Thoughts about Suitable Attire for Practitioners

By a Falun Dafa practitioner in Taiwan

(Clearwisdom.net) I still remember a fellow practitioner from Penghu County who shared her experience with us. One day she was promoting Falun Dafa to ordinary people saying, "If you want to learn how to practice Falun Gong, you can go to the side door of the elementary school in the morning." The other person immediately responded, "Oh, the people who are dressed like refugees are your Falun Gong practitioners." After hearing about this, I became very aware of my clothes, and I especially tried to dress in formal attire when I attended any Falun Dafa activities. If our clothes are too slovenly, it might be an obstacle that prevents ordinary people from learning Falun Dafa.

The attachment to vanity should be discarded as a practitioner; however, that only means that we should let go of the attachment. It does not mean that we should be unkempt. Falun Dafa is a cultivation that cultivates both our nature and longevity, and there are quite a few practitioners whose skin has become delicate and fair. Also there are lots of practitioners who look more youthful. Why should we become unattractive? However, just like the Jade Disc of He (1), if the jade is encased in stone, it cannot show its brilliance. Our practitioners are like the jade, while the stone is our appearance. For example, if we dress too slovenly, many people will not come to practice.

I remember once when we had an art show, we circulated among the audience to clarify the truth. At that time, our practitioners were required to dress up for the formal occasion at the Tainan County Cultural Center. Female practitioners were even required to wear some make-up. Suddenly we felt that we were prettier than everybody else. One time I even sat down at the gate and enjoyed quietly watching practitioners talking to people who visited our show. Yes, in addition to the changes in our skin, we also had more confidence than others because we were practitioners who had obtained the Fa. This is the light of a heavenly being.

This is just my understanding. If it is not correct, please benevolently point it out.

Note:

(1) The Jade Disc of He-This piece of jade was discovered as a stone in the hills of Chu by Bian He, who was so excited about his discovery that he hastened to show it to the ruler, King Li of Chu. King Li did not believe that the stone contained any valuable jade, so he had one of He's legs cut off for deceiving the ruler. When King Li died, the throne was then passed on to King Wu, and Bian He presented the stone again. King Wu, again, did not believe the man, and had his other leg amputated as well. Only when the next king, King Wen of Chu, took the throne, did he believe Bian He and have his sculptors work on the stone. To their astonishment they found a piece of incomparable white jade, which was made into a jade disc that was named in honor of its discoverer, He Shi Bi, which literally means 'The Jade Disc of He.'

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/2/8/148479.html

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