(Minghui.org) Are practitioners in mainland China meant to be persecuted? Should those who have been persecuted be considered heroes? I have been hesitant to write about these topics for many years.
Let’s look at an example of what I will discuss. In the war between good and evil, two armies are at odds with each other. Some people are always captured, tortured, imprisoned, released, and then recaptured by the evil side. Are they considered heroes by their army? In Fa-rectification cultivation, this happens as a result of not negating the old forces.
Every day, when I go to the Minghui website, the first thing I look at is the persecution news from Dafa disciples across mainland China. Many have been repeatedly persecuted over the years. Some have been illegally detained for more than 20 years. We absolutely should negate the persecution imposed by the old forces. It destroys Master Li’s Fa-rectification, Dafa disciples, and Dafa disciples’ efforts to save people. From another perspective, this persecution has lasted for so long, been comprehensive, and even caused chaos outside China. Every Dafa disciple should deeply reflect on themselves and see if their cultivation has kept up. Has our lagging in cultivation caused the persecution to last for so long?
The old forces took advantage of some cultivators because of their attachment to lust. Some were persecuted because they gave public speeches to the practitioners in the name of improving together, which, in fact disrupted the Fa because they were seeking fame and had a show-off mentality. Some were unable to handle the conflicts with other practitioners from the perspective of the Fa, while others were attached to their families. The persecution not only brings tribulations to oneself but can also harm other local practitioners and interfere with validating the Fa and saving people in a local region.
After being persecuted, some practitioners calmed down, studied the Fa, realized their problems, and corrected themselves. Hence, that tribulation was not in vain. However, those who are attached to living an ordinary life or seeking fame and profit from other practitioners did not learn the lessons. These practitioners’ thoughts, words, and behaviors are uncharacteristic of a Dafa disciple.
What’s more, some people have suffered a lot of persecution. Not only have they not improved in cultivation, but they have tried to capitalize on the persecution. They promote themselves as “heroes.” Some went overseas and were disappointed when they did not receive the admiration they were used to at home. There are no heroes in cultivation, and it is major flaws in one’s cultivation that cause persecution. Being persecuted is nothing to be proud of.
There are practitioners who are good at doing the three things. Occasionally, they are arrested because the old forces exploit their flaws. However, they immediately look within, eliminate their attachments, and are quickly released without facing formal charges. Some initially had strong human attachments and later realized the problem and improved. Such practitioners know that being persecuted is not a matter of pride or an asset but rather a fall in cultivation, and they will cherish the path ahead.
Those who have not stepped forward, don’t cultivate diligently, and have never been persecuted, have nothing to be proud of. Their choices have caused them to fall behind.
The following are some common behaviors that actually invite persecution.
1. Disrupting other practitioners’ practice. There are many examples of people giving speeches among practitioners about their “high-level” understanding, which often led to them being persecuted on a large scale.
2. Having constant and unresolved conflicts with family members. There is a practitioner in Beijing who did a great job of resisting the persecution and saving people, but he was imprisoned because of a long-term conflict with his non-practitioner wife.
3. Division among practitioners. There can be disagreement among fellow practitioners on the methods used to save people. Years ago, this division resulted in mass arrests in their area.
4. Attached to time. Some cultivators have done well for many years. However, they slacked off as time went by and slowly stopped focusing on cultivation. They became ordinary people in the face of conflicts. Many such practitioners died because of illness karma. For example, with the large-scale destruction of evil in other dimensions and the weakening of the overall persecution, fewer mainland practitioners have been arrested in recent years. However, more and more have suffered illness karma and even died from it.
5. Lack of coordination in Dafa initiatives and illness karma have become the main tribulations among practitioners outside China.
Dafa disciples come from different celestial bodies, and their origins of life and innate characteristics are varied. In addition, they have played different roles in the human world, life after life. Their life experiences are also unique. When such beings come together to work on Dafa projects, they will inevitably react to and deal with problems in different ways. Conflicts are inevitable.
Conflicts are a way to expose our attachments. It is critical to use every opportunity to cultivate ourselves. Conflicts, unfair treatment, and grievances are, in essence, caused by one’s karma and the attachments accrued life after life. The superficial reasons are not important. Sometimes, Master Li plans the grievances to improve us. When Milarepa’s master tried to eliminate his karma, he was mean to Milarepa and did not keep his word. He improved Milerepa’s character by giving him a hard time.
Our notions and shortcomings can turn into conflicts. Conflicts among practitioners are a good thing because they can be used by both the practitioners involved and the onlookers to improve their xinxing.
In cultivation, tests and pitfalls are everywhere. Whether one can always look at problems from within the Fa and act according to the standards of the Fa is the foundation of cultivation.
Master taught us,“... Neither heaven nor earth canblock my road of Fa-rectificationBut disciples’ human hearts can” (“Troubles,” Hong Yin III)
Study the Fa well, send righteous thoughts, and eliminate all bad thoughts and corrupt elements. Let us return to a rational state. The evil will be destroyed on its own.