Effective Truth-Clarification Does Not Require Good Social Status

(Minghui.org) I recently heard about a Falun Dafa practitioner who was focused on making money because he thought that a good social status would help his truth-clarification, or in his own words, “driving a BMW would make truth-clarification easier.”

I admit, that I had harbored similar thoughts in the past. I used to think that if I could become rich, I could talk more effectively about Dafa. In my mind, the purpose of focusing on my business development was for validating the Fa and doing the three things better.

Misled by Pursuit of Fame and Comfort

While entertaining these thoughts, a business opportunity presented itself and I believed it to be a great opportunity that Master provided me to have more resources for validating the Fa. I then invested all my money. However, this was a trap by the old forces; and unfortunately I took this path.

In hindsight, I realized that I was misled by my pursuit of fame and comfort. I saw a path that did not exist. However, as my attachments got stronger, I approached a dead end and it was too late to turn around.

A financial crisis hit me, which severely impacted my ability to do the three things, especially clarifying the truth.

It was easier for me to interact with strangers, and I often avoided acquaintances. I was very sensitive when people asked me how I was doing. I couldn't lie, so I avoided them. I knew my state wasn't right because I avoided people who were the most predestined for me to help awaken.

There were so many attachments, which boiled down to waiting and pursuing. I was waiting for the day when my financial situation improved, making truth-clarification easier. I could then save all my family and friends.

There were too many thoughts filled with attachments. Dafa disciples mission is to save people and not to be overpowered with human wants and wishes.

Understanding a Higher Fa Truth

I no longer avoided my acquaintances, but I still lacked confidence. I had to boost my self-esteem before I told them about facts of the persecution.

For me it came down to wanting to feel better than ordinary people. I did not consider that Dafa disciples should clarify the facts and awaken people with righteous thoughts.

At a family reunion I helped almost all my family members quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. In my mind, my family members were not relatives, but sentient beings that needed to hear the facts and quit the CCP. My starting point was my mission. Hence, I handled things beyond the realm of ordinary people.

I obtained respect from my relatives who drive BMWs. I was able to help them while practically penniless. This helped me to get over the understanding “driving BMWs makes truth-clarification easier.”

If we think from the perspective of the Fa, our righteous field can restrain ordinary people. This is the fundamental reason for effective truth-clarification.

Wealth Does Not Equate to Doing Well

My understanding of negating the old forces' persecution was quite clear, or so I thought. However, I was in a financial crisis for a long time. The evil interferences manifested as troubles in the human world.

I realized that merely understanding the issue would not be sufficient. I made up my mind to relinquish any thoughts of pursuing comfort, and simply walk my cultivation path well.

Master hinted through speaking to another person that I had no confidence in my belief. Monks in the old days did not feel inferior because of lack of material possessions. Even begging for food was a way of offering salvation. They were spiritually at a higher level than ordinary people.

I realized that what I lacked was the righteous belief in Dafa. Therefore, I came up with the idea that truth-clarification was easier when one is rich. That was a blind spot caused by my notions. I equated material possessions as power of spirituality and did not understand that social status and wealth could not replace righteous thoughts.

“Sometimes, you think that something should be yours, and others also tell you that it is yours. Actually, it is not.” (Zhuan Falun)

I went through many tests. Especially during financial difficulties, such tests were very hard to cope with. My heart was affected along with slight changes in my situation.

I knew that this meant that my cultivation was not solid enough. I saw my wide gap and had to temper myself in doing the three things. After a long time, I felt that I was able to maintain largely unaffected when things happened.

Master taught us:

“I’m not saying that as you let go of human notions you’ll have no material possessions, like a monk or a friar—that’s not the case. Since I ask you to practice cultivation among everyday people, you have to be in line with the way of everyday people’s society. In other words, what you really let go of are attachments. Humans have great difficulty letting go of attachments. When you can truly discard an attachment you will find that you haven’t lost anything … Looking back, you’ll find that you’ve lost nothing. It’s just like the Chinese saying, 'After passing the shady willow trees there will be bright flowers and another village ahead.' Good things will suddenly come your way again.” (Lecture at the First Conference in North America)

When my financial situation completely recovered, I was unaffected.

What I realized was that it does not matter what difficulties we encounter in our cultivation, we can only find solutions from the Fa. Human thoughts may work for a short time, but they likely only offer a dead end.

When our thoughts are based on what Master wants us to cultivate , we are on the path that Master arranged. Just as Master said in the “20th Anniversary Fa Teaching,”

“It is a path that has to meet the requirements, and only that way will the sentient beings of the cosmos admire you and not be able to interfere; will your path be free of problems; and will your journey go smoothly.”