Using the Nine Commentaries Seminars to Further Expose the Persecution

HeShi¹ Teacher!
HeShi fellow Falun Dafa practitioners!

(Anatoly) In November of 2004, a group of Falun Gong practitioners from Latvia arrived in Manhattan, in order to clarify the truth about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong. While we were in New York, we attended an experience sharing conference, held by the participants of The Epoch Times project. It was at this conference that we first learnt about the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party². We also learnt the significance of this publication for the mass-media of all the countries in the world. During a short period of time, we observed how quickly the Nine Commentaries have spread all over the world.

In 2005, Falun Dafa practitioners from Latvia took part in many European parades, devoted to support of those who leave the ranks of the wicked CCP. With each parade, the number of people, who had signed their names, signifying the withdrawal from the Communist Party and its affiliated organisations, increased considerably. Posters carried by the participants of each procession served as the evidence for this.

(Erik) Upon my arrival home, I have read several experience sharing articles, in which fellow practitioners from China shared what they had been through, after having collided with the evil persecution of the spiteful communist party. I tried to strengthen my own righteous thoughts, in order to clear out the field and to eliminate the influence of the wicked spirit of CCP in China. Even when I was going to bed, I still continued to think about what I had learnt about the ongoing repression. Suddenly, it became clear to me - since I earlier belonged to the youth league, of the former Soviet Union, but did not write the withdrawal from this organisation, it could be said that those factors, which were supported by my existence earlier had proceeded to survive in my mind as well as my body. I realised that I should immediately purge away their influence. It was not just me that was been purified, but also a fraction of the general space, for which I carry responsibility. With my entire soul I felt that this was not just a formality. At first I thought that I would just write the withdrawal from the youth league in the morning, but right away I realised that there was still a lot of time left before the morning comes, and that my renunciation of communistic ideology should be written immediately. I got up from my bed and, although it was close to two o’clock in the morning, I wrote the renunciation from the rotten spirit of communism.

The next day, I attended our group study of the Falun Gong teachings. With me, I had a handwritten renunciation from the communist party. I did not know what to do with it and wanted to consult with my fellow practitioners. However, after group Fa (law and principles in Falun Gong) study, one practitioner suggested to read through a draft translation of the Teacher’s new article:

“Dafa disciples do not want to leave behind any blemishes; their making a renunciation is not "getting political," and even less is it going through a formality. Rather, it is an attachment that needs to be removed in cultivation. No one can reach Consummation if they remain marked by, or if they acknowledge the most evil thing in the entire cosmos. In addition, only when Dafa disciples are able to clearly recognise it for what it is, purge it from their minds and no longer let it interfere with their thinking, can they have stronger righteous thoughts and do well what Dafa disciples should do; it is a step in cultivation that you have to take.” (Turning the Wheel Towards the Human World” Li Hongzhi, Feb. 15, 2005).

After reading Teachers new article, I came to an understanding that I must publish my statement. I pulled it out of my pocket and first of all read it to the other Falun Dafa practitioners. When I came home, I typed and sent it over the internet to the e-mail addresses of practitioners from the other cities of the former Soviet Union.

Understanding that freeing up from the evil spirit of the communist party for all the people, especially in the countries of the former USSR, I decided to find a way of publishing my statement. When meeting with journalists in the course of my employment, I spoke to them about writing the statement and explained to them the reason behind the making of this step. I also asked about a possibility of publishing it, in turn making more people consider a similar step towards the cleansing of their consciousness from the infectious spirit of the evil party. I acquainted my friends and co-workers with the statement. While communicating with people and clarifying the truth about the essence of the communist party and the persecution of the practitioners by the CCP, I gained a much deeper understanding of the importance of cleansing from all the factors implanted into the people’s consciousness by the spiteful cult.

Meanwhile, a practitioner from Latvia and I continued our participation in parades around Europe intended to support those people who where resigning from the communist party and affiliated organisations.

(Anatoly) In the summer of 2005 Falun Dafa practitioners from Latvia attended a seminar and a parade dedicated to the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in Stockholm. I was very inspired with the preparation work done by the Scandinavian practitioners in the activities dedicated to raising awareness to the Nine Commentaries. I thought that it would be very good to carry out a similar seminar in Latvia and other Baltic countries. During the activities I had a chance to communicate with participating Swedish politicians and lawmakers; in our conversation I shared my opinion regarding the importance of such activities in the countries of the former socialist regime. Inspired by Nine Commentaries events, I invited people who were involved in the conversation to a similar seminar in Latvia. In the day before that, I would not even suggest a possibility of having similar activities in the Baltics.

(Erik) In the beginning of the fall of 2005 we learnt about an International Conference entitled “Vilnius 2005”. This is a conference made possible by the public organisations and is intended to condemn the crimes committed by the communist regime. My friends and I were heading to the conference, planning to publicly present the Nine Commentaries. We were invited to the conference as representatives of the mass-media – international publishing project The Epoch Times and also the television channel NTD TV. Those who attended the conference warmly accepted the Nine Commentaries.

In a month we were participants of a seminar in Prague, dedicated to a new published of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in Czech. While returning home to Latvia I had a clear understanding that a seminar must take place in my country. An event of a big importance would familiarise a wide range of people and our government with the Nine Commentaries. Cleansing their consciousness off of the communist party factors would help people to make a choice of a good future for themselves and their close ones. On the way home my friends and I were exchanging some understandings about the importance of our mission in the countries of the Baltic region.

(Anatoly) The Latvian Falun Gong practitioners realised the importance of carrying out of a seminar in Baltic, but some reasons, such as shortage of experience of dialogue with the VIP and an insufficient efforts to let more people find out about Falun Gong and the persecution in the Baltic territory. This in turn seriously complicated the preparation and carrying out of a seminar in the near future. All of us were still hesitating. The Latvian practitioners’ experience of their trip to the seminar for the Nine Commentaries in Prague and our chat with practitioners from Europe raised our understanding. There were no more doubts, we now clearly knew that this seminar needs to be organised, however nobody took it upon themselves to begin its preparation. There was just a month left till the beginning of the Christmas vacation, during and after which it would be not possible to hold a seminar. One day I asked myself a question, whether I wanted the Nine Commentaries seminar took place in the Baltic’s and whether I am ready to make the efforts and walk this path, despite of all the difficulties. If I am not ready to walk this path, what is my role in the Fa-Rectification period and whether I am a true practitioner of the Fa-Rectification Period? This was the key question, since the answer to it would show a position that I took concerning the course of Fa-Rectification.

I recalled Teacher’s words from Zhuan Falun (Lecture Nine):

When I practised cultivation in the past, many great masters told me these words, and they said: “When it’s difficult to endure, you can endure it. When it’s impossible to do, you can do it.” In fact, that is how it is. Why don’t you give it a try when you return home. When you are overcoming a real hardship or tribulation, you try it. When it is difficult to endure, try to endure it. When it looks impossible and is said to be impossible, give it a try and see if it is possible. If you can actually do it, you will indeed find: “After passing the shady willow trees, there will be bright flowers and another village ahead!”

These words have given the power and I believed that we can manage organising and carrying out the seminar in Latvia.

(Erik) We have comprehended, that the seminar is one of tools for exposing the persecution and saving sentient beings. It is possible to carry this out while increasing the whole groups understanding of the Faun Gong teachings. Having realised all this, we started to prepare for the seminar. Having committed to paper an idea - as we see this seminar, what purposes it is to serve, - we began to acquaint the surrounding people with the idea of carrying out the seminar. We have named the seminar “The Baltic way 2005: the future without communism". This name was similar to the aspiration of people 15 years ago wishing to get rid of the communist regime, having joined hands, people walked out on the highway connecting the capitals of three Baltic republics. That was a first step of inhabitants of the Baltics on a way of liberating themselves from the communist ideology. Given that our resources - both human and material, have been very limited, we have decided, that we can hold a seminar in the city of Riga, in capital of Latvia, as it would be convenient for the neighbouring republics - Lithuania and Estonia. Discussion of idea of the seminar has revealed its potential participants, the people who understood the evil essence of communist ideology. During preparation, we acquainted them with the Nine Commentaries and exchanged opinions on the substance of article. We kept in constant contact with the representatives from Lithuania and Estonia by phone and sometimes our conversations would last about an hour - we needed to be convinced, that those people who would present a report at the seminar, are familiar and rationally understand the Nine Commentaries.

During the preparation, we have not given enough attention to exposing the facts of the persecution to mass-media. As a result the seminar has not been widely covered in the Baltic press. That tells us that in the further it is necessary to put more efforts into the clarification of the truth to journalists and workers of mass-media.

(Anatoly) Three weeks before the date of the seminar we still had problems to solve: such as finalising the place for the seminar, finding participants and co-organisers for the seminar, prepare the plan of the seminar – this last document was being added to every day of the preparatory work, we needed to put the invitations together for potential participants, we had to translate the reports into the working languages of the seminar, prepare translation at a good level (the working languages of the seminar were Latvian, English and Russian), find the moderator for the activity etc.

In the course of the preparation for the seminar, support from Scandinavian practitioners was very helpful to us. We were constantly exchanging experiences over the Internet and via telephone. With their help we managed to raise our understanding and strengthen the body of Falun Dafa practitioners in the Baltic States.

At the seminar politicians, human rights advocates, state activists, historians, experts in business in China, journalists had a speech. With the joint efforts of the participants, we worked out a Resolution of the seminar, which later played its role, as an instrument in letting the truth be known. In the Resolution one of the items was to condemn the cruel and unlawful persecution of various peaceful movements in China, including Falun Gong.

Later on, in January of 2006 the Resolution for the seminar was sent out to the delegates of the Baltic countries, who took part in the vote for the European Council Resolution, suggested by the Swedish Parliament, where the condemned the communist ideology.

Participation in the preparation of and the seminar itself has allowed Falun Dafa practitioners in the Baltic countries to merge into the Fa-rectification, to strengthen righteous thoughts and feel like one body with Dafa disciples of the whole world. This seminar served as a platform for the following projects to let people know what is taking place in China, and has opened an opportunity for various public circles to get acquainted with the Nine Commentaries, to realise the reason for the persecution, happening in China and to enable people to make the choice for a good future for themselves and for their nears and dears.

HeShi!

Note:

1. HeShi: Way of showing respect by pressing the hands together in front of the chest.
2. Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party: Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party is a series of essays published in late 2004 that reveal the true nature of the Communist Party. The Nine Commentaries have led millions of people to renounce their membership in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and come to gain a clearer understanding about the wrongful persecution against Falun Gong. "A book that has shocked all Chinese around the world. A book that is disintegrating the Communist Party." http://ninecommentaries.com