? Or would it push him to the opposite side? At the same time, will the protest make the persecution in labor camps, prisons, underground concentration camps, and hospitals against Falun Gong practitioners less brutal? Have they received more attention from the international community? Now the practitioners have to send forth righteous thoughts for Wang's court charges. What kind of a goal does this achieve? Many some people think that we can use the courtroom to clarify the truth, and use this incident to clarify the truth. In my opinion, we have made many efforts in this regard to clarify the truth. Do we have to use a very unusual incident to catch people's attention? Do we, as cultivators, need to use radical speech and actions, and negative effects, to catch mainstream society's attention and awaken their conscience?
It is apparent that these radical actions had a strong impact, resulting in some people's misunderstanding of Falun Gong and impeding people from being saved, which are not on the Fa. Although a "hero" by ordinary people's standard emerged, it could potentially prevent some people from being saved. This is a serious matter. We must remind ourselves, especially on non-conventional actions, that we have to handle things well. We have to know what we should do to save more sentient beings on the path of assisting Teacher in the Fa-rectification.
Since the beginning of Fa-rectification to today, from every perspective, time is very limited. We don't have too much time to mitigate the loss caused by our inappropriate actions. The time left for Dafa disciples to save people is very limited. Some people with predestined relationships have yet to obtain the Fa, and some people of the world are yet to be saved. The closer to the end, the more rational, mature, and clear-headed we should be to assist Teacher in the Fa-rectification. Dafa is upright, and we should also demonstrate upright elements in the human world to assist Teacher in the Fa-rectification and in saving sentient beings. We must maturely and rationally walk every step well. We should not create any obstacle in the Fa-rectification and the salvation of sentient beings.
