(Clearwisdom.net) I have read many reports disclosing how the evil has brutally persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners. Some fellow practitioners suffered mental collapse after repeatedly being given high-voltage electric shocks, some fellow practitioners were disabled by other inhuman torture methods, and some even died. The evil dares to do anything to force Dafa practitioners to give up their belief in the righteous Fa. Many fellow practitioners have mentioned that when they firmly believe in the Fa, they can feel Teacher bearing the suffering for all disciples. They have personally felt Teacher's protection and immense compassion.

I'd like to share my understanding on this from another perspective.

From 1999 to today, during the eleven years that Falun Dafa practitioners have clarified the truth and resisted the persecution, the situation has fundamentally changed. But why does the malicious persecution and humiliation of Dafa practitioners still continue in many areas?

Teacher said,

"A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces." ("Dafa is Indestructible" from Essentials for Further Advancement II)

Let's ask ourselves. When faced with persecution, did we truly completely deny it in our minds and in our actions? Could there be times when we failed to "completely" deny the persecution, and we recognized and even accepted the persecution to some degree?

A fellow practitioner said in his article "The April 25 Appeal Shows the Dignity of Compassion" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/5/4/116667.html) that, "...compassion has its own dignity. Displaying compassion doesn't mean that a man of honor and integrity can be bullied at random, nor does it mean that a man who will not fight back when hit and will not retaliate when verbally insulted can be hit or verbally abused freely. Compassion can also display the kind of dignity that will deter the villains."

When we validate the Fa, we are not just showing perseverance, but how a Dafa cultivator can be sacred with mighty virtue, and how the magnificence, beauty, and solemn power of the Fa can be exhibited through cultivators. In other words, we need to correctly position the Fa and Dafa practitioners in our hearts.

We are Falun Dafa practitioners. We are sacred beings who carry out Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. We are walking the path to godhood. People of the world should respect us. How could they dare think about persecuting us? How can we allow our indestructible adamantine body to be persecuted and tortured? How can sentient beings, who are waiting to be saved by the Fa, torture and humiliate Dafa practitioners? No one is entitled to persecute Dafa disciples. Whoever does so is committing crimes! Therefore we ourselves must clearly understand that the persecution of Dafa practitioners should not have happened, and Teacher shouldn't have to bear the suffering.

We have been saving sentient beings, which is the most righteous thing. No matter what the circumstances, we need to do what Dafa practitioners are expected to do, in an open and dignified manner. Everything is under Teacher's benevolent control. It is critical that we hold this thought. Otherwise, how will Teacher be able to help us? When we truly have righteous thoughts, Teacher will make things happen. Teacher said in his poem,

"When disciples have ample righteous thoughts
Master has the power to turn back the tide"
("The Master-Disciple Bond" from Hong Yin Vol. II)

When we firmly believe that we are not to be persecuted and insulted by the evil, no one will dare do that to us. When we know in our minds that we represent mighty glowing gods, how could the rotten ghosts in other dimensions even think about persecuting us? Without their control, the malicious people in this world won't be able to act viciously. In Dafa practitioners' pure and compassionate energy field, the bad people will either be transformed to become good, or run away immediately.

Teacher told us the Fa principle of "...'the appearance stems from the mind.'" ("Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting") When our thoughts are righteous, the dimension will be under our control since Dafa practitioners are the main actors in this historic play. I believe we all have personal experience with this. For example, when I clarify the truth of Falun Gong, if other people say Teacher's name directly, I immediately say, "When you talk to me, please don't say my Teacher's name directly. You can say 'your Teacher' instead." These people never get upset by this request, but instead see my respect for Teacher, which influences them too.

One time, a fellow practitioner, who is also my neighbor, came to my apartment. While we were talking, someone knocked at the door. I opened the door, went out, and closed the door behind me. Seven or eight people were standing in the narrow hallway. They asked me, "Are you so and so?" "Yes," I answered right away. I felt something wasn't right. How could I allow myself to be interrogated by them? I looked around and asked them, "What are you guys doing here?" After hearing my question, they became much more polite, "We are from such and such department. We are here to check whether there are any unusual people here." I said, "This is my home. How could there be any unusual people in my home?" They then left, and I went back inside. The fellow practitioner said, "I'm not an unusual person. It would have been OK if you just let them in to check so they wouldn't suspect you." I said, "It doesn't matter whether we are unusual or not. The point is that we should not agree to their unreasonable demands. They can't just do whatever they want. This is my home and I am in charge. No one that I allow in my home should be considered unusual." In fact, this is true. No one would dare to "check" on us if we hadn't positioned ourselves to be interrogated or searched.

During Fa study, we have all learned that the old forces claimed that they needed to test Dafa disciples since we hold tremendous responsibilities and we will achieve high levels in cultivation. This is their excuse. Teacher said,

"And that is why the old forces created the wicked CCP--to see whether you could still cultivate while being persecuted. If you could pull through, they would acknowledge you..." ("Fa Teaching Given in Manhattan")

The old forces initiated this persecution, but Teacher does not acknowledge it and we shouldn't take it as a test that we must brave in order to meet the standard or requirements. We need to truly and completely deny this persecution in our minds and in our actions. Teacher said,

"Purging evil as if but whisking dust away"
("To all Dafa disciples around the world and in mainland China, a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!")

The above is my personal understanding on completely denying the old forces' arrangements. Please correct me if there is anything inappropriate.