(Clearwisdom.net) "The more I have looked up to it the higher it appears. The more I tried to penetrate it the more impenetrable it seems to be." This idiom comes from the book The Analects of Confucius (Lun Yu). It describes Yan Yuan's praise and admiration of Confucius (551 B.C.- 479 B.C.). Yan Yuan, also named Yan Hui, was a disciple of Confucius and a resident of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC)

Yan Yuan sighed and lamented, "The more I have looked up to it the higher it appears. The more I tried to penetrate it the more impenetrable it seems to be. When I have thought I have laid hold of it here, lo! it is there. But the master knows admirably how to lead people on step by step. He has enlarged my mind with an extensive knowledge of the arts, while guiding and correcting my judgment and taste. Thus I could not stop in my progress, even if I would. Having done my best, it seems such awesome height, that even if I want to follow, but I cannot do much."

Here, Yan Yuan emotionally exclaimed his masters' principles and virtue--The more he looked up, the higher it appears; the more he studied it intensively, the more solid and substantial it is. Then he described the unmeasurable marvelousness of Confucius' principles. On the other hand, although Confucius was at such a high realm, he knew how to lead people on step by step, so students could learn the principles and benefit. In addition, the principle was such that the more they learned the more they wanted to learn; they could not stop the progress even if they wanted.

Was Yan Yuan flattering his master and engaging in "personality worship?" Of course not. If one stops after getting a smattering, he would not understand the magnificence of the truth, and he might really think that Yan Yuan engaged in "personality worship." Lao Zi said, "When the lowest type of men hear the Tao, they laugh at it heartily. If they didn't laugh at it, it wouldn't be the Tao." This type of men mock a sage as a fool and take their words to be deceit. They blindly follow some others' words and wantonly slander and defame things they do not understand. If they don't laugh it, it would not be the Tao. When a truly wise person hears the Tao, he will be like Yan Yuan, who looks up to it with respect and dives into it with a tranquil mind; the more he learns, the more profoundity and magnificence he

Around the time of World Falun Dafa Day on May 13 , the Minghui website published over 1,000 appreciative and congratulatory letters and articles from Dafa disciples all over the world for the 15th anniversary of Master Li teaching the Fa. Dafa disciples also adopted various artistic forms to celebrate the worldwide spread of the universal principles "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." Some people who do not have enough knowledge of Dafa may be surprised at all this. Since Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in 1992, over 100 million practitioners' personal experiences bear witness to the fact that Dafa has relieved countless people's sufferings from disease, uplifted their spiritual realm and enabled them to find the path to their original true self. The works of Dafa expound profound principles with language that is easy to understand. Although practitioners come from all walks of life, throughout all levels of culture and social classes, all genuine cultivators truly experience and tremendously benefit from the broad and profound universal truth, and wonderfulness of Falun Dafa. Their gratitude to their Master is beyond description. Meanwhile, they sincerely hope more people can benefit from the practice.

What exactly is Falun Dafa? How, when confronting life and death tests under the harsh environment in China, have cultivators walked through eight years of hardships with peace and persistence, and how have they maintained steadfast in cultivation? I hope people will not just follow the view of the Chinese government's propaganda machine; instead, please truly read the book Zhuan Falun. Perhaps you will find the ultimate answers to all the questions buried deep.

Posting date: 6/5/2007
Original article date: 6/5/2007
Category: Open Forum
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/5/17/155059.html

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