(Clearwisdom.net)

I just received an urgent notice from a fellow practitioner that a Dafa material site in Shenyang city was broken into by the evil. The person in charge was kidnapped and all the computers were seized. There was a file containing names of several hundred practitioners on the computer. I was stunned. At the same time I realized that this was the result for not following Dafa principles and thus was taken advantage of by the evil. Apart from urgently notifying all practitioners concerned to take this as warning, destroy all name lists in their possession, tighten up security, strengthen righteous thought, and study the Fa more so as to minimize loss and harm to fellow practitioners, I also thought of the Fa that Teacher had talked about and the practice that culminated in this loss.

In the Fa-Lecture during the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. west Fa conference, Teacher said:

"Many things in Fa-rectification haven't turned out as well as we'd like is that both the low levels and high levels of the old forces have been doing that together .... Of course, in this Fa-rectification when our students act righteously, then those problem won't exist .... That's why I've told our students to walk a righteous path and not let them find an excuse. Once they find a big one they'll ruin you. And that's especially so when it's at the end and they're making a last-ditch effort. When they can't find an excuse they don't dare to persecute you, because they too would be violating the laws, and they understand that, so there'd be no need for me to eliminate them -- the old cosmos's laws would eliminate them. That's because they are old beings who take strictly safeguarding the old laws to be what's most essential."

From what I know, before this incident, similar episodes had cropped up one after another in China and overseas because of the name list issue. Some lists were stolen by special agents from computers, some fell in the hands of the public security officers after signatures of practitioners were collected during international human rights conferences. Sometimes this happened as a result of insufficient righteous thought and consideration, and the name lists were unknowingly handed to the evil causing untold damages to practitioners. However, even afterwards, the consequences were not fully realized. Often due to the constraints of human sentimentality, Dafa principles were not unreservedly placed as first consideration. The Clearwisdom editors had earlier broached the subject of security issue while exposing the evil and clarifying the truth, but some practitioners still did not take it seriously until enormous loss occurred. When practitioners put completing tasks ahead of Dafa principles, the lesson learned and price paid is often costly. But there are always practitioners who are rather removed and think that it has nothing to do with them; such nonchalance conveniently provides loopholes for the evil to exploit.

When I first obtained the Fa, I read Teacher's "Requirements for Falun Dafa Assistance Centers," and understood that they were very important principles in Dafa cultivation. However, in the Fa-rectification period many practitioners seem to have forgotten these principles. Whether in China or overseas, many practitioners keep various private lists of names for convenience when doing Dafa work or rationalize that they are needed for Fa-rectification. Whenever I see this, I always feel uneasy because this is not in accord with Dafa principles. However, I almost always accede to it, thinking that it is quite understandable under such difficult circumstances. After all, nothing untoward has happened most of the time. I also have not paid enough attention to other incidences that contravene Dafa principles here and there such as the attachment to supernormal abilities and the spreading of hearsay etc. Therefore I have not firmly positioned myself to "safeguard Dafa principles" and walk a righteous path at all times.

Today when I suddenly look back, I realize that all those excuses and lucky escapes are but short-lived. If we cannot follow every word Teacher said, it would be construed by the old forces as omissions, and they definitely would not let us off. Even during the Fa rectification period, Dafa practitioners cannot bargain with Dafa principles! I hope everyone will awaken to this issue, study the Fa more and well, walk the remaining path righteously with righteous faith in Dafa, and be responsible to the cultivation for ourselves, fellow practitioners as well as sentient beings of the future.

Below are requirements Teacher mentioned in the book The Great Consummation Way of Falun Dafa.

Appendix I - Requirements for Falun Dafa Assistance Centers

I. All local Falun Dafa Assistance Centers are civic organizations for genuine cultivation practice, are only for organizing and assisting cultivation activities, and are neither to be run as economic enterprises nor managed using the methods of administrative organizations. No money or possessions are to be kept. No activities are to be held for healing illnesses. Assistance Centers are to be managed in a loose manner.

II. All assistants and staff of Falun Dafa Principal Assistance Centers must be genuine cultivators who practice only Falun Dafa.

III. Falun Dafa propagation has to be guided by the essence and inner meanings of Dafa. Neither personal viewpoints nor methods of other practice ways should be promoted as the content of Dafa, or practitioners will be led into incorrect thinking.

IV. All Principal Assistance Centers must take the lead to observe the laws and rules of their countries of residence, and they must not intervene in politics. Improving practitioners' xinxing is the essence of cultivation practice.

V. All local Assistance Centers should, when possible, stay in contact with one another and exchange experiences in order to facilitate the overall improvement of all Dafa practitioners. No locality should be discriminated against. Offering salvation to humankind means making no distinctions with respect to region or race. Genuine disciples' xinxing should be evident everywhere. Those who practice Dafa are all disciples of the same practice.

VI. One needs to firmly resist any conduct that undermines the inner meaning of Dafa. No disciple is allowed to promote what he sees, hears, or awakens to at his own low level as the content of Falun Dafa, and then do what's called "teaching the Fa." That's not allowed even if he wants to teach people to do kind deeds, because that's not the Fa, but merely kind words of advice for everyday people. They don't carry the power that the Fa has to save people. Anyone using his or her own experience to teach the Fa is considered to be severely disrupting the Fa. When quoting my words, one has to add, "Master Li Hongzhi[1] said ..." etc.

VII. Dafa disciples are forbidden to mix their practice with the practices of any other cultivation way (those who go awry are always these kinds of people). Whoever ignores this warning is himself responsible for any problems that occur. Pass this message on to all disciples: It is unacceptable to have in mind the ideas and mind-intent of other practices while doing our exercises. Just one, instantaneous thought is as good as pursuing things in that other way of practice. Once the practice is mixed with others, the Falun will become deformed and lose its effectiveness.

VIII. Falun Dafa practitioners must cultivate their xinxing, along with performing the movements. Those who focus solely on the exercise movements but neglect xinxing cultivation will not be acknowledged as Falun Dafa disciples. Therefore, Dafa practitioners need to make studying the Fa and reading the books the essential part of their daily cultivation.

Li, Hongzhi

April 20, 1994

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Appendix II - Regulations for Falun Dafa Disciples in Propagating Dafa and Teaching the Exercises

I. When promoting Dafa to the public, all Falun Dafa disciples can only use the statement, "Master Li Hongzhi states..." or "Master Li Hongzhi says..." One is absolutely forbidden to use what one experiences, sees, or knows, or to use things from other practices, as Li Hongzhi's Dafa. Otherwise, what would be promoted would not be Falun Dafa and this would be considered sabotaging Falun Dafa.

II. All Falun Dafa disciples can disseminate Dafa through book-reading sessions, group discussions, or reciting at practice sites the Fa Master Li Hongzhi has taught. No one is allowed to use the form of lecturing in an auditorium, as I have done, to teach the Fa. No one else is able to teach Dafa and they can neither comprehend my realm of thinking nor the genuine inner meaning of the Fa I teach.

III. When practitioners talk about their own ideas and understanding of Dafa in book reading sessions, group discussions, or at the practice sites, they must make it clear that it is only "their personal understanding." Mixing Dafa with "personal understanding" is not allowed, much less using one's "personal understanding" as the words of Master Li Hongzhi.

IV. When propagating Dafa and teaching the exercises, no Falun Dafa disciple is allowed to collect a fee or accept any gifts. Anyone who violates this rule is no longer a Falun Dafa disciple.

V. For no reason may a Dafa disciple use the opportunity of teaching the exercises to treat patients or heal illnesses. Otherwise, that would be the same as sabotaging Dafa.

Li Hongzhi

April 25, 1994