(Clearwisdom.net) Many Dafa practitioners have endured long-term interference and persecution related to their financial situations; arrangements made by the old forces. Manifestations of this include the loss of jobs, downturns in business, falling farm income, and other interference and persecution, both direct and indirect. This is not due to our lack of management skills or capabilities; instead, it is due to our vague understanding of the Fa principles.
I discussed this with a few local practitioners the other day and realized that they send righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil interference and persecution related to this; it has been quite effective. Meanwhile, this alerted me that I lack a clear understanding on this, and thus I have been persecuted in this respect.
A young local practitioner holds a job as a pedicab driver. In the past several years his monthly income was several hundred Yuan, and he could survive. This year, however, he cannot make ends meet, although he works hard and treat customers nicely and never cheats them. He has experienced serious interference lately. For example, when his and other pedicabs line up to wait for customers, customers would board the pedicabs ahead and behind, but not his. He could only earn a couple of Yuan per day and could not make a living. He lives with his parents. His father thus urged him to go to other cities to find job opportunities. He went to Shenzhen City a few years ago but could not find a good job there and used up all his savings. This practitioner cultivates in a state of gradual enlightenment. He can see things that others cannot. In the past several years he has played an important role in cooperating with fellow practitioners, to explain the facts of the persecution and eliminate the evil. Nevertheless, the old forces use another way to interfere with him.
Many practitioners take fame and personal gain lightly. They think it is tiresome to compete for money like everyday people; as long as we can maintain a living, even just a bowl of porridge is enough. The old forces take advantage of this, to interfere and indeed create situations where certain practitioners can afford only the porridge. This is caused by a vague comprehension of the meaning of the Fa and leaves loopholes to be taken advantage of. Master said in Zhuan Falun,
"Our school of practice teaches you to attain gong through conflicts. Therefore, we should accord with everyday people as much as possible. Materially, you will not really be made to lose anything." (Lecture Eight in Zhuan Falun)
We are not attached to money, but we are not afraid of having money. We should earn money in an open and aboveboard way and get what we deserve. The more money we have, the more we can spend to validate Dafa and offer sentient beings salvation.
Once recognizing this, the pedicab practitioner sent righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil interference. Within seven days there was a dramatic change, and his daily income increased. One day he even earned over 80 Yuan. Also, seven other pedicabs were sold and relocated to other areas, lessening the competition. More customers and increased income were the result. This practitioner regained a stable living and cultivation environment, and can do better in cooperation with other practitioners as one body. His parents are happy, too. There is no role model in present cultivation. We are establishing models for future cultivators. By simply enduring hardships one cannot improve one's xinxing or raise one's cultivation level. In addition, without the guidance of Dafa, enduring hardship alone cannot make one reach a high cultivation level. Traditional cultivation methods and culture must not be allowed to interfere with us. As Dafa disciples who cultivate during the Fa-rectification period, we must validate Dafa and save sentient beings; that is our mission and responsibility.
People nowadays are after money by any means possible, legitimate or otherwise, and then spend money like water to satisfy their own greedy desires. Shouldn't we Dafa disciples earn money openly and aboveboard, so as to enable us to validate Dafa and clarify the truth?
Cultivating well during the Fa-rectification era and saving sentient beings manifests a Dafa disciple's altruism. The Three Realms was created for the Fa-rectification, with all the material resources readily available for us to utilize the various means and tools, and conform to society's life style when explaining the persecution and saving people
We have a huge discrepancy related to finances in our area that contrast with Dafa practitioners' plight. The same has probably occurred elsewhere. It seems to be an old force-created phenomenon, but Dafa disciples do not condone the old force arrangements. This is what manifests: The family of the head of the local 610 Office is the richest in our town of less than 20,000 people. His family owns a large store, two public bathing facilities and a restaurant, whereas before 1999 they only owned a small store. In many places, the CCP officials, police, court and judicial officials that are involved in persecuting Dafa disciples have gotten promotions, become rich and even opened mines and bought real estate.
What manifests in human society is a reflection of things happening in higher dimensions. The old forces manipulated people to persecute good people; those who did the evil deeds got promotions and money to sustain the persecution.
Master does not acknowledge these arrangements, so we Dafa disciples must eradicate all of the old forces' evil factors with strong righteous thoughts, thoroughly disintegrate them, negate the old force arrangements, completely end the persecution of Dafa and Dafa disciples in mainland China, and save more sentient beings.
Please kindly point out anything inappropriate in my understanding.
September 20, 2007