(Clearwisdom.net) As I reflect on how I used the process of filing a lawsuit to negate the persecution, validate the Fa, save people and rectify myself, I notice that many thoughts and feelings are awakened. On the path of validating the Fa, I did not do everything correctly amidst tribulations. However, during the entire time, Teacher was helping me and giving me the wisdom to validate the Fa and save people. I continuously improved myself and gradually got rid of attachments that I did not want to let go of, including my attachment to "self." The process can be seen as a confrontation between my Buddha-nature and my demon-nature, during which I removed my demon-nature and strengthened my Buddha-nature. I assimilated to the Fa by studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts, maintaining a righteous mind, acting righteously, and continuously letting go of "self."
Clarifying the Truth at Work
After the persecution began on July 20, 1999, my work unit cancelled my contract because I insisted on practicing Falun Gong, although they claimed it was due to downsizing. I was not prepared for this sudden persecution, but I regarded myself as a Dafa practitioner. Teacher told us in "Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. Fa Conference," "Wherever there's a problem, that is where you need to clarify the truth and save people." I thought this was a good chance to clarify the truth to my managers. This was my Buddha-nature coming forward.
At the same time, I realized that the old forces were taking advantage of my omissions and interfering with the Fa-rectification. By manipulating my supervisors at work, the old forces were committing crimes against Dafa practitioners. The old forces, according to their distorted notions, want to destroy sentient beings while they test Dafa practitioners. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I knew that I could not acknowledge their arrangements. However, I felt uneasy because I feared losing my job and my life becoming very hard. Being laid off also hurt my pride. Therefore, I told myself that I would deny the old forces' arrangements and save people by clarifying the truth to my bosses. Yet, deep in my heart, I covered up the selfish attachment of using Dafa to regain my job. I wanted to save my dignity and regain my job by clarifying the truth to my supervisors. This was a display of demon-nature.
I began to calm my mind, study the Fa and look within. I realized that when a problem arises, I should not look at the problem from within the perspective of the problem itself, and I should look for attachments deep within my self, not just on the surface. Teacher said in Lunyu,
When a problem arises, we should look at it from the perspective of the Fa, and measure ourselves using the Fa to see what attachments are causing us to deviate from the Fa. Only the Fa can help us to see ourselves thoroughly and expose our attachments, regardless of how deeply they are covered up, so that we can rid ourselves of these attachments and assimilate to the Fa. Then, what caused my being fired? And what was my omission that the evil was taking advantage of? What omission of mine was the evil using to cut off my income and affect my validating the Fa?
When we validate the Fa and save sentient beings, a key issue is whether or not we use our own notions or the Fa to do so. It is imperative that we try to harmonize with Teacher's requirements and not pursue what we want. Doing this well or not depends on whether or not we truly believe in Teacher and Dafa.
When I discovered my attachment to self-centeredness, I gradually let go of it through Fa study, sending forth righteous thoughts and clarifying the truth. With the help of other practitioners, I began to write letters to high-level managers in order to clarify the truth to them.
Filing the Lawsuit
Soon after I sent the letters, the managers at my work unit requested that I sign a document dissolving our contract. I refused.
Why was this happening? I calmed down and realized that although I had discovered my attachment, I was not firm in eliminating it and could not control myself well. I tended to become disappointed when I saw my managers stubbornly not listening while I clarified the truth to them. My heart was moved. I examined myself using the Fa. I discovered that my heart was not pure and clean when I clarified the truth to them, and I did not think solely about them. There was an attachment of protecting myself and getting my job back. At the same time, although I had not been effective when clarifying the truth, I thought that I had tried my best and that it was not my fault. I was shirking responsibility.
Under this circumstance, I considered suing the company for a breach of contract. I wanted to suppress the evil, negate the persecution, validate the Fa, clarify the truth and save sentient beings using a lawsuit in an upright manner. These were my righteous thoughts; but at the same time, I also had the attachment of fear. I asked myself, "Will it work? The pressure is too great. Is it safe to negate the persecution this way?" My true self and the fearful attachments fought intensely. I asked myself what the purpose of the lawsuit was. Isn't it to negate the persecution and validate the Fa, while saving sentient beings who work in the court system? Isn't this what a Dafa practitioner should do?
Once I had the correct understanding, the Fa gave me wisdom, and I quickly composed a "statement of claim," to get the lawsuit underway. I stated that my work unit violated our contract, and I requested that they compensate me for my lost salary and allow me to resume my work.
Using Legal Procedures Wisely
Practitioners should use legal procedures selectively and wisely and conform to everyday society. We should not be limited by everyday people's rules. We should utilize legal avenues to clarify the truth openly and broadly. I revised my request in the lawsuit. I stated that my workplace had violated the freedom of religion and worker's rights, and I requested that the company publicly apologize for persecuting me because of my belief.
The court staff refused to accept the lawsuit, fabricating numerous reasons for it. However, one fellow practitioner said to them, "Isn't this request in accordance with legal procedures? If so, how can you not accept it?" With help from Teacher and the practitioners involved, they accepted the case.
During the court hearing, a practitioner spoke sincerely to the court. The judge, the defendant and everyone there listened quietly. After the court hearing, the judge said to me, "We will accept the case for our upper court. Your workplace should not have done this to you." I was very glad that another life had awakened.
On the way back from the court hearing, my elation was totally exposed when fellow practitioners praised me. At the same time, I was a little afraid because the next step was to go to the mid-level court. Teacher said,
"During your cultivation practice, I will use every means to expose all of your attachments and dig them out at their roots." ("Digging Out the Roots," Essentials for Further Advancement)
Some Understandings
One time when I was sharing with a fellow practitioner, I thought to speak about my experience of righteous thoughts and righteous actions during the legal process. I was going to say that as soon as my righteous thoughts emerged, the attachment to fear disappeared. However, the fellow practitioner said, "If you realized that you had an attachment to fear, have you thought about what you were afraid of? Why were you afraid?" This practitioner's words made me search within myself. Yes, Teacher said in Zhuan Falun,
"Many of you have never thought about it further. What's really going on? You only find it odd and feel quite disappointed about being unable to practice qigong. This 'oddness' will stop your practice."
During the legal proceeding, I always felt afraid, but I stopped searching within after noticing the attachment of fear, and I covered up the deeper attachments hidden behind the fear.
When I looked further within, I found more attachments. Oh, I was persecuted by the evil in the past! The brutal persecution had left a deep mark in my mind; I was afraid of being arrested again and being subjected to more persecution. I was afraid that I would not able to endure it if I was arrested again, and I would fall into a state from which there was no hope of return. But the old forces forced this notion upon Dafa practitioners. The reason the old forces can create this notion is that certain practitioners have loopholes that can be taken advantage of. This notion exists because it is rooted in the attachment to self. Hidden behind validating the Fa and saving sentient beings, I had the fundamental attachment of thinking about myself and worrying about my own gains and losses
My own understanding is that only when practitioners believe in Teacher and Dafa unconditionally and do what Teacher tells us to do, can practitioners walk their paths righteously and complete their missions in validating the Fa and saving sentient beings.
I am sharing my experiences and understandings on the Clearwisdom website in hopes that fellow practitioners and I can cultivate better and be diligent together in our efforts to validate the Fa and save people.
