Efforts to Clarify the Truth Using Various Artistic Forms Must All Be Upright

Recently, some Falun Dafa practitioners have been writing romantic novels to clarify the truth about Falun Dafa. There have been many discussions on this issue. As I understand it, writing novels is just one of many different forms of art, and that the same Fa principles apply to writing novels as apply to the creation of all other forms of art.

Enjoying writing and reading romantic or sentimental novels is an attachment that a practitioner has yet to get rid of in his or her individual cultivation. If the novel contains information about Falun Dafa material, Dafa truth and cultivators, it will affect the readers' perception of Dafa cultivation and cultivators. So we have to be extremely careful about it. If we do not write it uprightly, not only will it leave a dirty mark on our own cultivation path, it will also negatively impact the human world. Furthermore, it will create tremendous loss for Dafa if the novel is spread by the media.

Those practitioners who write this kind of novel should ask themselves why they think that only "romance" will attract people to understand the truth. Aren't there better and purer ways? When the readers are touched by the love affairs of "practitioners" and by the way they see the truth of Dafa, won't people have the wrong interpretation of Dafa cultivation and cultivators? Will they think that the "cultivators" are just so, and that Dafa cultivation is full of roses and moon-romantic stuff? Even though the readers may understand the truth after reading the novel, won't they have a negative or incorrect understanding of the seriousness of Dafa cultivation? Won't this make it more difficult for the readers' cultivation in the future? Isn't this also an insult to the Dafa disciples who have strictly lived by the standards of "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance" and set up the upright examples of a cultivator?

The Clearwisdom Editors, in the article "On the Relationship Between Members of the Opposite Sex and the Issue of Marriage" (January 26, 2004), mentioned, "The moral standard of modern humankind has become extremely degenerated. Because they see it all the time, people who fall down alongside modern humankind are not aware of it. Actually if one makes even the most casual comparison to what took place in the past, he will see how much the human moral standard has fallen. The things that people in the past viewed as crimes and extremely shameful acts are now viewed as things that bring immense pleasure and are extremely fashionable. For example, when it comes to members of the opposite sex, modern people usually put emphasis on looks and sex appeal, and take character and self-restraints lightly. They take having a relationship with members of the opposite sex as casually as having a meal or a drink of water. They act shamelessly in order to satisfy their lust, and there are even those who engage in homosexual activities. But what kind of moral standard did people in the past use with regard to members of the opposite sex? Ancient Chinese people stressed that members of the opposite sex shouldn't touch each other. They thought those who tried to use sexual appeal to draw attention to themselves are flighty and unrestrained. Even a husband and a wife should 'respect each other like honored guests and treat each other as friends.' They viewed 'sex games' as 'shame of a husband and wife.'"

When the writers write or the editors publish romantic novels, they need to be alert to see under what mindsets they view these materials with. Is there room in their minds for these unrighteous elements? Will they spread these things to the reader, and even contaminate our fellow practitioners when they read them?

"Catering to popular taste" does not mean we should be gaudy or tawdry. It cannot be used as an excuse for us to write materials that are not upright. The Divine Performing Arts' Chinese New Year Spectacular performance has set up the best example for us. It has only beautiful, benevolent, elegant and pure contents, yet it is able to attract people of different races, different professions, different ages, and different cultural backgrounds. It cleanses people's minds and helps them understand the truth, it establishes righteous thoughts towards the worlds of gods and Buddhas, as well as towards cultivation. It builds a longing for returning to our original and true selves, and creates great respect towards Dafa cultivators and Divine Performing Arts' performers. I think this is the direction for Dafa disciples to strive for in their artistic creations, be they novels or other art forms.

When the Fa rectification process comes closely to the end, under Teacher's benevolent direction, most practitioners' thoughts and behaviors become more and more upright. However, we still hear of occasions where a practitioner falls in love with someone when clarifying truth to people in China, but has actually fallen into a trap set up by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spies; or where a practitioner develops inappropriate sentiments towards married practitioners, thus creates conflicts and impacts the smooth conduct of Dafa work. All of these sad occasions remind us of how dangerous it is to mix sentiments and love in truth clarification or other Dafa projects. One may still think he is contributing to the truth clarification, but in fact he is falling down in his cultivation.

I recommend we all read the related Teacher's Fa lectures and the Clearwisdom Editors' article, "On the Relationship Between Members of the Opposite Sex and the Issue of Marriage," so that we can completely eliminate the unrighteous elements about romance and sex in our minds and leave a good example for future human beings. Furthermore, if we know practitioners who have this kind of problem, we should point it out to them directly and help them to understand it from the vantage point of the Fa. In this way, we can safeguard the seriousness of the Dafa cultivation environment.

In closing, I would like to share with everyone Teacher's words in "Teaching the Fa at the Discussion on Creating Fine Art,"

"Right now, during the Fa-rectification period, everything in the world revolves around Dafa - that's for sure - because the Three Realms were created for the Fa-rectification. Why am I discussing these things with you today? Its because Dafa disciples with artistic skills have abilities and energy. If the things you do aren't upright, or aren't upright enough, you'll reinforce the unrighteous elements, which will affect human society even more. In cultivation, you're supposed to rectify yourselves by cultivating away everything that's not good. You should be a good person wherever you are. So in the field of the arts you should be a good person as well, and in your artwork you should display what's beautiful, what's upright, what's pure, what's good, and what's bright and positive."