(Clearwisdom.net) I have long experienced that the Fa often gives me hints during my Fa study. Because of this, during the beginning of the persecution I visited different local areas to share experiences from the perspective of the Fa. Dafa's power has enabled many practitioners to understand the Fa from the Fa, leading them to strengthen their righteous thoughts and step forward to save sentient beings. Later on I realized that my understanding of the Fa as well as the righteous thoughts I have cultivated from the Fa have been continuously renewed during my cultivation process. Realizing this, I feel emotional about the last sentence of practitioners' sharing articles, "This is my personal understanding, please kindly point out any improper understanding." This kind of simplicity and humility should be every practitioner's basic attitude.
We know from the Fa that different levels have different Fa, and that the Fa at higher levels is closer to the characteristics of the universe than that at the lower levels. But when dealing with actual issues, we often hold onto the principles that we have come to recognize at certain realms and thus become smug. This mentality has made us believe, while cooperating with Dafa practitioners as a whole, that our way is better than another's, and that our views are right. We may even reject and reproach other practitioners who have different cultivation states. This mindset can lead to separation and internal conflicts among us. When we argue and make accusations, we forget the importance of assimilating ourselves to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, and that we should deal with and be tolerant of other practitioners whose cultivation states and realms are different from ours.
Practitioners in our city had not cooperated together very well. No one organized and coordinated the effort of rescuing the persecuted practitioners in many local areas. Persecution facts in some local areas were not adequately and accurately exposed. Some minor mistakes even existed in the prepared truth-clarification materials, and a few areas lacked sufficient truth-clarification materials preparation sites. Many newly-established truth-clarification materials sites or those in other areas did not take the initiative to prepare materials that were suitable for their local areas. Seeing these problems, I tried to organize some of the local groups and help them make this step forward. I found that local groups did not pay attention to exposing evil in their local areas at all. Many practitioners objected to my suggestion. They were satisfied as long as they were safe and had done a little bit relating to doing the three things.
Initially I could not bring myself to accept what I encountered and I even felt wronged. When I looked inward did I realize that I should not get too attached to my own views? What each practitioner or each local group does all depends on the practitioners' cultivation realms and cultivation states. Master is protecting and guiding each practitioner. I can make suggestions, but I cannot become too attached to my views and should not try to control the local groups. Since I had realized that what the whole body of practitioners had done was far from enough, I felt I should try my best to shoulder certain responsibilities and supplement what the one body had done inadequately.
Since then, our quite small group, besides clarifying the truth, often works extra hours at night to compile, typeset, and print materials, so as to widely distribute information to expose local persecution incidents. We are also involved in other truth-clarification work. When we do not know how to typeset, we simply use old material layouts as templates and make some minor modifications. Whenever a persecution incident occurs, we try to add one round of distribution of the truth-clarification materials handouts, to make up for the inadequate local truth-clarification and rescue effort. Most times we wholeheartedly use our compassion to prepare mailing letters. We also hand-write a paragraph from the bottom of our hearts, to persuade people to do good deeds. Overall, we just use our compassionate thoughts to do things.
Gradually, several coordinators who knew what we had been doing also began to pay attention to and undertake similar efforts to expose the evil locally, improving the local cultivation environment, rescuing detained practitioners, and saving sentient beings.
Practitioners aware of these circumstances also started to support our efforts. They hoped that someone would coordinate the local practitioners to work together, to improve the local environment. Everything has happened without pursuit. When I reexamine myself now I find that I am no longer as demanding and picky as before and no longer over-emphasize my views; although sometimes I still repeat my mistakes and wrongfully consider my ego as my true self.
In the past when a fellow practitioner was persecuted, I used to discuss and blame the persecuted practitioner's shortcomings as a means to learn a lesson and protect myself. This was actually the same as my acknowledging, in a disguised way, the persecution. Now, when a practitioner is persecuted, I no longer criticize that person, and no longer look for the reason of the persecution, because basically I no longer acknowledge the evil and its arrangements. Instead, I follow what Master told us about looking inward: I want to see if I have used the human mentality or notions to see things, or if I still have gaps in my cultivation. I try to determine if there is yet a separation between the practitioner and me, and why I have not told the practitioner in a kind and modest way about his or her problems that I noticed.
Why do so many persecution incidents happen in my immediate surroundings? Where are my gaps? In what respect have I done far from enough? Once I find my problems I try my best to improve my Xinxing and remove the gaps between the practitioner and me, and then silently supplement the whole body.
Supplementing is actually my share of responsibility; it is the result of my having previously failed to do well or adequately. What I can do now is to redouble my efforts in making up for the inadequacy by turning the persecution that fellow practitioners have experienced into something good. We can use the local persecution incidents to expose the evil, stop the persecution, and offer sentient beings salvation. We should completely negate the persecution. When all the practitioners can improve themselves in the Fa, the evil will be unable to find excuses for the persecution.
Everyone has his or her shortcomings. Those who criticize others and those who are criticized should look inward and cultivate themselves. Paying attention to personal safety is important, and so is cultivating compassion; these two aspects are not in opposition. Furthermore, if one's own righteous thoughts and wisdom cannot reach the state of the coordinator, one sometimes may be unable to understand why the coordinator wants to forge ahead. One may further antagonize and accuse the coordinator. Without coordination, practitioners will be unable to achieve the state of doing Dafa work as a whole. Many practitioners, based on selfishness and in their own realms direct others how to do things, which can lead to casual accusations and rejections among them. This has created separations where evil beings can hide.
I hope that we all can calm down and truly search within ourselves to see what gaps we still have, and what gaps the local groups of practitioners still have, and then try our best to make up for what the one body of Dafa practitioners still lacks.
Because of my level, please point out anything I have incorrectly understood.
August 5, 2009
