My Understanding of the Poem "Do Not Be Sad"

As I become more diligent in my study of the Falun Gong teachings, or Fa, and exposing the persecution my understanding of the poem "Do Not Be Sad" from Teacher's book of poems, Hong Yin II has evolved from a perceptual understanding to one that is more rational. When I first read it, my understanding was that it does not have much to do with practitioners outside of prisons, detention centres and labour camps, and that our compassionate Teacher is only telling those who are illegally detained to "not be sad." Instead of being swayed by emotion, they need to take the Fa as teacher and have righteous thoughts and deeds in the evil environment. Also, they should calmly search for their attachments and get rid of them. Only then would the evil be eliminated and could they be released.

After repeatedly studying the Fa, my understanding changed. Teacher's words are concise and simple, yet they profoundly contain deep Fa principles behind them. For every practitioner, Teacher's Fa is our guide for cultivation. It is the most respectful and precious base for cultivation in Fa rectification. Therefore, it cannot be regarded as only relevant to some, but not to others.

On July 20th, 1999, the evil Communist regime started its terrible persecution against Falun Gong. Such systematic and widespread persecution turned China into a nation-wide prison for practitioners. Facing this prison, determined practitioners let go of life and death, had no fear, and courageously went to Tiananmen to expose the evil and save sentient beings. Their brave deeds shocked heaven and earth. Gods admired them and the evil feared them.

However, some practitioners became muddled-headed because of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) fabricated propaganda and could not tell right from wrong. Some are afraid, even though they know that Falun Dafa is good. They hide at home and practise secretly, which in reality reflects confining themselves in the prison set up by the CCP, unable to pull up the courage to practise freely. Others gave up their beliefs due to fear. Some even stepped to the opposite side and brought negative effects to Falun Dafa. For those practitioners, our compassionate Teacher is worried. Teacher taught the Fa many times encouraging practitioners in mainland China to work together to end this brutal persecution. Although some practitioners are validating the Fa under various environments, after Fa study and experience sharing, others cannot break through the blockage set by the evil regime, therefore missing opportunities to save sentient beings.

Teacher often tells us that Falun Dafa practitioners are one body. If every particle in this body can function, the evil persecution will not exist. Even if it exists, it would not be as blatant, brutal and vicious. It is a big lesson for all practitioners, especially for those who did not do so well in the past. The recent Fa lectures by Teacher abroad, and the cases of fellow practitioners being abducted and tortured, made me realise that, while the practitioners who are being detained at prisons, labour camps, detention centres and brainwashing classes are facing a tangible prison, every practitioner is facing an invisible prison consisting of our postnatally formed notions, including the notions formed by the Party culture. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, whether or not one can break through these notions is directly related to whether he can realise his prehistoric vows, keep up with the process of Fa rectification, do the three things well, and be a qualified Dafa practitioner in the Fa rectification period. One who can break through them is a God; otherwise he is a human.

After seeing fellow practitioners being abducted and tortured, my human notions surfaced. On the surface, I had fear. What am I afraid of? I am afraid of being arrested, my family being affected, my future being destroyed if I cannot withstand the torture, etc. In fact, behind the fear are degenerate human factors and selfish notions. If I do not get rid of these notions, I cannot break through the prison, and "helping Teacher to rectify the Fa" cannot be attributed to me, let alone cultivating in the Fa rectification.

How to eliminate human notions? I realise that there is no shortcut. We can only achieve this by studying the Fa diligently and doing the three things well everyday.

"The Fa can break all attachments, the Fa can destroy all evil, the Fa can shatter all lies, and the Fa can strengthen righteous thoughts." ("Drive Out Interference")

Real life experience shows that only by studying the Fa well can we break through our human notions, truly abandon our human thoughts, and do the three things well as a practitioner should.

Fa rectification is coming to the end and there is not much time left for practitioners to validate Dafa.

"As you get rid of the human mentality, evil naturally disappears." (Do Not Be Sad)

If every practitioner gets rids of his human notions, exposes the evil, clarifies the truth and saves sentient beings, how could the evil continue to exist? Isn't it time for the Fa to rectify the human world? Those who have dared not step out, please hurry to break the human prison and keep up with the pace of Fa rectification.

The above is only my shallow understanding. Please point out anything that is inappropriate.