(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used the Olympics as an excuse to significantly escalate the persecution of Falun Gong. Over ten thousand practitioners have been rounded up and arrested so far this year. As practitioners, while we expose the stepped-up persecution, we should also look for the root cause of such an occurrence. Why is this happening? I would like to share my personal opinion. Please point out anything inappropriate.

I think the attachment to fear is a significant obstruction in Master's Fa-rectification advancement. The main reason for the long nine-year persecution is that many practitioners still have not eliminated their attachment to fear. The old forces, rotten demons and the dark minions have thus taken advantage of us over and over again, and they continue to do so. This is the main reason why practitioners have been persecuted over the last nine years.

Master says,

"All of you are already aware of the principle of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition. If you are not afraid, the factor that would make you afraid will cease to exist. This is not to be self-imposed, but is achieved by truly and calmly letting go of it." ("Eliminate Your Last Attachment(s)" in Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Because of our fear, the CCP continues to exist. Because of our fear, the persecution continues. If we had truly eliminated our fear, the persecution would have stopped a long time ago, and the CCP would have already met its demise. The CCP exists for us, and to allow us to build our virtue. The CCP - the persecution it sustains - is the factor that causes our fear. If this factor still exists, it must mean that our attachment of fear also still remains.

I believe this is, in reality, truly the case. For practitioners who have such fear, some nervously look behind as they walk. Others look around as they talk, as if they could be arrested for talking to each other. I believe that they do not display the dignity that should be displayed by practitioners of Falun Gong. Some still have not overcome tribulations in the family. Their families often talk of how some practitioners are arrested, of how they are sent to forced labor camps, or they talk about how the 610 Office is planning something again. Practitioners attached to fear in this way do not study the Fa enough, and cannot treat these issues with righteous thoughts. So, they start spreading hearsay among practitioners, or they ask around about the persecution of others. Unintentionally, this causes interference that negatively impacts the advancement of Fa-rectification and the salvation of sentient beings.

Some practitioners are frightened at the slightest hint of a disturbance. They do not display the righteous thoughts that should be held by practitioners of Falun Gong.

This past March and April, two disturbances were caused in our area by the "good intentions" of certain practitioners. Someone said during a group Fa-study at that time that, "There will be arrests in some districts. There will be many policemen..." The Fa-study group stopped their regular meetings because of this rumor. Many practitioners stopped clarifying the facts and exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. Instead of looking inward, some practitioners started suspecting a practitioner in another area. However, it turned out that nothing happened. It only served to create interference among us.

In the second case, somebody else spread the rumor that police would soon start ransacking practitioners' homes. However, we were not affected and stopped the rumor in time. During the Olympics, we intensified our righteous thoughts and avoided more interference. Therefore, there were never any mass arrests in our area.

Master told us, "Just by staying unaffected you will be able to handle all situations." ("Teaching the Fa at the Conference in the Midwest-U.S." June 26, 1999) When we face tribulations and rumors, we should calmly measure ourselves with the Fa. We should not follow our human notions. We should stop the rumors and interference.

Some practitioners have strong fear. However, they do not look inward for their own attachments. Instead, with their human notions, they blame other practitioners for not paying enough attention to safety. They fear that other practitioners could be arrested at any time, so they refuse to have direct contact with them. Then it turns out that the police go directly to those who feared visiting the others. They become even more frightened. If these practitioners truly look inward, they might see that the reason why the 610 Office is after them is because of their fear. We should all take this opportunity to overcome our fear and to step forward to in the Fa-rectification.

In Mainland China there are still many practitioners who have attachments to fear, who do not want to step forward to validate the Fa and expose the evil. They are still waiting and relying on other practitioners. With only 42 million people who have quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, doesn't this mean that there are still many practitioners who have not stepped forward to join Fa-rectification and save sentient beings? Too many of us are stuck in fear, afraid of validating the Fa and talking to people about the persecution. Yet, they do not want to give up their cultivation. Master has been waiting and waiting, and I feel it is largely due to these practitioners, but the time for Fa-rectification is limited. When the evil has been completely eliminated, the Fa rectifies the human world and the persecution ends, these practitioners will no longer have any fear. But will they still be considered Fa-rectification Dafa practitioners? Would they be fulfilling their prehistoric vows and mission?

(To be continued)