(Clearwisdom.net)
Some time ago, I came across a few incidents that were very similar:
A Dafa practitioner from a certain town who had been persecuted many times previously was again arrested and placed in a brainwashing class. However, this time the officers from the "610 Office" [an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems] did not use violence on her. The environment was also somewhat relaxed, although she saw these officers behave brutally towards other practitioners. When she was released a month later, she said that the head officer of the "610 Office" was a bit different from the others. He seemed friendly, and had treated her with reason.
Another practitioner who was released before the scheduled date said that the people at the Forced Labor Camp where she was detained treated her reasonably well, unlike the treatment that other convicts had received.
From talking to other practitioners, a remark came from one saying that certain everyday people were good people, etc. However these people have previously persecuted Dafa and its practitioners.
Although the comments appear to be individuals' point of view, in actual fact, they are prime issues related to a degree of deviation from Dafa principles. First, let's look at the reference standard they use to evaluate, and secondly, the consideration of Dafa practitioners as a whole unit. The following is my comment:
In Lecture One of Zhuan Falun, Teacher has pointed out clearly that, "Zhen-Shan-Ren is the Sole Criterion to Discern Good and Bad People." All Dafa practitioners know this very well. Why is it then that after many years of practice, we still encounter the above incidents? I think it is because we don't have a good understanding of the Fa. We have not gone deep enough into it and have not understood fully the implied principles. Neither have we used Teacher's Fa as a constant guide in everything we do. Take the above incidents as an example - regardless whether the people were from the "610 Office," forced labor camps, or just everyday people, we have to look at their attitude towards Dafa, irrespective of any motives behind what they were doing, or whether their good treatment of a Dafa practitioner came from their heart. If they had previously persecuted Dafa or Dafa practitioners, then they have committed a crime. That is, they are opposing Dafa. Here, we have to consider the issue from the fundamental point of view. We cannot use how well they treated us as good or bad indications. This method of judgement is something we have to eliminate as practitioners. It is selfish and is a manifestation of deviation from the Fa. Besides, when officers from the "610 Office" treated you nicely, were they not using this "loophole" of yours to justify their existence? Therefore, we must consolidate our Fa study and take every step to follow Teacher's words, "Dafa is evaluating all people" (Touring North America to Teach the Fa).
Teacher told us this, "For Dafa disciples as one entity, in the process of validating the Fa, when you work together in concert, the Fa power is great." (Explaining the Fa During the 2003 Lantern Festival at the U.S. West Fa Conference).
Recalling the mammoth task Dafa practitioners have gone through in their cultivation practice and Fa-rectification during the last few years, and under Teacher's merciful guidance and encouragement, we have done well as a group. With their flesh bodies, Dafa practitioners endured the brutal violence inflicted on them with tremendous courage. It is the power of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance bestowed upon us that help neutralize the suppression of such a gigantic state apparatus. And by word of mouth we gradually clarified the truth and exposed the lies coming from such a massive destructive system. At times, the evil also uses segregation between Dafa practitioners, special treatment, and various techniques to weaken our strength and damage our work in Fa-rectification.
Objectively speaking, despite the fact that there are differences among us in our Dafa understanding, we concur in many ways from the fundamental point of view. Take the above incidents as an example - the 610 officers have been persecuting Dafa and our practitioners since 1999. The fact that they did not use violence on you has made you think that they are good. But as soon as the thought arises, you are separating yourself from other practitioners as a united front. Besides, we must beware of their "soft" approach, which is unnoticeable but will mislead one onto a wrong path. Actually, if they had meant well, why did they arrest you and put you through brainwashing, or confine you in a labor camp in the first place?
If some practitioners are thinking that certain officers from the "610 Office" are still very good people, yet at the same time all other practitioners are sending forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil controlling the "610 Office," then under such a circumstance our strength as a whole unit will be weakened by the evil who takes advantage of our gaps. Hence, Dafa practitioners should let go of such self-centered ideas, and use the Dafa standard to evaluate everything. If we work together more as a group in mutual harmony and coordination from the perspective of Dafa, our power can be maximized. This basically comes back to studying the Fa more, since all of our righteous enlightenment, thoughts, and actions come directly from Teacher and Dafa.