Safeguarding the Dignity of Falun Dafa When Associating with "Outstanding Figures" in Society

My use of the phrase "outstanding figures" does not carry any complimentary or derogatory meanings. I use the phrase to refer to those who have a relatively strong influence in the society, including those who have a strong sense of justice. During Falun Dafa practitioners' efforts to let more people learn about the practise and the persecution, we are bound to make contact with these people. When we associate with them, we should base our views on the Fa¹, and always use these principles to guide our words and actions. Only by doing so can we achieve the effect of letting people learn the truth about the practice and the persecution. If we conduct ourselves with human mentalities, the consequence may be that we have a negative impact.

For example, one writer mentioned such an incident. One time a Falun Dafa practitioner complained to this writer that none of the intellectuals in Mainland China had stood up to speak out against the persecution. The practitioner further said that only this writer had written some articles against the persecution. This writer thought that the practitioner had said this to him to gain his approval. The writer then asked the practitioner where he was when the democracy movement activists were being persecuted (this was just the gist of the dialogue, not the exact words).

I think that when the practitioner said those words, perhaps he was only pointing out a fact. However, according to the writer's reaction, the practitioner might have two kinds of human attachments, which caused the writer to react negatively. Firstly, the practitioner might have the mentality of relying on everyday people and of complaining about others. He was wishing the intellectuals in Mainland China would speak out, and he felt indignant about the intellectuals remaining silent. The fact is that Falun Dafa practitioners are validating the Fa and saving people, not begging everyday people for help. Everyday people's compassionate words and actions are laying a good foundation for their own future, and we should do our best to create an environment for them to do well. How they do things are their own choice, and we should not become attached to what they do.

Secondly, the writer thought that the practitioner praised him to get his approval. This practitioner might not have this mentality or attachment. Still, we should look within ourselves to see if we have the mentality of intentionally making others feel better about us when we communicate with others. Being Falun Dafa practitioners, we should always follow the standard for Falun Dafa practitioners, and by doing so, our compassionate energy will naturally emanate. If we try to use human mentalities to curry favour or engage in exchanges of interests with others, we will get the opposite effect. Falun Dafa practitioners are compassionately saving people, rather than begging everyday people for favours or for acknowledgement.

In addition, I would like to mention the issue of us appealing for the democracy movement activists who are being persecuted. Before cultivation, we were also ordinary people and had everyday people's selfishness, so it was indeed very hard for us to step out to appeal for others. It was only after we started to practise Falun Dafa and when we gradually eliminated our selfishness and fear that we gained the courage to stand up to expose the evil forces' persecution of the practice and clarify the truth. We sympathise with those who are being persecuted. We have also tried our best to let people know about their suffering.

However, as Falun Dafa practitioners during the period of Fa-rectification, we have even greater responsibilities, and everything we do is for the salvation of sentient beings and for their eternal well being. The huge price that practitioners inside and outside China have paid, especially the suffering that countless practitioners in China have experienced, are far beyond what many people could possibly imagine. It is very difficult for non-practitioners, including the democracy movement activists, to see the whole picture of the persecution unless they can let go of their personal notions and try to gain a better understanding of the issue. The democracy movement activists are engaging in politics, while Falun Dafa practitioners are not. With respect to our opposition to persecution, although Falun Dafa practitioners and the democracy movement activists engage in similar forms of activities on the surface and are superficially doing the same thing, our resisting the persecution is what practitioners need to do only during this special historic period. Fundamentally, cultivators of Falun Dafa pursue the goal of going beyond ordinary person's birth, ageing, illness, and death, knowing that the meaning of being human is assimilating ourselves to the characteristics of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Falun Dafa practitioners are not attached to any political parties, governments, politics, or any other things in human society.

I also heard that some practitioners overseas greatly admire a certain writer. This writer was even invited to attend a cultivation experience-sharing discussion that Falun Dafa practitioners held among themselves. Of course, certain non-practitioners with righteous minds are admirable for their courage and actions. However, they are, after all, non-practitioners, and have various kinds of ordinary attachments, while we Falun Dafa cultivators are constantly and knowingly purifying ourselves, and we are walking on the path to becoming enlightened. The basis for our being here and the motives and objectives of our doing things are above and beyond those of ordinary society. In fact, for a cultivator, whenever he admires a practitioner or someone else, he is looking at others with human notions, which reflects that he has not studied the Fa well and has not taken himself to be a Falun Dafa practitioner in that regard.

"Safeguarding the dignity of Dafa" does not mean that we intentionally present ourselves as conceited and stay away from any worldly pursuits. As a matter of fact, being conceited or feeling inferior are two different manifestations of the same human attachment. There is nothing for us to feel conceited about; without the salvation from Master, we would still be full of karma. In the present Fa-rectification cultivation, we still need to look within ourselves at all times, so as to eliminate our attachments and bad notions.

To safeguard the dignity of Falun Dafa, we should be very clear in our minds that we are practitioners who are here to save sentiment beings during the Fa-rectification. We should use Falun Dafa to guide our thoughts, words, and actions at all times. By us doing so, the tremendous power of our compassion will emanate, and this is in itself saving sentient beings.

Thank you Master for the teachings which enable me to constantly purify myself through Fa study, to be aware of my own attachments and human notions, and to work hard to eliminate them.

Note:

1. Fa - Law or Principle in the Buddha School, in this case the Principles taught in Falun Dafa.